Events

A Christmas Adventure

17:00:00

This post was written on Friday. Apologies for the low quality photos, they were all taken on my phone. 


 Today has been the best day in a long, long while. Some days are just so bright that they completely fill you up and envelop you in immense happiness, and today has been one of those for me.


To start it off, today was my last day of school before christmas break. I only had two classes, so I had a lie in and then went to school around noon. My first class passed really quickly. I then had art, my absolute favourite subject. To top it off, my cousin came by to pick up some stuff, so I got to briefly catch up with her by giggles in the supply room.

Once I got home, my roommate gave me my christmas present. Today is the last day I'm seeing her before after christmas, so we had a nice 'celebration', I suppose. Basically, a few weeks ago, we went into a nearby store and tried on the softest, fluffiest pyjamas they had. We both wanted them, but none of us bought any. My roommate, as lovely as she is, bought me a one-piece jumpsuit-pyjamas, that makes me feel like a huge baby. It's so incredibly soft, and I'm actually wearing it now, cuddled up in bed.

We then decided to go to our city's christmas fair. I've been wanting to go for ages, but just got around to it today. It was so, so beautiful. An absolute abundance of christmas lights, stalls, an iceskating rink and a ferris wheel.

Our first stop was, of course, the churros stand. Neither of us had tasted them before, but they tasted like deep-fried waffles. I loved them!

We also decided to go on the ferris wheel. Luckily we had the carriage to ourselves, and it was so much fun. As Norway has not yet given us a white christmas, we decided to take matters into our own hands by drizzling the spare sugar from our churros down through the gaps in our carriage. We literally could not stop laughing, although I do feel bad for the people it possibly landed on. Whoops.

The city looked breathtaking. We could see the beautiful national theatre, and all the way to the Kings Palace, lit up beautifully by christmas lights. The iceskating rink below was filled with people laughing and there was so much holiday cheer. 'Santa Baby' could barely be heard in the distance, but we sang at the top of our lungs anyway. I don't think I've felt that blissful in a long time.

We didn't end up going iceskating, but we did have some time to wander around the park. I even got to sit in Santa's throne (I didn't even know he had one):


There was a merry-go-round, and I've never felt so christmassy in my entire life. I've never really liked christmas much, but today has completely changed that for me. I can't imagine a better end to this term. Hand in hand with one of my best friends, singing christmas music, admiring the beautiful view, and non-stop, constant laughter that put us on the verge of falling over. I'm so incredibly lucky to have such wonderful people in my life.


I hope you've enjoyed this post, and it perhaps brought some light to your day. I'd love to hear about any christmas adventures you've been on this year, and if there haven't been any, just tell me about something you've done recently that's made you happy!

I'd also like to thank you for the support you've given me on this post. Merry christmas, I hope it'll be a good one for all of you. If not, I'm only a DM on twitter away.

Follow

Photography

Oslo in Autumn

16:03:00

Autumn and winter have never exactly been my favourite seasons. I love the sun, being in the warm and swimming, and winter has none of that.


I can't deny it's pretty though. I love looking at autumn and winter, because the colourful leaves and freshly fallen snow just feels so pure. 

So, a few weeks ago, I decided to bring my camera out and explore my new city a bit. It was just as the leaves fell, and it was absolutely beautiful. I wanted to share the result with you, so here you go:





There is also a fair bit of architecture in here, as I discovered some very special buildings.


 I absolutely love when plants climb on buildings like this, so I would basically do anything to live here. It's just so classic and cosy.


Fun fact: I had to stand outside here and wait for about 10minutes, so that the lady parked in front of it could move her car and get out of the frame. 

 I didn't realise you could actually find buildings like this here in Oslo, but just look how beautiful it is. And the colours!

 And at last, my very favourite photo out of these. I'm very proud of it, and I absolutely love the leaves in various shades, and the mysterious tone of the photo. 

Those are the photos I'm sharing with you today. I'm really happy with them, and I hope you enjoyed them too. Oslo really is a beautiful city, and the contrast between harsh architecture and nature is one of my absolute favourite parts. 

I'll show you more of my city sometime. Perhaps in the spring I'll take you down to the docks, and show you around the fortress, where I've never been but heard lots about.

I've done quite a few other photography posts where I explore different places, such as London. If you'd like to read through my photography posts, you can find them here.

Follow

Thoughts

My Mind is a Mess (but I'm trying)

23:25:00

Errr - hi. This is weird. I haven't written in a long time, although I've felt the need to. I've just felt very constricted on here recently, as if everything I write is being monitored and analysed, and I don't like it.

A few people in real life read my blog, and I've known this for a while. I didn't really mind, but I notice now that I honestly do. I can't write freely here, knowing that some of my friends and family are reading every word. I love them all, of course, but some things you just want to keep to yourself (and then share with the internet, logically).


The truth is, I've been going through a really rough patch. Rougher than I've let on anywhere, and although I tried to talk about it in this blogpost, I wasn't quite telling the truth. I tried as best I could, but when you're feeling on top of the world for a few hours, it's hard to put yourself back into your regular mindset and explain what that's like.

I almost have periods of euphoria. I feel so lucky and excited about everything life has to offer, and I want to run through the streets and sing at the top of my lungs. And then there's the other bit. This is the majority of my time, where everything feels pointless. Every day is uphill, and even just the thought of trying to climb it is exhausting.

