My Balayage Experience

Hello friends! So I finally got my hair done and I thought I’d share my experience with you!

For a while now, I’ve wanted to colour my hair, specifically to ombre/balayage it. I had a faint idea of what I wanted which was to colour the ends of my hair an ashy blonde or light brown. As it was my first time dying my hair I didn’t know what to expect or what I needed to ask for in detail. So it definitely helped that the hairstylist I had was patient with all my questions and took the time to explain everything for a first timer like me.

The appointment started at around 12:30pm and lasted 2.5hours (which is what you would expect from a colouring appointment such as this). I showed my hairdresser photos of what style and colour I was after and she immediately went to mix the right colours for me to get my dark brown hair ‘lifted’ for an easier colouring application.

The first thing they will do is bleach your hair. My hairdresser asked me whether I wanted to bleach the entirety of my hair ends or to mix it with my natural hair, to which I asked for them to mix it with my natural hair as I didn’t want to do anything too drastic my first time. I also kept the top part of my hair with its natural colour so I didn’t damage it too much with a full head bleaching. It should be noted that each stylist will balayage differently so don’t worry if the YouTube tutorials you’ve been watching don’t follow the same method as the stylist you get. What my stylist did was separate my hair into sections and bleached smaller parts and folded it with foil. This was kept in my hair for about 20 minutes.

Next, the bleach was washed out to reveal a bright yellow colour (note that this is what should happen according to my hairstylist). After washing the bleach out, a toner is added which is what will give your bleached hair the colour you want. I did ask how this was different from normal hair dyes you may buy at the supermarket and the difference is that hair dyes can change your natural hair colour while toners will only change your bleached hair colour. However, like hair dyes, toners will fade over time, at which you may want to re-tone your hair or go for a completely different style. At this point, I was asked if I wanted a really blonde colour (like in the photo I showed her) or a darker blonde colour. I wanted a blonder colour but my hairdresser assured me that having a darker colour would mean that after a few washes it would become lighter and that it was more worth it starting off with a darker colour.  So that is what I went with.

After the toning, my hair was shampooed with a nutrient-rich shampoo that was specific for coloured/damaged hair. I can say that with this shampoo, my hair has felt silky smooth for the past few days without any feeling of damage from the bleach.

My hair was then cut (which for me meant a little trim to get rid of split ends) and then blow-dried. My hairstylist then styled my hair into curls before revealing the final product after 2.5hrs of work. I have to say I am quite pleased with the result, but I wish the colour was a bit more noticeable in photos haha. But I guess that also depends on lighting.

Right now I’m just waiting for my coloured hair to lighten up a bit. But it’s still at a very natural and subtle stage which I don’t mind. Next time, I may re-tone my hair a brighter blonde or a lighter brown so it is more noticeable. Or if I’m feeling confident, I may even bleach my own hair and save a bit of money haha.

So that’s my update. Let me know if you’ve recently had your hair done (if it was self-done or at a salon), was it what you were expecting or if there is anything you would change?

you can see the different coloured strands at the top of my head

looks more brown than blonde in this light hmm

Tis the Season

Christmas has finally returned for another family-filled, food-filled and fun-filled couple of days. And seriously I feel as if it has arrived so much faster this year than previous years. As one of my customers said at work, “as you get older, the years go by faster,” and I have realised that this is more true than I thought possible! This year for instance has come and gone so quickly if feels like only yesterday when I was still ‘studying’ for finals (thank goodness though that I’m free from uni until next March HEHE). Anyways I have prepared a little taste of what my Christmas looks like as well as a special Christmas outfit for you guys, so please enjoy!

Christmas to me has always meant family gatherings, large meals, Christmas mass and of course Christmas carols. Surprisingly, I have a renewed love for Christmas carols and just the thought of everyone coming together and singing with so much energy and fun brings me such joy. Like recently at the CASS Christmas party (mentioned in my last post), a group of us sang carols with guitars playing and harmonies ringing. Everyone was smiling and joining in and it’s such a warm feeling being there in the moment.

