Day Trip to Brighton...

Hey There!

 So for many, many, MANY months, I have been moaning at my friends that I have wanted to go to Brighton. I've got to be honest, I have no idea why I have wanted to go so much. I guess being by the sea, and seeing all YouTube videos of people living in Brighton has made me want to go, and it definitely did not disappoint! So let's go through my day shall we...

Waking up at 6:30am was not a highlight! It has been agesssss since I've had to get up that early (apart from Greece where I had to get up a whole hour earlier than that and that was way worse!) and it was a struggle. I managed to pull myself out of bed and get in the shower and by 8:00am I was ready to get going. Skip to 3 hours later and I was getting off the train at Brighton, and I already loved it! The sun was shining, I could see the sea I was aiming for, and I was with my best friends. What more could you want!!

We walked past all these small cafes and shops and headed straight for the beach. It was so hot and sunny and I was back in my peaceful place, by the sea. We were all so surprised at how blue the sea was!! It felt like we were in a completely different country! (Even if it was just an hour and a half train journey away!) We sat on the beach for a while and we felt like we were in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging (if you haven't seen that film get off my blog right now because it is one of THE best films ever made!)

After walking along the seafront for a while and going in the little knick knack shops, we went onto the pier where I got to smell the magical smell of sugary donuts, which just reminds you of summer. We went in the arcade where we obviously lost a lot of money, and probably some dignity on the dance machines aha. But it was a good ol' laugh so it was all worth it! And I also managed to top the leader board of Guitar Hero for Coldplay's Yellow and that was my mini achievement for the day. We then went on some of the rides at the end of the pier. One of my friends and I went on a ride called Galaxia where you basically went around in a circle and it bounced up and down, and with the music blaring and my hair going everywhere it was the most powerful headbanger ever! My other friends went on a Ghost Train, and let's just say that ended in tears. But what is a mini fairground trip without a go on the dodgems, so we have all ended up with bruised knees from crushed legs inside the little cars (they seriously need to make them bigger for tall people!)

Lunch was out next stop, and we ended up in a diddy pub called The Mucky Duck, and it was the cutest little pub ever! Their portions weren't diddy though (as you can see!) We went for two sharing platters, so that meant tortillas, hammoumi, onion rings (nom nom nom), chips, and garlic bread. We tried our hardest to get through it all but sadly we failed, but that wasn't because it wasn't good! Our bellies were just exploding!

The Lanes were next, and they were the cutest little shops. My Nan always recommended going there when I said I wanted to go Brighton, so I felt like I was achieving her little dream for me while I was there. We walked around for hours! Going down every nook and cranny and into a wide variety of shops (and let's just say Choccywoccydoodah is any chocoholics heaven!). But then the rain arrived, and me not being prepared for British weather didn't bring an umbrella. So into the shopping centre we went, and we found the nicest jewellery shop could Lovisa with the loveliest rose gold jewellery I've ever seen.

Many hours later, we ended our shopping spree with our feet killing and our bellies rumbling for some food. We went in search of a coffee shop where we can get some tea and cake, so we went back to the lanes and went to Cafe Coho where they advertised they had the best loved cake in Brighton, so we definitely had to check it out. We all went for different cakes and drinks, and let's just say their Oreo Brownie is as chocolatey and gooey as it looks, but it was amazing! Time was getting on and the rain didn't look like it would let up, so off home we headed, drenched and tired.

This day was one of the best days of my life so far. It's been a while since I've laughed so much and felt genuinely happy. I cannot thank my friends enough for this trip, it meant the world to me that they listen and pay attention to what I would love to do (even if they have had to hear it for months). I wouldn't change anything, apart from probably the weather, about this trip, and it is something we are definitely making annual! I'd recommend going if you love the seaside and a small community feel because that is definitely what it felt like.

Where would you always like to go though? It doesn't have to be abroad, it can be local to you, like Brighton sort of is to me?

Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

14 Days Later...

Hi there!

So two weeks have past since I last posted on here, and I need to find a way to change that. I want to try and find a way to blog every week to tell you what I have been up to, but if I'm honest, my life isn't too interesting so that wouldn't be much of a read haha. I don't really know where this post is going to go, but let's just see hey.

