Product Review: Zenkle’s Solution To Remaining Stress Free All Day

If you know me, you would know that I am always on the hunt for products to help with my anxiety. Products that will help me calm down in times of distress. Products that will help slow my mind down enough for me to have a good sleep.

While I have managed to find a number of creams and soaps to help with this, I have recently been on the hunt for something light that I can take with me on the go.

While I was on the hunt, Zenkle came into the picture. Zenkle is a Singapore based company which primarily sells self-care items. Their products include things like candles, tea, soaps or loofas. All the things one might need to have a relaxing night.

But recently, Zenkle has come up with two specific house made products to help calm people down. They have a stress-free roll on for daytime, on the go relief and a pillow mist for you to spritz over your bedding to help you drift to sleep.

So I have both products and I’m super excited to tell you how I feel about the, because they have honestly been a game changer for me.

Zen Day Stress-free Roll-on (S$15)

Living in Singapore can be super stressful and there are so many times that I just feel myself getting very worked up or getting a migraine just because I’m stressed.

Now usually I would pop in a painkiller to kill the headache and just move on but I quickly started to realise that my Zen Day Stress-free Roll-on was doing just as good a job, if not better.

This little bottle is super convenient to carry around because you can just throw it into your bag and use it whenever you need a little boost of calm.

No initially I was worried that the smell would affect my friends or people around me especially because we all know how awful it can be when someone breaks out medicated oil in the middle of class. But I didn’t have to worry at all.

The roll-on contains and aromatic blend of lavender, lemongrass, and bergamot which smell incredible and honestly don’t cause any discomfort to anyone around you. I mean it smells amazing so I don’t see why it should amiright?

In fact, a number of my friends asked to see the bottle when they saw me using it or commented on the lovely scent which was really nice.

The lemongrass in this roll-on is the most overpowering scent here so if you like lemongrass, you’ll love the smell. It’s also just a very refreshing scent which is perfect for a daytime calming solution.

Zen Night Pillow Mist (S$18)

When I was very young, my parents used to have this little capsule of essential oils for babies that they would spread over my pillows and bedding and it was so incredible because it smelled divine and it would help me sleep instantly.

This little capsule thing has now been discontinued now (much to my dismay) and for a while now, I’ve been trying to find something similar to it to replace it. So you can imagine my excitement for this pretty little pillow mist.

So first of all, can we just talk about how pretty this little bottle is? It’s so pretty and convenient. You can literally bring it around everywhere and even if you don’t, it just looks so cute on your bedside table. I can’t even deal.

So let’s talk about what’s inside. The Zenkle pillow mist is made out of a  100% natural, aromatherapeutic blend of lavender, vetivert and chamomile though I would say the lavender comes out the strongest here. This is perfect for me personally because I love lavender and it is one of those scents that can just knock me out.

I’ve been reaching for it daily since receiving it. Honestly all you need is two to three sprits on your pillow and you’re good.

It dries quite fast too so you don’t have to sit around waiting for too long. Usually I’ll spray it on and then do the final step in my skincare routine and by the time I’m done, my bed is all ready for me to sleep on.

You’re probably wondering how well it works in lulling you to sleep though which is obviously the most important part of the product and I’m here to tell you that it works wonders! I am a notoriously bad sleeper. I can never sleep deeply enough and I wake up quite often or toss and turn for ages. However, with this product, I find that I am sleeping so much better and most importantly, faster.

I toss and turn a lot less now which really reduces a lot of anxiety. I mean I’m sure you know that its very stressful when you’re struggling to sleep and you have an early morning the next day or an important one. So reducing the time needed to sleep is very important.

Probably my only gripe with the product is that the smell doesn’t last all night and so you only really get the effects as you’re drifting off and of you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep, you’ll probably have to re-spray.

But that’s a minor problem because there are very few products in the world that have scents that can actually stick for an extended period of time.

Overall, I’m super happy with the new Zenkle range. I mean they work really well, they smell amazing and the best part is that they are free from all the gross stuff you don’t want on your skin such as parabens, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS), petrochemicals, synthetic fragrances and artificial colors. Plus they are cruelty-free! Literally it doesn’t get better then this.

So pop on over to Zenkle  and order your roll-on and spray to enjoy stress-free days and well-rested nights.

*These products were provided to me very kindly by Zenkle to review. However, all thoughts and opinions are my own*

 

21 Things I’ve Learnt At 21

Hey guys! It’s my birthday! I’m officially 21! I feel old. And very adult-like. I don’t know. It’s weird.