Another Christmas tradition I grew up with is my Godparent’s Christmas-Eve party where families come together to celebrate. I unfortunately only get to see everyone once a year at this party because they’re not my blood relatives but catching up is always fun. At this party there is always a scrumptious selection of Christmas meals complete with ham and jam and turkey (no need to worry about getting midnight snack cravings!)

Christmas family dinner

After dinner, the young kids prepare a re-enactment of the birth of Jesus Christ. And yours truly played Mary. It’s interesting to see that as everyone gets older, the roles get handed down to the younger generations. For instance I played the Angel when I was younger and my brother played the Little Drummer Boy. These roles were passed down to the younger children last night and my brother was promoted to Joseph HEHE. After the play we sang Christmas carols and enjoyed some desserts before leaving for the night.

This year as well, I watched as the little kids opened their presents and I felt like a child with them! Seeing them rip open the wrapping paper and seeing their faces light up from the goodies underneath was so nostalgic. As I get older, wrapped presents become less of the norm and “Red Packets” become the easier option for relatives to give. So being there in the moment with them definitely brought back good memories.

For my actual Christmas day, this started off with a Christmas mass at my usual cathedral and a roast lunch made by my dad! Seriously the roast pork was en point hehe. Later in the day, I headed off to a friend’s party which was a great way to spend my Christmas with both FAMILY and FRIENDS.

Sausages straight from the bbq

Asian roast lunch complete with rice hehe

And now for the Christmas outfit special that I wore for the Christmas-Eve party. I went for a red and black patterned maxi skirt that I thought was quite festive. I matched this with a plain black tee and a simple chain necklace. For my hair, I plaited my damp hair in the morning and let it remain tied until the moment I was getting ready for the party (this meant that they were tied up for about 4-5hrs). This allowed me to create a wavy effect without the trouble of curling my hair or using heat (yay for lazy methods), and finally I set the waves with some hairspray (otherwise my hard earned curls would be straight within the hour).

And there you have it, my Christmas in a nutshell and a sweet-as blueberry cheesecake outfit to go with it! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and enjoy it with family and friends! Let me know how you celebrate your Christmas/holidays!

HELLO, IT’S ME

Hello friends, wow has it been a while! And seeing as the new year is just around the corner, I thought it would be appropriate that I’d do a little review of the second half of the year, and take some time to reflect on the year that has been 2015.

hello, it’s me

For starters, I have now officially finished the first year of my university degree! Only 4 more years to go!! Honestly when I started uni this year, I was nervous – about making new friends, fitting in, worrying about whether my degree was what I actually wanted to do – and at the same time I was excited – to start living my life and experiencing everything that uni has to offer. And boy did this year not only exceed expectations, but it allowed me to realise that everything I’ve done so far has been part of what I like to call … THE UNI EXPERIENCE *cue bright lights and ethereal music*

High tea with the Hierarchy 🙂

#memesoc at Terrigal 🙂

Let’s go back to the beginning of the year when I went to the orientation camps for both the business part of my degree and the law part of my degree. This was where I had my first experience with alcohol and also where I made some good friends who I’m pretty sure I would never have met otherwise. Speaking of which, I recently went on a trip with my law group of friends to Terrigal for three days and two nights where there was (you guessed it) more alcohol and chill times. I didn’t go away for schoolies (a week after final yr 12 exams end and before results come out), so before going on this trip I was very excited. And honestly I had the best three days that I could have asked for! (Check out my more detailed report of the trip here).

