Events

15 Things I Did While I Was 15

17:39:00

So on Monday, I turn 16. You’d think I’d be excited, and I kind of am, but mostly I’m freaked out.

For the first time, I’ll legally be able to drive a car, which terrifies me. Despite the fact that I’ll have an adult in the front seat next to me, I know I’ll be in control of the car. How am I supposed to do that? Ugh.

Anyway, I was thinking the other day and I realized that I’ve changed a LOT the last year. I’ve grown so much as a person, and I’ve realized a lot of things about myself too. I figured I’d share these with you guys, so with no further ado, here is my list of 15 things I did while I was 15:

One of the happiest things the last year has brought me is photography. I didn’t get into it until March, when I got my first camera, but I love it now and I feel like it’s made me appreciate every moment so much more.


Two of my favourite musicians are Ed Sheeran and All Time Low (post about that concert here). This past year I was lucky enough to see both of them live, and it was amazing! I’ve technically seen Ed Sheeran twice now, and at one of the gigs, I stood by the barrier!

As you all know due to this post, I spent Christmas in Thailand, and I got to feed an elephant! They really are the sweetest animals, although quite intimidating.

This year I travelled quite a lot, and also came to the realization that I don’t actually have much time left living at home. I feel like this past year I’ve really appreciated how much I love my family, and how grateful I am for them.

I travelled to NYC! I loved it, and I can definitely see myself living there someday. The city is just amazing, and words honestly can’t describe how it made me feel.

I realized this year that I’m the type of person who really needs to take time for myself. I’ve understood that I don’t need to say yes to everything, and that I function better if I get to be by myself for a bit.

My new years resolution this year was to become a pescetarian, and I’ve managed to keep that up 100%. I’m proud of myself, and I really enjoy it, so I’m not planning on stopping anytime soon.

Obviously, I also started my blog this year! I love it, and it feels amazing to have somewhere to speak about the things I love and to connect with you guys (something I’d like to do more of).

This is a bit of a strange one, but I jumped off a bridge this year! Don’t worry, nothing dangerous, but I did one of those jumps while connected to a string and then dangled underneath. I don’t know what it’s called, and I probably should have looked that up. It was scary, but a hell of a lot of fun!

About a month ago, I reunited with my long distance best friend, who I haven’t seen for two years. We spent an amazing week together, and I’m so happy I got to do that. If you guys are interested, I might do a post about the challenges of living on the other side of the world from your best friend, because I know it’s surprisingly common.

I joined a swim team this year, something I’ve been very scared to do. At first it sucked, because I was so pathetically bad, but after a while I grew to love it.

Another new years resolution of mine was to start a diary. Yes, I know, cliché. But so far, I’ve kept it up, and it really helps me sort out my thoughts, and I find it very therapeutic.

A bit of a weird one, but this year I’ve realized what a great place Norway is, I’ve always rejected that side of me, because I just love England so much more, but this year I’ve felt a bit more open to the fact that Norway is a decent place to grow up.

I cut my hair to shoulder length this year, and it felt amazing. My hair was always my pride and joy, and I was so scared, but I donated it to charity and it made me feel so happy. Plus, I found that short hair looks really good on me.

I’ve become a lot more confident this year, and although it’s still something I struggle with, I feel a lot more comfortable being myself, and I don’t feel like I constantly need to impress anyone anymore.

I guess those are all the main things I’ve done this year. I could go into a lot more detail, but I decided to keep it brief as this post is already too long. If you’d like to hear more about any of these, shoot me a comment/tweet and I’ll comply!

What are three things you’ve done this last year? I’d love to know, so write it down I the comments!

Photography

Harry Potter Studio Tour Part 1 // Photography

14:50:00

Hey everyone!

As I mentioned in my Hello July post, I recently visited the Warner Bros Studio Tour in London, and I loved it. I brought my camera and took a bunch of photos, which I'll share with you today. I'm splitting this blog post in two though, because I don't want to bombard you with 30 photos at once, so keep your eyes open for the rest of them!

