Lady Bird

LADY BIRD

Yesterday, I finally got round to watching Lady Bird. Spoiler alert, I loved it. No, better yet, I adored it.

I've been wanting to watch it ever since I first heard about it, via a chance post on Instagram which gushed about the brilliance, humility and beauty of the film. 

Ladybird is the first film to be written and directed by Greta Gerwig, a talented American actress and filmmaker with a knack for spotting the unusual and the beautiful nestled in the mundane workings of everyday life. Starring the phenomenally talented Saoirse Ronan in the title role, Lady Bird  is, to an extent, a semi-biographical depiction of Gerwig's adolescent years. 

Set in the lush Californian city of Sacramento, a place filled with endless sunshine, baby blue skies, neon lights, serene expanses, and a pastel-hued Americana meets dreamworld vibe, the film follows Christine McPherson, self-referred to as Lady Bird, throughout her final year of high school.

Although the premise of the story isn't a blazing promise of drama, adventure, action, a feature that characterises most independent films, what this story is, is an emotive, sensitive, honest, accurate, joyous celebration and exploration of teenage life. 

I loved watching Lady Bird navigate love, friendships, family, sex, self-discovery, school, the future, herself. I loved reminiscing and revelling in the nostalgia of those younger, formative years. Where home doesn't feel big enough anymore, and you're counting down the days till you escape to something, somewhere bigger, better, bolder, brighter. That feeling that there is more out there to discover, enjoy, experience. There just has to be. Where everyday you live your life in the same way you've always done, cocooned in the familiarity and comfort of what and who you've always known, but your mind is dreaming of wild and wondrous things, all the while plotting your escape. And yet... and yet there's a peculiar way your heart breaks at the thought of leaving it all behind. 

Oh how I loved being immersed in that feeling again. 

I also loved Lady Bird's wit, selfishness, certainty, boldness, coupled with her fragility, confusion and sensitivity. Ronan makes her character feel so authentic, a steam roller blowing hot and cold, racing up and down, never knowing whether she's in or out, in that way only teenage hormones can. I loved the magic of Sacramento, California, the sunshine state, and imagining my adolescence playing out against such a cinematic backdrop. Everything about this film felt like a rose-hued, summery dream, which made the contrast with Lady Bird's complex, and not always pretty, journey of self-discovery even more perfect. 

But I think the thing I loved most about Lady Bird, was its accurate portrayal of the mother-daughter relationship. Seeing Lady Bird and her mother, played by the wonderful Laurie Metcalf, trying to figure one another out, sometimes succeeding, sometimes wounding, reminded me so acutely of my relationship with my own Mum. I've never watched a film that has captured that turbulent, fiercely loving, rollercoaster of a relationship so well. Both Lady Bird and her mother a strong-minded, determined, opinionated characters with a tendency to misunderstand one another, yet I love how they fall back in sync within the breath of a sentence, the spur of a moment. It reminds you that all there ever is, when everything else is stripped away, is love.

So Lady Bird.  One of the highest rated films of all time, just behind Toy Story 2. What a film. What a masterpiece. What an adventure. Every January for the last five years, I seem to have ended up watching a indie coming-of-age film, but honestly, Lady Bird is, without doubt, the best one I've seen yet. 

https://www.facebook.com/ladybirdmovie/

Once Upon A Time I Went To Prague

ONCE UPON A TIME I WENT TO PRAGUE

Once upon a time, I went to Prague.

I used my savings from my online store and impulsively booked my trip a month before I went. My mum tagged along. I had a purple digital camera to record every moment (before I trod on it and broke it last year). I had a fringe and a beige mac, and these clunky brown leather shoes from Zara. I made a list of places to see, and I managed to visit most of them. I saw the John Lennon wall. I went to a park overlooking the city and drank Cider and chatted to some Dutch guys as the sun set. 

I saw twinkly lights. Coloured buildings. Rode a tram. Drank beer. Ate pizza and saurkraut and dumplings. I cried in a castle. I argued with my Mum. I dropped my hotdog on the floor. I fell in love with the architecture and the fairytale wonder. I drew picturesque scenes in my notebook. I wandered around the city under midnight blue skies. I ate picnics in the park.

It was wonderful. Spontaneous. Special. Magical. And here is just a small sample of photographs taken from the hundreds (and hundreds) I took.

