Coromandel Peninsula

Aimee and I decided to take a road trip up north to visit the Coromandel Peninsula which I personally think everyone who is in the north island should visit sometime or other because it's absolutely beautiful (which is probably an understatement). We both deleted our Facebook and Messenger apps so that we would have no contact or distractions whilst we were here as we literally wanted to get away for a little while to relax for a weekend instead of our usual antics in town which usually consist of drama. It took us roughly 2 hours 30 to arrive but the drive was ever so scenery so it wasn't all bad. As soon as we got settled in our little apartment at the backpackers we then opened the wine because it was very much needed after that drive ha ha, afterwards we then went to the beach to watch the sunset which was literally a walk across the road away from where we were staying.

The next morning we both woke up at 5am randomly but couldn't get back to sleep so we ended up watching the sunrise then chilling out until we decided to get ready. That Saturday was a pretty chilled out day as the majority of it was spent walking up and down the beach and exploring Whitianga. We did eat one of the tastiest pizzas I've ever ate before whilst watching the Christmas parade go by, which personally felt a little odd seeing Santa Claus go by whilst I'm sat in a bikini. This day was also spent doing a hell of a lot of sunbathing as we wanted to get as much sun as we could before we had to go back to Hamilton. The night then consisted of drinking a lot of wine... maybe a little too much as Aimee ended up in bed by around 10pm even though we planned on going to the pub. All in all it was a bloody good day!

The next morning Aimee woke up hung, as you can probably imagine but the good thing is that I'm the driver so we could still continue on what we were planning to do. That Sunday as it was the day we were travelling back we decided to stop and visit the Cathedral Cove as we heard and saw a lot of things about it and it was kinda a must see. I can now say it is... Now that I've actually been there myself some of the scenes are breathtaking. It's also very good exercise as it consists of a lot of walking, stairs and hills and considering this weekend I didn't gym I felt this was needed eventhough towards the end of it my legs were hurting and I was over it purely because of the heat made it worse than it was I guess.

Below are some of my favourite pictures from the whole weekend and I did try and capture the places true beauty to show you all.

XOXO

half a year later

Can you believe I've been here over six months already? No? Me Neither! It's literally been the best decision I've ever made coming out here. I've met some great people and seen some beautiful places already and the travelling adventures are only just beginning. I thought I would do a more 'arty farty' post with some of my favourite pictures of the journey so far.

Enjoy XOXO

    

nearly 20 years to realise...

So as I'm sat sipping my cup of tea it's suddenly dawned on me that next month I will no longer be a teenager, which is bloody crazy as it only seems like yesterday I was starting secondary school and meeting who I thought were the people I'd be friends with forever. But as I've lived on this strange thing we call Earth reality has kicked in and I've realised a lot... so I thought I'd share them all with you guys.


1. People come, and people go.
Okay, you'll probably be surrounded by lots of people that you enjoy the odd catch up over a coffee with, going shopping, or having a couple drinks in town with but the number of genuine, close friends you have will slowly decrease. The good news is that the quality of them few friends will be greater and you will appreciate their friendship more than ever. You're the only person who chooses the people you want to surround yourself with and at the end of the day people change and not everyone you thought were your 'best' friends will be a friend at all in the end. Which sounds upsetting, I agree but throughout your lifetime there is a never ending path filled with opportunities to meet fantastic, new people. You just gotta go with the wind cause I guarantee it will lead you to the best.


2. Your siblings are pretty cool people to have around.
You may of been bullied by them in the past or vise versa but you soon realise you'd be completely and utterly lost without them. Your whole life you took them for granted and they probably did annoy the shit outta you but you begin to realise they are and have always been one of your best friends. They obviously know you a lot more and in a different extent to others as they're family so at the end of the day they're gonna be there until the end. My brother, for example I'd like to say we got on very well until around our teenage years were we fought like cat and dog. It became uncool to talk to little me in the school corridor so he'd quite frankly take the piss out of me along with his friends. Lovely of them, I know! Nonetheless though, I have some great times with Matthew and as we've got older I thoroughly enjoy his company even if it's just ordering a takeaway and watching movies in the living room.