Most days, I just don't want to do anything. I don't want to be at school, but I don't want to sit at home either. When I'm here, all I want is to go back home to my parents, but when I'm there with them, I just want to come back here. If I'm socialising, all I want to do is be alone, but when I'm alone I'd do anything to be with friends. It makes everything I'm doing, even things I'd usually enjoy, feel like a chore.

My mind is a bit of a mess at the moment - loose ends that don't tie up, plugs that won't fit into the right sockets. I need this space to sort that out.

I'm back now, and I'm going to try my hardest to stay here. I enjoy writing, and it definitely helps me. As self-centred as this sounds, I really enjoy sharing things. So I'm going to continue doing that.

I won't be doing blogmas, as I'm sure you've guessed. My blog isn't particularly christmas-themed this year, which I sort of regret, but I don't have time to change it. I will be posting more often than I have recently though, and I'll try to have a post up every Tuesday.

I'm excited to be back and to have something to put my heart into, like I used to love.

Thank you for sticking around, or if you're new, welcome!

Follow

Photography

This is Norway (and My Cute Puppy)

15:41:00

I spent last weekend at our cabin in the mountains. We share it with our extended family, and it is truly one of the most beautiful places. Everything is so old-fashioned and the village (if it can even be called that) is so tiny, it feels like you're stepping into a fairytale.


We have no neighbours there; the closest one is a farm on the other side of a creek and up a hill, and it is just all so idyllic. The village has two shops: one for food, and one that stocks everything else: candles, yarn, tools, warm clothes, toys, you name it. The kids who live there have to travel over an hour to the closest town just to go to secondary school. 

It all feel so surreal when you're there. This time, I decided to bring my camera and show you the hike we usually go on. Also, my puppy. She's featured in basically every shot, so apologies if you're not too big of a dog-fan. 


The leaves and nature in general was surprisingly green for it to be the beginning of October. Usually they'd either be dead already, or at least a darker shade of orange or red.


Yes, this was my face as I was looking at my cute puppy. Look at her here though, isn't she just the cutest?


She's a surprisingly good poser.


We didn't go very far on our hike, but we did get to the Big Rock, which is just balancing there, large enough to walk around on. Fun fact: there's a huge rock balancing on a flat berg somewhere in western Norway, called The Man. It's been there for thousands of years, but a few years ago there were rumours it was about to roll down. The Norwegian equivalent of the BBC did a 24-hour livestream of it, waiting for anything to happen, but nothing did and it's still there.


These next two show the difference between when my dog was focusing on something above me, and the moment she grew curious and wanted to sniff my camera. I'm pretty sure I now have dog slobber on my camera lens.



And last but not least, me and the puppy.


Weekends like this make me realise how proud I am of Norway and our nature. I wish I could invite you all over and show you, because it's the kind of thing that needs to be seen with your own eyes. I've also previously done a post with photos of what is known as Norway's best hike, and it can be seen here if you're interested.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and that you didn't mind all my doting on the dog. She's adorable, and I miss her a lot since I don't live with her anymore.

Other

Moving out Update: Everything Feels Strange and Overwhelming

12:57:00

I told you all that I'd keep you updated on moving out and everything that's happening this year, so that's what I'm doing today.

In case you're unfamiliar, in the middle of August I moved out. My old town was tiny, and I went to a school of 100 students, where everyone knew everyone. In this new city, I knew close to no-one. I started a huge new school, and moved into a flat with a girl I'd met once. At 17, this sounds like a recipe for disaster, and that's certainly what it felt like for the first month.

Everything felt new and unsafe: I didn't know anyone at my school, I had no idea how to get around the city, and most overwhelming at all, when I got home at  the end of the day, my family wasn't there, and instead it was someone I barely knew. Living with a flatmate is the one thing I was most nervous about, but it's also become the one thing that keeps me sane on a day-to-day basis.

We bonded so quickly. We spent the first day exploring the city, and then went to Ikea. She's such a lovely person, and I depend on her an insane amount for only having known her a month. We make dinner together, and go shopping together. On particularly bad days, she's sat with me in the kitchen for hours, listening to me crying and comforting me, all while sharing a bucket of cookie-dough ice cream. She's the best flatmate I could imagine, and if I didn't have someone like her here, I think my first month would have been a lot worse.

It wasn't a great month though. I can probably count the days I haven't cried on both hands, and all I wanted was to go home. Everything's settling down a bit now. I'm at home with my parents for half-term this week, but I spent last weekend in my old hometown staying with friends.


That weekend was exactly what I needed. I got to see some of the people I love most, and it was a weekend filled with long hugs, laughter, and nostalgia. I love my friends there, but with every second I spent there, I realised how glad I am to not be living there anymore. Of course I miss my friends and I'm making an effort to go back more often to see them, but every street, every corner had so many memories on it.

There's something very special about small towns like that: At 10pm on a Sunday, my friend and I sat in the McDonalds eating McFlurry's, and within the half an hour we were there, we bumped into three people I know. I'm glad I went back that weekend, but I'm infinitely more glad that I don't live there anymore.

Everything has brightened up a bit after that. School isn't so bad anymore. Sure, my classes are stressful, but I've met nice people who make me laugh, and I've hung out with a few of them outside of school, and actually had a great time.