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Hello Prague

Looking After Myself

LOOKING AFTER MYSELF 

When I was in my teenage years, I always used to assume that by the time I reached my twenties, I would be a fully functioning, competent adult.

And I definitely thought I would've gotten the hang of one very important thing: looking after myself.

Therefore, one of the greatest surprises of turning 18, 19, 20, then 21, and 22 next year, is that these things don't just happen overnight. They aren't just a given. Who you are doesn't magically transform. The insecurities remain. The questionable personality traits remain. The beliefs, attitudes and values remain. The person inside remains. The child within you still pops up to say hello. Yet the context around you changes. And somehow, you have to find a way of fitting into this new world that is asking you to be someone you've not quite transformed into yet.

Adulting is hard. 

And one of the most difficult things I've encountered, is the looking after myself part. 

I'm a naturally anxious person, so that tends to rear its head on a daily basis. Then there's the love of cheese, wine, sticky toffee pudding, potato waffles etc. which makes the neurones in my brain go wild with excitement. My self esteem is eternally stuck on an endless roller coaster of ups and downs, so some days I feel like the best person in the whole entire world, and others I feel like I will never be good enough for anything or anyone. I can be sensitive. I can be impulsive (like that random Sunday afternoon where I bought a drum). I find it hard to chill out.

I wake up in the morning and gormlessly scroll through Instagram. My posture is stuck somewhere between a chimp and a sloth. I forget to check my bank account and make sure I have enough to pay my rent. I end up in A&E because I think the antibiotics are meant to make my infected finger become more swollen. I end up spending a weekend in Lancaster without money, ID, student card, bank cards, my Brownie Points loyalty card, because I was too preoccupied with buying my egg and sausage McMuffin and my purse got nicked. I keep drinking milk even though it makes my tummy funny every morning. I vary between being a stingy and excessive spender. I get too conscious about my dry skin. And worst of all, I still pick my spots.

Sure all these things make me me, and I know I'm not going to have nailed being an adult just yet, but the difficulty is, I am now responsible for all these things. These are all my choices. Nobody else's. And that means I am ultimately responsible for my own wellbeing, something I've always struggled with. And I'm not afraid to admit that that scares me.

But this year has been a good year, a very good year, because it has made me realise that, not only should I take looking after myself more seriously, I am also capable of doing that, and I get better at it with every passing day, month, year. I am listening to my body and being kinder to it. I am trying to help my mind be a health, happy, relaxed place. I eat relatively ok. I do exercise. I'm trying to get better a opening up, apologising for my mistakes, treating myself, taking a break, and putting things into perspective. I'm trying to fight my corner, be nice to myself, and trust that I can do anything and everything that I set my mind to. And even though I don't always get this adulting thing right, and some days I just love a good argument, a pity party, or the chance to unleash my inner child, when I look at my life as a whole, I don't think I'm doing too badly.

And as a new year dawns, and more milestones are ticked, changes are made, and new unknown awaits with many a story to tell, I want 2018 to be the year when I start looking after myself properly. Intertwine all those separate little strands together, so that I give myself the best chance of being happy, healthy, content, and ready to take on this great adventure with a spring in my step and sparkle in my eye. 2017, a little firecracker of a year, was all about the new, it was all about big changes, and it was all about the bigger picture. And I'm hoping 2018 will be about making the most of the present, and every single day that comes my way, championing myself, creating small but meaningful changes, and focusing on what matters most of all:

Happiness. Friendship. Love. Resilience. Health. Positivity. And not loosing my bloody purse in McDonalds. 

Happy New Year folks!

What I've Learnt: 2017

WHAT I'VE LEARNT: 2017

This year has been a strange but wonderful year for me. 

 So much is new. So much is unexpected. So much has been learnt. 

I have had such a brilliant time, and part of me is wondering where the year went. More than ever, I want to hold onto this year, because next year is when things change all over again. Regardless of what happens, or where I end up, what I want more than anything is to land on my feet. I want stability, some familiarity, a green light. Go. But I guess only time will tell.

Meanwhile, back to 2017, of course there have been the usual iffy moments. We all get our fair share. But this year, I've noticed they've been more focused and intense, rather than lots of little regular episodes. Is it me? Is it circumstance? I don't know, but I think I prefer it this way. My mind is happy most of the time, I feel more in control of my mental health and well-being, almost like I can decide which way the tide turns, whether the sun shines, how long the rain has to fall.