I'll start this off with my proudest photo. I don't know why, but I love this photo so much! It's the great clock that was shown in quite a few scenes of Hogwarts.

The tickets are so cool - there are a couple of different designs, and they're perfect for hanging on the wall at home, something I of course plan on doing.


Outside the actual lot the giant chess-pieces from Philosopher's Stone are displayed.

Some of the figures carved on the outside of the Great Hall. I love how 'mysterious' the lighting is here!

For my fellow Ravenclaws, here you see a crest and Moaning Myrtle's costume.

The pensieve is freaking amazing, and did you know the telescope in the back is fully functional, and was moved to the astronomy tower during Half Blood Prince to get more screen time!

I think the Weasley kitchen is one of my favourite parts. It looks so freaking real, and all the special effects are amazing!

The Yule Ball costumes, worn by the actual Emma Watson and Clemence Poesy.

Ahh, I love how much Luna Lovegood's costumes stand out!


If you go, you'll be thoroughly surprised by how tiny the Gryffindor dormitories are!


I freaking love the props there, they're the actual ones and obviously look so real!

So those are all the photos I'm sharing with you today, but I can assure there will be more coming in the future! I also might do a post about tips if you're going to WBSTL, because I've been twice now and think I've sort of learned what to do and what not to do. 

On a seperate note, I'd love to get to know you guys and really chat to some of you! So in the comments please let me know a bit about you! Also, if you're bored, hit me up on twitter, because I'm always up for a chat!

I hope you enjoyed this post, I love you all!

Music

1989 Tag - Get to Know Me

15:26:00

Hey everyone!

As you probably know I'm a very (very very) big fan of Taylor Swift. She's so sweet, funny and inspiring, and I really don't understand why she gets so much shit for singing about her past boyfriends.

Anyway, I found this tag on Samantha's blog (Darling We're Adventurers), and I thought it was so cute and original that I'd do it. Also, it would help you get to know me a bit better, and as I luuurve personal posts, maybe you do too!


1. Welcome to New York - If you could live in any city, which would it be and why?
You can probably tell from my blog that I really love travelling, and I therefore want to live in so many different cities. New York, Sydney, Paris, Brighton, San Fransisco just to name a few! I'm not the type of person who likes to stay in one place for too long, so I can see myself moving around quite a lot in the future.

2. Blank Space - What is something that everyone thinks is true about you, but actually is not?
People for some reason think that I'm the least athletic and out-of-shape person they'll ever meet, but to be honest, it's not really true. I swim and I do yoga, and I'm not that weak, but I've been labelled as it and people 'tease' me for quite a lot, which annoys me.

3. Style - What is one item in your closet that makes you feel unstoppable?
Hmm... I wouldn't say I have one specific garment, but I have a dark red skater skirt that I like to wear with a stripy monochrome tank top, which I would say makes me feel unstoppable. I've been told I look like Taylor Swift while wearing it, and that can never be a bad thing, can it?

4. Out of the Woods - What is one thing you're afraid of?
I actually consider myself quite a fearless person, which is something I really pride myself in. One of my main petty fears though, is heights. I'm not at all afraid if I know there's no chance of me falling off, like standing at the top of Empire State Building doesn't affect me at all. The times heights scare me are when I know there is an increased risk of me falling off, or if I'm meant to jump off I might be scared.

5. All You Had To Do Was Stay - Who is someone you wish was still in your life?
at the moment, I can't really pinpoint one specific person. My best friend lives overseas and so I wish she lived closer and we got to spend more time together, but luckily she is still in my life.

6. Shake It Off - What is something you had to shake off?
I've made a post all about this, but I get 'teased' quite a lot by my friends. I put it in quotation marks because I know it's out of affection and none of them mean to hurt me, but it does hurt my feelings. I've had to shake off some of the comments they've made about me, because although none of them have been directly mean, they have hurt my confidence.

