28 Things...

In honour of my birthday I have decided to jump on the bandwagon and present

a few things I have learned over the years.

28 things in fact, as I am now 28!

1) TRAVEL!!!

It really doesn't matter whether you explore your state, country, region or the world,

just get out and travel. It broadens your horizons, opens you up to things you would never expect,

you get to meet new people, try new things, stand on your own two feet,

even reinvent yourself if that's what you wish.

It doesn't matter where you go,

or for how long,

or why.

Travel because you want to with a tour group,

travel on your own with a map,

travel on exchange with your school or uni,

Go for a weekend,

or a week,

or a month,

or a year

Go on your own,

with a partner,

with family

or friends.

Just get out there and see what you can.

2) You get what you pay for.

Mostly. How many times have you bought a cheap pair of jeans, or shoes, or underwear,

maybe cheap makeup or hair products?

How many times have you broke them, worn them out, thrown them out 

because they don't live up to your expectations?

I always did, but I have since come to the realisation that,

more times than not,

you get what you pay for

I now have no issue shelling out for a decent pair of shoes

(boots and heels are a weakness)

because I'm going to wear them into the ground,

and your feet are the building blocks of your body

I have a skincare routine that costs a small fortune,

but the bottles and tubes last a lot longer than the cheaper stuff,

and I don't have to use as much

(not that all cheaper skin care is bad, because it's not)

And I have found that the more expensive make up

lasts a lot longer than cheaper stuff,

doesn't wear off,

doesn't make my skin break out,

and I don't need as much.

3) Always remove you makeup before bed.

It took me ages to get into the routine of this,

especially after a night out

but invest in make up wipes, and it's easy to remove your make up

(like brushing your teeth)

even through the beet goggles

(and you don't wake up looking like a clown,

or with one on your pillow)

4) Take time out of your day to stop and just be...

Take some time out.

Go for a walk, read a book, meditate, do yoga

Do something FOR YOU!

How many times do we get to the end of the day,

look back at it,

and it's full of work, shopping,

study,

looking after family, and friends?

You will feel better if you take

even 30 mins a day for you!

5)Read

Anything,

Everything!

It doesn't matter if it's a New York best seller,

if it's horror or romance,

If it's teen or a classic

Read anything you can get your hands on.

You'll be amazed at what you find interesting,

and what you don't

6) Be Prepared, but be prepared to change

One thing travel teaches you,

is that even the best made plans go awry,

Planes get delayed, or cancelled,

or you miss a connecting flight,

your luggage gets lost or damaged,

your hotel has double booked your room,

or booked the wrong dates.

But, when this happens,

you have to improvise, and change your plans

It's important to prepare for what you can,

but at the same time,

you need to be flexible,

and prepared to do something different.

Curve balls pop up all the time,

having plans, contingency plans,

and going with the flow,

will help you deal with them.

7) Find a hairdresser, dentist, doctor, beautician that gets you

These people will become people you

need to be honest with,

and they need to be people you can trust

I'm sure we've all walked out of the hairdressers,

or the beauticians,

with something we haven't liked,

or annoyed because they wouldn't listen

When you find one you like,

hold on and don't let go! 

8) Don't waste your weekends!

Or days off, depending on your work schedule

I love a sleep in as much as the next person.
(especially after working 5am starts)

but there's something really rewarding about having been productive on my days off

whether that's getting all the chores out of the way

or meal prepping for the week

It helps make the work days easier too

9) Appreciate your Friends

Sounds simple, but it's true

It doesn't matter how long you've been friends for,

just how solid your friendships are

I have friends I've known for over a decade,

and friends I've know for only a few years or less,

They are all important to me,

and I make sure to let them know. 

The older you get, the smaller your friendship circles become,

but the more important your friendships are.

10) Focus on your health

Physical, mental, and spiritual

And do it for the right reasons.

