Free Time

Free time is something that I've had a lot of lately because of finishing work. However, today I think is the first day since then and before that I've just stayed at home all day doing not much. Yesterday I went to the Mountain designs to buy my clothes for my Europe trip which basically turned out to be me buying a whole winter wardrobe. None of the stuff is particularly stylish but I guess it's sort of hard to be stylish in sub zero temperatures. Hopefully, when I get to London I can get some more attractive and interesting clothing that is appropriate to wear in such climates. Honestly I don't know how you people in Canada and Europe can stand it wearing all those layers of clothes all the time and then having to take them off when you go inside. I feel this is something that I'm going to need to adjust to when I'm staying in Germany.

The days are going by so quickly and I'm honestly not sure how I'm going to cope in such a strange climate being away from everything familiar. I mean I suppose it'll be a good experience and everything being thrust out of my comfort zone but I must admit that I'm happy being comfortable and thinking about travelling and all that I need to do before I go stresses me out so much. But I guess I'm like that with everything. I wish I was like those people that got unbelievably enthusiastic about EVERYTHING despite numerous obstacles in the way of the exciting thing.

EDIT: I just got a christmas post card from my host parents in Stuttgart. I'm scared that I'm going to disappoint them somehow. They seem like such nice people.

Planning

Yesterday I finished my last day of employment in the cafe in which I have worked for the last 18 months or so. I was lucky enough to be given a gift voucher and cafe tea pot on my leaving which was very generous of my co workers. It is weird to think that I never have to plan my week around my work schedule or worry about getting a call from work asking to come in at the last minute. It's freeing of course, but it also kind of scary because it means I  no longer have an excuse to not prepare for my upcoming trip to Europe.

 At the moment I am just looking at things we can do whilst we are in London and I must admit I can't help but get incredibly excited about it. It seems that the hostel we will be staying in is quite close to the West End and if I can convince my friend whom I'm travelling with to go see a show every night then I'm fairly sure I'll make it happen if I can.  Living in Perth we get the occasional big show coming across for a week or so from Melbourne or Sydney but we don't even have a proper venue for them, the have to be played in a multi-purpose venue, which I'm told, is not that great. For this reason we never bother to see them when they come here we always just see them in Melbourne, when we go there. By happy coincidence, when I went to Sydney in year 12 for a drama tour we went to see most of the big musicals that are still running today. And when I went to London in 2004 I saw the Lion King in the same theatre that it is still currently playing in. I had forgotten that shows on the West End often run for years, it's not a luxury we have here in Perth. We don't have enough people or theatres to enjoy that type of entertainment on such a regular basis.

I'm also really excited about shopping in London. I currently have a wardrobe that is not even appropriate for an Australian winter, this being the case most of my clothes for this trip will probably be purchased from Mountain designs. But hopefully, when I'm in London and in Germany I shall be able to accrue some decent winter clothes which I can also wear at home. I'm hoping I shall not have to worry that I don't have an appropriate jacket to go out in ever again. And that I won't have to wear a cardigan that is missing buttons simply because I have nothing else to wear.

I'm glad that I'm getting more excited for this trip before I was a little apprehensive what with all the organising and stuff to be done but now I'm hoping that it will be worth it.

Summer Time Does not Last

I hope all you avid readers like the background change. I finally got to personalise the background a bit, it's a picture that I took around Easter down south when I was staying with a few friends. I think it's pretty awesome but I may decide to change it again a little down the track.

It's December which means it's Summer in the southern hemisphere and the last few weeks we have experienced so reallly hot days but also, like today some really mild, windy "Oh my God, I almost should have worn stockings/jeans/jacket today, it's that cool!" It's a little strange, but then that's weather for you.

I finished exams about 3 weeks ago and since then I've been hella busy, trying to book flights (all done), reserved accommodation (some done), got in contact with my host family (in progress), collecting scholarship money (done), and finishing up at work (only a few more shifts to go). If you're not sure what I'm talking about; I'm going to Europe in January specifically Germany with a little bit of London thrown in for good measure. Whilst in Germany I'll be studying at the University of Stuttgart for 6 weeks for a language/culture course. This means of course I'll also be experiencing the European winter for the first time and snow for only the second time. I am a little concerned as to how well I shall function in such conditions but I'm sure I'll survive.

For now though, I've just been trying to catch up with all my friends before everyone goes away (everyone is always travelling in the summer holidays). One friend is in Melbourne and going to Singapore and many other places, another is going to Morocco for an internship to teach English, another is travelling with me to Germany. I guess travelling is what you do when you are young.

I think that is all I have to report for now.

I hope you all have a great weekend <3  

T-minus 2 exams to go

Ladies and Gentlemen I am literally a week away from totally finishing exams/uni for the year. Huzzah! Another good thing is that I've also quite miraculously got the wi-fi at uni to work (nicknamed Uni-fi SEE WHAT THEY DID THERE). I mean, I'm quite glad that it's working because it means that I can now blog from anywhere on campus and not just from at home but here's the thing, I have been trying to make it work ALL SEMESTER and it just HAS NOT worked but suddenly one day when I happen to be studying in the library it asks me for my password so I obligingly type it in and BAM! internet connection. Awesome yet confusing.

