Well. It's finally here. Out of my entire 17 years of education, this is the one most likely to give me a mental breakdown. The way I look at it is, i've never really properly worked my ass off at Uni, 6th Form or school, so I kinda feel like I owe it to myself (and future Annabel) to just for once put everything into my education. I mean i'd like to come out with a First, but looking at my track record that's doubtful, but that's still what i'll be aiming for.
It's only been 2 weeks and I already feel like i'm drowning a bit with all of the work and the extra reading and researching for my dissertation and writing my proposal, then on top of that I need to go to all of my classes and get a good nights sleep (and fit in catching up on my favourite TV series') and make sure I eat healthy and go to work and socialise (get drunk) and revise for exams and do some exercise and for some reason someone somewhere believes that this isn't at all too much to do.
I know my first semester is probably going to be the hardest, so i've just got to smash out these next few months and after a few meltdowns I should be able to get through it. Then once my dissertation's handed in in March I only have 2 exams to study for.
Whoever said 6th Form is more difficult than University was a filthy liar.
Rant over!
Annabel
Welcome to my little blog. This is pretty much just a space for me to ramble on about little things. I love to write and most of the time it'll be absolute rubbish, but it's also a great way for me to remember everything in the years to come!
Thursday, 6 October 2016
Friday, 30 September 2016
September.
Maybe the biggest thing that happened for me in September was moving into my new house for 3rd year into Headingley. This will make it so much easier to make those early lectures and i'm just excited to live in a house with all girls. Unfortunately because none of us really thought to arrange it earlier, we need to go the first 2 and a half weeks without WIFI or a working TV. I'll be doing a room tour just like the one I did in Aus soon.
A benefit of working for LEGO means you get a free Merlin pass for yourself and another, which means free entry to anything Merlin (Alton Towers, Sealife, Thorpe Park, Legoland...). So my sister and I went for a day out in Manchester where we collected our passes from the LEGO Discovery Centre in Trafford, then went through the attraction and decided to visit Sealife next door too. We then went for a bit of a shop (I actually started my Christmas shopping), which was when Em spotted Michelle Keegan and Mark Wright in Selfridges. Which is really depressing because she had no make up on and she still looked stunning.
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| Walking around Trafford. |
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| I decided to get a group picture before the alcohol began to flow... |
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| INSANE. Go see it. NOW. |
September was actually a great month as far as gig tickets go. I managed to score Green Day, Russell Howard, Two Door Cinema Club and one more that I can't tell you about yet... They're all in the beginning of next year and i'm so so so excited.
Annabel
Thursday, 8 September 2016
FOMO or GOMO?
Eventbrite is the largest self-service ticketing platform in the world that helps people plan, find and sign up online for events. With me studying Events Management, i've used this a few times.
They are currently running a project in an attempt to squash FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and to promote GOMO (Going Out More Often).
I'm going to share with you my plans for Autumn in the hope that it encourages anyone (including myself) to try stay away from being a Netflix potato and to go out and do something interesting instead.
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| Going for a walk or picnics with friends is an easy and purse-friendly idea! |
With me starting 3rd year in just a few weeks, I want to try and keep a clear head and stay pretty inspired for the duration of the year. There are a few things that I have in mind that i'd like to do over the next few months in an attempt at this.
- Jump Arena: So many of my friends have been here and it looks so fun! My sister's obsessed with these kind of things so I know for a fact she'll come with me.
- Leeds City Museum: This is somewhere a lot of people I know have been, and for some reason i've just never got round to it. I find museums interesting, and this one is free, so I can imagine it being a nice cheap day out into the city.
- Warner Bro's Studio Tour: For my sister's birthday I bought us both tickets to go to the Warner Bro's Studio Tour in London because we're both massive Potterheads. We've still to pick a date but hopefully we'll be going in the next few months!
- Walks in the park: My student house is pretty close to a park, so whenever i'm feeling writers block, either on my blog or with my Uni work, i'm hoping a walk through the park will help clear my mind.
- Trips to the cinema: Okay granted, this may not be as cheap as my other ideas, but I do love going to the cinema. And instead of watching a movie on your laptop in bed, why not go out with a few friends and see something new?
- Kirkstall Laser Tag: Now i've been to the one in Castleford's X-Scape a few times, but whilst I was in Australia a new one has been built in Kirkstall, and i'm very eager to give it a go!
- The German Market: Anyone in Leeds knows that Christmas is finally here when the German Market comes to town. I just love looking at all the little stalls. You don't really need to spend anything, so here's another cheap day out.
