Lesson #1 - The Wonders of Fresh Air

One of the most important lessons that I have learnt is that everyone needs space, air and time to themselves every once in a while. This not only keeps you sane but also grounds you to reality rather than the overwhelming craziness that can sometimes consume your mind (if your mind is anything like mine that is!).

Over the years various things have happened in my life, whether they were major events or seemingly insignificant moments, and I have struggled to cope. Breakdowns, crying, screaming and panic attacks were a regular occurrence. The frustration of not being able to sufficiently cope in a manner comprehensible to every ''normal'' (or what I deemed "normal" at the time) person in the world can be draining. And let's be honest, we all know that crying and panicking never gets you anywhere or helps you solve anything, but in that moment of sadness or anger it is so easy to become surrounded and engulfed by your emotions and the situation at hand - even if it is purely that you are feeling frumpy and grumpy! 

So one evening, in a moment of overwhelming emotion after an argument with someone I cared about, I stormed to my car and took two of my dogs to the beach. And I walked. And walked. And walked. The air, the wind, the sound of the sea and the feeling of sand on my bare feet was enough to temporarily clear my mind. Finally, as I arrived back to my car the memories of the argument and the consequential negative emotions found there way back into my reality... But this time what I was left with was a new perception, a sense of clarity and the energy to deal with the seemingly more manageable situation at hand.

Whilst this is no claim to solve every issue, permanently remove negative emotions or stop a panic attack or urge to cry, what it does do is give you an insight into what I have personally found that taking a moment to yourself can achieve - to breathe, take a step back, to remind yourself of the good things rather than viewing the world and your life through tunnel vision. 

I do recognise that I am extremely fortunate to live in such a beautiful part of the world where space, tranquility and fresh-air are just around the corner, but anyone can find that one place that they can escape to. Find a place that you can call yours, that gives you time to breathe, to collect yourself and envisage the bigger picture. 

Stop. Walk away. Find your place. Breathe. 

About me

T

Hello lovely bloggers!

As this is my first experience of blogging I wasn't quite sure where to start but I figured we should get the who, what, why bits out the way first so you know what your letting yourself in for!

Who am I?

I am a 22-year-old lover of travelling, people, vegan health foods, yoga, mindfulness, parties, a decent cocktail, waterskiing, wake-boarding, red lipstick, jewellery, sun, sea and sand... Amongst other things. 

I have recently graduated from University with a First Degree Honours. This is in fact close to a miracle. If you knew first-year-of-university-me you would understand - it has not been a smooth and bump-free road to graduation. In fact far from it. However, I had some of the best (and hardest) years of my life there. I have made some amazing friends/dawgs/bros/homies, acquired some questionable lingo, lived with some of the best (and worst) people, experienced both some incredible and heartbreaking moments, I have loved, hated, laughed and cried, but overall I have learnt. Learnt about myself and the world around me.

Why am I writing?

Well, I had just finished a degree in Sociology at Newcastle (arguably one of the best places ever!) when I found myself at a loose end over the summer. I knew I was moving to Australia on my own in search of some sun to go with my inevitable employment, and to push myself to travel and move abroad alone, so I thought now would be a good a time as any to document, describe and divulge some of the stories, thoughts, life lessons and experiences that have and will constitute my whirlwind existence. I mean, what was the point of learning to write if I was going to stop as soon as my degree was over? So here I am, sitting in my dreamy garden, writing. 

This brings me to the ‘what the hell will I write about and why would anyone want to read it’ part?

I want to share my past and present stories and experiences as I have learnt so much about myself and the way the world works that I feel like it is a little selfish to keep it all to myself. Don't get me wrong though I am very much still learning, but I thought perhaps I should share my learning process, because if there was the possibility that I could write something, even one thing, that would help one person, make them laugh and cheer up their day or make them take a sigh of relief and think “I am not the only one, I am normal, it is all OK” then I have done what I have set out achieve. I mean what is the use of living and learning if you don’t pass on the info, you know? So I’m hoping - if you have got this far - that you will give me that chance. I will write with brutal, hard to swallow honesty. No bullshit, no sugarcoating. I will write about the small, silly everyday things to the things no one wants to say out loud. This is meant to be a positive and productive and way to connect to likeminded people. 

So what will I talk about?

TRAVELLING✈️

- PAST EXPERIENCES – an insight into who you should/should not travel with, where to go or stay, what be aware of and my experiences of travelling solo (intially not my first choice but ultimately the best choice!).

- NEW EXPERIENCES – as I am currently on my journey to move to Australia via a few cities and countries (solo with no job or plan) I will give you the lowdown on everything - the good, the bad and the ugly, the do's and don'ts and the lessons I have learnt (probably the hard way!).

FOOD🍉

Fooood. Who doesn’t love food? I will yabber about the benefits I have found from being gluten-free, refined-sugar free (apart from the occasional binge which consists of eating for 10 people), I will share recipes I have found and how mine have turned out (usually not good, I find it helps to actually follow the recipe) and my very real experiences of my new journey into the world of veganism*. 

*Non-preachy I promise.

BODY IMAGE💋

The topic of my undergraduate dissertation and something that is an ongoing part of my life built from personal experiences and experiences of those that I love - I could talk for days. 

FAMILY & FRIENDS 💙

MINDFULNESS🙏

…and pretty much anything that comes to mind that could be considered important or interesting.

So my flight to Denver is calling me but this is me and what I am about in a nutshell. I hope you stay tuned for more and take care out there bloggers.

Peace and love,

georgie x