And of course, alongside the iffy moments, there have been lots and lots of joyful moments, a new harvest of memories to add to the burgeoning collection. Earlier today I was thinking about what my life will be like 10 years from now, and how I'll feel when I look back at these times. Even though I don't know what my future holds, I just know that I will always cherish these university years. What a wonderful chapter to add to my life, the story of me. How lucky I have been.

But likewise, great as this chapter has been, and despite being better than I ever could have dreamed, I'm hoping that it is not my Golden Age. 

I know it's unlikely things will ever be this good again, but I'm hopeful that my life will evolve into another kind of good, another kind of happiness, in the years to come. Maybe not as heightened or intense, but just as fulfilling, adventurous and magical. So with that, here are the most important things 2017 has taught me, and which I hope to carry through as another chapter dawns and a new sun rises.

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LESSONS:

001. Say yes to the opportunities that come your way, or make them yourself.

002. When it comes to love, take matters into your own hands. Forget about the rules. Create your own happiness.

003. Cherish the people you love. See them, talk to them, hug them, as much as you can, because one day you will realise that they aren't going to be here forever. Our time is limited, so make the most of it.

004. Remember to take a step back and see the bigger picture. 

005. Work is important, but it is not the most important thing. 

006. Relaxation is just as crucial as eating, sleeping, breathing, drinking, so don't feel bad for doing it. 

007. Always make time for your friends, value each person and what they bring to your life, and remember the best people will never leave you.

008. Apologise for and accept your mistakes, and then do what you can to learn from them.

009. Be kind to people.

010. Volunteer when you can- even an hour of your time can make such a huge difference to someone else's life.

011. Trust that you will cross that finish line, and in the mean time, enjoy the ride.

012. An egg & sausage McMuffin, and taking a selfie with it, is not worth losing your purse over

013. Compromise.

014. Nip that finger infection in the bud, before your finger balloons to the size of a golf ball.

015. Believe in yourself and your worth because no-one else will, and most of all, be resilient (because you might just end up as captain of a sports team, or getting that summer job). 

016. Don't go to bed without resolving an argument- sort it out as soon as you can and move on.

017. Get a waterproof bag.

018. It's ok to dwell and not feel good, but keep pushing yourself back up and fighting back.

019. A relationship is not always easy, but the right person is worth all the hard times a million times over. 

020. Butternut squash, homemade bread, bean burgers, mulled wine, Crazy Pedro's pizza, rosemary cheese and seasalt toasties, halloumi fries, tequila= all amazing

021. Let your guard down and open up.

022. Be someone that people can trust and talk to. 

023. Treat yourself.

024. Don't let your sister cut your hair. 

Thank You

THANK YOU

This morning, my heart has felt very full. And I have been feeling very soppy because of it. So brace yourself.

 I can't stop thinking about how incredibly grateful and thankful I am, for all the brilliant, amazing, wonderful, gorgeous, lovely people that I'm lucky enough to have in my life. 

These moments happen every once in a while. Moments when that particular realisation strikes me like a lighting bolt. And my mind starts to flicker through every single person who is a part of my life, and who brings such joy and meaning and companionship, just by being them. I am so lucky. So very lucky.

I've said this numerous times before, but I have been blessed in life. Not for the material, trivial, consequential things but for the people. The people who have walked this road alongside me, and joined me along the way. 

Sometimes I can't quite fathom how it came to be. It's kind of overwhelming sometimes. 

In life it's so easy to take people for granted. Forget to stop and appreciate how brilliant they are, and how lucky you are to know them, and to even have met them in the first place. It's easy to feel alone. Like you're the only one along for the ride. It's easy to assume these people will always be there, when that's not always the case.

So in light of all these things, I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you to all the people who are a part of my life, and have made it so much happier, loving, sparklier, joyful, richer, fulfilling, just simply by being there.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart. From the depths of the universe. From every last little molecule and particle of my being. Thank you for making me feel loved, content and not alone. Thank you for making such treasured memories with me. Thank you for making me realise what really matters most in life. Thank you for being here. 

Thank you for being you.

Because you help make me me. 

And that means more to me than you could ever possibly know.

Summer 2017

SUMMER 2017

And so another incredible summer came to a close.