Studying in the library is pretty good with an internet connection, especially when you're sitting next to a window and can see the baby ducks down on the lawn outside the library. But the sad fact is that I have been studying Philosophy of all things since about 9-ish this morning and it is now almost 1. I am so sick of philosophy. Luckily I have been able to keep myself sane by procrastinating by going on facebook and playing tetris and so on.

Despite this healthy dose of procrastination I have also been able to get quite a lot of philosophy work done, a total of 6 pages and 2,333 words to be exact. I might even do some more after I've finished this blog post.

I can't wait until exams have finished so I can go about organising my summer. I have so much organising to do. Sigh. It should be worth it though. =D

Work work work

It's study week and I am so tired of studying. I am also actually just really really tired. Although at least I am (sort of) studying at an acceptable pace but I still have a looonng way to go. I don't finish until the 19th so it's going to be a long weeks. I also have so much other stuff to do.

I was officially accepted into the Winter Programme at Stuttgart University so now I have to organise all that which involves a lot business with banks and bookings and fees and buying (lots) of things I need to survive in the European winter for 6 weeks and etc. etc. It's all pretty exciting but it does feel like I just have SO MUCH work to do with exams coming up as well and as soon as I finish I have to prepare to go study again. I know, my life is tough. It'll be a lot better once I've finished up with exams so I can mix in a bit of social life with my preparations.

Studying at home by yourself certainly makes you go a little stir crazy. I'm often worried that if I stay at home for a long period of days I'll become slightly agoraphobic or something similar.

It should be a fun summer (winter?) but I will miss being in the Australian sun.

I Love Lists

That's right everyone I will once again be summing up the events in my recent life by making a list!

THINGS  I HAVE DONE

• Sent off the application to spend the summer in Stuttgart, Germany studying German. Promptly received more forms to fill out
• Bought running shoes to wear for indoor soccer
• Went to soccer training (!) 
• Caught up on linguistics lectures and realised that even though the content gets a lot harder next year I should probably continue it and possibly major in it
• Drank some really nice cocktails

THINGS I STILL NEED TO DO (this week)

• Finish Philosophy essay (due tomorrow!)
• Study for German Aural exam (also tomorrow!)
• Vacuum the floors
• Go to the beach
• Do final linguistic assignment 
• Fill out aforementioned exchange forms

I think that all there is to list for today. Uni finishes up in 2 weeks before study break and exams. Ergh too much work to do, so little time. I feel my GPA is going to suffer this semester from lack of prior study, but oh well I still have another 4 semesters to make up for it.

Margo Roth Spielgelman

I would imagine that their are very few people that would actually enjoy being lonely. I mean, I know there are many people who enjoy being alone from time to time but being alone is not the same as being lonely. Being alone means to be by yourself, that is without others around, at any particular period of time. Being lonely on the other hand doesn't necessarily mean there aren't others around, it means that you don't feel like you have anyone who you really can connect with or talk to or be friends with. If you are lonely, you don't feel like you're a part of anything even though you might be in writing.  For example, my friend was recently telling me how lonely he was feeling because his family had recently moved overseas but he had stayed behind by himself. He said he had plenty of friends and obviously went to work and uni and saw people there but he still missed the closeness and belonging of his family.

Loneliness is possibly the worst part of the human condition it is probably (in my opinion) the number one precursor to, and element of depression. If people feel that they are lonely when they are depressed then it doesn't matter how many people try and tell them otherwise, they will still be convinced of their loneliness.

I also think that a lot of the time people feel lonely when they ought not to. Or at least not take their loneliness so seriously and realise it will probably pass all things considered. It seems to me, that sometimes, people feel the need to quell their loneliness with extreme measures, it is like they are looking for some perfect solution, the perfect best friend, the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend, the perfect mother/father (figure), and so on. Generally, however such perfect people don't exist and whilst someone is searching for someone to create a perfect solution to their all encompassing problem, they tend to overlook the other obvious and more accessible solutions. Like, if you do have people around you why don't you just try to enjoy their company instead of worrying that you don't have a close group of friends or a boyfriend or a girlfriend? You'll become more engaging and seem nicer which might make you feel less lonely because, let's face it, most people are exactly in the same situation as you are. Everyone wants to be liked, have friends and know people who they can trust.

Normally, I'm pretty cynical about most things, especially people, but I've learnt there's no point in getting all upset and indignant when people disappoint you because they probably will at some point, just like you will probably disappoint them sometimes. The point is to stop trying to get caught up in people's mistakes and worrying what they think of you, don't categorise your friends or yourself. Someone is always going to try and tell you what you are and they might be right on some things. But who cares?  What good comes from being able to define yourself? You will never stop being yourself doesn't matter who you 'try' to be.

So be grateful if you have people who like to see you whether they be the people at school, work, at home and if you don't think you have these people take another look or failing that go talk to the weird old lady on the bus. You'll feel less lonely. Trust me.