Spoon Bay, Wamberal Beach, Terrigal

Spoon Bay, Wamberal Beach, Terrigal

Continuing on with uni, if you remember back to my TOO LONG (A ‘REVIEW’ OF MY FIRST SEMESTER AT UNIVERSITY) post I mentioned that by the end of this year I would have “joined and actively participated in a society I am passionate about” and would have achieved a “more positive, confident outlook on my university life”. I am glad to say that I have made this happen! I became more active in a society called the Catholic Asian Students’ Society (CASS), where I am currently the Treasurer at my uni. I am so happy that I joined this society because it’s not just a society, but it’s really a family with branches across the four main uni’s in Sydney. I have gotten a lot closer to my faith as well and am eager to learn more next year. The friend’s I have made through CASS are also people who are genuinely amazing with so much love and faith to share. Recently at the annual Christmas party (which happened to fall on my birthday) they surprised me with a birthday cake which I was not expecting! It was a small gesture but I really felt so loved and that I was finally in a great place with my university life.

Enlarge the photo for the Christmas puns!

Apparently I was only turning 1 HAHA

The second half of this year also saw me getting more involved with food, so much so that I went to an INSTAFOODIE Event specifically for enthusiastic foodies from the Instagram community. We went to One Tea Lounge and Grill located on York St near Wynyard Station for a night of fire, ice and delicious food! Check out my Instagram here for pics of the food from the night. Also this year, I went to the Night Noodle Markets for the first time. I have to say, being at uni in the city definitely makes it easier to stay back after classes to meet up with people and head off to events such as this one. There were so many different styles of food available (all with an Asian flavour) that I managed to go three times! In fact this is where I was introduced to One Tea Lounge’s featured Ramen Burger Sliders and their famous Ice Cream Baogers *omnomnom* A particular story pops to mind with this event. So on one of the nights when I went with a friend, we decided to go for some drinks afterwards. And to our surprise we were chatted up by a couple of guys HAHAHA it was legit one of the funniest experiences for both of us!

Ramen and Rice Beef Sliders at the Night Noodle Markets

Fried icecream in a deep fried bao from Gelato Messina

Ice Cream Baogers with a white Ferroro Rocher ice cream patty

9+ Wagyu Beef on a sizzling hot plate and the flaming wagyu volcano

Continuing with the ‘new experiences’ topic, I finally got around to getting my Provisional Driver’s Licence this year! I think I spent about two years as a Learner (meaning I had to drive with a fully licensed driver beside me at all times), so having that freedom to drive whenever and wherever I wanted was both exciting and scary. But now I love the independence I get from driving without bothering my parents to pick me up and having the ability to go to work without having to take public transport. Speaking of work, this year was also the first year I started working. Not only have I developed stronger conversational skills with customers but that feeling of earning my own money feels great!

Yay for passing my driving test!

A sunrise that can only be seen right before I head off to work

One last thing that I had the opportunity to do was attend a BIGBANG concert in Sydney!!! My word, I remember my friend introducing me to K-pop (Korean Pop) almost five years ago and I remember being so hesitant to like it. But now I have a deeper appreciation for it than I thought would be possible. BIGBANG was one of the first groups I listened to and all their songs are amazing. They are very creative with their sound and also self-produce most of their songs which is no small feat. I also remember telling my friend that if they ever came to Sydney I would be going no matter the price, day, time, year, anything! And I am soo happy that they did come Down Under. They really know how to put on a show and I enjoyed every last minute of it! (They’re more beautiful in real life I swear… and their voices ermahgosh it’s like they swallowed their CD!) Can’t wait for the day that I can travel to South Korea and watch them perform live again (and also to see my other favourite groups and try authentic Korean cuisine :)) Check out some of my fancams here, here and here.

During their ‘If You’ stage

During their ‘We Like to Party’ stage

Seungri!

Taeyang with the voice of an angel!

T.O.P rapper: my ultimate bias!

So as Christmas draws near, and New Year’s soon after, I have another message for myself… take care of yourself and enjoy everything. Do the things you’re passionate about because that way you’ll be able to enjoy it more, get the most out of it and not waste your time. Don’t get caught up in the ‘what-ifs’ and the ‘maybes’, just do it! Never think that you’re alone, and don’t be ashamed to ask for help if you need it. I have a good feeling about 2016, so let’s get out there and make it the best year yet!