- The Otley Run: Okay. I'll say it. I've never done the Otley Run. I KNOW. How can a student in Leeds admit this? However it is on my bucket list for 3rd year, and my housemates have already agreed to assist with this one.
- Shopping: Internet shopping is pretty dangerous for me. I could go online with the intention of buying a Christmas present, and end up buying 3 candles, 2 t-shirts, a new camera and some shoes. With this in mind, I want to do the majority of my Christmas shopping in actual stores, getting me out of the house more often but also cutting down on the frivolous spending.
Hopefully i'll end up sticking to this and will achieve at least half of these. If anyone else has other ideas on how they're going to try get out of the house more this Autumn/Winter period then comment below!
Annabel
Thursday, 1 September 2016
July & August.
Well first of all, apologies for going a bit AWOL for 2 months. After getting back to England I wanted to take a little break from my blog and make the most of being back at home with my family and friends and in all honesty, I kind of forgot for most of it! I'm just going to bring you quickly up to speed with what i've been up to before I start my 3rd year of University.
July was pretty much just a lot of homecomings, a lot of alcohol but also a lot of staying at home because I was hella poor. It was so great to get to see all my friends again, i'd missed them so much!
There was a couple of surprises, one being me surprising my class at dancing;
And my sister also surprised me at the airport. I'm not going to show you that video because 1. it's too long, 2. I look minging because i've just gone 24 hours sat in the same seat without a shower and 3. I cried.
The big one was an afternoon at my house where various family members and friends came over for the day and my Mum put on a glorious buffet. There was a lot of alcohol and a big game of Cards Against Humanity so i'm just going to leave that one there. Then the next few days included a few sleepovers and days out with friends.
So August!
It was pretty much mostly me settling back in at work and earning some dolla again. However August is host to the best day of the year; my birthday. It was a pretty quiet one compared to my previous birthdays. 22 sort of marks the beginning of no more exciting birthdays. It literally is downhill after 21. Through the day we just chilled out at home and I got to Skype Priya and Tarrena which was awesome. In the evening my cousin was having her hen do (3 years belated, because she couldn't stop having babies), so we all went for drinks at the usual spots, Wetherspoons, Revolution, Yates'. Later on, me and Harriet wandered up to Propaganda, where I used to work, to finish the night off.
On the 20th I went to join my family in Spain, where they had already been for a week. The weather was gorgeous, it was in the low 30's for the majority of the week. One day we went to the beach and me, my sister, my three cousins and my auntie went Parasailing, which is something we have all been wanting to do for a while.
So September should start to pick up with me actually having money to do stuff now and with University starting. I'll be moving into my new student house soon so there will be posts about that and Freshers Week so i'll be posting more frequently in a few weeks!
πππππππ
There was a couple of surprises, one being me surprising my class at dancing;
The big one was an afternoon at my house where various family members and friends came over for the day and my Mum put on a glorious buffet. There was a lot of alcohol and a big game of Cards Against Humanity so i'm just going to leave that one there. Then the next few days included a few sleepovers and days out with friends.
It was pretty much mostly me settling back in at work and earning some dolla again. However August is host to the best day of the year; my birthday. It was a pretty quiet one compared to my previous birthdays. 22 sort of marks the beginning of no more exciting birthdays. It literally is downhill after 21. Through the day we just chilled out at home and I got to Skype Priya and Tarrena which was awesome. In the evening my cousin was having her hen do (3 years belated, because she couldn't stop having babies), so we all went for drinks at the usual spots, Wetherspoons, Revolution, Yates'. Later on, me and Harriet wandered up to Propaganda, where I used to work, to finish the night off.
On the 20th I went to join my family in Spain, where they had already been for a week. The weather was gorgeous, it was in the low 30's for the majority of the week. One day we went to the beach and me, my sister, my three cousins and my auntie went Parasailing, which is something we have all been wanting to do for a while.
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| Just hanging around off the Costa del Sol. |
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Monday, 11 July 2016
Rambling Post #10: Australia In A Nutshell.
This is probably going to be my last (intentional) blog post about Australia, to avoid completely running it into the ground (if I haven't already).
Sometimes when it's late and I can't sleep it helps to write a blog post about whatever is on my mind, hence the Rambling Posts I sometimes have on here.
I really can't believe that my Aussie adventure has come to an end. It has been the best decision i've ever made and i've honestly enjoyed every single second of it.
I've made friends from so many different countries; Canada, Sri Lanka, Australia, France, Germany, USA, Malaysia, China...I could go on and on.
Fortunately i'm going to be living pretty close to one of my closest friends that I met in Aus, as we go to the same University in Leeds, so i'm very happy that i'll still be seeing her a lot. On the other hand, there are a lot of people that i'm going to miss like crazy, and even though we'll still Skype each other and write letters, it's never going to be the same.
