Category: about me

Converted to camping.

It’s no secret that I used to hate the outdoors, and that the thought of camping would have made me laugh with scorn. Things have, however, changed since I’ve been with Jonny.

Camping April 2

Prior to our getting together my camping experience was limited to annual long weekends in a sweaty 2 man tent at Leeds festival, and a couple of weekends away with the Guides as a child. I’d never been on a camping holiday (nor had I any desire to do so.)

I like my home comforts. I like a comfy bed. I like a toilet that I don’t have to trek in the cold to.

It turns out though that I am willing to live without these luxuries for a break away. We have an air bed so it’s not quite as awful as sleeping on the floor, and my ridiculously thick mummy sleeping bag stops me from getting cold. (I swear I’m part reptile; once I’m cold it takes me a LONG time to warm back up!) This trip we even had a little heater and a light inside our tent which made it infinitely more habitable. There are few things worse than getting dressed in a freezing cold tent!

Camping April 1

We spent the Easter long weekend camping in Haltwhistle with some friends, then stayed an extra night to do some sightseeing on our own. The break was lovely and, dare I say it, not actually that bad to be camping! The shower block was lovely (and a welcome relief after we left our house with our shower refusing to deliver any hot water!) and I managed to deal with the walk to the loos since I knew it wasn’t forever!

I do like our little tipi, and am looking forward to a camping trip to Devon and Cornwall this summer. Especially knowing it’ll definitely be warmer than April in Northumberland! I’ll make sure to take pictures of our actual tent for you to see next time too.

Do you camp? Or do you prefer four walls?

Teenage Diary Excerpts

Teenage Diaries

After thoroughly enjoying reading Hannah’s teenage diary excerpts I decided to dig out my own. I was an avid diary writer throughout my teenage years (and am contemplating keeping one again.)

It was hilarious reading through them again, in particular the boys I liked and the things that I thought were major life issues at 16. Turns out they weren’t such major issues. At all.

Here are a few snippets for you:

Saturday 28th July 2001

We’ve just played Scrabble and Mum & Dad have just blatantly told Ben what words to put and where and they made allowances for him but not me. Could they hide their favouritism any less? they might as well have sat there and told me to fuck off. Anyway Mum has just come and told me I need to shave my legs – how dare she?! I’ll do them when I bloody well want to – not when I’m told to!

(This excerpt in particular had me and Jonny laughing at what a hormonal delight I clearly was!)

Friday 28th September 2001

I’ve just realised how much work I actually have to do and aargh!! I’ll never get it all done! I have loads of Textiles, about 6 pages of English & history, Maths past paper, R.E. coursework & science revision. I mean Jesus Christ our teachers are possessed by the devil and their mission is to kill us with over-homeworking. It’s soooo unfair! Boyf front is still empty but someone keeps ringing my mobile at 9.30 every night and much as I’d like to think it was A I unfortunately think it’s J. Urrgh!!

(There is part of me that wants to go back and give me 16 year old self a talking to about being so ridiculous. I feel a little perspective was definitely in order!)

Monday 26th November 2001

I read this article recently that journal writing is good as it releases tension. I think this is true as it helps me get off my chest things that I would never normally tell to anyone else. It feels good just to say them! Even if it is to a book! Apparently if you put more than one exclamation mark after something you find funny you’re laughing at your own joke. I don’t care. I’m going to carry on doing it anyway!!

(Such a bad ass with my double exclamation marks! I also love that the things I’d not normally tell anyone mainly consisted of boys I was ‘in love’ with, which of my friends were being unfair to me and whether or not my parents actually hated me! )

Sunday 3rd February 2002

It always seems to rain when I do my paper round! WHY ME?! Even though the weather was shit this morning I saw a couple going walking in their trendy cagoules and BIG walking boots – such a sexy image – I think not! Why would anyone choose to walk for fun? It’s bizarre!!

(This really made me smile as I’m now one of those ‘bizarre’ people who go walking for fun.)

Re-reading all my old diaries made me smile, and (in parts) almost cry. Part of me wishes I could go back and tell my 16 year old self that life won’t always be so riddled with hormones and that my family will become some of my closest friends. I’d also tell myself not to waste away the months wishing for a boyfriend! The time will come and it will be worth the wait!

There are still elements of my teenage self in me now though, I still get over-excited about puppies and cute animals; I still have a tendency towards the melodramatic and I still criticise myself more than anyone else does.

It’ll be interesting to look back on this blog in a few years to see how much more my life has changed.

Did you keep a teenage diary? How much have you changed?

 

4 Highlights: March 2015

Daffodil March

When I sat down to write this post I didn’t think that a lot had happened in March. Then I looked back through my diary (turns out some things that I thought were February actually happened this month!) So here are my 4 highlights for this month (also, how is it the end of March already?!)

1: Finding the dress!!

I found my wedding dress this month. Just thinking about it makes me ridiculously girlie and excited. It met with the mothership’s approval and we’re now planning some customisation of it! I managed to find it on the high street, thus saving a small fortune  and meaning we’re not scared to take a needle and thread to make it unique to me! It’s now covered and hanging safely in my childhood wardrobe at my parents’ house. Previously it had been laid carefully out in our spare room with Jonny instructed not to enter into the room for fear of death!

2: Family meet up.

We went to a wedding fair last weekend at our beautiful reception venue and took the opportunity to organise a weekend when both sets of parents could meet up/get to know each other. I can’t think of anything worse than them being strangers on our wedding day. Thankfully it all went well and everyone got on (I think that the Saturday night wine might have helped this along…)

3: Romeo & Juliet ballet.

Every year my mum and I head to Leeds for the Royal Northern ballet’s annual March performance. As my birthday is in February this is always a birthday present. We made a day of it this year, with shopping and lunch in Leeds before heading to the show. It was incredible and made me cry. The end of Romeo & Juliet does this to me no matter how many times or ways I see it performed. What can I say, I’m a bit of an emotional wimp.

4: Daffodil based day out.

This weekend we went on a day out fuelled completely by my love of daffodils! We went to the National Trust properties Acorn Bank and Sizergh Castle, both of which were said to have daffodils in abundance at this time of year and we weren’t disappointed. Jonny got to learn about a restored water wheel powered mill so it wasn’t all too flower based!

What have you been up to this month?