Uni Days

One of the things that has been the most difficult to adjust to for uni has been choosing what to wear each day. Of course you don’t want to turn up in the same jumper you wore yesterday or the same pants even. But with so many various pieces of clothing I’ve acquired overtime, I can’t help but drift back to the same jeans or same top or the same shoes just because they are so comfortable to wear.

So I thought to myself, what could I do to change up my usual black themed outfits and make it comfortable for a day at uni?

Introducing these light weight, drawstring, trousers I bought on sale from PaperScissors a while ago. On the tag, they were classified as ‘dressy pants’. If that’s not reason enough to love them, then maybe the fact that I can consider myself a little bit fancy by going one step above the classic jean look will do the trick! I love how classic and effortless this look was to put together and how comfortable it was to move around in it.

I paired it with a loose navy striped top from Dotti, as well as a teal coloured necklace for a pop of colour. Add a blazer and I think I’ll be work ready as well! Cheers to multi-purpose outfits 🙂

Stripes, Spots and Statement Necklaces

I am definitely an advocate for easy-to-wear, comfortable outfits that are both stylish  and modest. And if I can do a bit of mix and matching in the process, then all the better!
It’s been a while since I last posted here. Uni being the main cause of my absence. This post was actually meant to go up sometime last month (as you can probably tell by the bright shining sunlight which is so lacking in this Autumn season). But nevertheless, I have found some time to finally finish this post and share with you a new outfit!

It’s funny how before my Something Old, Something New post, I would never have thought to scour through the piles of clothes I have sitting in my wardrobe, other than to look for a particular top that I knew was there. So while attempting to do a bit of Spring cleaning and the seasonal transition into colder weather, I came upon this high-low skirt (with the tag still attached!) I bought this skirt a few years ago because it was on sale, and it came with a lovely teal belt (seen here) that I thought would be good to match with other outfits. The skirt on the other hand, seemed to be a bit more difficult to pair things with.

So I thought, if I’m going to wear this, I’m going to wear it with a striped top and a statement necklace to balance out the different patterns. And to my surprise, I think it worked! The key to my matching would have to be finding a common undertone throughout the three pieces, the obvious (and easiest) colour to match with was black. So now if someone told me I would be mixing more pieces together, I’ll be ready to pair it with anything, as long as there’s a common colour to get me started!

“Maybe if there are two of me, I’ll work twice as hard.”

The Floral Maxi

When I wear maxi dresses, I wear it with a side-split skirt so my legs don’t suffocate in the heat, and a bright display of floral colours, especially if I’m planning to dance the night away at a “Mexican Fiesta”!

I think there’s something quite romantic about wearing long, flowing maxi dresses, particularly if they are in floral prints and can be worn to compliment any summer/spring season. And this dress is no exception. Since my Formal at the end of last year, I’ve been intrigued by the many different cuts and styles of casual dresses, formal dresses, maxi’s, mini’s and basically anything that I can substitute with shorts for a more modest Sunday church look.

What I’ve been able to appreciate more recently, is just how easy it is to slip on a dress and be on my way, with there being less of a worry about matching a shirt with pants and shoes. Especially in the hotter seasons, wearing a flowing skirt rather than constricting pants is definitely an advantage for any person. And what I’ve come to like specifically, are dresses with slitted skirts that allow the fabric to easily move and create a refreshing air supply as you kick your legs forward.

Exhibit A: Take for instance this “Jarlo Millie High Neck Maxi Dress with Lace Insert” from ASOS which I wore for my Formal (the American equivalent of a Prom I would say). The light material, combined with the front slit, undoubtedly made it easier for me to dance in and move about, while at the same time allowing me to stay cool (by using one half of the skirt as a fan HEHE). I don’t know about you, but I’m sensing a recurring ‘floral flower’ theme happening here.

