This post is inspired by the lovely Jemima

January passed so quickly, and I can't believe we're already a month into 2017. I probably say this every month to be honest, but oh well. It's been a good one, I'd say!

January has had so many beautiful sunsets. I've heard they're due to global warming, so that's not, you know, great, but it's still beautiful.

Favourite parts

• This past weekend was actually really nice. I went to watch my roommate's dance show, and it was so great I had to see it twice. My childhood friend also came to visit, and we had a lovely time walking around the city. We decided against using public transport, and ended up walking for way over an hour in the snow to get where we were going. 
• No January blues! You'd think with how awful my autumn was that everything would come back and pile on top of me as life resumed after christmas, but no. I'm in a much better mood nowadays, and have so much more energy. I couldn't be happier about it.
• I baked brownies for my roommate and I. Both of us had our half-birthdays within a day of each other this month, and so I decided to bake a batch of brownies to celebrate.
  
  

Worst part
This isn't something I'd usually think to include, but I figured I'd add it in. My cousin left for the military at the beginning of this month, and she'll be gone for a year. I know, it's not that long and I'll even get to see her when she comes back on breaks, but I'll really miss her. The worst of it all - we were in the middle of a Gilmore Girls marathon, and now we're stuck on season 4 and I can't finish it without her.

Favourite music
I've been in such a music rut lately, and I never know what to listen to anymore. I have been obsessed with Tessa Violet lately though, but most of the time I've just been listening to podcasts (they're all in norwegian, hence the lack of recommendations). I'd love some music recommendations though, if you know of any good bands!

Favourite movie
I know this one came out in November, but I rewatched it with my mum a couple of weeks ago and was reminded of how much I love it. Fantastic Beasts is honestly such a masterpiece, and if you haven't seen it (even if you don't like Harry Potter), I'd highly recommend it! The story and characters are amazing, but also the way it's made. the costumes, sets and cinematography completely blow me away. I do really hate the use of Johnny Depp in it though (don't worry, I won't spoil it), as I'm not a big fan of him and I don't think he fits the part at all.

Favourite show
Jane the virgin! It's absolutely hilarious, and one of my all-time favourites. So is Modern Family, which I've been rewatching this month. The Fosters is probably my #1 favourite show, and it supposedly returns tonight, so you know what I'll be up to.

Two of my absolute favourite people.

Favourite youtuber
Dodie is always at the top of my list. She's such a sweetie, and her videos inspire me so much. Tessa Violet too, along with making great music, makes great videos. Their videos are part of what helped keep me afloat all of last semester, and I'm forever grateful. I love them both so much.


And then there's Eve Bennett. I've been watching her videos for quite a while, but not consistently until recently. Her revision/school videos are my favourite, and they motivate me so much. She's definitely the #1 reason that I'm back to trying my hardest in school. She's also just hilarious, and I love her.


Favourite post
I'm really happy with the photo diary I recently put up. I worked really hard on the photos and can't wait to post part 2 and 3 sometime in February. Basically, my dad and I took a mini roadtrip around the Cotswolds where my grandparents live, and we explored so many cute villages and beautiful places. I loved it.

Favourite place
Definitely the small cafe down the street from where I live. It's tiny, but I go there to do work all the time. The top floor consists of two couches perfect for reading, looking out on the rest of the cafe (it's more of a ledge that its own floor to be honest), and the basement had large, well-lit tables that are good if I'm there to do art. The ground floor is of course my favourite part, where each table has a tiny vase of flowers in, and the large windows overlook the busy street outside. The music they play is mostly Coldplay, and it's great. I find that it's the main place where I can go to work, as I have no proper distractions around me, and I actually enjoy my time there.

Taken on my way home from the cafe one morning.

What happens next month?
February is an exciting one - my winter break starts in three weeks, and I'm going to Amsterdam! Just for a couple of days with my mum, but I can't wait. We'll also be visiting family in England and perhaps spending a day in Cambridge, so you can expect a bunch of photography posts over the next few months!

There you have a fairly comprehensive summary of the past month. It's been a good one, and I can't see what February brings.

