100 Happy Days

I saw something on Facebook the other day that caught my interest, a new social networking challenge, encouraging the participants to post a picture every day for 100 days, of one thing that has made them happy. It can be anything as trivial as a chocolate bar, or something with a little more depth, like a romantic meal with your significant other, or a family holiday. Literally anything that makes you smile.

I'm the kind of person that leads a fairly content life. There's nothing specifically wrong with my life, in fact, right now, there's nothing wrong at all. But even though I know nothing's wrong, I'll find myself getting upset over the smallest, insignificant things. Things that haven't even happened. Sometimes my imagination gets the better of me, and I imagine situations in my head that cause me to burst into unnecessary tears, or stress myself out (I'm such a female, I know!). 

So when I saw this challenge, I figured that by posting a picture a day of the good things going on in my life, it will allow my brain to stop making up these stupid scenarios, and focus on being happy. 

I'll be posting my pictures on Instagram (kathryne_xoxo) using the hashtag, #100happydays. To sign up, go to 100 Happy Days and join in!  If you decide to participate, feel free to link whatever social media platform you choose to post it on in the comments section! I'd love to see how you do, too! 

Take 2: Second Chances

*WARNING: Extremely long, personal post. A cup of tea and a biscuit is recommended while you read*

So this is a post quite personal to me; one I know you nosey people will love to read! Since starting this blog back in June, my love life has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. There was my break-up post, which is still by far my most viewed post, my just friends one and my second chances post. I’ve shared a lot with you guys, not that I mind of course. For me, blogging is a way to let out my thoughts and feelings in a healthy way, instead of going mental and punching people in the face! I love doing it, and through sharing these personal aspects of my life, I’ve received a lot of positive feedback and support, which I can’t thank you guys enough for.

I’ve also received a lot of questions in comments, tweets and emails regarding my relationship that I haven’t shared with anyone, or even mentioned in posts… Such as, “why would you give a second chance to someone who hurt you?” or “aren’t you worried the exact same thing will happen again?”.

[Now to start with, I’m going to ask that if a certain someone is reading this, (you know exactly who you are), please stop. I know you get a bit nosey, but this is gonna get personal. I also know you’re going to completely ignore this and carry on reading anyway, so don’t blame me when you don’t like reading some parts! *sigh*]

I’ve never thought that second chances were wrong or a bad decision, but it all depends on the situation. I’d like to think that if a guy cheated on me, or hurt me in a bad way, they wouldn’t deserve a second chance. But then again, I’ve never been in that position. For us, we broke up because things just weren’t right. It was too intense for such a short relationship, as are most first year uni relationships, and it got too much for him. At the time, that hurt a lot. But after giving things another go, it makes sense to me. It was too much, too fast, and it wouldn’t have been right for him to string along the relationship just to spare my feelings. In a way, I’m glad things went that way.

The thing that hurt the most wasn’t even the break-up; it was something he did a few weeks after, making me feel like he had completely disregarded my feelings and never gave two shits about me. And to be completely honest, I’d never felt so low before. I cared so much about this guy, and he just took a giant shit on my feelings. Even though we’ve moved past this stage, it still hurts a little to think of that moment and to think that he was the one to make me feel that way.

Anyway, after all of that, we started talking again, and that’s where my just friends post came into play. After a few weeks of talking, things seemed to be back to how we were before we were together, one of my uni best friends, jokes, chit-chat and banter. And then we went back to uni…

If you’re thinking we went back and I leapt straight back into his arms, you’re very wrong. In fact, I had no intention of giving things another go, but after many awkward chats and feelings being thrown around (initiated by him, I might add!), we decided to take things slowly and see how we go. So to answer one of those questions, I took him back because I could see how upset he was, and how much he was regretting things. He’s not the type of guy to wear his heart on his sleeve by any account. In fact, he rarely says how he feels about anything (if you are reading this, you should probably change that a bit! Open up more, k?), so seeing him this distressed about something was a shock to the system. Surely that meant that this was genuine, right?