3. Travelling is now a good time to do it.

If you're into that thing I mean... but then again I'm not sure who isn't keen on seeing as much as the world as possible. Within this time period of your life I personally feel like it's the ideal age as you are old enough to fund your own travels and you still have a good sense of freedom before who knows, come another 10 years- your whole entire life could be, well most likely be completely different compared to today. There's a chance you could have your own little family to look after, or considering it so it becomes difficult to start jetting off anywhere.

4. It's probably a good time to start saving.

Yes, don't get me wrong it's a wonderful feeling to be able to say you have money but in your teens it all goes on absolute rubbish - its the truth lets face it. Unnecessary things which at the time are great, like that new pair of shoes you wanted for a couple of weeks but as you get older you begin to have major responsibilities so you realise them shoes weren't actually that important and you would actually survive them in your wardrobe. I'm not saying never treat yourself because we all do need a little splurge on something every now and again for a little treat but just prioritize. The increase within your age also comes with the sad increase of things you have to spend your money on, for example a mortgage on a house or maybe upgrading your car and I guarantee with even just a small saving bond that will help you out in the future.

5. Let go of the past.

Everybody has had tough time throughout their lifetime but trying to live your life with grudges will only bring you down and will not allow you to move forward whatsoever. If something happened five, ten years ago that haunts you still to this day honestly just try brushing it off. I know it's harder said than done but do not let what disturbed your past, disturb your future because trust me it's not worth it and well we do only get one shot at this whole life malarkey. I'm not telling you to forget major events which happened, I mean fuck- I spent many, many years full of hatred towards my mother due to her affair which I'm never going to forget nor will I forgive but I've became the bigger person and I'm living with it. I'm a strong believer in everything happens for a reason, sometimes its hard, but then again I don't recall anybodies life being a walk in the park. Just be happy and do what makes you happy.

6. Life is better lived with no regrets.

Make wise choices, take every opportunity presented to you seriously, and ultimately... go with your gut feeling. Live life to the full, but live it the way you think is best. You don't want to spend the next twenty years thinking 'why the hell didn't I just go on that date?', or 'why did I even become an accountant, I hate numbers!'. We have all done stupid mistakes in life which yes, you probably regret a lot but to constantly have that on your mind isn't gonna change the past, it's going to change you as a person.

7. Being in a relationship doesn't mean you're boring.

You will eventually realise that wanting to spend your Saturday night flat out on the couch, watching movies and eating junk food with the person you truly care about is nothing to be ashamed of. Your bank account will love you for it as you won't be blowing all your money on booze in town getting wasted, and although your friends may tease you for it, just remember a time will come when the tables have turned and it will be them in the exact situation.

8. You are the person responsible for your own happiness.

Seriously, although you might meet somebody who literally makes you the happiest person just remember you were the one who chose to get close to that person. Only you. You decide every choice in life therefore you create your happiness. "If you don't like where you are... Move. You are not a tree". Quite a funny, little quote but bloody hell it's very true.

9. Learn to love yourself before anybody else does.

I am a very self conscious person and don't like to accept compliments, so this for me is quite a hard little task but as I'm getting older I'm gradually learning to be happy with myself. I know nobody likes to admit you are truly happy with the way you look or as a matter of fact I'm pretty sure not many people are but I've learnt that if you are constantly negative towards yourself, you'll never accept positivity from others. To appreciate the value that someone else places upon you, you need to realise just how much you're worth. Eventually you will know just exactly what you deserve.

10. Your metabolism is slowing down as we speak.

I really do hate to break it to you but as we get older our metabolism does sadly, slow down and eventually you need to put effort into keeping in shape whilst we all wish we were that carefree, little child back in the day. We all like to pretend to be oblivious that the 'one off' takeaway we ate the other day will do no harm were in reality we know fine well it's going to our hips and ass, which in today's society ain't all that bad I guess. If you like to keep active, why not invest in a gym membership or even so just start going on long walks with a friend. No I don't mean a hike up Kilimanjaro but the odd stroll every now and again will keep you fit and healthy.

11. We are no longer invincible.

Hangovers are real and they make you consider stop drinking alcohol for life as it gets hard to cope with them the way you used to. I mean, a three day bender was for amateurs and if you couldn't hack it you really weren't as hardcore as you made out to be, but the thought of waking up and carrying on drinking now makes you really ill and not pick up another bottle of wine for a while. Also to be able to laze around in pjs, watching tv for a few days to recover is inevitable as life now has responsibilities. 