Anyway, I know I haven’t really been very regular with blogging anymore. Life and school has become very overwhelming. However, I really wanted to sit down and write a post that I’ve been writing for the last three years on my birthday (this year will be my fourth birthday on the blog!). I wanted to give you guys 21 things I’ve learnt at 21.

1. Some fights are not worth dragging out. Don’t hold on to your anger.
2. Let the little things go. Pick your battles.
3. Blessings come in many shapes, forms and sizes. Pay attention.
4. Make rash decisions. You don’t always need a pro con list.
5. Sometimes your dreams come true unexpectedly and sometimes they are not what you expected them to be. That’s okay. Move on. Find new dreams. Make new goals.
6. Decluttering does absolute wonders for your mental health.
7. Relationships are hard work and they require a lot of give and take.
8. Your ego really means nothing. You lose nothing by laying your ego down. In fact, you simply gain respect.
9. In a relationship, there are two people and the feelings and thoughts of both people are equally valid and important.
10. Never go to bed angry. Just don’t do it. Talk it out always.
11. There is greater value in reading for quality rather than quantity
12. Taking a step back from your school work to give yourself a mental break does not mean that you will fail.
13. Money can be earned back but certain milestones and experiences only come once. Don’t be afraid to enjoy yourself.
14. Be on time for things. Don’t be super early for everything. Use the extra time for other things. Life is not all about sitting around waiting for other people.
15. If you procrastinate, you waste time that you could’ve spent on something more important.
16. Choose your family over your career. Always. Being number one in your job isn’t as important as meaningful connections with the people who matter the most.
17. Pick a job which doesn’t require constant overtime or weekends away. And if you can’t avoid it, then make sure that company compensates you with time off or overtime pay. Time off is very important because time off is time for yourself and your loved ones.
18. Don’t sweep issues under the rug. Take them out and talk about it and work it out.
19. Doubt will kill even the best of things.
20. Trust your heart. It often knows what it’s doing.
21. Go out. Explore the world. Don’t stay cooped up in a comfortable bubble. Experience life.

So there you have it. 21 things I’ve learnt in the last year. I’m so excited for the rest of the day. I will be having a brunch party  today and in the evening, I have a dinner party. I can’t wait to see what 21 will bring.

Lots of love and merry Christmas!

Product Review + Exclusive Discount: Maccessories MacBook Skins

Hi guys! Happy Friday!

Last week, I finally got my new MacBook Pro. I’ve had my old MacBook for about five years and it was getting very slow. So I decided to upgrade before I started university.

Of course, me being me, I had to deck out my laptop in some cool gear to personalise it. My old MacBook had a pink hard case and stickers. However, I was determined to make sure that this Mac looked like something a university student should be carrying.

I knew that I wanted something with a marble sort of design. Marble is very in right now and it looks gorgeous as well as professional. I also needed something that would protect my computer considering that I would be putting it in a bag every day and using it in class and in my dorm room. I am really not the gentlest of people with my things.

During my hunt for the perfect way to decorate as well as protect my MacBook, I got an email from Maccessories letting me know that they had a whole new set of skins for MacBooks. They invited me to check them out.

When I got on their site, I was blown away by the number of choices I had in front of me. They have so many designs to choose from. I struggled so hard to pick one guys. I’m not even kidding.

If you are searching for a unique way to deck out your Mac, this is completely where you should go.

What I Thought Of It

I put the skin on my laptop immediately after receiving it and I have to say, it was the easiest thing to do.

I am the clumsiest person ever and I can usually never get these things right without leaving at least five bubbles but for some reason, this just ended up sliding on perfectly.

Now one of my biggest concerns with moving from a hard case to a skin was the fact that I was worried it would not protect my computer as well as a proper snap on case.

Admittedly, the skin does not protect the bottom of my laptop and if I were to hit it against something accidentally, I’m pretty sure my laptop will still get dented. But, it does protect against scratches and dirt which is perfect for me and how I will be using my Mac.

I’m not totally secure in how safe it is just yet but so far, my laptop has been very safe and scratch free. Not to mention gorgeous and light.

Another perk of switching over to a skin is how light it is compared to a hard case. I really enjoy knowing that my computer is protected but that I don’t need to lug around a laptop that is twice its weight simply because of a case.

Finally, the shipping was lighting quick. I was so surprised when I saw it in my mailbox just a couple of days later. Usually things take about one to two weeks to get to Singapore so this was an incredible feat in itself.

Overall, while I’m not entirely sold on how well this skin will help me should I drop my laptop, I am very pleased with how well it has managed to avoid scratches. It’s kept my Mac looking amazing and I am very excited to be carrying it around campus in a couple of weeks.