As for the city life, I love it. I'll probably do an entire post about this soon, but as of now, the best thing about it is the public transport. It sounds stupid I know, but in my old town the buses went barely once an hour, whereas here I can get anywhere in the city within twenty minutes.

Things are getting better, and I can only hope that continues. I've discovered that most people feel like this when they first move out, whether that's to Uni, or just in general. I know I've struggled quite a bit with all the changes, and although on paper I should be having the time of my life, it hasn't exactly worked out like that.

I make it work the best I can though. I make sure to never leave myself alone, as that is usually what makes me overly emotional. I never stay in the flat overnight if my roommate isn't home, because I find evenings to be especially tough. I go home most weekends, and if not, I make sure to have them fully-packed with plans.

So far, I'm doing okay. This all feels overwhelming and strange, but I'm starting to get used to it. If you've just moved out yourself, or if you're just going through a tough time in terms of loneliness and feeling lost, please know that you're not alone, and everyone around you has felt like this at one point or another. Also, you can always reach out to me on twitter if you just fancy someone to chat to and keep your mind occupied.

Events

How to Make the Most Out of Summer

12:31:00

I'm sure you all agree with me when I say summer rarely turns out to be as fun as you expect. Instead of the parties and spontaneous trips we were all imagining, it's full of dull, rainy days spent by yourself.

Don't get me wrong, my summer has been fun; but only because I know the routine. I know how bored I get every summer, and I've sort of learnt to accept that. However, it's still not exactly fun to see everyone else boasting about their amazing 5-star holidays to Greece, or their legendary parties that you weren't invited to. FOMO is definitely something I struggle with (don't we all), and it's no fun at all.

A website called Eventbrite is running a campaign about GOMO (go out more often) this summer, and it's definitely something I can get behind. One of the main things I believe is that you make your own fun. There's no point staying in bed all day complaining about boredom when you could be out there trying so many new things.

I never knew I needed a website like Eventbrite until I now, but believe me, I do. It's basically an organiser of nearby events that you can go to, and oh my god, there are so many!


Today I'm sharing with you a few events that I'd ideally like to go to, that I found on Eventbrite:

  • Colour Me Rad - I first skipped straight to events in England, as I thought there was no way that this website had reached Norway yet. I was wrong. I found so many cool events here! This is one that I might actually go to. I've always wanted to do a Colour Me Rad run, but the tickets are so expensive it didn't seem worth it until I realised you can volunteer and get to experience it for free.
  • Chocolate Tour of London - Okay, is this not made for me? I love chocolate, and I can't imagine a single thing better than a tour of my favourite city, tasting my favourite food. If only I lived in London!
  • Cupcake Decorating Class - Again, food. I work at a bakery, and there's nothing I love more than cakes (except chocolate and Harry Potter). I desperately want to be like one of those super-skilled professionals you see on instagram who just make icing and decorating look so easy. Although I don't exactly think that's achievable, I'm sure a two hour class would be a great start.
  • Street Art Tour of London - There's something so cool about street-art. I don't know why, but to think people have stood outside for hours, days even, just painting for nothing else than their own pleasure is amazing to me. I'd desperately love to have a tour!
  • Drawing Class - I used to be insanely good at drawing (for my age), but I've fallen behind with it. I don't do it as often anymore, although I still love it just as much. I think being taught by a proper instructor, being challenged and learning new techniques would be so much fun.
  • Harry Potter Film Locations Tour - I saved the best for last. A free tour of filming locations in London, as well as vintage sweetshops where they sell chocolate frogs, and visiting the street Diagon Alley was inspired by. I genuinely can't imagine anything better.
Those are some of the events that stood out to me. I focused on events in London because it's my favourite city of all time, and it's also slightly more accessible for most of you than, say, Oslo. There are definitely still events for smaller cities though, so check it out no matter where you're based.

I can't applaud this website enough - it makes it way, way easier to find things to do, but also, to get your events out there. Last spring, for example, I helped to host a walk to raise money for cancer, and out main challenge was getting the word out there. Their event planning tools are free to use, and there are several free events on there too (like the volunteering at a Colour Me Rad run, which I'm seriously considering going to). 

Basically, what I'm trying to tell you is - instead of spending your days in bed watching netflix because you're bored (we're all guilty of it), it might be an idea to check out Eventbrite, for inspiration and ideas on things to do alone or with friends. Speaking of, can you imagine a better birthday present than a cupcake decorating class with a friend?

Events

The Day I'll Never Forget // 22nd of July

23:14:00

5 years ago today, a Norwegian man bombed our parliament and, dressed as a policeman, shot 77 teenagers at a youth camp. Up until that day, everyone always thought 'no, something like that would never happen in Norway' and it was true. This was the worst act of terrorism in my country since the second world war. I don't think any of us have ever felt as vulnerable and disheartened as we did that day and the following months.

I remember sitting in the car with my mum and best friend and hearing the news on the radio. None of us believed it. In panic, we pulled over to the closest petrol station. We had to stop, silent, and take a few minutes to let it sink in. I remember frantically calling my cousin to check that they were alright, and she told me that they'd been in a nearby cinema at the time. Feeling the ground shake, they didn't know what it was, because this is little peaceful Norway and no one ever expects anything that bad. 

