Be Cheerful- Strive To Be Happy

"i believe in pink, i believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. i believe in kissing, kissing alot. i believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. i believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. i believe that tomorrow is another day & i believe in miracles" -Audrey Hepburn

If the past six months have taught me anything, its to seize any oppourtunity which has the possibility of making you happy. I am 21 years old. Across the globe I am old enough to get married, have children, drink alcohol, buy a house or a scratchcard and so I am treated as an adult with responsibilities, with expectations and goals.  I am an adult, but I am certainly not an 'adult', or at least I don't think so.
When I was ten my pastimes included pretending to be a member of S Club 7 (always Rachel, if only for names-sake) climbing trees, playing sport and running away from boys because they had germs. My dad was the only man who wasn't icky, when I was on his shoulders, I felt like I could fly. When I was sixteen my priorities had changed, it was all about dreams of being an actress, a singer or an athlete, my life revolved around Topshop, magazines, and falling in love. Aged sixteen to eighteen I got my wish, my apparent fairytale and I genuinly believe, you will never love anybody as much as your first love; not even your husband. Its the immensity and intensity which makes it so addictive, it's like you can't breathe, like you're going to burst. It's funny how people say you're not old enough to be in love at that age, that you don't know what love is, maybe they're the ones who don't have a clue.
My point is, why at 21 should I have to be so serious, so focussed on the future? I miss the days spent on my friend's trampoline, taking photos, being dorky and baking cupcakes. I miss the evenings spent at the park, with friends, rugs, picnics, cheap beer, music and playing 40/40. At sixteen my biggest worries were things like ' How should I get my hair cut?' or 'What if I don't win this race?' I miss not having to think about the future, now every decision I make influences it. I have to think how this will affect me six months in advance when making any choice.

I'm constantly asked the dreaded question of 'How's your love life' and when I reply that I'm single and happy that way, why do people have to look so shocked? Yes, I am aware that when they were my age, they had settled down with children, but really, have they never embraced 'Sex and the City'? It's okay for me to not want the responsibility of a stable boyfriend, I kind of want to find out who I am before getting to know anybody else. I look forward to evenings with the girls, either spent facebook stalking hot men ( of which I am probably needing counsel for my addicition) or perving on them in bars.Why should i be defined by 'my other half' or lack of it?

I both envy and admire people who chose not to go to University, and went straight into work. I know it's the recession, but my (negative numbers) bank balance is getting ridiculous. Nobody prepares you at eighteen years old for the cost of living, you grow up with mum's cooking, dad's taxi service and brother's last twenty quid for a night out. These days I have bills to pay, rent due and food to buy -unless of course I want to live off of cuppa soups and boil in a bag rice for the next 6 months.

Hell, at 21 years old there are a lot of things I am sure of. My career- primary teaching. How many kids I want, (4, two boys two girls), who I want to marry - Jake Gyllenhaal, Zac Efron, Ryan Reynolds, The curly haired kid out of One Direction. But there are so many other things I am undecided on, much like I was when I was sixteen, and that is the way it should be. We have to be vigilant in protecting the opportunities we are presented with, we need to embrace the ones which offer the promise of laughter, of seeing the magic in the world. Because the world, doesnt owe us anything. Now is the time to make mistakes, to be bold, to change your mind a million times. Move to Australia for a year, dye your hair a new colour, kiss that boy, buy those Louboutins. You only live once, and the life is measured not by the amount of breaths you take, but by the amount of moments that take your breath away.

Grasp any oppourtunity which comes your way, take it, embrace it, and dont regret it. Never regret anything you have done, because at one time it was exactly what you wanted.

2011- The Year of Responsibility

So, this Christmas, like most, I've eaten far too much chocolate, drunk far too much wine and overindulged in yorkshire puddings. As New Year approaches , I've decided to make a few changes. These include: only eat brown carbs, exercise more and to try and not straighten my hair everyday.  This is because on Christmas Eve 2010, some rather lovely people decided to ask me to be their child's godmother. I am, now therefore, a role model to a 7month old child who I rather adore. This is problematic.

Some of my friends are either in a serious relationship, getting married or at least have a serious job.  I have...none of these things at 21 years old. I live in a student house, and am in the last 6 months of my degree, doing a dissertation on a subject I was previously passion about (note the previously) and will leave university in roughly £22 grand in debt.  I might add, my Sports degree, has no relevance to my desired career of Primary Teaching... Fantastic.

 So my plan is this. I am going to channel Bridget Jones and find a 'nice sensible boyfriend and stop forming romantic attachments to any of the following: alcoholics, workaholics, sexaholics, commitment-phobics, peeping toms, megalomaniacs, emotional fuckwits, or perverts' It would probably help if most of the men i fancy didn't embody most of these characteristics.

I will eat healthily, and give up my student days of a diet consisting of Papa Johns, Chinese and Indian takeaways, and will eat my vegetables, so my godchild  can never say ' If your vegetables are so important, why do you never eat them Rachel?'  and I will at least attempt to limit my cravings for pik 'n' mix to once a month.

I will try to drink responsibly at Cheerleading socials and on nights out in general- i dont feel the need to elaborate on this one.