Exclusive Discount

And now comes the fun part. The part where you get perks for simply being one of my readers (and making it to the end of this).

Maccessories is giving you guys a 15% discount! All you have to do is enter the code 23pages when you checkout an item. Yes, you’re welcome.

*The product was sent over to me for free. However, all opinions are my own.*

What’s Up Wednesday: I’m Back + Life Updates

Hey guys! It’s been a minute hasn’t it?

As most of you might know, I basically vanished for the last three or so months. I stopped blogging to a large extent and I stopped replying emails related to the blog (I’m so sorry. I’m working on catching up now).

I promised you that I would update you as to why I disappeared and so here it is as well as a couple of life updates so you can catch up.

1. My Internship + The Scholarship

I have spent the last six months working towards a scholarship. As many of you will know, I want to be a journalist and I’ve dreamt of working at Singapore’s national newspaper ever since I was 14.

So I was applying for the Singapore Press Holdings scholarship. It is an incredible scholarship that I have been eyeing for many years. I submitted my application in January and by March, I had passed the writing test and the first interview.

There was just an internship at The Straits Times, an appraisal and a final interview left.

So I started at The Straits Times in March. I was in Digital for five weeks and then I moved to News till I quit on June 16.

It was the most intense three months of my life. While getting to be published in our national newspaper was so incredible, the hours were often very tough. I never knew what time I would end so I could never make plans. I would frequently end at 11:30pm and I really had no life.

My weekends were spent making up for lost time with my family and friends and I had little time for much less including reading and blogging.

In the end, I was told through a short email that I hadn’t made the cut for the scholarship. This was a huge blow after working so incredibly hard and for so long for it.

However, I believe that everything happens for a reason.

I spent the day crying and then the next day, I went back to work. I still remember how drained I was. Like all the fight had left me. It didn’t seem possible that after working so hard and throwing myself completely into the internship, I had still fallen short. Don’t they tell you that you get what you work for? I worked so incredibly hard.

My future was hanging by a thread. I was supposed to get the scholarship and that scholarship was supposed to fund my education in the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Without it, everything would be very dicey.

Of course it didn’t help that an editor who I didn’t know very well, decided to sit me down and tell me that I would never make it as a journalist and that I should quit while I was ahead.

Remember that scene in Gilmore Girls where Mitchum Huntzberger tells Rory that he doesn’t think she “has what it takes.” to pursue journalism? Yes. It happened exactly like that and I felt exactly the way Rory did because I too have been working to be a journalist for what feels like my whole life.

So I went back to work the next day. I was going to tell my boss that I was going to quit by the end of the week. But then an email came in from Nanyang Technological University (NTU). I had somehow, by God’s grace, gotten accepted into their English programme.

Instantly, my whole life fell into place before my eyes. A year of stress and worry just melted away.

So I, who always makes very calculated decisions, jumped headlong into what has been the biggest decision of my life. I accepted the offer the next day and extended my internship by another three weeks and all was right in the world.

2. Starting University

So now, I’m on the cusp of starting a four year degree at NTU. I will be studying English and I hope to minor in Communications Studies as well. I start on the 31st of July.

As a reader, you can imagine how thrilled I am that I will be in a course where I will be studying language and books and authors. It’s truly perfect for me.

As for becoming a journalist, I still intend to do that. I’m still freelancing with Popspoken and I intend to continue as a journalist after I graduate. The opinion of one person is not going to push me off my path. I truly feel that I have what it takes to be a journalist and I love it more then anything so yes, I have taken his criticism and I have taken out what I felt was useful. But the thing is, no one is born into a career.

Lawyers become lawyers through law school. Doctors become doctors through medical school. No one is born a lawyer or a doctor or a journalist. You get there by working yourself to the damn bone.

If you aren’t struggling, you aren’t growing and you aren’t getting better.

3. I graduated

Yup! I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic finally! Here are some shots from that day:

That’s it for now folks. By the way, if you want to read the articles that I’ve been writing during my hiatus, you can access them here.

Tag: 15 Weird Questions

Hi guys! So It’s another day and another tag because quite frankly I am way too busy dealing with exams and final assignments to blog. I’m actually about a week away from finishing my polytechnic life forever so that’s exciting.

So I basically decided to pull out an old draft and post that instead of just vanishing for weeks.

So anyway, I thought it would be cool to do the 15 weird questions tag because I love weird questions. I mean I think you only really know a person when you ask weird questions because then you really get to the nitty gritty of a person.