That night, I sat up with my mum. Until the early hours of the morning, we stared at the tv, seeing the number of deaths just rise and rise. Counting them, and as they rounded 10, 20, 50, we could no longer see them as individual people.

These were all teenagers, barely older than myself at the time. I couldn't comprehend the fact that these weren't just numbers, they were people with actual lives. They all had families and friends who I'm sure had all spent the night screaming down the phone in tears, or at the edge of a hospital bed. They all had homes, schools and communities that they belonged to, and pets who would never understand why they didn't come home.

I wasn't directly affected by this attack. I didn't know any of the victims. But still, I've walked past tombstones at my local church with the date 22.07.2011engraved on them. I didn't know any victims, but I knew of them. A girl who went to a school in my town. The brother of an acquaintance. People I've never met who I wouldn't otherwise spare a thought to. I've seen the graves covered by flowers at all times of the year. I've seen memorial services, and I've seen parades walking through the capital with roses every year to remember what happened.

Everyone always thinks that nothing would ever happen here. In our beautiful country full of empty valleys and fjords, nothing like this could ever take place. We're known for our peace, and every tiny thing makes the news here. The weather is often front-page news, and if someone is as much as reported missing, it'll take over the news for three days straight. 

22nd of July is a special day for all of us. A lot of us, including me, go about my day as usual. I do all the things I usually do, but it's in the back of my mind all day. The sun doesn't shine quite as brightly this day, and nobody's smiles quite as wide. Although it's been five years, we're all still in mourning. For the victims, yes, but also for the serenity of our country that got stolen that day. 

Events

16 things I did when I was 16

23:01:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I turned 17, and for once, it was a great birthday. My brother surprised me at work, and made me wear a crown all day. After work, my mum and I went into the city and had a lovely day out. Not wildly exciting, but that's what happens when your bir
thday falls in the middle of summer and every single one of your friends is out of the country.

Last year I did a post called 15 things I did when I was 15. It was a really fun post to write, and as you all seem to enjoy posts about me and what I'm up to, I figured this would fit well.


1. Went on a 7 hour hike - I live in Norway, and so the nature here is known for being particularly beautiful here. It truly is, but I don't think I realised until this hike! Sure it took us about 7 hours (it took one of the girls in our grade 11.5, we all thought they'd gotten lost) and it was exhausting, but the view made it all worth it.

2. Cut off my hair - I'm pretty sure I included this in last year's post too, but this year I took it way further! Last year I went from long tangly hair to shoulderlength, whereas this year I went from shoulderlength to basically a pixie. Although it went through about 6-months of awkward phases while gradually going shorter (and now another few while now growing it out) I really liked it short!

3. "Learned" to drive - Fine, this is an exaggeration. I can't drive at all, but I have driven on the road a few times, and I'm able to change gears and do basic driving stuff. I really don't enjoy it at all, but I try to do it relatively often.

4. Made a cookbook - Bit of a weird one here, but for a year-long school project, I made a vegetarian cookbook that focused on food photography. I got a top mark and I'm really proud of the end result! I don't want to risk anything by posting any of the photos here or linking you to it yet as my grades haven't been internationally approved, but as soon as they are I'll for sure share some of my favourite recipes!

5. Went white-water rafting - On the same trip as our long hike, we also went white-water rafting! I was terrified and didn't find it much fun during the first half if I'm honest, but as I got used to the speed, the cold and the falling-into-the-water part, it was pretty cool.


6. Saw Halsey live - I love concerts, I'm sure you've all realised from all the posts I do from them. The Halsey one was no different. I discovered her music this year too, and I'm genuinely inspired by how empowering and determined she is.




7. Took the train across the country - I'm used to travelling alone. The first time I flew overseas by myself was when I was seven, and visited my grandparents in England. This time, I took the train across the country to visit my brother for a weekend. It wasn't a big deal for me, but it was a really great weekend, and I so enjoyed the trainride.

8. Found a group of close friends - So cheesy, but this year I've really found a bunch of people who I get along with so well, and who make me very happy. I love them all a lot, and I don't feel like I've really had that before. People who appreciate me just as much as I appreciate them, and it's great.


9. Went to Venice - and LOVED it! It was amazing and so picturesque. I went with my mum, and as we rarely spend time together, it was such a lovely and needed trip!

10. Saw Adele Live - This night completely shifted my life. Incredible doesn't even begin to describe it. I know, I'm cliché, and I'm sorry, but everything about Adele that night just revolutionized the way I see the world.


11. Found my style - This year, I think  I might have found my style! As every teenager, I've gone through endless stages of fashion (some worse than others), but I've finally found the kind of style that I absolutely love. I'd love to do a 'fashion inspiration' post sometime soon, so let me know if you'd like that! Here's a sneakpeek:


12. Learned to deal with failure - Again, so cliché, but I had a really big downfall this autumn. Something I'd put all my effort into for years, and then didn't work out. I was devastated, but I've since realised that it was for the best. The alternative is better for me, and I'm sure will make me happier in the long run, although I didn't think it at the time.

13. There's nothing wrong with taking time to oneself - It took me a while to realise that I don't need to be part of everything, or at every party. I still definitely struggle with FOMO (a post about this will be up soon!), but it has gotten way better.