I feel very lucky to have been able to have this experience. I got to see Melbourne, Sydney, Phillip Island, Lorne and Cairns. There's still more of Australia that i'd like to see, but for now, this was definitely good enough.
I strongly urge anyone debating doing a semester or a year abroad to just go for it. Think about the reasons that are making you think "hmm maybe it might not be a good idea". Then take those reasons and think of a solution. If it's money, get sponsors or work hard and save up, if it's worrying about not making friends; trust me, you will. Just take a leap and do it because it's been the best thing I have ever done (I mean I got to tick 13 things off my bucket list!).
Settling back at home has been strange, especially when no one here knows what it was like over there. When I first got to Aus I said I felt like Samwise Gamgee and Bilbo Baggins;
Now i'm feeling a little like Frodo.
How do I go back to how things were before after the most life changing months of my life? It's going to take some adjusting.
So for now I need to say goodbye to my home away from home and enjoy the summer before I start my final year of University.
All that keeps going through my head is,
Sometimes when it's late and I can't sleep it helps to write a blog post about whatever is on my mind, hence the Rambling Posts I sometimes have on here.
I really can't believe that my Aussie adventure has come to an end. It has been the best decision i've ever made and i've honestly enjoyed every single second of it.
I've made friends from so many different countries; Canada, Sri Lanka, Australia, France, Germany, USA, Malaysia, China...I could go on and on.
Fortunately i'm going to be living pretty close to one of my closest friends that I met in Aus, as we go to the same University in Leeds, so i'm very happy that i'll still be seeing her a lot. On the other hand, there are a lot of people that i'm going to miss like crazy, and even though we'll still Skype each other and write letters, it's never going to be the same.
I feel very lucky to have been able to have this experience. I got to see Melbourne, Sydney, Phillip Island, Lorne and Cairns. There's still more of Australia that i'd like to see, but for now, this was definitely good enough.
I strongly urge anyone debating doing a semester or a year abroad to just go for it. Think about the reasons that are making you think "hmm maybe it might not be a good idea". Then take those reasons and think of a solution. If it's money, get sponsors or work hard and save up, if it's worrying about not making friends; trust me, you will. Just take a leap and do it because it's been the best thing I have ever done (I mean I got to tick 13 things off my bucket list!).
Settling back at home has been strange, especially when no one here knows what it was like over there. When I first got to Aus I said I felt like Samwise Gamgee and Bilbo Baggins;
So for now I need to say goodbye to my home away from home and enjoy the summer before I start my final year of University.
All that keeps going through my head is,
"don't be sad it's over, just be glad it happened".
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Sunday, 3 July 2016
June.
Well. Here I am, back in England. After the craziest 5 months of my life. Now all the surprises have been done and dusted, I can post this about my last month in Australia.
June started with me coming home from 4 days away in Cairns (the highlight of my Aussie adventure, which you can read here), with exactly 4 weeks left.
Priya, Tarrena and I got free tickets to an event in the city; a Jungle party, where we got some free Leis. There was also a baby crocodile and a python for you to hold and get pictures with. The snake I had no problem with, it was so interesting, and they don't feel at all how you imagine they would. The baby croc on the other hand was a little different. Whilst I knew that if I didn't hold one, i'd regret it, I was still a little nervous! The scary thing was that they prefer to be held against your body where it's warm - which also means bringing it's jaws closer to your face! We were assured that she wouldn't bite but you never know.
One day I actually made it into the city for the first time in ages. I went to some souvenir shops and then met up with Priya and Dillon to go to the Immigration Museum. I'm not a massive museum person so this wasn't of massive interest to me, but it was free and it beats sitting in my flat all day. After that we went to Hosier Lane, where the walls and street floor are covered in graffiti. It looks awesome.
We also went for a day trip to the Grampians National Park. We got a bit lost as it's pretty big, but once we found a spot we went for a walk, took some pictures and then sat down for a barbie. It was absolutely freezing so after a few trips to sit in the car to warm up, the chicken was ready. After the feast we headed back to the car and drove back to Melbourne.
Kiri and I went for a day out in the city. First we went for a wander round the winter market and I tried and failed with my haggling skills. After some food we then went to Hosier Lane (it was nice to see it in daylight this time) and got a lot of pictures of the street art. The next stop was St Paul's Cathedral where we lit some candles. It then started throwing it down outside so we called it a day and made our way home.
On my last full day Tarrena and I went to the Melbourne Sea Life aquarium and I went into some souvenir shops to get the last of my gifts for people back home.