What’s a nickname only your family calls you?

Cams

What’s a weird habit of yours?

I bite the skin on my fingers. I know. It’s weird and gross and often painful but yes.

Do you have any weird phobias?

I have a phobia of swallowing pills. It used to be every single pill but I’ve gotten a lot better and now I can swallow small pills. I still have to crush quite a number of pills though.

What’s a song you secretly LOVE to blast & belt out when you’re alone?

Oh my there’s so many! Strangers Like Me by Phil Collins, Halo by Beyonce and I Want It That Way by the Backstreet Boys to name a few.

Quite honestly most of my music is either Disney or 1980s or way too indie for anyone else to enjoy.

What’s one of your biggest pet peeves?

People who are rude and inconsiderate. Also people who are not punctual and responsible.

What’s one of your nervous habits?

I bite the inside of my left cheek sometimes till it bleeds. I developed that habit when I went for my first MRI and I was about to have a nervous breakdown while I was trapped in that noisy machine  for what seemed like hours.

What side of the bed do you sleep on?

Well I sleep on a single normally but when we are on holiday or anything I always sleep on the left or the side that is next to the window.

What was your first stuffed animal & what was its name?

I don’t know what my first stuffed toy was but the first one I remember was a blue rabbit that my dad got me. It had a name attached to his foot but I forgot what it was.

What’s the drink you ALWAYS order at Starbucks?

The key to my heart is knowing my Starbucks order. So it’s a tall chocolate chip frappuccino with one pump of hazelnut, one pump of mocha, extra java chips and whipped cream. Never forget the whipped cream and I’ll hate you if you get me anything more then a tall.

What’s the beauty rule you preach.. but never ACTUALLY practice

Using toner haha! I used to religiously use toner twice a day and I swore by it but somehow I just got lazy and now I tell everyone about toner but I don’t actually use it anymore.

Which way do you face in the shower?

The shower head side.

Do you have any ‘weird’ body ‘skills’?

Not really.

What’s your favorite ‘comfort food’/food thats ‘bad’ but you love to eat it anyways?

Instant noodles.

What’s a phrase or exclamation you always say?

Oh my God.

Time to sleep- what are you ACTUALLY wearing?

An oversized t-shirt and long pants that are probably oversized as well.

So there you go. A very weird tag I must say.

Anyway, I hope you guys don’t mind that I probably will disappear for the next week. It’s my final week then I’m done and I’ll be back here with loads of exciting content.

Till then, love you guys loads!

 

Tips For Staying in

Hey guys! So as you know, I am a huge fan of staying in. If you follow me on my Snapchat or Instagram, you would know that Friday nights for me means turning on a scented candle and curling up with a book.

While I have made significant efforts to get out more lately, deep in my heart, I am a huge fan of nights in and I’m not entirely sorry about it.

So today, I thought I would give you guys three tips for staying in.

1. Buy a scented candle

You can’t do a night in without a scented candle in my opinion so go out to Yankee Candle or your favourite store and buy yourself a scented candle.

Personally I think the autumnal scents are the best for when you’re staying in because they give you that added cosy feeling even if it may be boiling hot outside.

My personal favourites are the Apple Cider and Cinnamon candles from Yankee.

I also strongly suggest investing in a candle warmer. A candle warmer basically warms your candle so that the wax melts without you ever having to light a fire. Perfect for people like me who are scared of fire or who tend to fall asleep with the candle still on.

So you can curl up in bed and not have to worry about burning your house down.

2. Pick a short book

For me, a night in usually means reading. But you want to feel accomplished because a night spent curled up should always have a nice feeling of accomplishment at the end.

I don’t know. I feel like after time out with a friend, I feel accomplished. Like hey I’ve spent time with this person that I care for and I’ve strengthened our relationship. So the key to a good night in is feeling a similar sense of accomplishment.

So what I like to do is to pick a book that is short. Perhaps something like a poetry book or a novella. And I’ll binge read it and the satisfaction is amazing.

3. Turn off your phone

Now I’m guilty of this as well but very often, our quiet night in can become something entirely different because of a text you might have gotten or because of something you saw on Instagram. Not to mention the fact that when you start scrolling, you sometimes don’t stop till hours later.

So my advice is to just turn your phone off or keep it in a place that you can’t reach easily.

Don’t let your quiet night be ruined by people on the outside.

So there you have it. Three things that I recommend you do to have the perfect stay in. Remember that it’s okay to say no to an outing sometimes in favour of me time. Me time is extremely important so prioritise it for yourself.

