Hello there! It's been FAR too long hasn't it? I thought a good way to catch up would be to take you through some of my recent Instagram photos. (Totally a lazy blog post. Sorry...!)
Party Time! Firstly, yes that's a colouring book. An adult colouring-in book. Yep. I've just turned 24 and I'm regressing back to childhood. I took this photo as I was 'celebrating' my blog hitting a great milestone with a glass of perry, a Bakewell Tart and some stationery. Because I know how to party!
Flowers. My parents very kindly bought me a selection of pretty roses to try and cheer me up after all that trouble with my neighbour. Flowers always brighten everything up, don't they?
Face for Radio. I've been volunteering at a local community radio station called Erewash Sound FM since June now. They're currently training me up to be a producer, which is very exciting! I took this photo when I was learning the ropes, and being taught stuff like how to top and tail songs, so that the presenters know exactly when to talk over songs without crashing into the singing.
Graham. On most trips to Belper River Gardens I end up meeting this swan. We've christened him Graham. (Graham the Swan... Graeme Swann. Get it...?) He hates me with a passion. In this photo, he was trying to work out how to eat my feet or something. He's always hissing at me. I really don't think he likes me, although that doesn't stop me going there and peeing him off.
Tidy Workspace, Tidy Mind. Yeah, my desk is ALWAYS a mess. It doesn't matter how much I tidy it, it just ends up an absolute tip within a matter of minutes. This was a photo I snapped while I was trying to rectify some issues with my blog layout. Basically, I was procrastinating by endlessly scrolling through Instagram and snapping that photo; instead of trying harder to fix the problem...
Yet Another Derby Sunset. This is a little photo I snapped in the car on the way out of Derby, after having done some late night shopping. I love the scenery from that stretch of road; with Derby Cathedral, the Council House, and the River Derwent. And that sky!
A Bit of a Shocker. I've been offered a place at Uni, starting this September! (Yeah, it was a bit of a shock to me too.) All being well, provided I cough up the cash required and they don't change their minds, I'll be off to Nottingham Trent University to study for a Masters in Broadcast Journalism!
Flowers. My parents very kindly bought me a selection of pretty roses to try and cheer me up after all that trouble with my neighbour. Flowers always brighten everything up, don't they?
Face for Radio. I've been volunteering at a local community radio station called Erewash Sound FM since June now. They're currently training me up to be a producer, which is very exciting! I took this photo when I was learning the ropes, and being taught stuff like how to top and tail songs, so that the presenters know exactly when to talk over songs without crashing into the singing.
Graham. On most trips to Belper River Gardens I end up meeting this swan. We've christened him Graham. (Graham the Swan... Graeme Swann. Get it...?) He hates me with a passion. In this photo, he was trying to work out how to eat my feet or something. He's always hissing at me. I really don't think he likes me, although that doesn't stop me going there and peeing him off.
Tidy Workspace, Tidy Mind. Yeah, my desk is ALWAYS a mess. It doesn't matter how much I tidy it, it just ends up an absolute tip within a matter of minutes. This was a photo I snapped while I was trying to rectify some issues with my blog layout. Basically, I was procrastinating by endlessly scrolling through Instagram and snapping that photo; instead of trying harder to fix the problem...
I Like Stationery. This is a photo I snapped of my shiny new Moleskine planner, which I got for a ridiculously cheap price from The Works, complete with my iPad to show everyone about my latest YouTube video. Y'know the one with the River Gardens? (You can also see the shiny new YouTube Channel header I made, which I'm much happier with.)
Yet Another Derby Sunset. This is a little photo I snapped in the car on the way out of Derby, after having done some late night shopping. I love the scenery from that stretch of road; with Derby Cathedral, the Council House, and the River Derwent. And that sky!
A Bit of a Shocker. I've been offered a place at Uni, starting this September! (Yeah, it was a bit of a shock to me too.) All being well, provided I cough up the cash required and they don't change their minds, I'll be off to Nottingham Trent University to study for a Masters in Broadcast Journalism!
Birthday Train Fun Times. The last photo is of my friend and I. That's Amy on the left, and me on the right. We were on our way to London to celebrate my birthday, but more about that soon! (Amy also writes a blog with her boyfriend, Tony, which you can check out here if you fancy!)
To see more photos like this, you can follow me on Instagram!
Tomorrow, I turn 24. Here are some lessons I've learned whilst being 23:
Trust your instincts. Initially, if you believe that someone's an idiot, in all probability: You're right. You know that feeling in your gut? Trust it.
Adulthood is hard. Responsibility? Bleugh.
Don't let others make you bitter. Good people keep their heads held high no matter what other people do.
The world is absolutely BRIMMING with idiots. But there's little you can do about it. The key to getting around it? Do stuff that helps you rediscover the beauty in life.
Time flies. Even if you're not having fun.
Start looking after yourself. Now's the time to learn how to stay healthy, before it's too late.
It's your responsibility to better yourself. No-one else is going to grab opportunities for you. BUT, it's okay not to know what you're doing and what you want from life yet.