For my last meal before making my way to the airport, me and my friends all went to 8 Bit for a burger. Tarrena and Priya started to get a little upset but I didn't start to tear up until it was time to go to the airport.
After what is quite possibly the best 5 months of my life, I made my way to the airport to be reunited with everyone I left behind in February. I'm not going to go into some massive soppy paragraph about how much I will miss my Melbourne friends (1. because I could go on for hours and 2. because I will most likely start crying again and 3. because I already kind of went on a rant about it). All i'm going to say is I really really hope it isn't goodbye, and it's just see you later.
After a gruelling 24+ hours of travelling back to the other side of the world, I walked out of security and saw Mum and Dad waiting for me. After a few hugs, I turned around and saw my sister, who I wasn't supposed to see until that night. I'll just let you see for yourself in the video:
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Priya, Tarrena and I got free tickets to an event in the city; a Jungle party, where we got some free Leis. There was also a baby crocodile and a python for you to hold and get pictures with. The snake I had no problem with, it was so interesting, and they don't feel at all how you imagine they would. The baby croc on the other hand was a little different. Whilst I knew that if I didn't hold one, i'd regret it, I was still a little nervous! The scary thing was that they prefer to be held against your body where it's warm - which also means bringing it's jaws closer to your face! We were assured that she wouldn't bite but you never know.
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| Loving the snake - not so loving the crocodile! |
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| Hosier Lane (apologies for the terrible quality - I've had to cellotape my phone together...) |
With it being the end of the semester, a lot of people started to leave after the second week of June, so there were many opportunities to get well and truly smashed. These were the last opportunities i'd have to finish off my liver here so I gave it a good go.
We also went for a day trip to the Grampians National Park. We got a bit lost as it's pretty big, but once we found a spot we went for a walk, took some pictures and then sat down for a barbie. It was absolutely freezing so after a few trips to sit in the car to warm up, the chicken was ready. After the feast we headed back to the car and drove back to Melbourne.
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| Me being a starfish with the amazing view of the Grampians. |
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| Hosier Lane street art. |
For my last meal before making my way to the airport, me and my friends all went to 8 Bit for a burger. Tarrena and Priya started to get a little upset but I didn't start to tear up until it was time to go to the airport.
After what is quite possibly the best 5 months of my life, I made my way to the airport to be reunited with everyone I left behind in February. I'm not going to go into some massive soppy paragraph about how much I will miss my Melbourne friends (1. because I could go on for hours and 2. because I will most likely start crying again and 3. because I already kind of went on a rant about it). All i'm going to say is I really really hope it isn't goodbye, and it's just see you later.
After a gruelling 24+ hours of travelling back to the other side of the world, I walked out of security and saw Mum and Dad waiting for me. After a few hugs, I turned around and saw my sister, who I wasn't supposed to see until that night. I'll just let you see for yourself in the video:
Tuesday, 28 June 2016
GoT Season 6.
*Spoiler alert*
Well. If you've seen the finale, then i'm pretty sure you're feeling the same emotions as me; shocked, confused, happy, lost, sad, angry... It certainly was the most rollercoaster-ish episode.
A season that started off pretty slow and had a very gradual build up through 8 episodes ended with 2 epic installments.
First was Battle of the Bastards. Finally seeing justice come to Ramsey through no other than Sansa Stark was exactly what we all needed. But the question still remains - does Sansa have his bun in the oven? There have been plenty of theories to suggest this, however it looks like season 7 (April 2017) will either confirm or dispute this one. Upon finishing this episode, i'm sure a lot of us were left thinking "how on earth can they top that next week?".
Well, they did. They absolutely did.
The Winds of Winter, ie, best episode ever. It answered a lot of our questions, but also left a few out to keep us guessing for next season (this is brilliant yet also extremely infuriating). The many theories about Jon Snow's true parentage finally came to light, thanks to Bran Stark, and looks like the theories were true. Although we don't hear the name 'Rhaegar Targaeryen', we didn't really need to. So what does this mean if Jon is a Targaeryen? Danaerys is his Aunt? So much for that romance we were all hoping for. There's also the theory that Tyrion is also Targaeryen, which i'm not going into detail about because we could be here forever, here's a link to the theory of the '3 heads of the dragon'.
Let's not forget possibly Cersei's bitchiest moment in GoT history; blowing up the Sept with the High Sparrow, Queen Margaery and Loras inside. I think we were all glad to be shot of the High Sparrow, but slightly gutted the Tyrell siblings are gone. Everyone loves to hate Cersei. And the smirk on her face as she watches the Sept burn says it all; she is pure evil. Especially after what she did next. Poor King Tommen, upon witnessing the death of his wife, decides to take his life. After learning about her son's death, I felt Cersei didn't look too upset to see her last child die. Maybe she's just used to it now, we all know she doesn't have a heart anyway. But then she takes the throne. And is crowned Queen. As Jaime watches looking pretty disgusted with his sister/lover's actions. Finally he sees the light.
