The Red Lodge Museum | Bristol, England

The Red Lodge Museum is a small house tucked away on Park Row.
Barely noticeably from the street, it seems to be just another house. Step inside however, and you are transported back to Elizabethan England.

The lodge is home 400 years of history.
It has some of the oldest rooms in Bristol, and once hosted Queen Elizabeth I during her visit to the city. It was then transformed into a boarding school for girls, before eventually becoming 'hidden treasure' style museum.

Entry into the Red Lodge Museum is free.

Happy Wednesday!
xoxo

Why I Blog (1 Year Blogiversary)

A few days ago Bristol In My Pocket turned one!

I can't believe I've been blogging for a full year!

Margo over at Gunten Blog Y'all recently wrote an amazing post about why she blogs.
Her post was SO PERFECT I thought it would make a great prompt for my blogiversary.
So why do I blog?

Like most expat bloggers, the original purpose of this blog was to update my family and friends on my adventures abroad. Let's be real, we all know it never works out like that. To be honest, I'm pretty sure my mom is the only one who really reads my blog (and she does so religiously). But because blogging is not exactly normal social media, it's hard for family and friends to keep up with Bristol In My Pocket. Yet I continue to blog anyway.

The thing about my blog is, I enjoy doing it. Bristol In My Pocket is a little piece of me. I'm constantly working on my blog because it makes me happy to see its success. We live in a day and age where you have the possibility to leave your mark on the world without being extraordinary. You can just be you.

I've found that the majority of people back home don't understand my lifestyle. While they accept my choices, they don't understand them. Yet blogging opens up a world (literally) of people who share my same values and beliefs. The blogging community is filled with people just like me, living abroad, experiencing the same dramas and thrills. We were told growing up not to talk to strangers online. While it is still important to stay cautious, we're rarely told of the friendships and connections you can make with kindred spirits.

Why do you blog?

Happy Sunday!
xoxo

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

A few days ago I visited Bristol Museum & Art Gallery for the first time.
Located at the top of Park Street, I walk by it on a daily basis.
For some reason though, I just never found the time to go.
I was extremely impressed with the collection. From Rome to China, this museum has it all. It's even home to a few Banksy pieces.

As a person who has volunteered and worked in museums for the last seven years, I know a good museum when I see it. I'm a big fan of interactive museums, and Bristol Museum & Art Gallery does it perfectly.  Without compromising the historical atmosphere, the museum has added educational touch screens, desktops, and learning centers to improve the quality and quantity of material provided.

My favorite part about the museum is the architecture of the building itself. It's absolutely beautiful!
Interesting fact: In 1940, a bomb went off in the main hall of the museum. You can still see the damage on some of the pillars today. 

Like most museums in England, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery is free.

Happy Tuesday!

xoxo