12. There is a whole world outside social media sites.

I know we all like the odd mooch scrolling up and down looking at what people have got up to but the time will come when you don't really care what others are doing every second of the day because you are so focused on your own life outside of it all. Also posting irrelevant pictures on Facebook or Twitter will seem pointless now as trying to show everybody how interesting your life is really isn't any of their business. 

13. Opportunities are precious.

Do not take things for granted but grab all opportunities with both hands and do as much as you can... while you still can.

14. Other peoples opinions are irrelevant.

We live in a society were we are too scared to do, say or even wear what we truly want to because we do not think it's acceptable or we are too scared of what other people will think but I tell you what, fuck them. I've gotten to the point were I've looked back on the past and realised I've missed out on a few things what could potentially of been great because I was too scared of what people would of thought. It really isn't anybodies business what you do with your life. I mean the quote 'if ... told you to jump off a cliff would you?' and the answer is quite blatantly no because that's crazy, but the same goes with everything. For example, your 'friend' doesn't agree with your choice of guy because he isn't all that or she thinks you can do better, does this mean you're going to instantly drop everything and change your mind? Yes, opinions and advice from others are great and can be useful but when it is wanted. Unnecessary information can eat you away and make your life miserable so ignore them.

 15. Your life is only just beginning.

Don't spend your twenties wishing you had your life all planned out already because in reality this is when your life truly is beginning - so spend it piecing it all together for your future, with the experiences and lessons that you endure each day. And above all of it... have bloody fun. Break out of your comfort zone, go do something you've always wanted to do but haven't got round to it for some silly reasons whether that being you're too scared or just haven't been able to. Just do it, who knows you might learn something new about yourself.

XOXO

The F word

Fitness 

Yes, I thought I'd talk about fitness, not that I'm an expert in this subject or anything but mostly because it's an area in which I'm trying to improve in myself and as with many people - it's a constant battle you have to work at everyday in order to make progress. Personally my journey is nowhere near complete - is it ever? Once you accomplish one goal a complete new one is set and so on making you constantly bettering yourself for self improvement.

 Ever since moving to New Zealand, I do believe I've changed but I've never been this happy or motivated in a very long time so surely its a great thing. I try and get in as much fitness as I possibly can during the week; meaning I attend the gym 6 days out of the 7 but I also add in mini home workouts or go for runs, etc. Typing that up has made me realise it sounds like I've turned a little fitness crazy, I haven't - I promise. One whole hour of working out is only 4% of your day used up which is nothing. I have a goal I'm pretty determined to achieve therefore I want to give it my all, but that's just me. Working out doesn't have to be a crime! Going for a nice, long walk is still keeping fit or going for a little swim will still keep you active and healthy. Getting to the place you envision in your head isn't gonna come straight away you gotta work and keep at it and eventually it will come in time but once you're there you can then look back and realise how much hard work and effort you put it and feel so bloody proud.

Tip: People often confuse thirst with hunger, leading to unnecessary eating. Drink a glass of water 10-20 minutes before eating.

So for me, gym gear is definitely a priority. Investing in some proper attire may be pricey and put a whole in your bank balance for a little while but trust me it's worth it and keeps you motivated. E.g. an over sized top and leggings will probably become uncomfortable and irritate you therefore making your workout worse than it already is. I also recommend consulting an employee when purchasing trainers as each shoe is pretty much designed completely differently and the specific shoe you need regards on how you walk on your foot. You do not need the flashiest trainers just because they're an attractive pair because if they're not designed properly for your type of foot, in the long run (small pun without even trying) the money you spent will of been thrown down the drain. Most shops now also allow you to bring the trainers back if they don't feel right within so many days which is great. I do understand gym clothes are pricey but why not set realistic goals for yourself and once achieved have a splash out on them fancy new nikes. As of makeup... Don't! I know us girls are all a little weary with people seeing the naked face but come on the gym is where people are working out looking sweaty and gross. I'm 110% you won't see someone looking like they're about to hit the town.