Now the real MVP of this episode has to go to Arya Stark getting her revenge on Walder Frey for the Red Wedding. I don't think i've ever cheered so loud at my TV before. She completely owned that scene. Plus, if she's at The Twins, then she isn't too far from Winterfell and being re-united with her brother and sister.
Speaking of Winterfell, Jon Snow being declared King in the North was finally a good turn for him, but what happens if everyone finds out who his parents are? He's still Stark blood, but sadly isn't Ned's.
Finally, like a lot of finales, we end with Danaerys looking boss as hell. FINALLY making her way to Westeros in a fleet of ships with her dragons by her side (I mean it's only taken her 6 seasons?!). This perfectly sets up season 7 for Dany's long anticipated take over.
Down point of the episode: does Varys have a teleporter that no one knows about?
All in all it took a while for this season to get going, but the final 2 episodes definitely did not disappoint. With everything set to kick off in season 7, i'm just gutted we have to wait 10 months. However i'm sure it will be worth the wait.
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Well. If you've seen the finale, then i'm pretty sure you're feeling the same emotions as me; shocked, confused, happy, lost, sad, angry... It certainly was the most rollercoaster-ish episode.
A season that started off pretty slow and had a very gradual build up through 8 episodes ended with 2 epic installments.
First was Battle of the Bastards. Finally seeing justice come to Ramsey through no other than Sansa Stark was exactly what we all needed. But the question still remains - does Sansa have his bun in the oven? There have been plenty of theories to suggest this, however it looks like season 7 (April 2017) will either confirm or dispute this one. Upon finishing this episode, i'm sure a lot of us were left thinking "how on earth can they top that next week?".
 |
| "You're going to die tomorrow, Lord Bolton. Sleep well." |
The Winds of Winter, ie, best episode ever. It answered a lot of our questions, but also left a few out to keep us guessing for next season (this is brilliant yet also extremely infuriating). The many theories about Jon Snow's true parentage finally came to light, thanks to Bran Stark, and looks like the theories were true. Although we don't hear the name 'Rhaegar Targaeryen', we didn't really need to. So what does this mean if Jon is a Targaeryen? Danaerys is his Aunt? So much for that romance we were all hoping for. There's also the theory that Tyrion is also Targaeryen, which i'm not going into detail about because we could be here forever, here's a link to the theory of the '3 heads of the dragon'.
Let's not forget possibly Cersei's bitchiest moment in GoT history; blowing up the Sept with the High Sparrow, Queen Margaery and Loras inside. I think we were all glad to be shot of the High Sparrow, but slightly gutted the Tyrell siblings are gone. Everyone loves to hate Cersei. And the smirk on her face as she watches the Sept burn says it all; she is pure evil. Especially after what she did next. Poor King Tommen, upon witnessing the death of his wife, decides to take his life. After learning about her son's death, I felt Cersei didn't look too upset to see her last child die. Maybe she's just used to it now, we all know she doesn't have a heart anyway. But then she takes the throne. And is crowned Queen. As Jaime watches looking pretty disgusted with his sister/lover's actions. Finally he sees the light.
Finally, like a lot of finales, we end with Danaerys looking boss as hell. FINALLY making her way to Westeros in a fleet of ships with her dragons by her side (I mean it's only taken her 6 seasons?!). This perfectly sets up season 7 for Dany's long anticipated take over.
Down point of the episode: does Varys have a teleporter that no one knows about?
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Sunday, 26 June 2016
What i'll miss & what i'm looking forward to: Part 2.
A while ago I did a post like this before I came to Australia which you can read here, so I thought I would do another one about when I go back home to Leeds, which sadly now isn't far away!
What I will miss
1. My friends: I've met so many wonderful people from all around the world during my time here and I really don't know how i'm going to say goodbye to them all. Hopefully most of them will be 'see you later' rather than 'goodbye'!
2. Tim Tams: If you ever come to Australia, just try a Tim Tam. That's all.
3. The weather: I use this one lightly as it's bloody freezing here now, but in the summer it reached 40*. This was just a little over the line of what I can handle and was like walking around an oven, but i'm going to miss wandering about in a vest and shorts in March.
4. Hearing the Aussie accent: Even before I came this was one of my favourite accents and i'm definitely going to miss hearing it all the time, however my sister and I try to imitate it quite a lot.