My 2016 Wrap Up

I’m not going to give you that ‘time flies’ nonsense today. I mean obviously time flew this year but I think I’ve done so much in these last 12 months that if I look back, I can actually account for the time. Anyway, I wanted to wrap up this year by giving you guys a little run down of my year because some memories are worth documenting.

I got my drivers licence

In January, I finally passed my driving test (after three tries) and I got my driver’s licence. I honestly don’t know how the heck I managed to hypnotise anyone to let me be on the road legally if I’m being honest.

Anyway, in less then a month, I will be taking off the triangle that we are required to stick on our cars in the first year of getting our license and I will be officially off probation.

I won’t lie. Driving has been one of the scariest things I’ve ever done. I can drive but I hate it because it terrifies me to no end. As a result of that, my dad has had to literally force me behind the wheel as often as he can so that I will practice.

And while I still do have a very very long way to go, I am making progress. In fact, just last week, I took the car with my brother (who can’t drive yet) and I drove to the airport to pick up my dad who was flying back home from a business trip.

I consider that to be my first solo drive because obviously my brother could not help me if I ran into trouble. This was the first trip I’ve done without another licensed driver in the car and I couldn’t be more proud of myself.

I did my first internship

This year, I did my very first internship. I did six months at Youth.SG and I enjoyed my time so much. I really grew so much in that time and I made so many friends who I still keep in contact with today.

I honestly can’t believe how much my internship shaped me. In a way, I think it forced me to grow up and to face a lot of the things that I’ve always found to be quite terrifying like meeting new people, going to new places and doing new things.

Another awesome thing was the people. As I mentioned, I made so many new friends in my internship and I really feel like we all became a sort of family. In school, I was so used to toxic people that I just expected that from Youth.SG. But instead I found some of the most genuine and loveable people ever and I am so grateful for the six months where I got to feel wanted and important.

I mean everything I did was celebrated while I was at Youth. Yes I got into trouble sometimes (for not keeping to the house style mostly oops) but I felt really valued there. Like what I wrote was important.

In fact, I went back to visit the office a few days ago and everyone was so happy to see me and it made me feel so good.

All I can say is that I am so grateful to Youth.SG and I really owe them a lot.

I covered loads of concerts

Because of my job, I got the opportunity to go for many concerts this year to review them. I saw The Sam Willows at the Music Run, Greyson Chance,  Jay Chou,  Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider, Tiffany Alvord, Gentle Bones, Selena Gomez and Simple Plan. Yup. Looking at that list I really do realise how blessed I’ve been.

I also got to meet and interview Greyson Chance, Charlie Lim and Jai Waetford which was incredible.

I covered loads of events and met loads of people

One of the best things I did this year was to freelance. I wrote for a number of other publications after I left Youth.SG and because of that (and also Youth.SG), I managed to go to a lot of very cool events and openings this year.

This year, I got to cover the Illumi Run, the launch party of the Music Run, the opening of the Friends cafe in Singapore, Singapore Writer’s Festival, the media preview of a new gameshow, media previews of movies and so much more.

These events were so much fun but above that, it really helped me to build my confidence. I can now attend an event and if I’m alone, I don’t really care. Many times, we are sent to cover events alone and because of that, I have been forced to learn how to function on my own. A skill that I previously did not have.

I put out my Working on the Dead series

This year, I pitched a very  adventurous series. If you’ve been following me for a while, you would know that this series was the Working on the Dead series. Essentially this article led me to some very crazy places.

I ended up watching two embalmings, going for a Buddhist encoffining, watching an embalmer clean and place a foetus into a coffin and even following a funeral director and a coffin to the fright terminal to watch them load the coffin into a plane. I talked to so many amazing people in the funeral industry, had some creepy experiances, broke down many times and achieved one of my biggest successes to date. It was epic.

I got two of my articles promoted on social media

One of my proudest achievements this year was that two of the articles I wrote for Youth.SG got promoted on their social media. That means that they paid Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to have my article pop up everywhere. It was really surreal especially when a  friend found one of my articles being promoted on 9Gag.

I experienced my first relationships

Okay here’s where I come clean. The boy that I was all messed up about a little while ago was the second guy. Earlier this year there was another guy who liked me and we went out and texted and that kinda stuff.

Unfortunately I just felt like he and I didn’t really get each other in the way I wanted us to so I ended it with him. Very uneventful in my opinion because I wasn’t even upset which yes, I do feel bad about because I think he actually liked me but yes. It happened.