Tip: Acne fighting foods - almonds, watermelon, carrot, fig, spinach, whole grains and green tea.

'Abs are made in the kitchen' which to be fair is relatively true. You can workout as much as you want but eating the wrong diet will not make the slight difference. You need to provide your body with the nutrients and all food groups (unless you're vegetarian like me, there are alternatives). Sounds silly but fruit and veg is crucial, everybody knows this but still look upon it. Also getting enough water is important and boosts metabolism. One last tip is for the people who get bored easily. Make yourself a workout playlist with music which determines you to run that extra K on the treadmill or do them extra reps. A quick fix instead of making your own playlists are apps such as Pandora or Spotify which allows you to pick a song you like and then they play songs which relate and are similar to your taste making life a doddle. Cardio machines such as treadmill, crossfit and the bikes usually have tv screens too now allowing you to plug in your headphones which I think is brilliant as I sometimes get too involved in Ellen DeGeneres to remember my legs are still moving. Another thing- switch up your workout if you're likely to get bored. Don't go to the gym and do the exact same routine as the day before. One day focus on cardio the next on weights and then maybe go for a swim. Finding a workout buddy might motivate you as well and keep challenging yourself.

Yes it's possible.

No it's not easy.

XOXO

Change

It's been over three month since I arrived and have been living the Kiwi lifestyle and I can honestly say it's been the best decision I've ever made throughout my whole life. I can finally say I am happy - and that is one gigantic step for me to admit as back home in UK I didn't really see me ever feeling this way for a very long time/ if ever again, due to me having a little friend always on my shoulders called depression. On a positive note though, I did get myself better and that makes me even happier knowing what I accomplished and overcome a serious mental illness. Everything about being here makes me want to be alive as it's so much more colourful and friendly. I personally feel like England is just one big dump that's slowly getting worse each day, maybe each minute. Luckily my determination got the better of me and for however many years I've wanted to escape it finally happened. You see, the small town were I'm originally from is full of people who claim they're getting out of the town as soon as they have a chance but nobody ever goes ahead with this. Quite sad really as there is literally nothing good about that place. I knew, obviously there would be cultural difference between here and home but again it made realization kick in and inform me how lazy and boring British people are; more specifically, again my hometown. This change in my life of seeing actual change in humanity has changed not only the way I view things but I now have a completely different outlook on life than what I originally started with. 

I want to do more. See things. Experience as much as I can. I want to live.

Everybody is alive but not everybody is living. You only live once - very cliche but nonetheless its very bloody true and honestly who gives a fuck if you haven't got your life planned out the way you thought it would be by now. I've realised the whole life game isn't a race and you gotta experience everything for it all to fall into place. I mean I always thought I'd be on one straight path going to university, getting a degree, starting a job I love then I don't know maybe a family but to me that seems a lot more like a fairy-tale than reality. The whole thing use to scare the crap outta me thinking about it all but now it doesn't phase me in the slightest as I'm pretty sure, I'm not the only one who struggles deciding what to cook for dinner let alone what they want to do in the future. So anyway, what I'm trying to say without pulling off some witty little one liner quote is just start living for each day and let the days pass by without any thought of regret or anxiety. If shit happens on that day then so be it, shit does happen to everybody but look at the bad days as there is good on its way and eventually things will fall into place without you even realising they are even happening.

14th May 2014 is the day I also made one drastic change in my life again and that being cutting out meat from my food intake and turning vegetarian. I have grew up and around people who have ate meat my whole life and for all of nearly twenty years I've ate it without a care in the world until one day I decided to stop. After a few Peta2 YouTube videos of undercover footage of slaughter houses and a lot of tears later I was one big hot mess lying on my bed. I knew this all went on in the process but I felt completely oblivious to how bad it actually was. I've always been a big animal lover with my dream being as a child to become a vet purely so I could play with all the animals that I'd have to look after but as I grew older that then changed into a marine biologist; again still animal related. This decision I made was completely my own and I am so proud of myself for having the strength to commit fully to it. Although I am not yet full vegan as I figured that would be too difficult to jump straight into but I do plan on doing so in the future. I am also not against anyone who eats meat as I live with people who do and all my friends are meat eaters but it is my decision and not doing so makes me happy because of the reason I have stopped. People have also said to me that with me not eating the meat it doesn't mean the animals aren't still gonna get killed and yes, I am fully aware of that but it's the fact that I'm not being apart of it which makes me more proud and better about myself. 