As F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, 'life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall', and I can feel that change everywhere I go. It's racing through the air, tumbling out in the words I speak, blooming within the feelings and emotions in my body, placing a new lens over the way I think. Another chapter begins as one is closed. The future beckons once more.

Last summer, I remember thinking that it was the best one of my life. Surely I couldn't experience anything better. How could it be possible? Last year I made so many treasured memories, went on lots of different adventures, involved in the things that make me happy, and spent time with the people I love. It was an important summer because it shifted something within me, and helped it fall into the right place. I emerged feeling so unbelievably content, confident, positive, happy, loved, grateful, and excited for the future. It changed a lot of things.

So this summer had a lot to live up to. And did it achieve it? By heck it did. Although not as life changing as last summer, it was certainly four months of joy, adventure, love, happiness, friendship and fulfilment. And I'm walking away from it with memories that will last a lifetime. 

Therefore, in honour of this corker of a summer, which physically hurts to say goodbye to (I wish it would last forever), here's a list of some of the things I got up to...

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ADVENTURINGS...

• Visited the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth, and went swimming in the early morning sea, travelled around the island, had late afternoon drinks, drank the best hot chocolates, watched Harry Potter, went bowling, had the best toasties, fell more in love and reminisced from way back when
• Spent the day with my grandparents and we did a spontaneous photoshoot in the garden, sunbathed under the beautiful sun and I introduced my Spanish Nana to 'Despacito'- she told me she understood every word
• A gorgeous afternoon tea at a local farm shop with some of my oldest friends
• Friday night with prosecco, Hagen Daaz and Sex & The City
• Going to Devon and playing badminton on the beach, paddling in the sea, taking a boat across the harbour, fish and chips on the pebbled beach, frisbee on the park, ice cream, tea and cake pitstops on the M5
• Summer job at schuh, working with the best team of people, surrounded by beautiful shoes, and being paid to talk about shoes non stop
• Volunteering for the Stroke Association, and being reminded why I'm doing this degree, and how incredible it feels to do something positive and worthwhile for another person- especially seeing how their confidence and skills grow
• Seeing two of my sister's LAMDA shows and feeling so proud of her!! 
• Watching Wimbledon from the top of One Exchange Shopping centre in the hot July heat
• Discovering the Natural History Museum
• Adventuring through London, all the way from West Ham, and an impromptu coffee date with my old housemate, to meeting my family for a cuppa at McDs. My sis and I then continued out adventures around London in the pouring rain. We ended up in the Lego Shop, The National Portrait Gallery, snuck into a choir rehearsal at St Martin-in-the-Fields church, walked through Seven Dials, had £5 pizza and wandered all around Covent Garden and Bloomsbury. It was magical
• Bank holiday weekend with (almost) all my family. Gorgeous lasagnas, pies, pancakes, fruit, courtesy of my Nan. A trip to Tutbury Castle which made me feel so in touch with my inner child, and so happy, carefree, excited about life. Being able to buy candyfloss for my cousins. Laughing and singing all evening. Sandwiches and tea in the garden, talking until late at night
• Discovered Coventry and Bedworth, and met my boyfriend's family, who all made me feel so welcome
• Walks in the forest in the pouring rain, walks in the countryside in the pouring rain, walks on the back field that overlooks everywhere, and the sunset turning the sky into a rainbow
• Staying with two of my oldest friends in a flat in Seville, and exploring the city, dancing to Spanish music at an outdoor nightclub until 6 in the morning, a beautiful and authentic Spanish meal, afternoon churros, discovering the city, pretending to be bullfighters, laughing so much, listening to the locals advice to wear suncream
• Torremolinos with my parents- all the cats, all the bevs, all the nice food, all the beach days
• Going to my first wedding as a 20-something year old, when it was my friend getting married. It was such a beautiful, creative, simple ceremony, and an honour to be a part of
• Watching Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks & The Lumineers at Hyde Park on a balmy, pink July evening, and having an incredible celebration of love, music, happiness. And not realising at the time how lucky we were to be seeing Tom Petty's last UK performance
• The best mac n cheese ever, the best halloumi fries ever
• A spontaneous early morning spoons breakfast with my oldest and best friend 
• Taking tequila shots in a 'The Hobbit' drinking game, my friend spontaneously buying a Bongo, wandering around Nottingham, arcade games at the bowling alley, running around the neighbourhood playing frisbee as the rain poured down, late night Singstar till 4 in the morning, ball games in the park, cosy Sunday evening drinks and boardgames
• Hanging out with my sis and her oldest friend, feeling like it was old times all over again
• Lying in Arboretum Park, under the glowing sun
• Dancing the night away at Rock City and bringing out all my best dance moves
• Drinks and food with old school friends, re-connecting and reminiscing after another year of our lives had passed
• Afternoon day trip to Belper, binging on Ru Paul, face masks, going to a trampoline park and a chicken, bacon and cheese panini from spoons
• Visiting my friend in Blackpool and being fed so much delicious homemade food, watching the Age of Adaline, having cava and foot massages, daytripping to Lytham St Anne's where we had coffee and cake, explored all the shops, swung on the swings in the park and raced up the sand dunes in the late afternoon sun. We had a long walk around Stanley Park and almost got blown away on Blackpool Sea front. It was perfect.
• Another year volunteering in at a kids camp in the middle of Derbyshire. Despite the pouring rain every single day, and the difficult behaviour, it was so fulfilling to give those kids an amazing holiday filled with adventure, sports, arts, friendship and lots and lots of delicious food
• Spontaneous family trip to Ashbourne
• Bingewatching This Morning, Lord of The Rings, Planet of The Apes, Stranger Things, Riverdale, Gilmore Girls
• Having the best daytrip to Leicester, involving Pizza Hut buffet lunch, wandering up to Victoria Park and popping into the museum along the way, shopping, exploring the city, walking down canals all the way to Abbey Park, feeding ducks in the late afternoon rain, apple pie and tea at McDonalds, taking curvey photos outside The Curve
• Having my first unicorn hot chocolate with an old friend, playing in the park like we were children all over again, and drinking G&T's & cucumber on the rooftop of the local pub
• Cafe date with my sis, talking about everything you could imagine in the world, as always
• Learning how to make loads of incredible food, including carbonara, toffee apple crumble, chocolate cookies, brownie, carrot cake, chicken noodle soup
• New glasses which make everyone remark how intelligent I look
• The silly little things, like being able to wake up and say hello to my family, spend the day with them, and see some of my old friends, just like it used to be. Oh and not having to cook dinner for myself all summer.
• GETTING SUNBURNT DURING 7 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF HEAVY RAIN