5. My flat: When I eventually moved into my second room, I fell in love with it. I liked to be around a lot of people which is why I hung out at my friend's building quite a lot as it was always busy, but it was always nice to come back to my own little space for some peace and quiet!
6. Having a balcony: I didn't even use it much, I just loved having one and admiring the view.
7. The city: Back home I live in Leeds, which is considered a big city in England. After living in Melbourne, Leeds seems tiny to me. It's so busy here but everyone is so chilled out at the same time.
8. Going out every week: Until I came here I probably went on a night out maybe once every couple of months, I just didn't enjoy it that much. But for some reason when I moved here I was averaging 2/3 nights a week here. This did calm down after the first couple of months though - my bank account and liver needed it!
What i'm looking forward to
1. The first one is definitely my sister: Yes we're siblings and there are times when I want to kill her but she is literally my favourite person in the world and i've missed her the most.
2. And my parents: That moment in the airport where I walk out of the arrivals lounge and they run up and give me a big hug just like they do in the films. I can't wait for that.
3. Aaaand everyone else in my family: My extended family of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins is pretty large so I can't wait for all of the mini reunions!
3. My friends: Even though we've been Skyping and writing letters to each other i've missed them all like crazy and can't wait to see them.
4. My cat: I've missed this guy so fricking much. I can't wait to give him a cuddle!
5. My car: I've liked being healthier here and walking places, my pedometer app is going strong, but i've definitely missed having my car and just being able to jump in and drive anywhere. I'm not even sure i'll be insured on it for the summer but i'm looking forward to just having it there (and maybe going on a sneaky drive around the block).
6. Moving into my 3rd year house: I'm so so so excited to do this and i'm moving in with the loveliest bunch of girls that i've missed loads so this is v v exciting.
7. A BATH: Sometimes I love nothing more than a good bubble bath and I just love how relaxing they are, sometimes i'm in there for hours! I only have a shower in my room in Aus so i'm very excited for this.
8. My bed: At home I have a double bed with a lovely thick duvet, here it's too hot for a duvet so I have a sheet and a blanket, and it's a single bed.
In my first few weeks here I was feeling a tiny bit homesick still because there was a lot of people that I missed. I was enjoying myself here but just kind of saw it as a way of getting through the next 5 months to see all my family and friends again. But then I started to make friends from all around the world and started to realise that when I leave here, it's going to be so so sad. Going from living with all these lovely exciting people every day and learning so much about them to leaving and maybe never seeing them again isn't a nice thought. Hopefully we will all eventually meet up again.
But at the same time I am so so excited to see everyone back home.
What I will miss
1. My friends: I've met so many wonderful people from all around the world during my time here and I really don't know how i'm going to say goodbye to them all. Hopefully most of them will be 'see you later' rather than 'goodbye'!
2. Tim Tams: If you ever come to Australia, just try a Tim Tam. That's all.
3. The weather: I use this one lightly as it's bloody freezing here now, but in the summer it reached 40*. This was just a little over the line of what I can handle and was like walking around an oven, but i'm going to miss wandering about in a vest and shorts in March.
4. Hearing the Aussie accent: Even before I came this was one of my favourite accents and i'm definitely going to miss hearing it all the time, however my sister and I try to imitate it quite a lot.
5. My flat: When I eventually moved into my second room, I fell in love with it. I liked to be around a lot of people which is why I hung out at my friend's building quite a lot as it was always busy, but it was always nice to come back to my own little space for some peace and quiet!
6. Having a balcony: I didn't even use it much, I just loved having one and admiring the view.
7. The city: Back home I live in Leeds, which is considered a big city in England. After living in Melbourne, Leeds seems tiny to me. It's so busy here but everyone is so chilled out at the same time.
8. Going out every week: Until I came here I probably went on a night out maybe once every couple of months, I just didn't enjoy it that much. But for some reason when I moved here I was averaging 2/3 nights a week here. This did calm down after the first couple of months though - my bank account and liver needed it!
What i'm looking forward to
1. The first one is definitely my sister: Yes we're siblings and there are times when I want to kill her but she is literally my favourite person in the world and i've missed her the most.
2. And my parents: That moment in the airport where I walk out of the arrivals lounge and they run up and give me a big hug just like they do in the films. I can't wait for that.
3. Aaaand everyone else in my family: My extended family of Aunts, Uncles and Cousins is pretty large so I can't wait for all of the mini reunions!
3. My friends: Even though we've been Skyping and writing letters to each other i've missed them all like crazy and can't wait to see them.