14. Left school - sort of. I still have to do our version of sixth form left, but I'm leaving the tiny town I live in for the 'big city' and a new school. I don't want to fill this with things I've said before, so you can read about that here.

15. Got my first proper job - and I look forward to it every day. I literally beg my boss for extra hours and always stay as long as I can because I just love it so much. Again, I already did a post about this, which you can read here!

16. Reached 150 followers! - My most recent accomplishment. It took me over a year to reach 100 followers, and now within 2 months, I've reached 150! I thought the goal of 150 before my birthday was very ambitious and unrealistic. I'm very proud, so thank you all so much. This is, again, so cliché, but I appreciate it all so much. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

So there are the things I've done this year. It's been a great year in terms of almost everything, so thank you. For now, I'm going to go to bed and wake up 17!

There were so many blogposts linked in this post, because I like to blog about things that excite me. In case you'd like to have a peek at my year and what I've done, here's a masterlist of the posts I linked here:

15 things I did when I was 15
Norwegian nature // Photography
The time I (almost) met Halsey
Exploring Venice
The best night of my life // Seeing Adele live
'Me-Time'
What leaving school feels like
Weird things that happen at my job and why I love it

Relevant posts:
Where can I put my excitement?
My biggest fear





Other

Weird Things That Happen at My Job and Why I Love It

21:48:00

You might think I'm crazy, but every day when I come home from work, I'm so blissfully happy. Exhausted and with painful feet, but happier and happier every day.


I'm pretty sure I tweet "I LOVE MY JOB" at least twice a week, but I honestly can't say it enough. However, this post isn't going to me just telling you how happy it makes me, as I can't imagine that would be very interesting. Instead, I'm telling you about my job in general; what I do, what it's like, and last and most importantly, strange things that happen at my job.

I work at a tiny seaside bakery, and it's absolutely exhausting. I work nine to ten hours a day, starting at 7.30. I'm on my feet all day, running around, icing cakes and serving customers. When I come home, I need a solid hour (at least) of recuperating before I can handle human contact. 

It all makes it worth it though, when I get to bring a few of these goodies home everyday for free! I swear, my family and neighbours love me so much more nowadays because of this.

I only ever work with one or two other people, and it's a super busy bakery. Most of my customers are the friendliest people on earth, and love to small-talk, and so I get to know most of them pretty well. There are definitely some very strange ones too, and I think this is the weirdest one I've ever served:

From what I'm about to tell you, you might think this is some teenager with a metabolism that can handle anything. Nope, this guy was probably over 80. One of our bestsellers are buns, and it's not uncommon for people to buy over ten at a time to bring home and share. This poor old man however, bought 16 of them, as well as a sandwich, an ice cream, and a cup of coffee. As most reasonable people would assume, I figured he'd bring the buns home for his grandchildren or something. He sat down, and in one sitting finished the large sandwich, the ice cream, sixteen buns and a cup of coffee. As if this was a normal thing to do. 

I know I shouldn't be laughing, and at that moment I was definitely struggling to hide my very confused laughter. I also had one guy come in and pay for 48 bread rolls, filling up two large shopping bags. People are strange, I swear. 

There have also been a few - less funny, more creepy - instances, but they're not quite as entertaining, so I'll save those for another time. 

I really don't know where this post was going or what interest it has to you, but some of you've said that you'd love to hear more about my job, and I thought I'd include some instances that had me and my friends in tears from laughing so hard at them!

Just a quick note - sorry for my not-great blog design at the moment! I need to redo my header to fit this new theme, and if any of you know some very basic HTML or coding for blogger, I'm in desperate need of a bit of help! (Also, could some of you perhaps tell me if my blog scrolls in jumps? Thanks!)

I'm also two off my goal on bloglovin, and I'd love to reach it before my birthday next week (hint hint):

Follow

Other

The A-Z of Me

22:29:00

My favourite posts to read are always the ones where you get to know the blogger, and so what better post to write than this one? It’s been going around recently, and I’ve loved all the ones I’ve read, so I figured I’d do one of my own!


 If you don’t know what this is, here is one thing about me for every letter of the alphabet:

Adele - One of my very favourite artists, who I don't think I could ever grow sick of.
Bakery - Where I'm working this summer, and I love it! (watch out for a post about this next - I've had a lot of humiliating/weird moments there that I'm planning on sharing!)
Charlie - My absolutely adorable dog! This was her as a puppy, and although she might not be quite as fluffy now, she still melts hearts left and right.

How beautiful isn't she?? I just want to cuddle her so badly.

 Daydreamer - Perhaps my very favourite song by Adele (along with the one mentioned further down in this post).
Ed Sheeran - Who I've loved since 2011 and have seen twice in concert.
This was the first time I saw him! Front row at a tiny festival, I was so happy I'm surprised I didn't die and go to heaven right then and there.
FabulousHannah - My favourite youtuber, she always makes me laugh.
Garlic - The one thing I add to basically any dish I make.
Hufflepuff - What I recently discovered to be my Hogwarts house! For a long time I thought I was a Ravenclaw, but I've always known Hufflepuff suits me better, and the new Pottermore test confirmed that!
Ice cream - At my first day of work this week, I tried to use the ice cream machine, and the liquid exploded all over me, the floor, the walls, and my boss. So I'm listing this under 'most humiliating moment'.
Johnny Boy - The only thing I can think of here is the song Johnny Boy by twenty one pilots. I do really like the song though, and it's definitely one of my favourite songs from them.
Kick Me by Sleeping with Sirens - The first time I heard this song I was sitting in the car with my brother and his friends after not having seen him for a few months, and we were all singing loudly on our way to buy pizza. I love the song, but I think this memory makes it way better.
London - One of my favourite places, I could stay there forever.