I do apologise that this is literally just a blog post of a lot of letters shoved in a few paragraphs but as I haven't posted since the first month I got to NZ I thought I'd like to just vent a little. I have been focusing a lot on socialising and fitness as I've started going the gym daily. Gotta get my summer figure ready for Christmas... Yes, I'm still adjusting to the opposite seasons. Although I've said this before, I am gona try to post more.

XOXO

4 airports, 3 planes and 40 hours later...

I finally arrived in New Zealand!!

I can promise you something now that hopping from plane to plane really does tire you out. Although, I was happy I actually arrived in one piece considering in Newcastle airport I couldn't even use the toilet correctly as it started flushing whilst I was still on it HA. Them bloody sensors are a nightmare sometimes. The plane to Dubai wasn't bad at all as there wasn't many people on it. The full cabin had only one person on each row so everybody was just laying down. However, the 9 hour wait in the airport seemed like it just dragged on forever but I was determined to stay awake regardless of how tired I was. I paced myself - I'd sit down for a few hours then look around some of the duty free shops and this was a recurring thing until my flight actually came up on the boards. Once I knew what gate I had to go to I then made sure I knew where to go. All in all I made out I knew what I was doing when really I had no clue at all but I eventually got the hang of it. I spent the whole time in the duty free to then get on my train to my gate; or which I thought was but it took me to a different part with a whole load of different duty free shops. I also tried to get rid of my UK money but every time I paid in pounds I just seemed to get double dirhams back. The whole currency malarkey I was absolutely confused about. I only bought myself a new Channel lipstick in the colour 145 Rayonnate, which when I got to Hamilton and emptied my case I realised the colour is very similar to others of mine but hey you can never get enough of lipsticks!! Then on the flight to Sydney I literally passed out. Honestly I didn't even feel the take off but in my defence I had been up over 20 hours already at this point. So the majority of the massive 13h 50 flight was spent sleeping - which was a bonus I guess! My first night too here in NZ I was falling asleep by 19:30 (nz time) and I then woke up at midnight. Bloody midnight!!!!! I then forced myself to go back to sleep- trying to get my body use to the time difference but I then woke back up at 5am and after that my body physically refused to sleep any longer. Luckily I'm 11 hours ahead of the UK so it was 6pm there and I FaceTimed back home until it was acceptable to get out of bed around 7am... So yes my body clock is rather messed up right now haha - I did take a few snaps throughout my journey. Hope you are all well x

              

Okay it's nearly 8pm and I'm falling asleep, so it's a goodnight from me.

XOXO

Goodbye England

So I have big news... Over the past few weeks or so, I registered myself on an Au Pair website and have been applying to become one in various countries. Surprisingly I got back quite a few responses despite my lack of childcare experience. A woman named Tamsin really enjoyed reading my letter I sent her and seemed keen to hire me so we got talking - long story short. I fly to NEW ZEALAND on Wednesday 30th April. Honestly I cannot wait. It's came as a complete shock as how fast your life can change. Although I was considering going back to college and studying something interesting like forensic science as that has appealed to me for a very long time I just cannot turn down an opportunity like this and I think you'd agree with me. I am still young at the end of the day, so I have plenty of time to go back and study but for right now I want to travel and see the world and different cultures. I know I'm gonna be absolutely shitting myself Tuesday night because I've never travelled outside the country by myself but in my defence it is the complete opposite side of the world ha ha. I'm gonna miss my family so much but all what I can think of is that there is nothing here for me and if I don't take risks like these I'm never gonna get anywhere in life at all. I still have yet to pack my suitcase but quite frankly I haven't got a clue where to bloody start. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is the travelling. :-( Newcastle to Dubai (7h24) - 9 hour 21 WAIT - Dubai to Sydney (13h50) - 2 hour wait - Sydney to Auckland (3h10)......... So yes I think I'm gonna be a little jet lagged dont you? I have decided I'm going to blog a lot more when I'm over there telling you what my new life is like. I don't know maybe I might get a Kiwi accent HA.