So what has happened, well Tuesday the 3rd of November 2015 I submitted my first bit of university coursework AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I have to admit, it was one of the scariest things to do. I don't know if it's because I'm just a constant worrier and I'm afraid everything I do isn't good enough, but if I fail that piece of coursework, I actually don't know what I'll do. I know you're all thinking, gosh just get over yourself and deal with it, but chill guys, it's scary for me. I only have 1 and a half weeks of waiting left to get a mark, and I guess that is going to take a long long time to go past.

What else, ooooo, my friend came back from university for just under a week and it was sooooooo good to see a familiar face! We went on a dinner date, saw some fireworks, it was so nice to finally see her again! We have never been apart so much so it's so weird not seeing her everyday. But my whole group of friends are coming home this week for a school thing, so it will be nice for the whole group to be reunited!

My auntie also had a baby!!! I guess that has been the big thing that has happened these past two weeks. I have always been the youngest in the family, and Saturday the 7th of November 2015 I lost that title. I'm so excited that there has been a new addition to the family, I'm definitely going to be on baby sitting duty for the rest of my life aha!

I guess that has been the past 2 weeks. In 14 days, this is all that has happened personally in my life! I guess in 14 days I really need to find a way to make my life more interesting! On a final note, I would really like to express my concerns to the people of Paris. It is horrendous what has happened these past couple of days. It is disgusting that there are people out there in the world you want to create chaos and petrify people. But horribly, that is the world we live in today. We should not have to accept this! As people of the world, we need to try and find a way to stand together and show that together, we can get through everything. My prayers are with you Paris.

Fille sans un plan, faire des plans

xoxo

Uni Life...

Hi There!

As I'm writing this, I am sitting on my bed, with the smell of Christmas Cookie Yankee Candles and watching old episodes of The Walking Dead. I have to admit, this is the most relaxed I've felt in a while. That doesn't mean I'm not drowning in work (because believe me I am!) but I have finally settled down into uni life.

So back on the 21st September, I stepped into the University of Westminster, and I have to admit, I don't know when I have ever felt so nervous. My summer ended like shit, there is no denying it, and I was definitely feeling lost. My 'Freshers Week' wasn't exactly partying, it was more getting used to travelling everyday. I didn't really talk to anyone because I'm not exactly the most outgoing person in the world. And it was then when I thought 'uni life, maybe I'm not suited to it'. I don't want to spend the next 3 years just walking around by myself, doing the work, and then straight away going home. I wanted to have friends, build relationships, go out for lunch. But now, over 1 month in, I think I have all that.

I have started to make friends. They aren't exactly my besties, they are hardly going to be over a short period of time, but they are people that I can now go and talk to if I need to. We go for lunch, we have long conversations, and I can finally admit that I have 'uni friends'. The workload here is unbelievable, like I can't believe how much stuff I have to do already! I understand why they say 'chucking you in the deep end' because uni is like a 60 foot hole that I'm still trying to climb out of. You have to be so self-motivated to actually get anything done, and this something that is going to take some work.

One of the biggest changes for me with the transition from school to university is the boys! Now that might seem strange to you, but going to an all girls school for 7 years and then now spending the next 3 years with boys, a definite effort has to be made to keep up appearances ahaha. I had no idea that boys actually do the whole open the door and let the lady walk through first, and offer to carry some stuff if your hands are full. I honestly believed boys didn't do that in real life. I think I need to be brave enough to strike up a conversation with them though, I'm definitely feeling the need for some winter cuddles ;)

Anyway, I'm going to be keeping more up to date with this blog now. I know it has been a long break, but some serious crap has been happening around here, and maybe at some point I'll share it with you, but right now, I don't think I can write it down. I'll keep you updated on the boyfriend hunt as well, maybe it's my turn to finally have someone to love me. Anywhooooooo

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

My Extremely Long Catchup...

Hi There!

So I know, I know, it has been an extremely long time since I have posted, but I am still actually running this blog. It has been 43 days since I have posted, and this is definitely way WAY too long!! There isn't really an excuse other than the fact I actually haven't been bothered and I do just want to relax. I have realised however that I do actually have to do things with my days, so now I am going to start blogging. So no more excuses, it's time for a catch up!

The first thing that has happened since that last post is that obviously all of my exams have finished. They were some of the worst exams I have ever had to sit, and along the way, it has made me debate about what university I am actually going to be able to get into. There were tears, there were tantrums, and eventually the burning of absolutely everything. Looking at all of my revision burning away was surprisingly satisfying, and I realised there is nothing I can do about it now, so I might as well attempt to forget about it all till results day. 

