I was born and bred in Wales, which is almost entirely made up of mountains and coastline and little townhouses. In the cities, Wales offers vibrancy rarely rivalled by London. Maybe I was just expecting too much from Birmingham, or maybe the city really is as bland as it had always seemed.

Don't get me wrong, Birmingham isn't all completely horrendous. There's a small square with some pretty buildings, and a mall, and probably something else. But having spent several weeks in Aston with high hopes to explore and prove everyone back home wrong, I realise that actually, everyone was right in the first place. Brum really is an utter shitehole.

My bucket list for this year consisted of several super fun things, such as scuba diving, and exploring at least six new countries, and writing for magazines I love - but it also consisted of smaller accomplishments. One of these was titled "explore a new English city." My friends at university suggested cities such as Manchester and Leeds, but as some of my favourite people have lived and spent so much time in the area, I decided that Birmingham would be the city I would venture to. Do I regret it? Not at all. I just feel as if I would have rather spent two days there, rather than weeks on end. It didn't help that so many places were closed off for reconstruction, or that I'm not that into window-shopping for days on end.

Honestly, it was just very disappointing. I realised pretty quickly that there's a reason why England seems to ignore its second largest city, and why no one has ever returned from Brum with genuinely exciting stories and endless photographs. The city almost creaks with lifelessness from the second you arrive, like a cardboard cut out of a real, genuine place.

Leaving Birmingham and driving back to Wales saw the outside scenery gradually get more green, and vibrant, and full. It was like I'd finally exhaled after holding my breath for days.

So whilst it was interesting to see somewhere new, I can also finally say that I understand the lack of hype about the city. A day would be alright, but considering it's such a big city, I think that puts into perspective the sheer lack of appeal. Thank you for letting me stay, Birmingham, but I can't say I'll return in a hurry.