Oh and the only downside about going so early is that I have to sell my Miley Cyrus tickets and honestly this hurts my little heart a lot. I will see you one day Miles x

Until next time.....

(when the destination will be New Zealand)

ha hahaha ha ha 

p.s if you ever feel like somethings tying you down and not allowing you to live your life honestly just go because the people who you will be living if they really love you they will be right there waiting for your return. So go and live your life because as the quote says 'you only live once' and its very much true. I'm pretty sure you don't want to be living your life with regrets. 

xoxo

short and simple

I am truly sorry that I have had no time whatsoever to write a blogpost nor have I had a good mind set to sit down and type up a half decent one, my head has literally been all over the shop since around the second week in January... I moved back home (up north) and to be honest it's been one big disaster. My depression and anxiety has began to get a lot worse, Tom and I have split up and were no longer going to Tenerife, urm and at the moment I'm working in my dads factory on the packing line so my full body aches as I'm using muscles I did not know existed. So long story short my lifes a bit shitty at the minute. I am and determined to get it all together and eventually post once a week maybe... but until then I hope all is going well for you and your year is fab up to now :) X X

Out with the old, in with the new

I would firstly like to say happy new year and I hope 2014 brings you such bloody goodness and memories you'll never forget. After having not so much a terrible year but not the best I am planning on making 2014 the best ever. A fresh start. I've never really managed to stick to resolutions, mostly cause they've always been silly ones like stop eating junk and drinking pop when realistically that's never gonna happen ha ha but this year I am determined to try and stick to the few ones I have come up with.

♥ Read more
I am the biggest book worm already but I'm beginning to forget I even own books as on a night I'll complain about being bored or there isn't any thing good on tv yet I carry on watching it. So yeah, I need to stop saying I have nothing to do and pick up one of my abandoned books. Another thing is I tend to 'judge a book by it's cover' literally so I'm gonna begin/ or try to pick up random books and just start reading them regardless if the cover is really plain and not appealing, in my opinion that is.

♥ Drink more water
I am such a coke addict, luckily it's the fizzy liquid form but yep diet pepsi, dr pepper and diet coke is literally the only thing I tend to drink other than cups of tea, etc. I remember in secondary school I'd go through a faze of only buying bottles of water and refilling them and constantly drinking water. I felt so good inside, a lot more healthier and very much refreshed but this was also when I did quite a lot of exercise which leads us on to the next one...

♥ Start exercising 
When I was younger I was such a little exercise freak as I done so much varied things such as dancing, gymnastics, ice skating, swimming and running... I also really enjoyed PE but now as I've got older I've slowly turned into a bit of a sloth and just sit around doing nothing. So I've decided I want to begin jogging or even start the gym again not only to lose weight but to become healthier physically and mentally.

♥ Do more
This sounds the most silliest, ridiculous resolution probably to some of you but to me this will probably be my main one. Not many people fully understand what depression is and it literally takes control of your life, making you physically not want to move from your bed or associate with anyone or anything. Ever since I was diagnosed with this demon, although I had a feeling I was it still came to a shock when my doctor actually said it and prescribed me to some medication but anyway I feel like the majority of 2013 I spent it in bed even though I know I didn't. I just haven't came away from 2013 with something major to be happy about so this year I'm planning on doing as much as I can to make me the happiest I can be. Even something small like taking the dog for long walks daily or dramatic like going different places with the girls for nights out. I just feel like I'm young and there are so many things to be happy about which I've been blind before and not even realised it.   

♥ Attend more gigs
I do believe music makes everybody happy. Especially me, that is. The feeling of freedom you get when you're there is great how you are there to do one thing only and that is listen to the music. Nobody judges anybody as everyone is just so happy. December 2012 I attended the Final Night of Sin in London by myself which was pretty scary but I can happily say I am so glad I went as it was literally one of the best nights I've had, not only is You Me at Six my favourite band but it allows you to just forgot all your problems for a little while. I also went to Bristol to see Bastille, again being such a good night as when I'm in music's company I'm instantly happy to just be living. 

I haven't got much planned up to now for this year but I'm going to go with the flow and see where my little legs take me. Although I would like to travel a lot more this year. 

Goodbye 2013, Hello 2014!

XOXO