2013 Resolutions...

I find that I am more productive and have a better chance of getting things done if I write them down. So… what better place to write my 2013 resolutions?

Rather than having the typical “Lose 10 Kg” and “Exercise and eat healthy” ones, I’ve chosen resolutions that I think are realistic and will make 2013 the best yet!

1.Look for the good in everything.

Now I wouldn’t say I’m particularly a negative person, at all. Im actually quite outgoing and peppy, but sometimes I see the glass half empty when really I could just as easily see the glass half full. So this year, I aim to see the positive in everything. I am going to try and see the beauty in every little moment and recognise the beauty in the little things in life!

2.Work really hard at University

Last year I really just cruised through uni, sure I put effort in sometimes, but this year I really need to focus and push myself to do the best I can and achieve the best results possible.

3. Save my money for something worthwhile

Sure spending my money on clothes and makeup and jewlry and alcohol has been extremely enjoyable, this year, I want to actually save my money so that I can take a trip, or buy a car, or move out. I want to save my money and spend it on something that will have a massive impact on my life, instead of buying a new outfit so go out in. my ultimate goal is to save my money to go overseas at the end of the year so that I can see the beauty in undiscovered territory.

4.Post on this blog regularly

I’ve only had this blog for a day, and this may only be my second post, but its utterly therapeutic to sit down and write things, even if a small number of people will read it. I will take photos of the little things in my days that I think are beautiful or make me happy and I’ll put them on here.

5.Be kind

I want to be kind to people and be a really good friend to all of my friends. I want to cherish the moments I spend with them and be generous and caring towards them. I want to also be kind to my family and appreciate all they do and have done for me, because they're the best.

Okay, 5 resolutions, 5 ways to make 2013 the best year yet, 5 things that will make me happy, 5 goals to complete. 2013, lets do this

byron bay trip 2012/2013

Byron Bay is one of those places that despite what people tell you and show you, you can’t actually understand it or capture it until you’ve actually been there yourself. It’s a quirky, understated place that is captivatingly beautiful in ways I never thought possible.

I spent a week there with a group of 18 people from the 29^th of December 2012 until the 5^th January 2013. I was nearly not going to go, but I did, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. It was the most exciting, scary, overwhelming week I’ve had in a long time and I shared experiences with people I’ll never forget. I opened myself up to people I never thought I would, and I found a little bit more of myself I hadn’t discovered before.

We camped on a football field with no power and communal showers. Before going on this trip, I probably would have dreaded the thought of such things, but I survived it. Camping is beautifully uncomfortable. Camping allows you to wake up as the sun rises, giving you the opportunity to actually enjoy as much of the day as possible. I grew to love struggling out of the boiling hot tent in the morning and not even know what time it was, but know that I had a perfect day ahead of me.

Every day we spent there I learnt more about the people that I travelled with. I only really knew a few of them really well and now I feel as though I’ve found myself a new group of friends who have all shared this amazing week with me.

The beaches at Byron Bay are stunning. The water is crisp, salty, extremely blue and as clear as you could want.

Although most days roughly turned out the same - wake up, shower, get breakfast, head to the beach, get lunch, go back to the beach, return to the campsite, shower, get ready for the night, have dinner, go out – there were some days that we did something different and it often felt like I was living in a movie.

One afternoon that sticks out to me in particular was a Thursday afternoon and the sun was slowly falling towards the horizon and the hot day was coming to an end. The remaining warmth of the sun was shining through the trees on the field and a small breeze was drying my salty wet beach hair. 

We had set up a slip and slide on the hill next to our tents and it was so perfect and fun. We followed that with a massive cricket game with everyone as perfectly summery music played through the speakers of the car, we were all laughing hysterically and it was just picture-perfect. I felt so carefree and happy that moment. I loved every second of that afternoon. Even when I nearly broke my nose on the slip and slide.

We took a trip to the Byron Bay lighthouse one day. The views from the top were breathtakingly beautiful. You could see all the surrounding beaches and their infinite blue colour.

Even though there were some moments where all I wanted was home, air conditioning and my own bed, I wouldn’t change a thing about my week for the world. Our last night of the whole trip is possibly my favorite. We left Byron Bay on the 5^th of January and drove south towards Forster and ended up at this little campsite for the evening. We arrived just as the sun was setting over the lake that lay just next to the campsite and it was exquisite.

As we were only staying there for the night, none of us set up our tents, instead we simply blew up our mattresses and literally slept under the stars. It was the perfect night for it, the sky was so clear and the stars were probably the brightest I’d ever seen. I saw my first shooting star. It was magical. For hours, most of us just lay on our mattresses star gazing, reminiscing about out trip, it was another of the moments I felt like I was in a movie.

All in all it was a simply wonderful week that I could write about for hours and hours, but I am so grateful for it because it allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and do things that scared me and I had insane amounts of fun. It was the best 10 days I’ve had in a while and it was the best way possible to start off 2013.