So I watched this video on Facebook and thought - how cool is that, I agree with everything they have said in it. I'm going to share it. Then, later on in the same day I heard this:

"I don't like school. I have to get a boyfriend by the time I'm twenty so he can look after me."

At this point I piped up and said "don't you want to be able to look after yourself by the time you are twenty?"

She shook her head and said "No. I want to have a boyfriend that will look after me by the time I'm twenty. That's what everyone in school wants too."

The reply she got from her guardian was this: "No. You have to go to school, study and work hard, and then look after me." In his defence (he was her grandfather or some relation) he was kidding about the 'look after me' part of the reply.

But after that, all I wanted to do was ask why he didn't tell her to want to be able to support herself. That independence and stability is actually a really good thing to have in life. That this doesn't mean she couldn't have a boyfriend, but does mean that she shouldn't want to rely on her boyfriend. Why did you not tell her that independence is not loneliness. Why not?

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Why did you not tell her to work hard and achieve her dreams. That at the age of twenty she could be inventing things, at university, or doing an apprenticeship, starting and running her own business, working, doing something she really really loved, - basically she could do ANYTHING. That she is capable of amazing things! Why did you not tell her that independence is not loneliness. Why did you not say this? It made me want to cry.

But here's the thing. I am certain, in fact I know, that the first thing that goes through some of my family members heads when they see me is that I'm "not married...still".

I've been told that I have studied too much, that I often work too much. I've even been told I don't work enough. I've been told that I'm wasting my skills by not getting a job related to my undergrad studies. I've been told to do what I want now because after marriage I may not get the same chances - what with responsibilities and all....but then I've been told I can do whatever I want after I get married.

Let me tell you something, none of the above paragraph makes sense. It's all an oxymoron. Each piece of advice contradicts the other. I wish someone had told me at such a young age that independence is not loneliness. That individuality is great.

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Ok, so I am in no way against marriage and relationships. I'm actually the opposite. I want to get married. I want to share my life with someone, share my happiness, make memories, travel, buy a house together, have kids. But in the beginning, middle and end, it will be 'ours'. It will be 'our' marriage, 'our' memories, 'our' children, 'our' house. Not I, 'us'. I want to be able to offer independence and stability and and add to the marriage. I want to help be supportive of my partner and I want the other person to help and be supportive to me too. Even if this means not working for a while, or working more than I normally would. Marriage, being in a relationship, is a partnership. There are two people, not one.

And I'm fully aware that sometimes circumstances make it that we may need to rely on others. What I don't believe is that we should encourage our youth to want to rely on someone else. Independence is not loneliness.

I mean come on, you wouldn't want to have to be dependent on someone, so why don't we teach others this?

Oh, and this goes out to everyone. We should encourage everyone.

Morning all!

My stomach keeps rumbling. It rumbles like clockwork at exactly the same times everyday - I'm going to eat more and see if it makes a difference. Plus, I do like to eat! Good food and a good book are two of my favourite things! What are yours?

Anyway, back to the actual reason for this post :)

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So I just finished watching The Originals on Netflix and for a minute after it finished, I felt lost! I sat there thinking 'oh dear, what shall I watch now that it's finished?!' I often get this feeling after I've watched - more often when I read - something I'm drawn into/quite enjoyed. Even though I'm not sure how much I enjoyed watching The Originals. I definitely got this feeling after watching The Office (US) and Community - check them out people, I laughed so much whilst watching these series!! Oh, and also Once Upon a Time - eeeeeeeeeee I loved the retelling of the fairytales!!!

I have to say, I did prefer the second series of The Originals in comparison to the first but that may be because I watched the second one more recently and therefore my memory of the story line is much clearer.

What I liked:

• Ok, so I don't really watch scary films and because I jump quite easily but I do like gore - and this had a little - not loads because I've seen more - bit of gore. I especially enjoyed the parts with popping out veins - there were quite a few of these as this happed when vampires were staked. And they were always trying to stake someone or another.
• The lack of intimate scenes - hooray! There are times in series where I've sat there thinking 'again with the kissing and stuff?!' but I never felt this way in The Originals - this series wasn't a typical 'sex and vampires' one...well if it was I must have missed it!  
• The story line was interesting as it was based around family and blood ties. It all linked back to the Originals - well obviously it would because then what would be the point right? But I especially enjoyed when the older sister came into the equation (I won't give too much away!)
• The cast - need I say more?
• The love triangles - I'm not normally one for love triangles but it was interesting to see how they played out in The Originals. The lesson this taught me was that for The Originals, it's family first. 
• Witches, werewolves and vampires: I quite like supernatural stuff, as you can probably tell from this post! 

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• Backstories: I liked how they are included in the episodes and how everything linked together. 

This series is available on Netflix!

Have you watched The Originals? Apparently it's a spin off series from the Vampire Diaries but I've not watched this series! What are your thoughts? What have you been watching?