Exhibit B: If you are like me and love to dress a bit more fancy compared to your normal day-to-day wear (i.e. top and shorts), then a comfortable dress is definitely the way to go. What I liked about this particular maxi dress was that it had adjustable straps which could be fitted to my shape as well as a lovely fresh floral print complete with blue palm fronds and Hawaiian-esque flowers in a range of oranges and pinks.

There was also an included belt that I used to accentuate my waist and create a more fitted style. However this can also be removed and left as a loose fit dress as well. In addition, it also had a high split on the side of the dress which made walking that much more of a breeze.

All in all, I really thought that this maxi encapsulated a very easy-going summer-y vibe, perfect for this season. Not only are floral prints fun to wear, but they are a lot of fun to mix and match pieces with. I wore my dress with a denim jacket and my favourite open tan sandals. And of course a wide sunhat for sun protection!

Shine Bright Like a Sparkler

Courtesy of the aforementioned “Mexican Fiesta” at my friend’s 18th birthday party 🙂

Something Old, Something New

Some advice: if you ever find something buried deep in your mum’s or aunt’s closet, don’t pass it up. Dig it out, spray some perfume on it (sometimes closets smell) and TRY IT ON! I guarantee you will be thoroughly surprised with the results.

So I’ve recently started watching a TV show called, “The Vintage Clothes Show” where the host, Dawn O’Porter, meets individuals who only shop on the High Street (i.e. commercial shops/branded items). Dawn then attempts to change their view on vintage wear by showing them the unique factor and charming quality of pieces that can’t be found anywhere else. Almost all of these individuals start off with a distaste for vintage wear, seeing them as “old”, “smelly”, “daggy Grandma’s clothes”, or the most common belief, that “someone must have died in it”.

It’s amazing to see, as I watch on, the many different pieces Dawn has her clients try on. They are as much unique as they are timeless, representative of their respective fashion eras. In another segment, Dawn pays a visit to one of her clients and ‘raids’ the wardrobe of their mother/grandmother/aunt for some classic vintage pieces. At first glance, the pieces are too big and/or too daggy. But what does stand out, is the quality of a piece or the sentimental value it holds. Dawn then gets her Workshop Team to reinvent the vintage piece and bring it into the 21st Century.

The results are simply astounding and the clients are immediately overwhelmed with joy at the transformation of say, their grandmother’s super-shoulder-padded electric blue blazer, which has been brought in at the waist, shoulder pads removed and been turned into an amazing, and now wearable, 80s style jacket, perfect for a fancy night out.

Or take for instance, this Little Black Dress, which was initially too long and too plain for Alice’s taste. But after Dawn’s team reshapes it, lifts the hem and adds jewels from an old cardigan, Alice’s mother’s old vintage dress is turned into the perfect party dress.

BEFORE | Alice’s mum’s long and plain vintage LBD

AFTER | Metallic buttons are taken from an old cardigan and added to the neckline of the dress to create a more unique and eye-catching dress

AFTER | Alice’s “new” LBD brought in at the waist and hemmed higher for the ultimate reinvention of Alice’s mum’s vintage dress

Watching this show definitely inspired me to go through my own mother’s closet and through the numerous bags of clothes my aunt had given to me over the years. And as I did, I stumbled upon this little number.

On first impressions, it appeared to be a long, flowy top that once belonged to my aunt. It had an embroidered butterfly on the front with sequined detailing on the floral print. Immediately I thought it would make a lovely spring/summer time dress with its soft baby pink undertones and the bright pop of blues and oranges.

I was surprised to find that it was very light weight yet made to a very high quality. There was a bit of wear-and-tear with some sequins missing, but nothing too significantly damaged. Nothing a bit of sewing can’t fix!

I also like my dresses to have a bit of structure, so I added a teal blue belt at the waist to add shape to the dress (while also matching the flowers!) And voilà, I had reinvented an old a new summer dress that I could wear out and enjoy, rather then keeping it trapped in a bag.

