Welcome !
I’m Holly and I started this blog as a way of documenting my 2023 trip around Europe in my handsome mechanical companion, Bert.
Since returning all those years ago, I had the intention to continue to dabble in the odd piece of writing - albeit extremely inconsistently - but ended up not doing so. Oopsie!
Nevertheless, I did have some thoughts to share on my recent travels in 2025/26, so enjoy (or don’t!).
The Name: Just About Managing…
To me, the word managing has always been quite amusing because it can be interpreted in two rather contradictory ways. On one hand, it suggests being successfully in control - for instance, “I manage a business” or “I manage to sleep despite the sound of my husband crying.” In this sense, if someone expresses that they’re struggling, you can provide some incredibly insightful advice about control, such as: “It’s all about managing; managing your time, your resources, your emotions, etc.” Trust me, this kind of wisdom works wonders when someone’s feeling low…
On the other hand, managing can imply merely scraping by; just barely coping with all the perplexities that adulthood throws at you. For instance “I’m managing to live off £3 a week”. Sure, it’s technically true that you could survive living off £3 a week, but the question lies at what quality of life you would have in that circumstance. For those who may not be sure, the answer is: not good.
The name Just About Managing therefore considers both evaluations, reflecting my simultaneous ability to feel entirely in control of my life whilst also being completely terrified about what the future holds.
Why?
The big question. The reason is quite simple and earnestly boring: I’ve always written as a hobby - not well, as you’ll soon find out, but it has always featured quite heavily in my life. I therefore saw my travels across Europe in Bert as the perfect opportunity to start writing a blog. It was also a great way to document it all; to remember all the little things you often forget when you’re away for some time.