Doing it to look good, or for summer,

to fit into a bikini, or because all your friends are doing it,

is only going to lead to more weight gain,

unhappiness,

and going around in circles.

Focus on you, and your overall health,

not a dress size

11) Learn what clothes suit your body type,

but throw out the other rules.

If you want to wear blue and green,

or polka dots with stripes,

go right ahead,

But some people just can't wear certain items of clothing.

If you can spare the money, hire a stylist.

Most shopping centers these days have one

you can book a session for a few hours

to help you work out what looks good.

12) Trust your body

Some days you can run a 5km easily.

other days you just feel like a yoga session,

today you might feel like light foods like soups and salads,

other days you eat like a horse, and who cares about the calories.

Trust your body to know what it's doing.

The more you listen to it,

the better you'll feel. 

It will all balance out.

See a doctor if you feel anything is seriously wrong,

but otherwise, trust your body.

It knows what it's doing

13) Find exercise you actually like

Doesn't matter if everyone you know lives yoga,

but you prefer pole dancing,

or if you love to box,

but everyone else likes to swim,

Find something you love, and it won't be a chore anymore,

it'll be something you look forward to.

14) Start Saving

My mum told me to save at least 10% of my pay every payday,

right from the first day I started working.

It's something I still continue to do to this day.

Whether it's saving for a holiday,

or savings in case something happens,

save a certain amount each paycheck.

I have accounts my pay is automatically split between,

that way I can't spend it as soon as I get it.

15) Keep your spaces clean

As I've gotten older,

I've discovered the joy that is clean spaces.

Whether it's the kitchen with the washing up done,

the benches wiped down, and counters clear,

or a study space free of clutter,

my brain thinks so much clearer,

and easier when there's less mess.

16) Spend time with your parents and grandparents

They're getting older, the same way you are,

They won't be around forever,

so spend time with them while you can.

Listen to their stories, and their wisdom,

you'll be amazed at what you learn,

and what you discover.

17) You don't have to do things just because others do

You don't have to like the same things your friends do,

you don't have to go places because someone else is,

you don't need to do or be or say things because that's what your family expects.

You are your own person,

you can do your own things.

18) Spend time alone

Take some time to decompress,

unwind,

relax,

refresh.

Take a time out from people,

and reconnect with you.

Take some time,

regularly if you can.

and unplug from the world.

Turn your phone off,

stay away from the computer,

and the internet,

and the TV

Step away from the hustle and bustle,

the constant need for attention,

and approval.

Step away from looking at Instagram,

and Facebook,

at what everyone else is doing.

Guaranteed,

you'll be happier when you get back to the world.

19) Go with your gut,

Use your head,

but always let your instincts guide you.

My best memories come from times I've let my gut rule my head.

Your head is concerned with what ifs,

and maybes,

and laters.

Your instincts are concerned with now,

why nots,

and who cares.

Use your head,

but don't let it overrule your instincts.

20) Don't compare

Comparison is the thief of joy,

and it's something I've learned personally.

Stop comparing your life,

with what you see of everyone elses

through Facebook and Instagram.

You're living your life,

you're seeing the highlights of everyone else's.

Don't compare your bad days,

with everyone else's best days.

21) Learn from Children

Take time everyday

to laugh, and play

It's good for the soul.

22) It's ok to want to like your job

We all want to be employed in a job that we love,

that we enjoy,

that we don't dread going to every day.

We might not say it,

but we do.

No one wants to work in a job that makes them miserable

23) But it's ok to want a better one

Like the above, unless you are employed in your dream job,

almost everyone wants to work in a better job.

Whether it's more money,

a different location,

a different industry,

or just a promotion,

lots of people want a better job.

Don't me ashamed for wanting that too.

24) Don't wait for a special occassion

How many times have you looked at something,

an outfit, jewellery,

shoes, underwear,

and thought, 'It's nice, but I have nowhere to wear it,'

How many times have you looked at your silk sheets and deemed them too nice to use,

or the candle too nice to burn.

