London Calling

I recently left the comfort and familiarity of my home country, Australia, for a much more colder country. Arriving in the UK early this morning, I finally figured out what real jetlag is, and how bad it really can be. It's currently 5pm (and I seriously don't know how I've managed to stay up this long!) and all I can think about is sleep. But I want to try and get my body-clock used to the UK time. Sigh. At least I know I'll sleep well tonight!

I'm constantly cold (even with the added heaters that my new family so kindly placed in my room) and I still feel out of place. England is just so different from Australia. Aside from the obvious temperature and climate differences, England is sort of crammed-in. Everyone and everything is so close together, whereas in Australia you literally have to fly to the other side of the state. 

In my one day of being here, I've gone for a walk around the neighbourhood and taken a few photos. And I can't wait to get out and explore more!

Valentines Day

To me, people fall into two categories on valentines day: 

1. The people who are so happily loved and adored by that one special person and enjoy yet another day of being spoilt and showered in expensive gifts.

2. The people who opt to spend their night with an entire bottle of vodka.

I think we all know which category we fall into. Whether we're all for Valentines day, or refer to it as 'singles awareness day', there is no doubt Valentines Day is just another day of the year. Hence, I spent my day working, and my night with one of my best friends having a lovely picnic. I think one of the things people forget (especially on Valentines Day) is that we need to not only appreciate our significant other (or lack-there of), but all the people who put up with us and make our lives better. So instead of picking up that bottle of vodka, pick up the phone instead and think about who you are thankful for this Valentines Day x

Australia to England...

I think when I move to England (agh, only 8 days away!) I'll miss the simple pleasures Australia has to offer. I take everything for granted here...the easy going lifestyle, the proximity of the beaches, and perhaps the most important one...the sunshine! It hasn't hit me yet that I'm going to a part of the world where you will literally be lucky to see sunshine once a week. Coming from Australia, this will prove to be an extremely hard change for me!

I spent this afternoon at Currumbin beach, and the weather was perfect! Not a cloud in the sky. As it's coming into my last week in Australia, I'm trying to make the most of the sunshine, weather and being able to see my friends. Because when I move to England it will be very hard to fit in skype calls when everyone goes back to Uni and I'm trying to get over jetlag and adjust to a totally different time-zone. But bring it on!

Saturday Nightlife

Tonight myself and two of my closest friends ventured out and explored one of the Gold Coast's best nightlife scenes. Hidden away in Miami, Miami Marketta offers a variety of market street food, live music, and local brewed drinks. What's not to love?

I had only heard positive things regarding these markets, and decided I had to try it before I left for the UK (only 12 days away, AGH!). Open every Saturday night from 4 - 10pm, the markets are a great way to catch up with friends and just chill out. Additionally, every 2nd Friday of each month is Marketta Arts Creative, with locals selling vintage, one-off pieces direct to the public. 

So head on down next Saturday night for what is sure to be the start of a tradition that brings so much culture and food and fashion into the Gold Coast. Enjoy! 

http://www.miamimarketta.com/

#justinlane

If anyone likes pizza as much as I do, you have to try Justin Lane Pizzeria & Bar! Located in the heart of Burleigh along James Street, this tucked away little goodie is too good to miss! My sisters and I went out here for dinner tonight, and I couldn't be happier with the service, the food, and the overall ambiance of the place! 

I highly recommend to anyone to visit this little piece of heaven if they have the chance. It has received numerous good ratings on various review websites, and I can personally say it is one of the best feeds I've had in a while! So what are you waiting for? Bon appetit! 

http://justinlane.com.au/

Food for Thought

Ever since c.w.b wrote her piece about friendship, I've been doing some thinking and have come to the same conclusion, and essentially my next question: do relationships have a timeframe? Is their a certain length of time that people can be friends before the relationship runs it's course and eventually fizzes out? 

At school, it was hard to imagine going a day without seeing your best friend. You'd plan your lives together. But then you graduate school, and university comes along, as well as partners, new jobs, families and eventually children. Suddenly, the person you once thought would be in your life forever no longer is.

"All friendships have a life cycle," according to social phycologist Dina McMillan. Lifestyle changes are inevitable, and with these changes comes a shift in your social circle, and you no longer have much in common with your 'friends'. 

"Any friendship that is based around you having the same experience - be it school, university, work, being neighbours or having children at the same time - might have a limited life and it's important to remember that's completely normal."

c.w.b

When I think of the word 'friend' I can't help but refer to the conditioning media has given us up until this point in our lives. From the womb we are fed fictional characters; cartoons with unrealistic expectations like dying for one another, girls who bitch and whine but end up best friends, fairytales with wild impossibilities and perfect endings. But the truth is, there is never a perfect ending and even after being exposed to this throughout most of our childhood lives we still cannot properly define the meaning of the word 'friend.' And if we can, we certainly cannot live by it.

This tech-savvy generation we live in had made the freedom of opinion and observation too accessible and vulnerable. Facebook has given us the option of virtually befriending someone, which potentially can give you more opportunity to get information then the people themselves are willing to give. Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr let you follow people. Follow. We have all this access with no privacy, no boundaries, no rules. We sit behind screens and silently judge with every photo that gets uploaded, every text post that gets created, every comment that gets shared. You're probably sitting there right now, claiming you're not guilty of this, but the truth of the matter is we are all guilty but we will share no real consequence. It has made us detach from the reality of what friendship really is. When I think of the kind of friends I want, I think of someone who has your back no matter the circumstance, someone who will willingly follow you up shit creek so you're no alone, someone who doesn't degrade you or tell you you're wearing your hair wrong, someone will will answer your calls at 3am in the morning and listen to your incoherent sobs, someone who will have a shoulder for you to cry on at any time of the day. It is hard: it is hard to find someone who will do all of those things for you and it may take a lot of failed attempts to find one. But when you do, oh boy, am I happy for you.

c.w.b