My First 24 Hours of Uni

MY FIRST 24 HOURS OF UNI 

Once upon a time, I was a fresher. 

Fast forward four years, and I'm now in my final year of university and spending my Friday nights deciding what cereal to buy in Lidl, and chilling in my flannel pyjamas, drinking tea and watching Coronation Street (how did that happen). 

Now that I'm back in Manchester, one of the greatest cities on Earth and my beloved second home, I can't help but get nostalgic about my first year. Way back when I was a fresher. 

I'm thinking about all the memories I made. The people I met. The things I experienced. The way I felt. It feels so far removed from me now, almost like a perfect dream that happened to somebody else. I loved my first year of university more than words could ever possibly express. When I think about my first year, it's a gorgeous, glowing, glittering yearning and fondness that swells in my heart. I don't think words could ever do it justice, or capture the way life felt back then. It was almost otherworldly.

I was so lucky with my experience, because everything fell into place for me from the very beginning. I loved my housemates, my flat, my city, my university, my course. Everything was right somehow. 

Having begun my final year of this wonderful, magical, maddening and life changing experience, I feel an even greater fondness for my first year of university, because it was such a special, innocent, liberating time in my life. The start of an incredible journey. And things will never be that way again.

So in honour of all those fresh, excited, buzzing faces flooding the streets before me, hearts full of anticipation, awe, curiosity and adventure... blissfully unaware of what is to come, and as a little nostalgic throwback for me, I thought I'd share a piece of writing which I wrote following my first 24 hours of university.

If you're expecting wild debauchery I'm afraid I wasn't your girl, but if you like tales involving random Brazilian men then get stuck in.

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SEPTEMBER 2014

It’s three in the morning and I’m sat in my new bedroom, trying to figure out how to work the internet connection. 

I can hear Lana del Rey singing, and the Irish girl from upstairs teaching people to say ‘cheers’ in Irish (it’s Slanja or something like that, if you didn’t know). Not so long ago she was teaching me that, and passionately telling me how she’s Irish and not British. It’s kind of funny actually, although lovely as she is, I hope she goes to bed soon because I can hear her through the breezeblock walls and her slanjas are keeping me awake. 