I never stopped caring about him one little bit, even if he did hurt me, so seeing him like that made it easier for me to give him a second chance. And I’m really glad I did. Circumstances are different this year, making it a lot easier for things to work between us.

To answer the second question, yes, I do worry it could happen again. I’ve invested so many feelings into this relationship that I can’t even describe, feelings I don’t even talk to him about because it makes me feel too vulnerable, so of course I worry sometimes. When we’re back home for the holidays is when the worrying is at its worst, basically because we barely see each other, and he likes to do his own thing when at home. And I’m absolutely fine with that. The last thing I want is someone on my back constantly, texting me 24/7 to find out what I’m up to. But if I don’t hear from him for a while, I worry that he’s losing interest and just doesn’t want to talk to me; or if he does talk to me and I get crappy replies, I worry that he just doesn’t care enough to make conversation. When really, the answer’s probably a lot simpler than that. But even though I know that, it doesn’t stop me worrying in the slightest. The littlest thing makes me wonder whether or not he cares. But asking for these things isn't my way of being clingy, it's just for a piece of mind; to me, it's him showing that he cares. My friends and family worry for me, and constantly check with me how he’s acting towards me. It’s not exactly a secret that they’re not his biggest fans… But no matter how much I tell them that it’s fine, that worry is always at the back of my mind, but it’s easy to push past that for the times when he makes up for it.

So to end this extremely long post, I’ll say this: If you’re considering giving someone you care about a second chance, think of this. What did they do? Is it something you can move past? Do you see a positive outlook if you do decide to go for it? If the answer to both of these is yes, than why not just go for it? It can be difficult, and there’s bound to be times where you worry the same thing could happen again, but if you care enough about each other, it can work out. Second chances aren’t always a bad thing. In fact, in a lot of cases, they’re better than the first time round.

The Quiet Place Project

This post is a little different than usual. Instead of a random life story, I'm going to introduce you all to one of my favourite websites. I first saw someone post a link on Twitter, and I've never seen anything like this before.

The Quite Place Project is the most relaxing, calming website I've ever experienced. It allows you to stop for a minute, and just be with your thoughts, without checking your phone for messages, or scrolling through all the pointless statuses on Facebook. To me, it's perfection. 

I'm one of those people that reply on technology way too much. Where I'm a student, and spend the majority of time in my room, I've become extremely reliant on the internet. Whether it's browsing through the many social networking sites, watching TV shows or films on Netflix, or even shopping, I spend way too much time doing pointless things. This website allows me to take a little time away from that, to just relax. 

There are different "rooms" within the website: the quiet place, the 90 seconds relaxation exercise, the thoughts room, the dawn room and the comfort spot. 

Although each room is amazing, my favourite is without a doubt the thoughts room. As I'm sure you're all aware, I'm one of those people that overthink everything. Even the simplest things, I will overthink. I mean, why else did I start this blog? I needed somewhere where I could vent all of my thoughts and feelings so I wouldn't feel like I was going to implode! The thoughts room helps me to somewhat tackle this issue. There is a status bar, where you can write any thoughts or emotions that are going through your head. And as you type, you watch the words beautifully explode into stars, allowing them to escape your mind, even if only for a little while. I encourage you all to try it; its simplicity works beautifully. 

I don't think enough people know about this website, and it definitely deserves more recognition. It's helped me to feel more relaxed when I've been stressed or overthinking again, and I guarantee it'll help you out too. 

The Butterfly Effect

After getting back home from an amazing weekend with friends from home AND uni, for some reason, I began to think of The Butterfly Effect, and how one tiny change in your past could affect your entire future. One small change could make everything different.

What would have happened if I didn't get accepted into Kent, but got my second choice uni of Essex? I would have had a completely different set of friends, and not one detail of the last year and a half of my life would be the same. 