I will also resist the temptations of the following: hair straighteners, going to the beach,Topshop, The OC/One Tree Hill when i have v.important work to do, and revelling in socially awkward moments.  Actually scrap that, those are some unrealistic goals for a student who only has 5 hours of lectures per week, at least the ones about eating heathily and being happy are  achievable.
Basically, I'm going to try to be the best Godparent i can be, because he is the most perfect little boy. Here's to you little man, you're going to at least make me attempt to be a better person, and you're not even a year old.

And if i fail at that, I can at least try to claim the prestigous role of the  'cool' one. If that fails...i'll just bribe him with presents. And beer.

Amazing.

Life's a piece of (wedding) cake

This Spring/Summer 2010 for me hasn't been about what's on the catwalk. It's been about weddings. My social calender this year has been surrounded by the three I've attended, and whilst it's nice to see people in love tie the knot; I say this with disgust and sarcasm as a singleton ,for me it's just a glorified opportunity to people watch and judge them on their hat/heels/unfortunate dress that they have picked out in an attempt to look vaguely attractive. Mind you, the copious amounts of wine never does any harm either.

The third wedding I went to presented me with a divine opportunity, I finally found somebody on my wavelength. Sat on the 'table of youth' which  sounds like the start of a bad joke as it consisted of an actor, three doctors, a policemen ,  a social worker and me; a poor pennliess student. I had found somebody who I could be myself around. Sophie was a doctor of 25, who was not like 'the others' ( neither was her other half) they were the types of medics who wouldn't have been incongrouous in an episode of scrubs.
She looks like Jessica Szohr, is 5'11 , reads heat magazine religiously, knows all the words to Gaga's Telephone and loves to judge people. So after playing minesweeper with the rest of the wine from other tables, ending up with 6 bottles of Rose, we sat down to let the giggles commence.

'Ankle Boots' was a woman who had clearly read fashion magazines, and seen celebrities wearing dresses with shoe-boots. She got it wrong. Very wrong. Her dress was an orange and brown affair which looked like a four year old child had splattered paint on it. As if this wasn't unfortunate enough she then decided to wear boots with it. Not shoe boots, not leather boots, not calf boots....but black square toed, square heeled zip at the side boots. However , the way i have just described them will never do them justice which they clearly deserved.  To add insult to injury, she then proceeded to grind against her boyfriend in a manner which made both Soph and I vom in our mouths, grabbing his crotch, shimmying up and down in what she must of thought was a seductive manner and generally acting like a fourteen year old homonal tween.


We then caught eye of a man with his girlfriend who we decided must be sexually confused. The way he was dancing, would have made Bruno Toneolli squeal, all thrusting hips, saturday night fever pointing, and Mick Jagger-esque strutting. May i add, this man was not drunk. He also danced on tables.


It's a shame that so far, no weddings for 2011 have been instigated. However, I live in hope that the next one shall be as eventful, wine, giggle and gossip filled as these, this way I can resume practice of making myself feel better by watching those more unfortunate.

Bitch?
Me?
.....
Not at all,
sort of,
when nesseccary,
Probably,
Always

yes.

We're All Going On a Summer Hell-iday

There are two words in the English vocabulary  that have filled me with utter dread ever since I was 15: que terrifying sterotypical horror movie music.......Summer Holiday.

Now most people revel in pre-tan season, they go shopping and embark on a '6 sit up, 3 grapes two days prior to' diet, and although, admittedly I am also guilty of that forementioned crimes, I also have other issues to think about.

Aeroplanes make me want to cry, don't get me wrong, I love flying, but other issues which surround the bus of the skies make me want to scream.

Im tall, 5"10, please dont be jealous about my 36" legs because this presents a problem. I had a lovely experience of having metal pins screwed into my knee to hold it together, so any flights are a killer. I've got to be able to move my legs around otherwise , upon arrival and leaving the plane I walk like i have a wooden leg which is rotting and consquently falling off and ensure that people stare at the girl with the retarded walking issues..So I really appreciate the utter BELLENDS who have the nerve to decide not to ask if they can recline their chair, but who wait until I'm asleep until they commit this henious felony. I just love waking up and not being able to move my legs, because the person in front has declined their chair so far back they may as well be lying flat on the floor. It took a considerable amount of strength not to vomit in the provided sick bags, and pour it over the woman in front's head. Instead I was much more mature. I simply kicked the back of her chair at every opportunity and woke her up on countless occassions.


The incessant noise coming from small children, tweens etc who refuse to sleep. There are movies on the plane, radio stations, and I'm pretty sure you have a Nintendo DS or an Ipod so WHY do they feel the need to continue making noise on an overnight/early morning, transatlantic flight. However, there are solutions a) seat them all together and nowhere near me b) don't let them on the plane. Simple.

Aeroplane food. I'm not even discussing this.

Holiday Location..anywhere in the Arabian/Asian district...it's like theyve never seen a ginger girl before with the stares they give me....hahaha o wait. they probably haven't.

Being back in England: Recently returned home, its Friday the 13th, and it's raining. FML

So for now, I will instead try to embark on a continuous exercise/diet regme, save money and look for possible locations for the next summer, so i can do it all over again.