Hobbies are fun! The more you have, the better!
It's okay to be selfish. Sometimes. Sometimes you really need to protect yourself and put yourself first.
Ignore the haters. Life's too short to get dragged down in petty arguments. Don't bother getting angry at people you're never going to see eye-to-eye with.
Procrastination is awful. Seriously, the things I could've got done instead of incessantly scrolling through Instagram looking at photos of cats with moustaches.
Nobody's life is perfect. It's so easy to believe that other people live the perfect life because of Instagram or their incessant Facebook bragging. (But perhaps they're making up for something they're missing in life.)
No-one knows what they're doing. You know when you're a kid and you think adults know everything? They don't. We're all just endlessly meandering through life trying to avoid messing up.
Money doesn't go far. And that makes me really sad.
Being a geek isn't bad. When I was at school I was a hardcore square, which was a very bad thing. Now, knowing stuff is good. Don't ever let anyone take the mick because you want to learn new and exciting stuff!
You can't help some people. Learn to stop bending over backwards for people who don't even appreciate it.
23 isn't as old as it once sounded. It's not that bad, or that old. That doesn't mean I'm looking forward to being 24 though...
Appreciate those close to you. It's not 'uncool' to be close to your family or friends. Make time for them, because there may be a time that they're not there anymore.
Learn when to stop. I'm terrible for putting loads of pressure on myself to achieve unattainable things, and it's been hard trying to force myself to take a break from striving for the best. But, every now and again, it'll do you good.
Rejection. It never gets any easier. And that goes for any type of rejection.
People aren't a commodity. It really isn't nice being used. Don't do it to others unless you're willing to be used yourself.
Don't lie to yourself. If you're not happy, don't try and pretend you are, even to yourself. It doesn't work and it makes you so much unhappier in the long run not to admit the truth to yourself.
Life isn't a race. Oh, this has been such a hard lesson for me to take on board. Life definitely isn't a race: It's not about who can get the best job, who can buy a house first, who's the first to get married and have kids. It's not about that. People progress through life at different rates, and that variety is what makes life all the more beautiful.
Don't lie to yourself. If you're not happy, don't try and pretend you are, even to yourself. It doesn't work and it makes you so much unhappier in the long run not to admit the truth to yourself.
Life isn't a race. Oh, this has been such a hard lesson for me to take on board. Life definitely isn't a race: It's not about who can get the best job, who can buy a house first, who's the first to get married and have kids. It's not about that. People progress through life at different rates, and that variety is what makes life all the more beautiful.
Hope you lovely readers can relate to some of the above! Here's to more incessant rambling as a 24 year old!
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A bit of tranquility in an otherwise bustling town.
I love this place. In fact, sometimes when I get overwhelmed by wanderlust, this is the only place that reminds me that it's not so bad being stuck in Belper. If you read my last post, you'll know that things have been a bit rubbish recently, and it's going to places like this (where I'm not constantly looking over my shoulder) that keep me sane.
It's just a park, basically, but it's so serene compared to the rest of the town, that it's easy to forget that you're by a busy road, a train line and in a bustling town centre.
So, I thought I'd shoot a little video just to show you lovely readers one of my favourite places right now! Hope you enjoy it!
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I am so sorry that I've taken longer away from blogging than I promised. I do have a good excuse, mind. The past few weeks have been iffy and the weekend was dire to say the least.
One of my neighbours is clearly suffering from serious mental health issues and has started to harass my parents and I. I've personally been subjected to heaps of abuse and been called all the names under the sun; for things like leaving my bedroom window open at night.
I don't want to delve into too much detail, but this has had a seriously detrimental effect on my life at the moment. I had a panic attack at the thought of leaving the house on Monday, all because of one man constantly launching tirades at me. I'm having to park my car on a different road just so he can't damage it, and thinks I'm away from home.
I'm terrified of leaving the house because of the harassment that may follow, but I don't feel safe in the house either because of what happened last weekend.
He was hammering on our front door, drunkenly, at 3am. And then again at 3:20am. He was shouting abuse, making threats and even banging our letterbox demanding that we open the door to him. I had to call the police twice. They moved him on, thinking he'd leave us alone. But on Sunday, I went to Starbucks, and saw him watching us leave. When we came home and pulled up outside our house, he stormed out of his house, followed us, and started shouting at us. We had to ring the police again. He's making up slanderous lies about me and my parents too.
The police are on our side, but the law is on his side. I've got to continue to take the level of abuse I have been doing recently, because there's nothing the police can do right now. He can get away with shouting abuse and making threats at my bedroom window at 5-6am most mornings, and I've just got to grin and bear it. The police are trying to detain him for a mental health assessment, but that's easier said than done.
I hope he gets the help he needs and soon, because it's getting too much for me to bear. Is a quiet life so much to ask for?
Sorry for the really personal and serious post, but I wanted you lovely readers to know why I've not been around recently. Normal service will be resumed shortly.
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