What if I didn't meet my now housemate on Twitter before we moved to Kent? We weren't in any of the same seminars, so it would be unlikely that we would have met at uni, but I also wouldn't have met any of the people she introduced me to, who have become some of my favourite people in the world. 

What if I chose not to go to uni? I might still be with my ex, I might have had a full time job, thinking of moving away from home, who knows! 

What if a certain man-friend got into his first choice university instead of Kent? Although our relationship hasn't been the most straightforward of the bunch, the last year of my life would have been completely different! Maybe I would have been in a different relationship, or maybe I would have had a chance to be single at uni. 

All of the ones I thought of were to do with uni, but there are so many what ifs that could have completely changed who I am now. I suppose what I'm trying to say is, think about your decisions carefully, because who knows, one tiny decision that might seem insignificant at the time, could be a huge game changer to your life. 

Student Accommodation Rant

*WARNING: This blog post may contain ranting, insults and profanities. Read at your own risk.*

As a student living away from home, I've had to endure the task of finding accommodation through letting agencies. Last year was simple. As a first year going into my second, I found a group of girls I wanted to live with, a company we wanted to use, looked at two houses and signed that week for the one we wanted. It was simple. Now for those of you who aren't familiar, when a student signs a rental agreement, they must give the details of someone they want to use as a guarantor, who is there as a back up in case you fail to pay your rent. In most cases, this is a parent. Mine was my mum.

Anyway, she was able to be my guarantor with no difficulty, she signed a couple of things, sent proof of her income, and everything was fine, just as it was for my sister a few years before. However, this year, my circumstances have changed. Instead of staying in the same house with the same five girls, me and two others will be leaving, moving onto a three bedroom house for the final year. The company we were with initially, didn't have many 3 bedroom houses available, so we decided to go with a different company. We found a lovely 3 bedroom house in the centre of town for a good monthly fee, and signed for it, along with our guarantor information before Christmas.

However, today, I received and email from the company, informing me that my mother can not be my guarantor, as her reference has "failed due to insufficient income". So basically, if I want to live there, I have to pay another £50 (when they've already got a £150 admin fee AND a £400 deposit from me!) to change guarantors.

1) Why has my mum's income suddenly become an issue when it's been fine for the last 3 years?

2) Why should it even matter if her income is low, as it is ME that pays the rent anyway?

I get the highest loan and grant available, plus an extra bursary on top of that. But apparently these "don't count as income". The issue here isn't that my mother's income is low, it's that this company want to con me out of as much money as they possibly can!

 Now I'm not one to usually rant about things like this in a blog post, but I actually feel like this could be relevant for a lot of you. If you are students, or if you are planning to be one in the future, be careful when it comes to choosing a house and which company you pick. I refuse to change companies, as they've already forked enough money out of me, I can't afford to pay those fees to other companies as well! Do your research. Does the rent include bills? Is it within walking distance to your uni? Is it close to the places you need to be? Just be careful, and don't jump into a decision too quickly just because you're worried the house will be taken by someone else. These agencies are money-grabbing arseholes. Don't let them take anymore than is necessary.

Be My Valentine?

Despite the fact that I've had boyfriends for the last 3 Valentine's Days, I've never been one to get into the spirit of the day. I'm one of those cynical girls that likes to ignore the day completely and says that "couples should show they love each other every day, not just one day a year". Sad, right?

I saw this post on Lucie's blog, and was surprisingly really excited about the idea. It's a Valentine's box swap with other bloggers in the UK, with a £20 budget. I was too late to join in with the Christmas box swaps last year, so I knew straight away that I wanted to be involved with this one.

I've been writing this blog for about 7 months now, and although I've met some really lovely girls through it, I still haven't found that instant click that other bloggers describe when they make fellow blogger friends. This would be the perfect opportunity to get to know another blogger and find the perfect items for their Valentine's box (I LOVE to give gifts!).

So how can you get involved?

Go ahead to Lucie's post, follow the instructions, tell your followers about it, then wait for your email on the 31st January to find out the details of your blogger! This is my first experience with something like this, so I'm super excited to get involved!