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England is one of my favourite places in the entire world. It's just so beautiful, and makes me feel completely at home. We visit our grandparents there quite often, and every time we return, I feel myself slipping into such a happy mood, as if I'm in a fairytale. I love it.

When we were there over christmas, my dad and I spent a day driving around the Cotswolds. I always complain about not having seen enough of England, and since my grandparents live in such a beautiful area, we figured we'd have a little drive around.

On the first leg of our day-long roadtrip, we visited the miniature village in Bourton-on-the-Water. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised.


Now this is an actual house, where people live (although I'm pretty sure I didn't take this in Bourton). I still thought it was adorable though, and the name on the gate just made it 100x better.



 Here we have the city bank. Surprisingly accurate, although slightly overgrown and covered in moss.  Oh well, it's still pretty.


Now this was inside a thrift-shop we went into. It was hidden inside an alleyway, and I really liked the contrast between the shiny gold mirror and the old-fashioned building. All decorated by flashing neon christmas lights, of course.



This was one of my favourite model houses they had. I don't know why exactly, but something about the overgrown building plastered with crisp, white letters was intriguing.

I really loved visiting the miniature village. Not only was it interesting to see an overview of the town, but it was also a great photography opportunity, as I got to try out different angles. It's quite rare you get to take a birds-eye photo of a building while standing on the ground.

It was the first time my dad had visited the village since he was twelve. He kept pointing out how much had changed, and memories he had from being a child here. It was a great day, and I really enjoyed exploring so many new places.

There'll be two more posts like this over the next few weeks, so make sure to follow me on bloglovin so you don't miss them! In the mean time, I hope you enjoyed this post.
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I really hate New Years Eve. Not only New Years Eve, but Halloween, our National Day and any day where you're expected to celebrate.

I'm certain I'm not the only person who's like this, but I feel like such a downer if I ever bring it up.

Honestly, I just really hate the pressure. I'm all for parties and going out, and I usually love it. But I don't like feeling like I have to.

The pressure to go out and party, dress up and then kiss someone at midnight is all too big. I really hate it, and in some ways, it makes me dread events like this.

This year, I've been a bit in-between friends here in the city. I have people to hang out with at school, but not really a set group who I can just call up and invite to hang out. I dreaded New Years Eve (along with halloween) because of this. It makes me feel like a loner, and like I don't belong here.
I know I could just go home and spend it with my friends back there, but then people would question why I didn't want to spend it in 'the big, exciting city' and I'd feel like a loser once again.

My roommate ended up bringing me along to a dinner party with her friends on New Years Eve, and I had a lovely time. It was a good night, but I spent a lot of the day stressing about where I would go.

I know I, as most teenagers, care way too much about what people think of me. If I wanted to stay home on New Years Eve, then I should just do it, and not care if it labels me as a loser. But I think a lot of us are like this, and times like New Years makes it worse.

The fear of not being invited to a party, and seeing everyone else enjoy themselves is just a bit too strong. I have a really big fear of missing out, which makes it even worse.

This post doesn't exactly have a set purpose. But if it in any way makes you feel like less of a loser, knowing you're not the only one who has no one to hang out with, or the only one who doesn't want to go out on New Years Eve, then I suppose that's enough.

I hope you didn't mind the very short post this week, but a lot of people seemed interested in this topic when I mentioned it on twitter. I put a longer one up last week, so if you're in for more of a read you can find that here (it's one of my favourites).

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What a wild ride 2016 was. For me personally and the world as a whole, so much has happened this year. I feel like a completely different person, in both good and bad ways, so I wanted to do a very typical 2016-in-review post, like every other blogger on the face of this earth.

I've experienced so many new things, it seems crazy that it's only been one year.

During the first part of 2016, I lived in a permanent state of bliss. I had friends who I loved hanging out with and who invited me to things. I always had people to sit with at lunch, and I usually had things to do on the weekends. This might seem pretty standard for a lot of people, but that's something I hadn't really had before.

I saw both Halsey and Adele live, and they were absolutely incredible. The Adele one literally killed me and sent me to heaven.