Every day is a special day.

You're alive,

you're with family,

or friends,

you've had a great day,

or a terrible one,

You were sacked,

or promoted

You were asked out on a date,

or you're having dinner by yourself,

You feel bad about yourself,

or you just feel exceptionally good on a particular day.

All these are great reasons to wear the special jewellery,

or to burn that beautiful smelling candle,

or wear that sexy underwear.

You're alive,

That's reason enough.

25) Don't take no for an answer

26) Breathe

Everything looks easier when you've taken a few deep breaths.

It calms you down and helps you think.

Take a few deep breaths now,

see how you feel.

27) Just because you aren't where you thought you would be,

doesn't mean you aren't where you are supposed to be

One thing with working with people a lot younger than me,

is the way I can see just how much I've changed from the 17 year old I was.

I remember being 17,

I was graduating high school,

starting university,

my whole life ahead of me.

I had these big plans laid out.

of what my life would look like at 25,

and 30,

and 28.

28 seemed so far off.

I was going to be married,

own a house,

be working in a law firm,

be pregnant, or at least trying.

My life was going to be perfect.

Flash forward to now.

I'm single,

renting a place (on my own),

working in retail as a means to an end,

studying.

Not exactly the picture I thought it would be,

But,

at 17, I never imagined I'd have lived in the States and Canada,

worked in a ski resort in California,

that I would be filling out applications to live and work in England

I never dreamed of the friends I've met,

or that I'd lose the ones I've lost.

Or the experiences I've had,

the things I've seen,

and done,

the people I've met.

I'm not where I thought I'd be,

but I think I'm in a better place anyway.

28) Be Happy

That's the most important one.

Regardless of what life throws at you,

what happens or doesn't,

what you, or other people expect of you,

what you want,

or don't,

 make sure you're happy.

Do what you want,

and don't let people's opinion deter you.

You can't make everyone happy,

just make sure you make you happy.

Life

So, life has a funny way of changing so much;
and in such a short space of time.

It makes me start to question things,
re-evaluate things,
look at things from a new perspective.

On Saturday, one of my besties,
and the only actual friend I have living in town,
told me she's leaving town,
that she was handing in her resignation.

It makes sense, and it's the best thing for her.
Really, it is.
She's been so miserable at work for ages, and it's taking it's toll on her.
On everything she says, does, thinks.
It's definitely the right thing for her.

But, it devastated me a little.

She has only been here for 5 years but that 5 years feels like a lifetime

I'm not really sure what I'm going to do without her,
she's the one I call on a regular basis,
for any reason at all.

She's the one I fangirl over The Hobbit, and Sherlock,
and numerous other things with.

She's the one who's place I randomly show up to,
or her at mine,
for no reason at all,
and it ends hours later with great conversations, dinner, and movies

She's the one I go and see movies with.

She's the one I tell everything to.

I really don't know what I'm going to do without her.

Sure, she's still a phone call away,
but she's also 8 hours drive
(on a good day),
so I can't really just decide, spur of the moment, that I want/need to see her.

It's gonna suck, but it's what's best for her.

She wrote out her resignation letter at my place on Sunday night.
She handed it in yesterday.

It's all very real now.

It made me start to question a few things.

Then on Sunday night my aunt died

I wasn't really sure how to feel, actually, I'm still not

She has been very sick for a long time
2 years suffering from cancer.

By the end she barely ate
and all she did was sleep

I felt bad when my first feeling was of relief, and not a lot of surprise.

She's no longer suffering, she's not in pain.

But at the same time, a wonderful, kind, spirited lady is no longer with us.

One of the few aunt's on my dad's side (she married my dad's brother)
who actually was interested in what my sister and I did
She didn't ask us when we were getting married
or when we're having kids like so many others do

She was interested in us, and what we wanted to do.