For more of a modest look, I paired the dress with a mini blue cardigan and relaxed look tan-coloured sandals.

So next time you find something that belonged to your mother, or you find a top/dress that you didn’t know you had, don’t be afraid to bring it out and try it on! If it’s too loose, simply add a waisted belt to create a more flattering figure. If it’s too small to be a dress anymore, turn it into a top.

Because I am sure that there will be something just waiting to be reinvented and worn as a unique blast from the past!

Photos of Alice’s dress, courtesy of “The Lifestyle Channel“

Pockets A Plenty

The number one question I ask when looking for a potential pair of pants/shorts that may be coming home with me is, “do they have pockets?”

Seeing the fashion that is currently ‘in’, I am not very impressed. Namely, it is the length of denim shorts and the style of said shorts that I am starting to find common and way too short to leave anything to the imagination. Maybe it’s an inherent sense of my own bias speaking here, but unless you’ve got pin-like legs, and a bottom half that is in perfect ratio with the rest of your upper body, then it is impossibly hard to find shorts that are not only flattering but also practical.

Truthfully, I have indulged in buying several denim shorts over the years due to the fact that “they looked good on the model/hanger”, I needed some or they were on sale. However, the cut and fit is almost never exactly what they look like on the model as they are on me. And that’s a fact that I’ve accepted.

I have fairly stout legs, flat feet and a calf that is less than straight. So I do find it hard to wear shorts. And matching them with shoes as well! What a headache!

So recently, I’ve started looking for more wider cuts of shorts that flare out at the bottom or have a statement design to flatter my legs as well as ensuring maximum comfort when I’m out and about. I’ve also made sure to keep my eye out for potential items of clothing that I could wear to work in a corporate environment or just for a fancy day/night out.

So when I saw these shorts at Valleygirl, I was immediately drawn to them. Not only were they nicely designed and practical for everyday use (they had pockets! C’mon, like how could anyone resist pockets?), they were also on sale! Honestly my favourite word in any shopping situation!

Upon trying them on, I was immediately picturing what I could wear it with (while also admiring how they looked like a skirt but with the safety net of shorts). I loved the fact that they could be dressed up with some black heels or dressed down for a casual shopping day with flats or sandals. Along with that purchase, I bought a floral print top that is slightly sheer at the front and fully black in the back. The black undertones of the top matched perfectly with the shorts and I was quite surprised with how sophisticated the look was. Suffice to say, I was pleased with what I had put together.

In this, my first ever photoshoot, with the timer on my camera, I paired the top and bottom with a aqua-blue watch with gold outlining and a deep teal shoulder bag. I thought I would dress the outfit down a bit by wearing open tan-coloured sandals to convey the summer-vibes of the season. Loving the loungy style, I added an oversized black, white and maroon coloured knit which I thought was a nice addition to the pop of colour on the shirt. Plus, it’s a necessary, stylish addition to any outfit if the day is a bit chilly.

You probably don’t need me to tell you, but this has definitely been one of my favourite buys!

Ready, Set, Go!

And here we are, at the start of my very own blog! At this very moment, it feels as if I have no thoughts, yet also a million new ideas racing through my mind all at once. It’s a case of knowing what I want to say, but not knowing how to say it. So I’ll start with what is probably the most recent (and worthwhile to mention) memory that I have.

The road ahead is ‘thiiiis big’

So, recently, I went on a trip to the West Coast of America with my family, where we visited all the usual tourist places like San Francisco, the theme parks in LA and even the Grand Canyon. It was indeed a lovely, relaxing breather from the busy and stressful lifestyle I had lived while undertaking my final years at High School. It’s hard to believe, now that I look back on it, that all the knowledge I had accumulated over the past few years had basically been leading up to a single period of examinations that now seem so trivial and small in the grand scheme of things. For example, when will I ever again need to know how ‘belonging’ is represented in a text? The answer, I don’t.