Let me know if you decide to join in, or even if you have already!

C'était Très Français!

My university department was awesome enough to organise a trip to Paris in November this year, which I, of course, jumped at the chance of going! The whole trip was for 4 days, 3 nights, and (the best part) including the Eurostar there and back, accommodation and a 3 day Metro pass, the entire thing only cost me £140 (Yay for university subsidies!).

As soon as we got there, we were pretty much left to roam free and do whatever the hell we wanted to do, so me and my good friend (and housemate!), Kirstie, planned to see everything we could in this beautiful city! So I thought I'd share with you some of my favourite moments from the trip.

Our first stop was the Notre Dame, a truly beautiful cathedral on the inside and out! We went there on our first night in the city, but went back a second time, during the day, as we were unable to climb to the top the first time. Its views were incredible, being able to see right across the city (and also get a picture with the gargoyles, of course!)

We visited the Louvre museum, and let me tell you, if you ever plan to go there, allocate a large time slot - this place is HUGE! We saw the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and my favourite, this strange sculpture that bares a striking resemblance to Voldemort...

We did some shopping in the Gallerie Lafayette, where we found the most beautiful Christmas tree, before we ventured to the Champs Elysée, for their Christmas market. We tried macarons and tete au chocolats for the first time (both of which are beautiful!), before we found this stunning light display! It was too beautiful not to capture!

We went to the Sacre Couer, a beautiful Romoan-Catholic church in Montmartre. It takes patience and energy to climb over 300 steps (steep ones, might I add!), but the view is well worth it, overlooking the entire city. 

Classic Arc de Triomphe selfie... I didn't know until we got there, that we were able to climb to the top of the monument! Like every view in Paris, is was breathtaking. This is a view of the Champs Elysée - I especially like how you can see where the lights begin for the Christmas Market!

We knew before arriving in Paris, that we wanted to find the Love Lock Bridge, but we stumbled upon it by chance, when looking for a cafe by the Louvre! It was truly beautiful to see so many locks placed here by random travellers.

And last but certainly not least, the Eiffel Tower. I've always wanted to go to Paris, so when I first saw a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower from the Louvre, I was crazy excited! We went to the Trocadero viewing thing (ooh, how technical) during the day, then actually went up it at night. Going up in the lift, I felt sick... I didn't realise it would feel so high up! But once I was at the top, I felt at ease behind the fencing, and the view was absolutely spectacular! Seeing everything around the city lit up was really something, and definitely my favourite part of the trip!

I hope you guys enjoyed my little overview of my trip, I definitely hope to go back there one day, maybe with a guy... They don't lie when they say it's the most romantic city in the world... Truly beautiful... 

New Year, New Beginnings

Happy New Year, and welcome to the first post of the 2014 Blogger Challenge! For the first challenge, the topic we have been given to discuss is New Years Inspiration. Now, I'm not the kind of person to believe in the whole "New Year, New Me" thing. Instead, I believe in new beginnings, making new memories with the people you love.

"The beginning is always today" is one of my favourite quotes. The way I see this, is that no matter what happened in the past, if you've had a particularly bad day, or something's happened to you that made you miserable, brush yourself up and don't dwell on it, for tomorrow is a brand new day. 

I've had times in the past where I've been miserable, and let things get to the point where I sit at home on my own for days on end, not wanting to go out and do anything because of my mood. But I look back at that now and think why? Why would I willingly prevent myself from being happy just because I've had a bad experience? What's the use on dwelling on things beyond your control?

If anybody reading this is having a tough time, I'm truly sorry. But don't let that stop you from living your life. Take a day to yourself, but once you wake up the next morning, treat it like a completely new day. Get up, go out, have fun! Because a new day sparks new beginnings. 

P.S. Here's the link to Gaby's blog, explaining the 2014 Blogger Challenge, with a list of all the other girls involved!