7. I Wish You Would - What is something that you would like to happen right now?
Realistically, I would probably choose to end world hunger or world peace, but if I were to indulge in my selfish side, I'd definitely choose to make a best friend. I do have friends, but I feel like I'm nobody's favourite, and I think it would be very comforting to have someone like that. I'm not really fussy as to whether they'd be a 'real-life' friend or someone I met online, as I think online friends can be great as you don't have to hide any aspects of who you are.

8. Bad Blood - Have you ever had someone stab you in the back?
I can't say I have, to be honest. At least not in a big scale in a way that has hurt me, or perhaps I just don't remember.

9. Wildest Dreams - What would you like to be remembered for?
I'd most like to be remembered for being the girl who always did the right thing and stood up for herself and others. I'm very big on equal rights for everyone and that everyone deserves to be treated well, and it physically pains me to see someone sad. I'd like to know that I've impacted someone's life for the better, no matter how small that affect may be.

10. How You Get The Girl - What's your favourite pick up line?
I don't really do pick up lines, but I have a few Harry Potter related ones that make me laugh. "Have you had some Felix Felicis? Because you're about to get lucky." -is one of my favourites, but I enjoy all of them!

11. This Love - What is one thing you got back that you never thought you would?
To be honest, I never thought I'd get back the friendship I have with a friend of mine. Nothing had really gone wrong between us, but we live in different places and hadn't spoken in almost a year. One day she texted me something completely random out of the blue, and when we reunited, it felt like nothing at all had changed.

12.  I Know Places - Where is one place you always feel safe?
One place where I always feel comfortable and safe is where my grandparents live in England. We go every so often, and I absolutely love it there. I feel so at home and content, and I'd do anything to live there.

13. Clean - What's an important lesson you have learned in life and how did you learn it?
I've learned that I shouldn't let what anyone else thinks of me define me. I decide who I am, and no one else has anything to do with that. I'm pretty sure I learnt
this from tumblr, which sounds stupid, but tumblr is a community that is so full of motivation and self love that it really encourages me.

Those are all the songs in this tag, and I really enjoyed doing it. I hope you did too, and maybe you got to know me a bit better! I'd love to know what your favourite track off 1989 is, because I just can't decide!

Events

Seeing All Time Low Live

14:52:00

I saw All Time Low live last week. Yes, that actually happened.

I don’t think anyone can genuinely understand how excited I was, and how great it felt. I’m not the type of girl to have crushes on band members, but there is always a certain level of appreciation and love nevertheless, for the people you listen to every single day.

Let me backtrack a little bit. About a year ago, I discovered All Time Low, a pop/punk/rock band and I fell head-over-heels in love with them. They recently released their new album, Future Hearts, and no exaggeration, I love every. Single. Song. Don’t ask me to pick a favourite, because just like with X and 1989, it is physically impossible.

When I heard they were coming to my country, I knew I was going, no doubt. I bought tickets, and looked forward to it for months, and then it finally happened last week. I went with my cousin, and we met another girl in the queue who we made friends with.

Yes, that is a stand of bras.
The concert, surprisingly, was in a really small arena, with only about 1000 people, and despite only queueing for two hours, we stood 10m from the stage. We could have gone closer too, but as none of us are taller than 5”4, we decided that the ledge we stood on was good enough.

It honestly hasn’t quite registered with me yet that I actually saw them live. If you’ve ever met any of your idols, you’ll understand what I mean. The fact that the people you’ve been looking up to for such a long time are standing so close to you, singing and talking to you, feels incredible.

Obviously, I knew all the lyrics to each song, and let me tell you, it makes a concert so much better! I screamed, sung and danced along with them, and I honestly couldn’t care less whether people were looking at me or not, because it felt so damn good. It felt like I was finally able to let out all my feelings and during the comforting songs, Therapy and Missing You, it felt like everything would be okay,

I was so full of adrenaline, and I was about to cry. I was singing at the top of my voice, shaking, jumping and laughing all at once, and nothing could have made the evening better.