4. My cat: I've missed this guy so fricking much. I can't wait to give him a cuddle!
5. My car: I've liked being healthier here and walking places, my pedometer app is going strong, but i've definitely missed having my car and just being able to jump in and drive anywhere. I'm not even sure i'll be insured on it for the summer but i'm looking forward to just having it there (and maybe going on a sneaky drive around the block).
6. Moving into my 3rd year house: I'm so so so excited to do this and i'm moving in with the loveliest bunch of girls that i've missed loads so this is v v exciting.
7. A BATH: Sometimes I love nothing more than a good bubble bath and I just love how relaxing they are, sometimes i'm in there for hours! I only have a shower in my room in Aus so i'm very excited for this.
8. My bed: At home I have a double bed with a lovely thick duvet, here it's too hot for a duvet so I have a sheet and a blanket, and it's a single bed.
In my first few weeks here I was feeling a tiny bit homesick still because there was a lot of people that I missed. I was enjoying myself here but just kind of saw it as a way of getting through the next 5 months to see all my family and friends again. But then I started to make friends from all around the world and started to realise that when I leave here, it's going to be so so sad. Going from living with all these lovely exciting people every day and learning so much about them to leaving and maybe never seeing them again isn't a nice thought. Hopefully we will all eventually meet up again.
But at the same time I am so so excited to see everyone back home.
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Sunday, 19 June 2016
Rambling Post #9: The part of study abroad that sucks.
Doing study abroad has without a doubt been the best thing that I have ever done, and i've loved every second of it. But then there's the one part of it that absolutely sucks, and no matter how much you prepare yourself for it, it's still pretty shit.
After spending the past 5 months with the same people and becoming such good friends with them all, it's now time to start saying goodbye as everyone leaves to go back home. I've always had this in the back of my head, I knew everything was temporary and we would all eventually go our separate ways, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I'm lucky that i've met a few friends who also go to Leeds Beckett back home and i'll still hopefully see them when I get back, but there's a few that i'll be leaving here and in other countries around the world.
It's just all started to dawn on me recently and I kind of needed to vent this somewhere!
I guess the excitement of seeing all of my friends back home made me forget how sad it's going to be leaving all of my new friends here.
After spending the past 5 months with the same people and becoming such good friends with them all, it's now time to start saying goodbye as everyone leaves to go back home. I've always had this in the back of my head, I knew everything was temporary and we would all eventually go our separate ways, but it doesn't make it any easier.
I'm lucky that i've met a few friends who also go to Leeds Beckett back home and i'll still hopefully see them when I get back, but there's a few that i'll be leaving here and in other countries around the world.
It's just all started to dawn on me recently and I kind of needed to vent this somewhere!
I guess the excitement of seeing all of my friends back home made me forget how sad it's going to be leaving all of my new friends here.
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
Friday, 17 June 2016
The Ultimate Bucket List.
Recently i've been thinking about all of the things I want to do and achieve before my time's up (I know that's a bit of a morbid thought). I realised that there's quite a lot of things that I want to do so I thought I would write them down. I'll probably end up putting these on a page so I can keep updating them as i hopefully progress through achieving them all!
I Googled different bucket lists and things a lot of other bloggers have on their lists and along with my own ideas I combined them all to make an 'Ultimate Bucket List' for me (and anyone else) to do, so here they are!
1. Go on a dogsled ✔︎
2. Ride a zipline
3. Swim in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
4. Ride in a helicopter ✔︎
I Googled different bucket lists and things a lot of other bloggers have on their lists and along with my own ideas I combined them all to make an 'Ultimate Bucket List' for me (and anyone else) to do, so here they are!
1. Go on a dogsled ✔︎
2. Ride a zipline
3. Swim in the Blue Lagoon, Iceland
4. Ride in a helicopter ✔︎
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| Me, Kiri & Louisa just before flying over the 12 Apostles, Australia [February 2016] |
5. Swim with dolphins ✔︎
6. See Christ the Redeemer, Rio
7. Fly somewhere first class (Keep dreaming)
8. See the Northern Lights ✔︎
9. Walk on hot coals
10. See the Colusseum, Rome ✔︎
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| Inside the Colusseum, Rome [November 2015] |
11. Get a tattoo ✔︎
12. Hold a snake ✔︎
13. Experience zero gravity
14. Play paintball
15. Go go-karting ✔︎
16. Cuddle a tiger cub (They look so cute!)
17. Volunteer at an elephant sanctuary
18. Go on a crocodile river boat ✔︎
19. Work at Camp America (Planning to do this in 2018!)
20. Sail on a boat ✔︎
21. Ride in a hot air balloon
22. See a production on Broadway, New York
23. Relax in a natural hot spring
24. Float in the Dead Sea
25. Do a skydive
26. Get a piercing ✔︎ (I have 13)
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| This was taken just after I got my daith pierced (the heart one). I now have 6 piercings in this ear! |
27. Publish a book
28. Get pelted with tomatoes at La Tomatina, Spain
29. See Ayers Rock, Australia
30. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, Paris (We almost did this in 2015, but the top level was closed. We're going again in December so fingers crossed!)