Thank you Dot. Thank you for sharing this with me and proving that distance is just a number. We - I think anyway-  have already gone through the distance test. We were apart for university and still good friends. We've grown as people and life has taught us many different lessons, both good and bad and through it all, we are still friends. So yes, the fact that you are in Australia, although it's upsetting because it's so darn far away, doesn't worry me much.



So this is a little weird but yes... Good luck Dot :) Love you lots! xxx

Also, one last thing before I finally sign off, keep an eye out for Dot because it may be that she decides to start a travel blog! How awesome would that be!?! If she does I will definitely share the link with you all. :)

The other day I was talking to a friend and we had a conversation in which I said "when I'm older I want to..." and my friend replied with, "how much older?" This really got me thinking, I'm not that old! In her defence, I know what she meant - at the age of say, 15, if I were to say 'when I'm older', I'd have been referring to now... oh dear...

I should probably work on my posture...

1. "I'll keep my eyeballs out for him",
2. "Do you have one (man) on your radar?"
3. "I've got more layers on than the Michelin man",
4. "Do you have clothes on?" - I was asked this over the phone by my friend who lives next door!
5. "Hello. It's me. I'll have my usual." (I'm supposed to: a) know who you are and b) know what your 'usual' is?!)
6. "Hello. You are looking very beautiful today....(insert awkward silence)...I want more chips",
7. "I'll need to ask permission from your parent/guardian before I do this" HAHAHAHAHAHAH
8. Asked for an adult single on the bus, got given a child ticket...
9. "Are you work experience?"
10. "The Vikings made their houses out of poo" - note: credibility of this statement is highly questionable.
11. "Is an adult home?"
12. "Do you have ID to prove your age?"
13. "Is this your sister?" (points at my mother).
14. "Daym girl! You got gooooood"- why thank you, thank you indeed.
15. "You look like a lady today".

1. Graduated - uh huh, this time around I wore a Masters hat :) 
2. Went to Toronto (4 years later than I wanted but I got there!) - it was AWESOME!!
3. Did the Extreme SkyFlyer whilst in CA! 
4. At the beginning of the year, it was an aim of mine to get a job by September and guess what, I started my new job in September!

1. In the past year I've come to know myself much more. I've learnt that I'm way too adaptable and flexible to my surroundings and change. Not sure how I feel about this or what it says about me as a person, but hey ho, I don't mind too much. 
2. This may not be what most people want to hear, but family aren't always there for you. We are all, at the end of the day, selfish humans. Sorry but it's true and this year has really been a test in that respect. 
3. This year I've become stronger in my conviction to the following thought: What we think about ourselves is more important than what others think of us.
4. Friends are important. My friends have helped to keep me grounded. Thank you guys!!
5. A little self belief goes a long way - believe in yourself and watch yourself soar :)

So I hear you ask, how does being 24 feel? Well, I don't feel a day over 23.

What have you learnt in the past year? What are you particularly proud of? 

'it smells in here'

Often, one of the first things I'll notice about a person is their smell. I know, it's really odd but I don't go round sniffing people, honest I don't. I think the reason this is one of the first things I notice is because I myself am really conscious of the way I smell. It's one of my biggest concerns - I work in places that all have different smells. I'm faced with people in the office, people who've just come back from doing intensive exercise, people around food all day and even people who don't care at all about their smell. Fair enough, we are all different. 

Anyway, my actual reason for bringing this up isn't really related to smell at all. It was just, lets say - stimulated by smell. 

Let's continue. 

The other day I was minding my own business, doing my work when a man I know walked past me. As he did, there was this waft of smell that followed him, not entirely unpleasant because I know and recognise that smell. It's that smell of sweat, stale sweat, you know like when your jacket needs to be put in the wash but you sometimes just put spray over it, hoping it hides the smell? Only it only hides it for a while and after the smell of sweat is still there. I say here that it's not unpleasant because I have had to put up with way way way worse smells than this. Plus the smell passes, it doesn't linger for long and therefore it doesn't bother me much. 

However, what does bother me is my thought process on this occasion. Thoughts that ran through my head -


I'm ashamed of my first thought. There, I said it. After I spent ages thinking and wondering why I would ever think this, I mean come on, I'm a feminist who has issues with things like this, so then why was this the first thought that came to my head? Like why?! It does help that it was followed straight after by thought number two. I feel at ease a little now!

After a lot of thinking, I realised something. That first thought is one I'v heard before many times and each time I've heard it, I have, out loud, protested and expressed my opinion on this. My opinion being we should all be try to look after ourselves and not be reliant on others - we should try this! 

I found out where I heard it - that thought is something my grandmother has said to me many times. Admittedly I've heard it from many others too but now I know where it's from. That thought isn't me talking, it's what I've heard from others, what I've picked up from society. And this is something a very good friend explained to me the other day.

Here it is being explained by other people: 

― Terry Pratchett, A Hat Full of Sky

Have you ever examined your second thoughts?