Behind the scenes at 'The Battles' - The Voice of Holland | Lilly Jane Y...

Join me behind the scenes for an exclusive look at how Demi van Wijngaarden and I prepared for our Battle on THE VOICE OF HOLLAND!! We had so much fun together and smashed it on the day!

VLOGMAS 2017 - Sorry Santa... I made friends with Sinterklaas!!

It's time for another VLOGMAS! In this video I become even more Dutch, as I was so excited to meet Sinterklaas and interview his for my vlog. It was a super festive, misty day and you can feel my childish excitement every step of the way. Enjoy, wherever you are in the world xoxo

VLOGMAS 2017 - I can't believe Sandor hates Vlogmas!!

The snow has started falling in The Netherlands, Christmas Trees are twinkling and everyone is counting down the days until work and school come to an end for another year. What better way to spend a few festive moments today, than grabbing a coffee, tea or mulled wine and cosying up on the sofa to watch another installment of VLOGMAS 2017 with The Sturbls!

 Sandor HATES Vlogmas - bah, humbug! - but we did have an emotional reunion after a long few weeks apart. Enjoy, and have a fantastic weekend wherever you are in the world xoxo

Vlogmas 2017 - I Started a Day Early!!!

VLOGMAS 2017 is finally here and I could not be feeling more festive! Get ready with me for Lilly-Jane Young in Concert onboard the Oceania Marina xoxo

50 Facts about Me | Lilly-Jane Young

Let's get to know each other better!! xoxo

Behind the scenes at THE VOICE OF HOLLAND!!! Lilly-Jane Young

Behind the scenes at The Voice of Holland Blind Auditions!!

Behind the scenes at THE VOICE OF HOLLAND!!! Lilly-Jane Young

Behind the scenes at The Voice of Holland Blind Auditions!!

EXCITING NEWS!! - TVOH 8 Blind Auditions!

I'm so incredibly excited to share that I will be on this season of THE VOICE OF HOLLAND!!
This is really is the most crazy, scary and exciting thing I've ever done in my life, and I can't wait to share the journey with you all!!

Collecting Chestnuts - Autumn 2017 VLOG Lilly-Jane Young

Sandor and I had such a gorgeous walk through the forrest right on the Dutch/German border to collect Chestnuts :) All my fairytale, sprookjesbos, Disney Princess, cosy, autumn feelings were going particularly crazy that day and the result was this video. Enjoy and have a great day wherever you are xoxo

Cosy Autumnal Days - Lilly-Jane Young VLOG

I've been feeling so Autumnal this past week! Too soon? I think not! So I wanted to share all the cosy vibes with you guys xoxo

Too Good at Goodbyes - Sam Smith cover by Lilly-Jane Young

Scottish family lost in the caves of Maastricht!

A Roman Adventure! - Oceania Riviera 2017

Oceania Riviera - I'm in MONACO!

Oceania Nautica - Show prep and let's chat about stage fright!

In this video I get honest about my experience with stage fright and how I've learned to cope with it. xoxo

Oceania Nautica - Cabin Tour and meeting Mickey Mouse!

My new vlog camera!! (Canon G7x Mark II)

Birthday treats and a Haunted house - Celebrity Millennium 2017

Such a great day out for Jack Ireland​'s birthday!! We were big kids screaming in the haunted house and then it was all the cocktails in Hard Rock xoxo

CREW MEMBERS GETTING MARRIED! - Celebrity Millennium 2017

I've seen so many crazy, amazing things in my time, but watching our Captain wed two of my fellow crew members onboard the Millennium just stole my heart. How amazing to celebrate love, no matter how far away from home we all are!! Enjoy xoxo

The beautiful sadness of Nagasaki.

The beautiful sadness of Nagasaki.

 Traveling has been an integral part of my existence for over six years now. I have become one of those people who feels most at home suitcase in hand and camera at the ready. This was not exactly what I intended when I graduated, but nonetheless it has become who I am and defines a large chunk of how I have shaped myself. 

I am lucky. 

I am grateful.

 Lately, I have been looking for an outlet where I can share how I truly view the world that I spend most of my time exploring and, at the same time, alleviate that niggling voice in the back of my head that tells me that I am taking it all for granted. It's the notion that I should somehow document my experiences to give weight to what has become 'normal' that drives me to start writing.

So here I am, ready to share.

Nagasaki presented itself to me quite easily as a good place to start, the reason being that it is a city that has taken me through a huge range of emotions in the mere 2 days I have spent there so far. 

It is my first and, as of yet, only experience of Japan, so the first time I set foot on Japanese soil felt like ticking off a major life goal. 

Nagasaki greeted us with glorious sunshine and crisp, clean air. Perfect weather for a January day. I had of course planned most of my day based on what must be done when you visit anywhere with such an earth-shattering past; I had my museum tickets at the ready.

The Atomic Bomb museum was never going to be a particularly pleasant experience, but I was unsure how I would personally react to being faced with the harsh reality of the tragedy that befel Nagasaki on the 9th August 1945. 

Most predominantly, I felt the unquestionable injustice in the fact that it will forever be the innocent that suffer in times of strife. My incredulity at what humans are capable of doing to each other, I guess, was formed purely as a product of my own naivety. I prayed for the souls who were lost, and prayed that I may be fortunate enough to never experience such suffering.

Upon leaving the museum and the adjacent memorial (seen in photo) I felt the calm and peaceful recovery that Nagasaki has made since 1945. It is not merely bricks and mortar that has been relayed. You feel as you walk the streets that the city has refused to allow the Atomic Bomb to define it. Peace literally hangs in the air. There is none of the frantic hustle and bustle that plagues urban society elsewhere in the world. Instead, the streets are quiet, dignified. Even the traffic is respectful, and not a single horn made a sound the entire day. Nagasaki radiates elegance, and this was the impression I took with me on the rest of my days' travels. 

Exploring the backstreets and residential areas, you can engulf yourself in tradition; from the architecture of every home, to the hidden gardens and graveyards woven into the heart of the city. 

My heart was stolen that day, and remains so even now. Writing this post has given me the chance to sit still and return to that particular moment. I remember now how I felt, I remember what I learned and have re-awoken a memory that could have faded away as we move on to the next adventure. For now, my niggling notion that I have taken something so special for granted has receded. I can move on with confidence and look forward to further reflection, right here in my own little corner of the internet. 

Until next time,

Lilly-Jane