Only 1 day after my exams finished I had my leavers prom which was really fun because I go to hang around with all my mates and there was drinking and a photo booth. There unfortunately wasn't enough drinking done by me because me and my friends were off on a flight the next day to Ibiza!

So Ibiza was the next big step, or maybe leap. This was my first holiday abroad without my parents and let me tell you, it was absolutely amazing. The 5 of us were staying in an all inclusive hotel in Cala Llonga, and it was by far one of the most beautiful places. We spent so much time just relaxing by the pool, eating food, drinking slush puppies, and maybe one night we went clubbing. We aren't the clubbing type, so just relaxing and playing drinking games is our idea of fun. There was so much freedom and we could do whatever, I definitely want to go back on holiday with them again. It brought us so much closer together. How about I now make you extremely jealous and show you some pictures of where we stayed...

So after we got back from Ibiza, there was only 1 day to relax until it was our Leavers Dinner, and I have to admit, that wasn't actually as emotional as I thought. It was a lovely evening eating food, hanging out with the year, and ending up in the pub. It was definitely a good send off and a nice goodbye to the school. 

The week after I got to go and see A League of their Own being filmed, which stars James Corden, Jack Whitehall, Freddie Flintoff, and Jamie Rednapp. I love the programme so much and watching it being filmed makes it so much more fun. There was a hell of a queue though to get in but it was definitely worth the wait!!!

A couple of weeks after that I got to see Ed Sheeran at Wembley and OMG it was one of the best things that I have ever witnessed. Ed Sheeran is just a beautiful man playing beautiful music. There is just something about him that makes me feel calm and safe, there is no way to describe it. The way he is able to just have a guitar with him on stage and then have 80,000 people sing back to him just amazes me. Why don't you look at a couple of photos from that as well...

And since that I have been doing my own thing. I mean, mostly I have just been lazing around watching TV, but I am planning to make some interesting memories and go on some amazing adventures. 

I guess for now I will leave you with this and let you get back to your life. I will be posting over the summer, and hopefully it will be stuff you find interesting. Anyway, lots of love,

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans 

xoxo

That Exam Life...

Hi There!

I hope everyone's exams are going extremely well!! If it's GCSE's you're probably already half way through or if it's AS' you've finished, or if it's A2's like me, well you're just getting started!!! I don't know about the rest of you, but it definitely seems like exam boards this year are trying to kill us. As far as I know, there hasn't been a decent exam at all so far! Do they not understand that these exams are impacting our futures!! It's like they are setting us up to fail! I can't be the only one that thinks this!!!! Even if these exams are pretty crappy, life still goes on.

So far this exam season, I have probably spent more time thinking about the summer and all my plans than I have actually revising, but I guess you need something to aim towards to get you through it. One thing that has however helped me through these exams, other than daydreaming, is the fact that all of my friends are sticking together. We have been helping each other through breakdowns, motivation, and when we just need a smile. We haven't seen each other a lot, but just sending a text or a funny picture really cheers us up! It's definitely something we all need to get through these exams. 

Other than exams, I have a holiday coming up in 2 weeks! Like OMG how is that even possible. How am I allowed to travel out of the country with my group of friends without supervision! That's just mental. This has therefore meant that a lot of my free time has been spent online shopping and I have discovered I have some weird obsessions. I mean, I'm going for 7 days, so I'm guessing 6 pairs of sunglasses and 5 pairs of shorts should be enough haha. I really need to try and get that under control. At the moment, thinking about lying in the sun and doing nothing for a whole week is what is getting me though my exams!! Get me to the sun!!!

I know this may seem like a pretty pointless blog post, but sometimes it's nice to just talk about pointless stuff. Sometimes people might actually listen and be interested. For anyone that reads this, STAY FUN! When it comes to exams, they can be pretty crappy, but look at what comes after the exams. Weeks and weeks of doing absolutely what YOU want to do and not what other people. Well as for me, I actually have plans for the summer, but for now, 

Girl Without a Plan, Making Plans

xoxo

Closing a Chapter

Hi There!

Now I don't mean for this post to go to deep, but it probably will. For me, it will also probably be emotional, but for you it probably won't. You never know, this might actually relate to you.