I was also in my first relationship. Although it didn't work out and didn't last too long, I'm thankful for the experience and it taught me a lot about what I look for in the people I surround myself with.

When I left school in June, I was filled with all sorts of emotion. I knew this was the start of a completely new chapter of my life, but also the end of one that's lasted the past four years. Those years had been filled with loneliness and unhappiness, but more recently, excitement and a sense of belonging. Thank god, because that leaves me to look back at this time with such gratitude.
Leaving felt strange, and although I miss it sometimes, I know it was the right decision for me.


I then got my first proper job. Holy shit, I loved it so much. I woke up every single day excited, and I never wanted it to end. It was at a quaint little bakery, and I consider that summer one of the best of my life. My brother always had friends staying with us, and as we were in the same friend group, my friends were around almost every day when I came home from work. It was heavenly.

That summer was spent in a state of bliss. I feel like a was a different person back then, and I sort of miss how naive I was and all the hope I had for my future.
I remember my childhood friend came to visit me at one point, and we were sat by the sea eating a cake I'd brought from the bakery. That was such a day, and I remember looking out and just watching the sea, laughing and thinking about how happy I was.

Me on my birthday in 2014 (or possibly 2015, I'm not too sure)

On my birthday, I went to visit the flat I'm currently living in for the second time. I had an amazing morning at work, where my brother and some of my friends came to visit, and I loved it. Seeing my flat again also made the fact that I was moving out feel like a reality. I started getting nervous, but mostly excited for the future.

In August, I did my first blog collaboration with a company. I still love the website, but the sense of pride I felt when I published that blogpost was completely incomparable. This wasn't school-related or given to me in any way. Someone had contacted me, from an official company, saying they wanted to work with me, and I had earned this.

I went to a spontaneous trip to IKEA with my cousin and half-cousin, and we were all so excited and loved it that it was so much fun. My cousin and I spent the next four days painting furniture, although I convinced her to do most of it while I kept her company by belting One Direction songs.

Then was the time for the actual moving out. I cried the first night, and everything went downhill from there. School started, and everything got worse. I was alone and I felt unsure about who I was and what I was doing with my life. That's pretty much what the past few months have consisted of for me.

I don't want to delve too far into the unhappiness and loneliness of it all (because I spoke about it here and here), but it was definitely prominent. I just try to remember all the great things that have come out of these past few months too. My roommate and I have grown so close (I didn't know her before I moved), and she's become one of my best friends. She's taught me so much about myself and she's made me smile and laugh when I felt like I'd hit rock-bottom, and for all of that, I owe her so much.


I joined my cousin and her family for a few trips up to the mountain. Once this autumn, which I blogged here, and then once more over christmas. It's the same routine every time, but nothing makes me happier than those few cosy days.

This autumn hasn't been a happy time for me, but there have been happy moments. Visits back home, reuniting with old friends as they've visited me here, long skype calls with my best friend, and late nights of chats and laughter with my roommate. Coursework at a cafe with my cousin, pizza dates, and watching fireworks from the docks here (twice!).


Oslo is beautiful, and I've truly fallen in love with it. My roommate and I went on a little christmas adventure to the fair here, and it was so much fun. I spent the days leading up to Christmas in england with my family. My dad and I drove around the area, visiting quaint and adorable villages (blogpost will be up soon).

I was ill over christmas, but I made the best of the following days. I spent parts of it up in the mountains as I mentioned, and then had friends visiting from back home. We had the loveliest time, baking gingerbread and going out for chips at 2am. It really was a great end to the year.


New Years Eve was fun too, although I spent it with people I barely know. I'm not usually a big fan of new years eve, but I really enjoyed this one.

Overall, 2016 has been turbulent to say the least. I've been through truly awful times, but I've also had some unbelievably happy moments. Here's to a better 2017 for all of us!

Blogposts mentioned:
Where can I put all my excitement?
The time I (almost) met Halsey
The best night of my life
What leaving school feels like
My biggest fear
The best day
Weird things that happen at my job and why I love it
16 things I did when I was 16
How to make the most out of summer
Moving out update
This is Norway and my cute puppy
My mind is a mess
Oslo in Autumn
A Christmas adventure

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