 Modern Family - A series I think we all depend on to cheer us up.
New York - A city I’ve only been to once, but where I would desperately love to live someday.
One and Only - I love this song, and as FabulousHannah once mentioned, I want this played at my wedding.
Photography - Kind of ashamed to call this my hobby as I'm not very good at it, but yes, my main hobby.
The Quibbler - Fine, this one's a stretch. The only one I could find to fit this letter, but I do love Luna Lovegood, so I suppose that's relevant enough to count.
Raspberries - Can you imagine anything better on top of a chocolate cake? I just love berries.
Summer - Everyone's favourite season, me included. Who doesn't love time off school, and what's meant to be hot weather?
Twentyone pilots - a band I love and one I'm (hopefully) seeing in October!

 Uma Thurman - The ultimate Fall Out Boy jam.

 Vintage - Ugh, this makes me feel like such a wannabe tumblr gal, but I recently bought my very first item from the very first vintage-thrift shop I've ever been to, and I've worn the denim jacket every single day since. 
Wakeboarding - If you don't know what this is, it's basically standing on a board holding on to a rope while being towed behind a boat. Took me a while to learn, but it's so much fun!
Apologies for the poor photo, but it is surprisingly hard to take good photos on a fast boat!
X - A really great Ed Sheeran album.
Youth by Troye Sivan- This was also a tough one,  and I tried not to include too many songs on this list, but it made it a lot easier! This song is awesome though, as I'm sure you all know.
Z - I admit defeat. I've been sitting here for ages trying to come up with the last few letters, and this is the only one remaining. I give up. 

I was also planning on including the Norwegian letters Æ, Ø and Å, but I struggled enough as it is with the English ones! 

Most of my posts are easy to write and the sentences are already formed before I manage to write them down, but this one really stumped me! This was a challenge to write, but definitely fun.

I'm sure you noticed that I linked quite a few relevant posts in this post, so I hope you check them all out. Also, I turn 17 in three weeks and would love to reach 150 bloglovin followers before then, so please make sure you're following me!

Follow

Other

Why I Love Harry Potter

20:10:00

As today is the 19 year anniversary of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone being published, I thought it would be an appropriate time to publish this post, which has been sitting in my drafts half-finished for months.

I've tried to write this post twice already, but both times it has come out as a rambly, emotional mess.

Since the first time I read the books (I was 7), Harry Potter has held a special place in my heart. I became obsessed, and truth be told, I still am. I know I certainly wouldn't be the same person I am today, or have the same values, if I hadn't grown up with them.

The people, or characters, have become my best friends. I see myself in several of them, and in more ways than one, they have taught me to be at peace with myself. And then we have the world itself, which is sometimes hard to believe is fictional.


But now, before this, too, gets way too emotional, I'm going to get into the solid reasons:
  1. As I mentioned above, it is sometimes hard to grasp that the entire wizarding world is made up. There is so much detail in every single aspect that it certainly feels real. Every little detail matches up, and relates to something in a later book and it is so incredibly well done. So many of the well-developed fan-theories blow my mind, because they are all backed up by evidence in the books, and it leaves me convinced that they were done on purpose. 
  2. The characters in these books also seem so real. None of them are perfect, which is what I love about them, and each of them seem realistic. I think Hermione is perhaps my favourite, which may be because I used to be a massive know-it-all and I love Emma Watson
  3. This sounds cheesy, but I have learnt so many things from the books. The entire series is a lesson in itself, but within each book there are so many 'hidden' ones. Dumbledore's words of wisdom are obvious, but have honestly made me a much better person.
  4. The last, but the most important reason, is the home it has given me. The books have been there for me through the last few years of my life, and Hogwarts has given me a sense of belonging. I felt like I fit in with the characters, as if they were my best friends, and that Hogwarts truly was my home, because I know it so well. Whenever I've felt alone, the books have been there to show me that I'm not, and that I do belong.

I feel like this blogpost hasn't really given my love for the books the praise they deserve. I can't put it into words, but in this blogpost I've focused more on my love for it, rather than why, if you're interested. I also have photography-focused blogposts up about the Harry Potter Studio Tour, which is honestly so amazing (Part 1 - Part 2).

I also have a post about my favourite books up here, and last year I did a (very rambly and emotional) post about fandoms, and why I love them so much. 
Follow

Thoughts

What Leaving School Feels Like

19:28:00

As of yesterday, I have officially finished 11 years of school.

Yesterday was my last day of school here in this town. I'm moving out next year, to go to sixth form in another city. I'm happy and excited for that, but there are so many things I'm going to miss about my current school.

I've been here for the past four years. The first three were filled mainly with confusion and a feeling of isolation, but this past year has possibly been the best year of my life.