Anyway, this year I experienced my first brush with relationships. Yes they both ended before they really began but it’s given me a lot of perspective when dealing with guys.

I read 61 books

Last year, I read 114 book. So this year was quite an insane drop to 61 books but also I know that with my internship and my cousin’s wedding, I barely had any time at all so I’m not too disappointed. I’m just glad that I reached my Goodreads goal (even though I had to tweak it here and there along the way).

I went clubbing for the first time

A while ago, I made the decision that before I turned 20, I wanted to go clubbing at least once. That very day, I got an email inviting me to cover the soft opening of Zouk’s new location in Clarke Quay.

So I went with my best friend and she and I had such a good time. We drank and I got so high and we danced and we got hit on a couple of times and I had such an incredible time. Certainly a night I’ll remember (kinda haha) for a long time to come.

The best part was that I got home at 5.30am, had breakfast with my parents and then we went straight to church without sleep because my parents’s rule (really my grandma’s rule) is that you can club till all hours as long as you make it to church still. So that was really fun.

So there you go. My year in a nutshell. Obviously a lot more happened this year but these were some of the highlights. I truly am so happy with how much I grew and learnt this year. You know a lot of good and a lot of bad happened this year but I think I can still very proudly say that this was one of the best years of my life.

I mean ever since I was 10, I’ve been working towards becoming a writer and this year, I finally got to see what it really means to be a journalist and I am so happy with my career choice. I have so much passion for what I do and this year really showed me that I can really do this for the rest of my life.

Emotionally, I grew so much stronger as well. I think getting my heart broken this year was the most devastating thing to happen and I still am feeling the aftershocks. You know every time I see a picture pop up on Instagram or when I see that he’s liked one of my pictures or that he’s watched my snapchat story. There’s always that jolt. But I’ve grown so much stronger for that and it’s only because I’ve grown stronger that I don’t regret him at all. I’m just a really sentimental person.

In some ways though, I think I’ll never love as carelessly again and that is something that I both resent and appreciate. With him being my first real something, I think I threw myself in and I allowed myself to love him with everything I had. I don’t think I’ll ever do that again. I think I finally get why people say that once they’ve been hurt, it’s hard to learn to love again. I’ll never let myself be so vulnerable again.

Aside from that, meeting so many people and getting to see such cool things as part of being a journalist was such a huge part of my year. I feel like meeting all these people just opened my eyes to a world that I would have never gotten to see if I didn’t do what I do.

Just this week, I got to see a 16 week old foetus who had died a day before Christmas. I watched an embalmer wash the foetus and place her in a coffin and it was so sad but also so fascinating. I mean who gets to say that they’ve seen that? I am constantly discovering new things about my world and I love it.

2o16 will always be the year that I grew up. It will be the year that I formed some of my closest friendships. It will be the year that I learnt what it means to push yourself to your limit. What it means to be brave. What it means to be kind and gentle in the face of extreme cruelty.What it means to be mature. What it means to carry on even though your world is shattering. 2016 will always be the best year of my life and I hope it was yours as well.

 

 

20 Things I’ve Learnt at 20

Hello guys! It’s my 20th birthday today! I can’t believe this is the third birthday that I’ve spent on here. It’s a little strange to know that as this blog grows, I’m also growing. I feel like I’ve managed to clock a lot of pretty major milestones and experiences here and it’s just pretty incredible and special.

So last year, on my birthday, I put up a post called 19 Things I’ve Learnt At 19 and I thought in keeping with that, I would give you guys 20 things that I’ve learnt since I turned 19 a year ago.

1. Office politics is a very real thing. Do whatever it takes to be liked by your boss and you will see many doors open for you.

2. Remember that sometimes, being right is not as important as respecting authority. Your superiors will never like you if you constantly push for what you feel is right and when you disregard them. Remember. They are your superiors for a reason.

3. People will always be jealous of you for some reason or the other. The idea is to ignore them, recognise that you are fantabulous and keep moving on.

4. I know this is said many times, but believe it when I say that real friendships develop when you guys are there for each other during the heartbreaks, the failures and the loss. No strong friendship was ever built on sunshine alone.

5. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Even though many signs may point to someone wanting to be in a relationship with you, always proceed with caution until you can be absolutely sure.

6. Communication is very important in any relationship and it can really break or make it.

7. Games are for children and if you still insist on playing them as an adult, you will find that people will avoid you like the plague. No one enjoys being with someone who plays games with them and their feelings.

8. No matter what, always treat people the way you would want to be treated. How would you want to be let down? How would you like your best friend to respond when you tell her you’ve been hurt? Treat people as if they were you.