School, Sixth Form, it's all coming to an end. From today, I only have 21 days left at my Sixth Form. I will be going back for exams, but there will officially be no more lessons. The thought of even writing that down actually really makes me sad. Many people are so glad to leave and move on from school, but me, not so much. The school that I'm at, I've been there for 7 years! I've grown up there! And I can't believe I am leaving. Now I'm not saying that my years there have been easy because believe me, there have definitely been a lot of up and down moments, but there have also been a lot of good memories made. I have met some of the best people in my life there, and the fact that soon I'm not going to see them everyday devastates me.

I went into my secondary school with a solid group of friends. We had been friends for a while, and we were mostly sorted into the same form. I have to admit, I probably spent the last week of that summer holiday crying because I didn't want to change schools and I wanted everything to stay the same. But after the first week, secondary school seemed like the best thing in the world. I got to spend so much more time with my friends as the days were longer and we got to spend more time together between lessons. I felt like I knew everything about them! And then as the years went by, this friendship grew and grew, and I felt as a group we would never be separated. We managed to survive so many years without a proper argument it was amazing. GCSE's came around and we were all stressed out. But you know what got me through them, these friends. We managed to somehow keep each of us calm, and we somehow laughed our way through our GCSE's. I think you need this solid group of friends. If you aren't the most sociable one, find someone who is just as awkward as you and try and start a conversation with them. Normally they are the most interesting people :)

But then that was the end of it. The friendship, failed. There was no big argument, no massive fallout, not a lot of gossip, but as a group, we wanted different things. Some people wanted to have more a laugh, start living a life, do unplanned things. While others wanted to knuckle down and focus on school and work and the future. Our group split. This was one of the lowest points. I felt like I shared so much with this group, and I shared so many personal things with them, and it pretty much means nothing now. Honestly, I felt I wouldn't be able to adjust to sixth form. We all ended up going to the same sixth form, but we didn't talk. And for 2 years, we still haven't. In a way I don't really mind because I now have a new group of friends, but spending so many years with the same people and just about managing to say 'Hello!' to them when you see them in the corridor is hard. 

Even though this happened, as I have said, it has happened for a reason. That reason is I have now formed the closest bond with my friendship group now, we are inseparable. My group of friends now, we all have the same goal. We want to live every day as children. We don't want to grow up and act like adults. We want to be able to act stupid, and have a laugh, and not care what everyone else thinks. And that is exactly what we do. I don't think I have ever laughed so much than I have over the past 2 years. And that is why it breaks my heart that by September, we are all going our separate ways. We are all going across the country, spreading ourselves around for uni (but not me because honestly, how would my parents survive without me!!). I don't want to not see my friends everyday. Some people in that group I have been friends with since I was 4, and being separated for months on end, that just seems like hell. They've seen the best and worst of me. Others haven't seen that, I don't think I want anyone else to. 

But I guess that's what happens. We are still all going to be a friendship group. No matter what the distance, we are still the same people, and we will still have this close bond that we probably won't be able to make with anyone else. Personally, I don't really want to close this chapter and start a new one. I like where I'm at now, I'm comfortable. But I guess comfortable isn't good, it's safe. University is a new chapter, and it will be just as good as the old one. It will be completely different and unexpected, but that's what makes it interesting. I have no idea how the next 3 years of my life are going to plan out, but hey, I don't know what the next couple of days are going to bring. But I know what I want to do. I want to make sure that I live everyday like it's my last, and make sure that I am making memories everyday. I'm not going to be 17 for long (18 in a couple of days!) I will officially be an adult. But that doesn't mean that I have to act like one, and neither do you. People need to live a little.

That wasn't as deep as I thought! That could have gone a heck of a lot worse. There are so many more things that I want to write about with my time at secondary school, but I guess that is living in the past, and I don't want to do that. I know a lot of this probably won't help any of you, and it's more of like a closure thing for me. But at some point if you haven't gone through this chapter yet, you will. And you will know how it feels. My advice, don't wish your childhood away because you only get one. When people say the school years are the best years of your life, I totally agree with them (and that's not because I don't know anything other than school) I actually have had the best 7 years of my life. 

You want to know a quote that I feel everyone should go by,

"You don't stop laughing when you grow old, you grow old when you stop laughing."

Maybe everyone needs a little laughter in their life, and one wish for all of you, don't wish your life away. Make as many memories as you can while you are at school as they will remain with you for the rest of your life. Life is like a book. You do have a beginning, a middle, and an end. I'm just about starting the middle of my book and I can't wait for what it has to come. 

Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans

xoxo