I guess that’s a lot of text just about one concert, but I’m sure you understand if you’ve ever loved an artist, a band, or anything, really. If you haven’t listened to any of their songs, please do, they’re awesome.


Have a great summer if you’re already on break, and if not, I hope you don’t die in this sweltering heat!

Events

Hello July - Reflecting on June, and this Month's Plans and Expectations

15:04:00

Hello people!

I’m sorry I’ve been absent for so long, but for now at least, there will be regular updates on here. Today I’m going to talk about the second of my monthly updates, goals, and expectations. Let’s take a look at how I did with my goals from June:

  1. Blog every three days – I guess you’ve all noticed that that didn’t work out so well for me. I managed it quite well in the beginning, but I found that writing on schedule just isn’t for me. I like to write when I feel inspired to do so, so that’s what I’ll stick to from now on.
  2. Bring my camera more places – I did this one so well. I went to London and the Harry Potter Warner Bros Studio Tour this month, and I brought my camera out every single day. Because of that, you guys can watch out for a few very picture laden blog posts coming your way soon.
  3. Ace my science exam – I’m not quite sure how I did on this one, because my teacher has decided that we shouldn’t see our grades for that particular exam – great decision, right? I’m sure I did well though. I studied so hard, and on the actual exam I filled out most things. My grade has also increased by 1 out of 7 since Christmas, so I guess that’s an accomplishment.
  4. Write in my diary more – Err, well, I can’t say I did this one. I think I wrote at the most five times, because I’ve spent my time on other things – whoops.


I just had a look over 6 plans I had to do in June, and I did all of them!
  1. I went to the HPWBSTL and I loved it so freaking much – true to my second goal, I brought my camera, and so you can expect a very photo-laden blogpost coming your way within the next few days.
  2. Although the picnic I had was technically July 1st, I’m counting it! I spent the day in our capital city with my long-distance best friend and our mums. We bought salads, smoothies, cherries and ice cream, and had one of my happiest days in 28* weather in a lovely park.
  3. If you’ve seen my last blog post, you’ll know that I completed this one!
  4. To be accurate, I didn’t fix the screen on my phone, but as my mum got a new phone, I got her old one and therefore, my current phone has a functioning screen.
  5. Hell yes did I go to an All Time Low concert! And boy, did I enjoy it. I had the time of my life, and my next blog post will be about just that.
  6. Ooh yes, smooth, pearly white, straight teeth are now mine, no more braces for me!


Now moving on to July, here are the goals I’ve layed out for July so far:
  1. Learn French – I’ll be spending the next two weeks on a language course in France, so my main goal is obviously to improve my French drastically. I’d love to be fluent, because I’ve already had it in school for three years!
  2. My next goal is to journal most days throughout July. Yes I know, I failed last month, but I want to try again and document every moment of my language course. I honestly can’t wait for it, I leave in two days and it’s all I’m thinking about at the moment.
  3. Despite me being gone for the next few weeks, I want to update regularly on my blog. This means a TON of prewritten blog posts, but most of them will be fun ones full of photos.

My Plans for July:
  1. I plan to celebrate my 16th birthday on the 20th of July, with two of my closest friends. It’ll be calm and nice, because I’ll be SO tired, returning from France on the eve of it.
  2. I also plan on appreciating every moment of my time in France. This means getting up early, putting away my phone, bringing my camera, and just enjoying every minute of it.
  3. New friends is something I always look forward to when going on trips, and this is no exception. I plan on making new friends and keeping in touch with them, because friends just make any moment so much better.
  4.  

Those are all the plans and goals I have for July. I’ve decided to start only doing 3 for each every month, because I don’t want these posts to be too long to read. I hope you all enjoyed this though, and please let me know any improvement ideas you might have about this format!