9. Speaking of treating people right, remember also that you will never please everybody so sometimes you need to make the decision to do what’s best for you even if it means that you aren’t very nice to people. You are important as well.

10. Post the pictures that make you smile instead of the ones where you look perfect or the ones which you know will get you loads of likes. Post the blurry picture where you’re laughing weirdly at a joke that was just said because you will look back at that and you will remember and you will be happier then if you had posted that perfectly staged photo.

11. Nothing amazing will ever be achieved if you are constantly comfortable and constantly doing things by the book. Bend the rules. Push yourself to do things that you may be terrified of or that most people are terrified of. That is what will make you great.

12. When you’re young, do all the crazy things you want in terms of your career. Make decisions on a whim, dare to do things that are usually not done and say things you shouldn’t say but that people need to hear. If you mess up, this is the only time that you can feign that you did not know the rules and where you can get away with it. If you succeed, you will reap the benefits of that for a very long time to come.

13. New experiences are important. Try everything even if you think you may not like it. You never know what kind of fun you could discover.

14. Make plans with people. Sometimes you need to make the effort to keep a friendship from just fizzling out and that’s okay. Do it because friends are very important and you should never be petty about things like this.

15. You’ll never find love when you’re actively looking for it. Take a step back and just live. Love will come.

16. Don’t respond in anger every time. Sometimes you need to pick your battles and know when to let things go even if it’s the hardest thing to do.

17. Having a quiet chat with a friend over food or a drink is as good as therapy. Do it often.

18. Say yes to as many things as you possibly can because experiences shape you and even though you might feel out of place at an event, you still have that experience and that’s what matters.

19. If you’re feeling sad, try this: Walk into a Starbucks and order a chocolate chip frappachino with extra java chips, a shot of hazelnut, a shot of mocha and extra whipped cream. This is a Nutella Frapp (a recipe my best friend and I created through trial and error) and it will cure even the worst of days.

20. Being happy is a conscious decision that you have to make every single moment. You can choose happiness or you can choose to be sad. You can choose to be excited about the prospect of school next week or you can choose to be miserable about it. Make the right choice and life will always work out.

So there you have it. It was a lot more lengthy then last year and that’s because I really learnt so much this year and I’ve really come so far. Honestly this year, I think I grew more then ever. I’m so proud of myself and I truly hope that some of these things helped you out as well. It’s important to me to know that what I put out can impact someone positively.

Here’s to being yet another year older. I look forward to continuing to grow and learn with you. Lots of love as always.

This is How You Will Heal

My love.

This is how you will heal:

In the beginning, you will feel like a knife has been jammed into your heart. You will feel that knife every time you move and that will make you want to stay in bed forever.

Eventually, you will have to get up and you will have to function. And as you start to function, the knife will disappear slowly. It will take time but one day, you will remember that knife and realise that it’s actually been gone for a while now and you just haven’t noticed.

You will blame yourself. Oh God will you blame yourself. Even if it was clearly nothing you did, babe you will blame yourself. You will find fault in everything you did. Did you love too hard? Were you too available? Did you give him the wrong signals?

Eventually, you will become more rational. As the hurt clears, you will see things clearer and you will see that nothing could have prevented the inevitable. In fact, you’re probably better off without someone who would have a problem  just because you know what you want.

You will want to stalk him on all his social media. It’s probably the worst thing you could do to yourself but sometimes we just have to let ourselves do it. So go ahead and check up on him as many times a day as you need.

Eventually, you’ll go from checking his profile 10 times a day to 8 and then to 4 and finally you’ll wonder why on earth you ever bothered to invest time in tracking his every move when he is no longer important to you.

If you have not unfollowed each other, you are going to spend ages analysing why he still likes your pictures and watches your snaps. Eventually, the jolt you get every time you see his name in your notifications will fade to a bump and eventually, you will no longer feel anything. Eventually, he will just become one of those irrelevant free likes. Trust me. It will happen.

You will want to listen to all the music that reminds you of him because it will make you feel closer to him. Forget how bad it makes you feel. You need to feel him even if it is only through music. Okay. Listen to the songs.

Eventually, you will realise that all this does is put you in a funk and you will make the decision to put on a happy song and dance around in your room with wet hair and you will be so incredibly happy that you will wonder why you ever sacrificed your happiness just to preserve a memory with him.

You will feel lonely. You will look at other couples and you will be jealous.  You will want what they have and that’s not wrong but it’s not going to help you. Doing that only leads to rebounds and that’s not fair to anyone.