Her funeral is Friday.
She is being cremated

She would have had everything planned out, down to the last flower and song

She was just that sort of person
She wouldn't have wanted her husband, kids, grandkids, and great grandkids
(She was my aunt, but only a year younger than my Gran, they went to school together)
to have to organise that on top of their grief

That;s just who she was

All this change and upheaval has made me start to re-evaluate things

Big things and small things

Goals and wants and dreams

It has made me even more certain that physiology is what I want to do,
and that I want to work with the kids in a hospital like Westmead, or Randwick Children's Hospitals

It has made me more certain that I want a partner (ideally a husband), and children
I want a house filled with family and friends and laughter and love

But at the same time, it has made me more certain that I need to travel again,
That I shouldn't put off my trip to the UK any further
That, no matter what my mother says about finishing uni first,
I should put it off for a few years and go

Before husbands and kids come around

Uni will still be there when I get back
It's really not going anywhere

When my mum says 'wait' all I can think about is Barry doing Canada and the Rockies alone
Barry and Barbara had been talking about it for years
They were planning on going next year
Now he will go on his own, if he goes at all

I don't want to do that

I don't want to put off what I want to do, and can do, now, for later

A later that might never come.

My grandfather (my mum's dad), died when he was 62.
My Gran was a widow at 50.
My mum is 54, my dad 59 this year

It puts things into perspective

About ages, and being 'old' and how out views change as we get older

I loved doing Contiki through the USA a few years ago,
getting up early and going to bed late,
hauling my luggage up the stairs of our motels
(my roommate and I got every top floor whenever we stayed somewhere that didn't have an elevator)
running about to be places on time,
exploring new places with new friends
or on my own,
without a map, or any idea where I was going

I loved Vancouver when I lived there for 6 months nearly 3 years ago

Again, on my own
with no-one I knew,
and no idea what I was doing or where I was going.

I look at my parents doing a Topdeck tour through Europe a few months before I left for Canada

My dad was over hauling suitcases and travelling everyday by the end of it
My mum was over traipsing up and down stairs all the time
They needed the week they spent in Ireland, hiring a car and doing it at their own pace
they needed the week spent in Greece at the end of it all to unwind and relax

I don't want to be that age and struggling to do Europe,
being so exhausted at the end

I want to LIVE in the UK
Or Ireland, I'm not picky

I don't want to just holiday

Australia is so far away from everything else,
I need to make the most of whatever time I have to spend in these far off places.

A friend of mine (Canadian) asked if she could visit me when I move.
Of course she can
She said 'It's only a 6 hour flight from Toronto to London'

I'm pretty sure it's a 6 hour flight from Sydney to Perth

It's 3 hours to New Zealand

It's 9 hours to Japan

16 hours to the West Coast of the States/Canada

It's 24+ hours (depending on stop over length) to get to London

I want to stay for as long as I can. It's not like it's a simple trip to hop back over there to see something I didn't get to see before.

Morag's move, and Barbara's death have just solidified the knowledge that there is nothing in my hometown for me anymore

My school friends have all left or moved on, or we are no longer friends,
even if we still say hello to each other when we see each other

My family are all in various stages of moving

My sister bought a house last year with her partner and will be moving into it,
in another town (our uni town) in July, to be with him rather than long distance

My parents put their house on the market,
within a week there was an offer on it (just waiting to see if they get finance)
They will rent somewhere in town for 6 months,
and apply for jobs in and around Newcastle
They have a house down there that they are renting out to someone
They will move as soon as they get jobs

There will be nothing in this town for me by the end of the year most likely

Even my good friends at work are leaving me

Carlyn is going back home to Canada with her Aussie fiance,
and Josh is going with them

I have to do this for me, not for anyone else.

Time is too short,

and life is too precious

So, decide what you want to do,
what is important to you,
what you will regret not doing on your deathbed

Then go and do it

Life is too short to do what others want you to do at the expense of what you want

Dance, sing, laugh, travel, learn, experience, cry, believe and live

That is all you can do.