Of course, while going through that period, I thought that what I was doing was a complete waste of my energy and time. It was simply just another reason for me to stress out about how ‘perfect’ my essay needed to be before I could hand it in, not even to get a mark that was worth anything, but to just be given advice on. Looking back on it now, I can finally laugh. I can breathe. In fact, I can see that there were indeed skills I had developed without even knowing. For instance, how to analyse a text or knowing how soap is made or even learning how everything in an economy is related. Though slow to acknowledge it, I actually came to enjoy the subjects I was studying and craved more knowledge (just without the exam part of it). And seriously, this yearning to learn more things and broaden my experiences and understanding of the world has only grown. Which made choosing a university course that much harder to do.

“What do you want to do when you grow up?” That was the question most of my relatives would ask whenever I saw them at annual Christmas dinners or at casual lunches. I still remember how I would reply, “my parents say I should be a lawyer, because I argue with them a lot,” or I would mention the dream I had of one day becoming the first female Prime Minister of Australia. Has wanting to become a lawyer changed? It certainly has. As do all decisions we make. They change as our view on things change. They are as fluid as the thoughts that run through our minds day and night. They can be, and will be influenced by any little thing. All I know now is, that I want to pursue a career within the business industry with a bit of psychology thrown on the side, or even a bit of medical science, and maybe information technology. But of course I can’t do all that (not all in one go anyway).

So here I am, about to start a Commerce/Law degree. The law part of it is there because my parents say it’ll help me to be more competitive come recruitment time. Is it something I had originally planned to do? The answer? No. During my final year of high school, I had even convinced myself that I wanted nothing to do with law.

Even now as I am older, I still ask myself a variation of the same question above. However, it’s no longer what I want to do when I grow up but what career will I pursue? Will it be successful? Will I be happy?

Having recently had to think about what university courses I wanted to do, I seriously pondered whether I was pursuing something that I wanted to do, or if I was just following that path because it was something that I thought would make my parents proud. Part of that university/future planning involved spending so much of my time and energy writing up applications, going to interviews, getting short-listed and basically making it to the final stage, before being told that I hadn’t been offered a spot i.e. rejection.

It’s hard to swallow; rejection. I would know. After putting in so much effort and really making everything ‘perfect’, of course it’s going to sap your energy and your spirits. But I’m slowly learning to see that really, “when one door closes, another opens.”  I thought I knew what I wanted to do while attending those interviews. I thought that with all the hard work I put in, it was bound to pay off. And sometimes your hard work will surprise you, and open up more possibilities that you might not have even considered before. Yet at the same time, what you thought would happen, might possibly not be your reality.

After really talking to my mum (who is my rock and my guide), she allowed me to see that it’s not the end. Everyday people get rejected from their dream job, or from something they thought they had a chance in. But it’s not the end. There are always other ways of getting there, as long as you put in the effort and keep moving forward and learn from your mistakes. Sure, it’ll take you a bit longer than originally planned, but the destination will be the same. And who knows, maybe along the way, you’ll learn a new language, meet new friends, gain some independence and come out a better person in the end. And maybe that’s just the outlook I have to take on now.

Even though I still want to learn everything possible, I’m also trying to remind myself to “never say no” to something until I’ve tried it. So I’m glad to say now, that I am in fact excited about going to uni and giving law a try. I’m going to do my best and even then, if I don’t like it, I can always change to something else. I’m an adult now, so no one can stop me, but me. I just need to keep an open mind and look at things from a wider perspective. The whole world is literally there for me to explore.

So I guess what I’m trying to say with this first blog post of mine (probably more to myself than anyone else), is that nothing will happen unless you make it happen. Don’t be afraid of trying new things, or thinking about what others might say. Give it your best shot and really look beyond what is there in just black and white, because there is so much more to see. All that’s left now, is simply a matter of saying “I’m ready, I’m set, so let’s go!”