One day, you will realise that you have settled unintentionally into your single hood and that’s when you will be ready to find someone else and to be happy with them.

So my darling, this is how you will heal. You will go through the pain but you will come through on the other side. Even if it doesn’t feel that way right now, know that there is an end to your tunnel. Pain is inevitable. Sometimes you just have to ride it out. Know that I am rooting for you.

This Is My Goodbye To You

 

Hey guys. Today I wanted to do something a little different.

If you read the letter I posted to myself, you would know that 3 weeks ago, someone I cared about greatly did a very douchebag thing to me and whatever it was that we had ended very abruptly.

I firstly want to say that I am okay. When I wrote that letter, I was barely holding it together. I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t been enough for him when I had given this my everything and I cracked.

That was some time ago and it’s taken a lot but I am much better. I still have my ups and downs. I still obsess sometimes. I still think about him too much but that knife that was jammed in my heart has disappeared.

I think, especially on this blog, I can make you guys believe that I live, breathe and dream books but that’s not true. My life is so much more then the pages of a book.

Which is why I think I went about this wrong. When it happened, besides the letter, I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t tell my parents until much later (simply because I didn’t want their sympathy. Not for any other reason) and I only told a select few people what had really happened and what he had actually done.

But heartbreak is an experience. A highly charged, deeply scarring and breathtaking experience. And I should never have decided to shy away from writing about it because my words would have been powerful if I had let it engulf me.

So today I thought I would share with you guys an open letter I wrote to him in August. I never shared it with anyone, including him, but I always knew that I would publish it one day. It was just a matter of when and I think I’m finally ready to share it.

I’ve left the entire letter intact except for the final paragraph which I only just added because I wanted this to be a goodbye letter.

So yes. I’m finally accepting it. I’m finally moving on. I’m on my way to being okay.

Dear You,

I need you to know this. I need you to know that I never experienced such intense emotions as I did the day you waltzed into my life.

I need you to know that I have never felt such indescribable joy. The kind of joy where you can’t stop smiling. The kind that takes over your whole being and just makes it impossible to think of anything but the feeling of your hand on my back or of the time you shyly said I was pretty.

But then there was also the intense grief. The pain I felt when you drifted away. The tears I cried when you forgot and made me feel like a second choice. The heavy feeling when I couldn’t tell you what I really felt. Every time I tried, you turned me down.

I want you to know that when you entered my life, you changed everything. Without meaning to, I dropped my heart in your hands and suddenly, you were in charge. I want you to know that the rational side of me screamed and begged me to be careful. I want you to know how many of my friends fiercely encircled me and made me blankly promise to keep my heart safe from you.

I want you to know that despite everything, I still gave you my heart. I still told the people I loved the most about how happy you made me. I allowed myself to go crazy analysing your every text, your every move, your everything. I allowed myself to believe that we could one day actually be something.

I need you to know that I read so much into everything. That at times I convinced myself that I was worthless and that you were just putting up with me. I wanted to throw in the towel so many times. I didn’t understand why you were doing what you were doing and I drove myself crazy wondering. God I wish you knew just how crazy you drove me.

I need you to know that I never believed that we would last forever. That even though you were perfect for me in every way, I knew that one day, I would find myself sitting on my bathroom floor, crying raw tears over you.

That one day, I would be miles away from you and your name would be a bitter taste in my mouth. That perhaps one day I would look back and remember these incredible few months where we texted every day and craved to know everything we could about each other and I would smile.

Yet I still allowed you in. I still let you slowly lower my guard. I stupidly let you in even though I knew that one day, you would hurt me so badly.

I want you to know that I understood why you had to say no to me. I was hurt but I understood. Not for the first time, I put you above myself. I always put you first and the worst part is that you knew you had me wrapped around your finger. You knew and you let it happen anyway.

You should know that no matter what, every time our song comes on, I’ll think of you. I’ll think of sitting next to you in your car with you telling me to sing along and to not be afraid to sound bad. I’ll remember dancing to drum solos at traffic lights. I’ll remember falling in love with you in the quiet darkness. I’ll remember everything.

I don’t know if I’ll look back at this letter and laugh at how juvenile I was. Or if I’ll look back and ask myself why in the hell I didn’t see it coming. But there you go. There’s three months worth of feelings and memories that you have given me.

So goodbye. I wish it hadn’t ended the way it did and I wish I hadn’t misjudged your character so badly. I wish I hadn’t fallen so fast and I wish I had listened to the people that pointed out the red flags. But you know, I don’t wish you ill. I hope you have a good life. That’s all.

Love,
Cam