Hi, I’m Meriel…

The second name is "Woolf" for anyone wondering how "Running with Woolf" came to be. I was born in London and raised in the beautiful area of Richmond upon Thames. I am a massive foodie, a huge over-planner, and I am always willing to spend my life savings on my next adventure.

 

Running with Woolf is for the adventurous, independent, and design-oriented traveller.

Growing up my parents avoided the classic family resort opting for road trips across Europe in our silver Renault Scenic. These holidays with my two sisters squished in the back of a car unknowingly built my drive to seek out my own unique and independent experiences around the world.

With an architect as a father, my mother as an interior designer and a grandma whose greatest joy in life is to watch me eat it’s no surprise that my trips focus on authentic culture, delicious food and tasteful interiors. My travels take me anywhere from cooking out of a van to quirky family-run B&Bs or sipping margaritas in boutique hotels.

When it comes to travel I am one of those people who has everywhere on their list. I don’t limit myself to tropical islands or buy into large brand hotel chains. I want to travel well and be as environmentally and culturally aware as possible. This means making mistakes and learning from them, experiencing cultures first hand and asking questions to gain a greater understanding. I don’t believe you need to stay in the most expensive, highly rated or Instagram famous places and I hope you can relate.

I try to balance this while maintaining and progressing in my career and whilst saving as much money as possible without losing a social life. Follow me as I try and navigate the world alongside my 40-hour work week…

A lil basic but…

Born in

London, UK

Countries Visited

43

Cat or Dog

Don’t hate me… cats all the way

Number of Jobs

14 - From dancing in Abercrombie to sewing bondage lingerie

Studied

Contour Design at The London College of Fashion

Favourite Drink

Red wine, champagne, or a spicy margarita.

Current Job

FF&E Designer

Go to Travel Companion

My Husband, Dale

 

The only thing to say here is…

thank goodness for orthodontic work because I’ve had a lot, 3 sets of braces to be exact.

3 in a Bed…

in case we didn’t spend enough time in the car together, road-tripping across northern Germany during the summer.

 
 

Half term was spent…

in Cornwall with the adventure crew. Mum (the number 1 travel planner) behind the camera and always claiming the water is to cold for a swim.

Lifes burning questions…

  • Sydney! My home away from home. I lived here for a year back in 2019 but our time was cut short by…dare we say the word. Covid.

  • A tough one. It would have to be a toss-up between my cat and my engagement ring.

  • A true introvert. I would love nothing more than to own a house on a tiny island in the middle of a lake.

  • Picking blackberries with grandma. Ohhh how wholesome.

  • Slow walkers, crumbs on the floor and ugly soft furnishings.

  • An artist, fashion designer, Pocahontas or Belle from Beauty and the Beast. I still have my Disneyland Paris Belle outfit to this day so this one is still a possibility.

  • Hands down Harry Potter to get myself some butter beer and visit Honeydukes.

  • The most incredible spread ever created (well alongside Marmite) but Marshmallow fluff. I have been known to eat a whole one to myself and then start on my sisters.

  • Back in the Twlight days, I was a solid team Edward fan but on reflection, my name is best suited to join team Jacob.

 
 

My first solo trip was…

Thailand back in 2013. This also turned out to be my last as when I returned home that summer I met my now Fiancé Dale and he has been by my side ever since.

Our first holiday together was…

Sri Lanka in 2014. At the time I was studying for a diploma in Fashion Design while Dale worked as a London nightlife promotor. We spent everything we had on that trip and not much has changed since.

 

We moved to…

Sydney together for a year 2019-2020 and one of our biggest dreams is to move back.

My top 3 places to travel for…

Road Trip

Australia, Iceland + Canada

Food

Mexico, Italy + Russia

Girls Trip

Spain, Singapore + Greece

Architecture

Italy, Finland + Spain

Hospitality

Sri Lanka, Morocco + USA

Romantic Break

France, Thailand + Indonesia

Interiors

Denmark, Sweden + France

Beaches

Australia, Croatia + Montenegro

My go-to places to shop for…