Today has been so strange from beginning to end. I woke up with the entire world butterfly population in my tummy, did my final packing, ate my final meal at home, and it wasn’t long before Ro was crying, which meant that I ended up crying too. Dad packed all my stuff up in the car (very easily, much to my surprise), and Mum bought me the entire stock of Morrisons so that I’ll never go hungry, or at least not till I’m thirty. Then before I knew it, I was leaving my home of eighteen years and headed to Manchester to begin the new phase of my life. Being in the car like that with all my family, it didn’t feel like I was actually really doing it; it all felt like a dream that was happening to someone else, not me. 

The journey up was really nice, although we did get a few traffic jams, and besides, I didn’t get the chance to be nervous because about half an hour in I began to need the loo. By the time we pulled in at Fallowfield campus I was trying so hard not to pee myself, because that would not be a good first impression. After sitting in a long queue we eventually made it to my area of the campus and Dad pulled up whilst I went to get my key. When I came out Mum, Ro and Dad had somehow managed to get my entire belongings, all 10,000 kilos of it, stacked onto a large metal trolley and we all went over to my new flat. Luckily it's at the very end of the building, nearest the road, and we didn’t smash any crockery unlike another girl who apparently did (result). 

At some point my new flatmate from Abergavenny came out her room with her parents, and we chatted a little. Then my other flatmate came up to say hi and have a chat. He’s from Breacon in Wales, so obviously I had to ask him if he knew that Boots water is from there, and he didn’t so there you go, I'm imparting useful knowledge already and it’s not even been twenty four hours. 

 At some point my other flatmates from Doncaster and Colchester came upstairs too. One asked if I wanted any cake. I definitely think we'll be friends. Afterwards my new pal from Abergavenny made us all tea, and eventually, after unleashing my millions of belongings upon Flat 68, Beech Court, Oak House, it was time for my family to leave. Yet again, Rosie's crying set me off. Dad was a little teary and Mum didn't cry once. Apparently they all went to McDonalds on the way home so I guess they’re going be just fine! I hugged Rosie four individual times before I could finally let her go, and it was so hard to say goodbye, but after they left I went into the lounge and sat with my new flatmates.

Soon we started making dinner, and one housemate tried to make pasta but the water boiled everywhere. He was the most elaborate. The rest of us stuck to beans on toast and melted cheese. After much deliberation, we finally decided that tonight we would go to a house party in another block. We all went together and played ‘Ring of Fire’, and I took a can of Strongbow which made me feel sick. I made that Strongbow last for a looooooooong time. 

Eventually we left the flat to go to Squirrels bar. It was packed with people, so we stood around and mingled. Somehow I ended up wandering around campus with a guy from Birmingham and his new flatmate. Just as we were about to hang out in their flat, I spontaneously walked out with no explanation. I just felt my legs moving and went along with it. I was going to go back to my flat, but to get in the block, I had to walk past this group of eight or so people who looked like they wanted to get in. I opened the door and began talking to them. Turns out they were all Brazilian.

 They invited me to the party on the floor above. I don’t know if it was the half can of Strongbow I had, or the excitement of the evening, but either way I said yes. In the flat I met even more Brazilians and we talked about  everything from Sherlock, Dr Who, Rio and Brazil. We had such a laugh, and they took me under their wing like an honorary Brazilian, and when they decided to go out they invited me along.

Again I said yes. I had a good feeling about it. 

So we got the bus to the Student Union and spoke the whole way about Brazilian and English culture. We ended up at this crappy bar and left not long after. In the end it was just me and four Brazilian guys, and the nice thing was I felt completely 100% safe and comfortable around them. We had so much to talk about and I kept thinking to myself, never in a million years would I dream of spending my first night at uni like this, but I bloody love it.

We walked all the way home, past the union, down Curry Mile and past Platt Fields, just talking about music, F1, accents... We bumped into some more Brazilians and bought alcohol from New Zealand wines, and ended up back in the flat where the night began. And now there’s plans to go round tomorrow, so look how it’s all turned out! I still feel a little homesick when I’m not doing things to distract myself, and it will be weird waking up in a strange bed tomorrow morning. 

But this journey has began so well, and I’m excited about what will come next. I’ve made some new friends who I look forward to seeing again, and hopefully the only way for things to go now are to keep on going up… Wish me luck.