The teachers here have helped me so much. Sure, some of them suck, but there were also great ones. Teachers who would stay after school and tutor me, encourage me, comfort me, and accept it when i couldn't hand in work on time. They were helpful and nice, always, and I'll miss them.

And then there are my friends. As I mentioned, the first three years here weren't the best in terms of friendship. I made good friends, but they weren't right for me. I couldn't tell them my innermost thoughts, and I couldn't trust them to be there for me whenever. This year, that's all changed. I found myself a new group of friends. They love me and appreciate me, and although they're years older and will be strewn across the globe next year, I desperately want to keep in contact with them.


Someone has also come into my life this past year, and she has quickly become one of my best friends. We've been in the same class since the beginning, know she won't judge. Instead, she'll give advice and make jokes about it, to cheer me up.
but weren't any more than acquaintances. We're opposites, so I suppose the phrase 'opposites attract' is true. Even so, I don't think we've ever had a fight. We bicker and tease each other constantly, but no one makes me happier than she does. I can tell her everything, and I

I don't think any of them realise how much they've done for me. Without them, I truly don't think I'd be ready to move out next year. They're fun to be around. They invite me out, they come over to bake cupcakes with me, and they comfort me when I'm a crying mess, without even asking why.

Their individuality has helped me love myself. Their fearlessness, their confidence, has taught me that I don't need to be afraid to be myself, because they will accept me no matter what.

This post is all over the place and very emotional, but I'm sure you all know the feeling. This place, this school, that I've belonged to for the four most important years of my life is no longer mine. Sure, I can come back and visit, but it's not the same. I won't walk along the same corridors again, laughing and joking with the people I love most.

Not every day has been good, but I wouldn't trade that for the world. The people I've met, the memories I've made and the confidence I've gained here at this school means more to me than I could ever explain, to myself, to you guys, or to the people in question.

I never thought my last day here would make me cry. I've been counting down to this day for the past year, and now that it's here, I would do anything to just have a few more days here.

I did a post similar to this a few weeks ago, where I talk about my #1 biggest fear in life.

Follow

Music

Music Favourites // June 2016

20:22:00

I love music, and although I can't sing, play an instrument or write songs, I appreciate it a lot.

I haven't done a post like this since January, and my music taste has evolved and grown a lot since then, and so I decided to do another Music Favourites. You can see my previous ones here and here.


In the past few months I've learnt to listen to music in a different way. I usually fall in love with artists or albums, rather than individual songs. Recently I've discovered covers on youtube, and also started using Spotify slightly, so I tried to feature those here:


I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker
This cover is by the wonderful Eve Miriam, and I love it so much. I've been singing this song for days, and the original version just isn't as good. The editing in this video is also absolutely incredible.  Her channel in general reminds me a lot of Dodie (more about her below), as she does amazing covers, but also short artistic videos of places she's visited.

Paint
And then there is the actual Dodie. Incredibly talented, and she sounds like a friend who is singing directly to you. Quirky is the one word I'd use to describe her. I've just been loving all of her songs recently, but mainly Paint. I'm sure you all watch doddleoddle already, so there isn't much more to say about her, but if you don't, just know that you're missing out.


Next to You
This is one song in particular that has comforted me when I feel alone. I don't know how else I can explain it, but Ally Hills' voice haunts me at the same as it makes me feel like I've come home after a long day out. When I have trouble sleeping, this song always comforts me. It's so beautiful and emotional, and this is the number one song I wanted to share in this post. It just means so much to me, in a way I struggle to describe. For some reason, blogger won't let me insert the video here, but it can be found on youtube and I highly recommend it.

The Great British Breakfast
As I mentioned, I rarely listen to songs by playlist. This is the first one I've actually discovered and regularly listen to, and so far, I'm into it! It's such a happy playlist, and I tend to listen to it while I'm in the shower in the morning, as it sets a good mood for my day. The music on it constantly changes too, so I never get bored of it.

Adele
If you've read this post, you'll know how much I've grown to love Adele recently, in particular her newest album, 25. It is an amazing album, but I've talked so much about it in that post that I wanted to feature some of her older, lesser known songs that I absolutely adore:

Ed Sheeran
I think I've mentioned this guy in both of my 'music favourites' posts so far, so I'm sure you all know how much I love him. I have over 100 songs of him, most of which are obviously on old EPs, but I recently found a few I had never heard before, and I love them all, so I wanted to share them with you. The first three are on X Wembley Edition, and the rest on the EP Don't which I didn't know existed:
Those are all the favourites I'm talking about today, but that was quite a lot. I hope you're not overwhelmed, and that you check them all out, because I love them all so much.

Also, are you following me on bloglovin? I hit 100 followers not long ago, and I'm already at 123. My 17th birthday is in just over a month, and although I know it's unrealistic, I think if I could hit 150 bloglovin followers before then, it would feel as if all my dreams had come true. So if you'd like to help give me the best birthday present I could ever wish for, I'd love it if you follow me on there.

I'm so grateful for every single one of you, and thank you for all being so supportive. 

Follow
Twitter

Events

The Best Day // My Adventures in England

19:27:00

 You know those days where nothing in particular happens, but it's just such a good day? I had one of those this weekend, and so I figured I'd tell you all about it, because it was just so lovely.


