With the new year fast approaching we recommend the following 5 things to do if in the UK for the first time or actually live here.

Glastonbury Festival in the UK by Logan1138

1. Visit Wimbledon 2013

With the ever increasing popularity of tennis in the UK and the fact that we have the Olympic Champion Andy Murray performing amazingly this tournament promises to be amazing. Murray mound is located inside the grounds and you can watch the games without the need for tickets. Just expect to queue up when the big games are on. Definitely one of the events of 2013.

2. Watch a Premier League Football match. 

The English Premier League is probably the most exciting football league in the world and is home to some of the very best players.  Whilst premier league tickets are not very easy to find you can normally get to see a game for the lower teams in the league without problem. The biggest games of the season are between Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and now Manchester City. The stadiums we recommend are Anfield, Old Trafford and the Emirates, all of which hold more than 50,000 fans with Old Trafford having over 77,000 capacity.

3. Go Camping at Glastonbury 2013

With the Olympics taking place in 2012 the organisers of the largest festival in the world, Glastonbury decided to have a year off from the UK music festival scene. With this the demand to go in 2013 has been higher than ever. Artists such as Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Coldplay and Jay-Z have all played on the iconic Pyramid stage in the past couple of years and 2013 promises to be just as big. Camping typically starts on the Tuesday and the music starts on the main stages on the Friday. If you are around this part of the UK in June 2013 then get your camping gear ready and get to the Somerset countryside for this amazing festival.

4. Champions League Final Wembley 2013

The famous Wembley Stadium will be the place to be in North West London in May 2013 with around 90,000 fans cheering on the finalists of the Champions League. With teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United, AC Milan all fighting for a place this promises to be another fantastic and dramatic final. The English Football Association is 150 years old this year and therefore has been chosen for the final destination. With over 100 million

Wembley Stadium, England, UK by Richj1209

5. Watch a 6 Nations Rugby Match

The 6 Nations consist of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy and France. All of these nations are passionate about rugby and play to win every game. All games are passionate and completely sold out. The highlight games are always the England vs France games and England v Ireland. With the choice of Twickenham, Murrayfield and the Millenium stadium you have the choice of 3 excellent stadiums to choose from.

Written by James, a writer for TicketVago.com, specialists in Premier League tickets and other major sporting events.

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volunteers at work by US Army Corps of Engineers

Motivation

By no means is this intended to discourage you from going to volunteer abroad, but it is important not to expect too much from your weeks away from home. You may make a difference on the day, but the biggest change will come from what you bring back home with you; the volunteering experience itself could be the start of a career in the third sector, or a kick start to your interest in political or social activism. The organisers too will be aware of the trip’s import: at its heart your trip is a very focused and purposeful vacation, which is obviously a pretty great way to spend your free time, but if the sole purpose of their organisation was to build a school or teach English, they would be better off training local people or using local resources. Avoid disappointment! Be pragmatic. Remember that your trip is more about challenging yourself than changing the world.

With all that in mind, volunteering gives you a great chance to see the world and have a substantial experience at the same time. Plus, if you’re careful with your time you can still do a good day’s work and do some exploring on the side, and see how other places in the world operate differently to how you are accustomed.

Requirements

Your trip will be fun and hopefully expand your conception of what it is to be alive in the 21st century, but there’s a chance there will be low moments too. Being prepared is the best way to deal with anything negative that comes your way, and then to push through it.

Depending on where you’re travelling to, you may be a long way from a lot of the things you take for granted, like reliable plumbing, or even hot water and electricity. Most international volunteering schemes go to developing nations, and you may have to put up with uncomfortable lodging, tough working conditions, bad food, and most importantly seeing a part of the world suffering from real poverty. Some things you see might make you see the world in a different way forever, and might be difficult to cope with. This is a time to talk to people you can trust: being a long way from home without support mechanisms can be very tough.

The flip side of the same issue is that this can be a great time to learn about yourself and to grow emotionally. The opportunity to push yourself far beyond your comfort zone is a rare one, particularly when you return to a country where life is relatively easy. You might get the chance to organise your own itinerary, learn new skills, make friends and contacts that last a lifetime. Make your own adventures.

And if you are lucky enough to go somewhere with a decent internet infrastructure, be sure to make the most of the international calls you can make online. Your family and friends may be just as eager to hear about your adventures as you are to have them!

Catherine Halsey is based in Edinburgh and writes for a digital marketing agency. This article links back to Skype.com.

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