31. See the Opera House, Sydney ✔︎
32. Go on a cruise
33. Win a hula competition ✔︎ (I did this in a theme park in Wales of all places when I was around 10 and was pretty much famous for a day)
34. Go snorkelling ✔︎
35. Meet someone famous ✔︎ (I also met James Bourne from Busted in a bar in Leeds)
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| Me & my best friend Mary with Dan Smith, Bastille. Apologies for the terrible quality photo [February 2011] |
36. Go on a safari
37. Ride on a Skidoo ✔︎
38. Take a mud bath
39. Go to Holi Festival, India
40. Visit Stonehenge, UK
41. Drink at an ice bar
42. Do a bungee jump
43. Sign up to be an organ donor ✔︎
44. Visit the Chichen Itza, Mexico
45. Climb the Harbour Bridge, Sydney ✔︎
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| Val, Me, Priya, Louisa and Michele half way up the Harbour Bridge, Sydney! [March 2016] |
46. Go to a Traffic Light Party ✔︎
47. See Buckingham Palace ✔︎
48. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
49. Visit the Grand Canyon, Arizona
50. Go skiing
51. Learn to surf ✔︎ (I tried, I was terrible. I'm still counting it)
52. See Niagra Falls, Canada
53. See the Hollywood Hills, LA
54. Go to the top of the Empire State, New York
55. Give blood ✔︎ (I fainted the first time)
56. Go to Disneyland Paris ✔︎ (Going again in December 2016!)
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| Disneyland Paris [August 2015] |
57. Visit the Valley of the Kings, the Sphynx and the Pyramids, Egypt
58. Go to Disneyworld, Florida
59. Gamble in Las Vegas
60. See my favourite band play live ✔︎
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| Arctic Monkeys at Manchester Arena [October 2013] |
61. Drive a jetski ✔︎ (I was also very very bad at this)
62. Wrestle in a sumo suit
63. Visit all 7 continents (So far 3/7)
64. Go on a tram ✔︎
65. Have my palm read
66. Go to Oktoberfest, Germany
67. Go on the London Eye, UK (I had a panic attack on the Yorkshire Eye which was a fraction of the size so wish me luck with this one)
68. Ride in a Gondola, Venice
69. Stand on the equator
70. Go to a book signing ✔︎
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| Me & Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead, Paul) at his book signing [October 2015] |
71. Learn to speak another language (hablo un poco de EspaΓ±ol en el momento)
72. Have a white Christmas (fat chance)
73. Go skinny dipping
74. Get a degree (1 year to go!)
75. Raise money for a charity ✔︎
76. Swim in the Great Barrier Reef ✔︎
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| The Great Barrier Reef [May 2016] |
77. See the Taj Mahal, India
78. Climb to the top of a ski slope (yes, climb) ✔︎
79. Scuba dive
80. Drive a segway (not a swegway)
81. Fly solo on a plane ✔︎
82. Go on a glass bottom boat (again)
83. Walk across Abbey Road, London
84. Do a mud run ✔︎
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| My Auntie Yats, Me and my cousin Harriet crossing the Pretty Muddy finish line! [June 2015] |
85. Go to a Guinness Brewery, Ireland
86. Walk along the Great Wall of China
87. Visit Hobbiton, New Zealand
88. Ride a camel
89. Have a campfire on the beach
90. Swim in an infinity pool ✔︎
91. Make a wish in the Trevi Fountain, Rome ✔︎
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| The beautiful Trevi Fountain just after it was restored in 2015. |
92. Sleep under the stars ✔︎ (I did this from 5am-6am in a field next to a campfire on a pile of soot)
93. Hand decorate a wall in my house with paint
94. Drive a convertible
95. Have a Harry Potter marathon in one day
96. Have international friends ✔︎
97. Send a message in a bottle
98. Go on a random midnight drive ✔︎
99. Celebrate a birthday on a different continent
100. Go to a boat party ✔︎
I'm going to tag my bud Thomas to do this post and tick off what he has done so far. Along with this i'm also interested to know what anyone else has done so if you are reading this, either copy and paste the list and tick which ones you have achieved or just type them out in a comment!
α©ααα©α·Eαͺ♥
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