As I'm sure you're aware (I mention it in practically every blogpost, sorry!), I'm over in England all the time to visit my family. I was there this past weekend, and the small town I'm from there is possibly my favourite place on earth.

I love it there so much. Everything just feels better when I'm over there. Everything seems less important, but the world looks so much more vibrant.


The sun was shining so brightly that I wished I'd worn shorts. In town, I found a cool vintage shop. I've never been in one before, but they are so worth the hype. I'll bring my camera there next time and show you all, and I'm sure you'll love it just as much as I do. Racks lined with old clothes, that musky smell, it was the kind you hear about in unrealistic books. I ended up buying a very stereotypical oversize denim jacket for $15, which I've worn every day since.

Apologies for the filter, but I lost the original!
Everything just looked so beautiful that day. The sun extra bright, the sky extra blue, and the buildings extra... majestic. Please tell me, why are all English buildings so incredible?

The flowershop I walked past on the way home was blooming, and everyone was so friendly. I gave my spare pound to a man who had asked me for it earlier, to help feed the homeless. He said he's never had anyone come back after they said they would, and I know that I am usually one of those people.

The park was blooming. I had to walk through it to get home, and I'm so glad I did. As I sat on a bench in the sun, the ground around me was completely covered in purple flower petals. I met two adorable dogs, and petted them, and they climbed all over my lap. Adorable.

That day, those few hours, were unbelievably blissful, and just what I needed. I have those kinds of experiences quite often, but rarely mention them on here. This day, however, even puts me in a good mood almost a week later, and I have some cute photos from the trip that I wanted to share anyway. These are all taken on my phone so I wouldn't exactly say they're my best work, but they amke me happy! For regular, on-time, updates of my life, follow me here on Instagram!

Something I'd really like to mention -  I've become part of the #teenageteam on Twitter. It's for teenage bloggers, and you're welcome to join if you're interested! Everyone is so lovely and friendly, and I love getting to know everyone!

I hope this blogpost put you in a slightly better mood, or perhaps you could save it for a day you're feeling down. I have two other photography blogposts about places in England that I love here and here.

Twitter

Follow

Events

Hello June

14:27:00

June is a big month for me. I graduate school, I start my summer job, and I move out of the house we've lived in the past four years.

So, I'm back with what I hope I'll manage to keep as a monthly post, where I talk about last month, and set goals and plans for this month.


May was very exciting for me, and overall just a great month. You can read last month's post here, but I'll sum it up for you:

May's goals:
  1. Do well in my exams - Ehh, I guess I can't complain too much. I did well in some of them, but others didn't go amazingly. I guess you could just say I'm very glad that they're now over.
  2. Spend time with my friends - I did have a lot of happy times with my friends, but not as many as I'd like. There were birthday parties (which were amazing), pizza dates, and long emotional phonecalls. I've loved it.
  3. Workout often - Definitely not. I think I've been on one run this entire month. Oh well, hopefully this summer will help my motivation.
May's plans:
  1. The Adele concert. Truly life-changing, and I wouldn't even say that's exaggerating. I love it SO MUCH! It was just such a great, sunny day, and we had such great seats at the concert!  For a full, emotional post about the experience, check out the post about it here.
  2. Birthday parties - I went to two of them, one of which was a pizzanight with three good friends of mine. The other one (which was for two of my friends) was meant to be a BBQ on the beach, but as it started raining, it turned into an indoor BBQ. How we didn't set the flat on fire I'll never know, but it was one of my favourite nights anyway.
  3. My brother moved home! I'm very happy to have him back home, although as most brothers, he's quite annoying. Of course, I still love him lots, even if he does constantly criticise my waffles! Fine, maybe he does have a point there.
May has been a good month, but now onto June! In fact, as it is my first month of summer and I have very few 'goals' for this month, I'm not going to do goals, and instead just do a list of exciting things/plans happening in June!

  1. Graduating school - how crazy isn't this? Sure, I still have what would be sixth form left (I'm starting IBDP if anyone knows what that is), but it's still terrifying and strange for me.
  2. Moving house - If you've read this post, you might know a bit more about my situation. It's not a bad thing, I'm super excited. In two weeks I'm moving house to our summer cabin, and after summer I'm moving to a different city. As I said, I can't wait, but it's still going to be stressful and sad to leave all my friends here.
  3. Okay, one goal - blog regularly. I have loads of posts prewritten, but I just forget to post them, which is just me being disorganised. For the entire summer, I'm trying to blog regularly, hopefully more than once a week.
  4. I start my summer job - This summer I've gotten my dream job of working at a bakery/cafe. Sure, it's still a job, but I can't wait. And it's close to our cabin and right by the sea, so it'll be amazing!
  5. Camping - Next weekend I'm hopefully going camping with my group of friends! As I mentioned above, I'm moving away and so are a lot of them, so this will sort of be one of the last times we'll all be together. It should be fun, but also quite sad.
Those are all my plans/goals for this month! As I've mentioned, I'm sure it'll be a great month (and summer), but at the same time it's, in a way, the end of a big part of my life. That sounds so dramatic, but I suppose it is true.

I hope you've all had a great summer so far (sorry this post is up about a week late in June! I've been abroad). Let me know what the most fun
thing you did in May was, and one thing you're excited for in June! I'd love to hear about it.

Are you following me on twitter and bloglovin?
Follow