I'm sorry everyone...

Hey guys,

It's been such a long time and I'm sorry for that.  I really have no excuse other than that I was living my life and had no time.  It's been a crazy couple of months in which I turned 18, two new girls moved in with me, I applied to uni, went to Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand, saw Bastille and 5SOS live, went to Queensland, had one of my photographs selected to be in a professional exhibition with other artists, spoke at a fundraising dinner and so many other things that I can't possibly remember.  

I was just thinking about my friend who is entering her last week of school tomorrow and how I was in her shoes last year.  All the stress from school work, the anticipation that it's almost over and just pure happiness that I will be starting a new chapter of my life soon.  So I'm so happy and excited for all the grade 12s this year and how excited they must be.  

I'm also a bit sad because potentially I only have seven weeks left here in Geelong.  I've made so many new friends and gained so much experience and knowledge that I will always be grateful for.  I've also learnt so much about myself and the stuff that actually interests me.  I now know that I want to surround myself with art for the rest of my life and that's why I've decided to pursue art at university next year.  I want to make a career out of something that I love so much. 

Writing this all now and made me realise how much I actually missed this.  I can't believe that it's taken me this long to get back to it.  The main reason behind why I stopped updating my blog was because I thought that no one actually read it.  Then I realised that, you don't always have to have an audience for everything you do.  Writing all this straight from my head helps me clear my mind and organise my thoughts.  I've truly missed this blog.

As my year is coming to a close, I am going to keep updating (I promise!), even if life gets a big hectic I will still find time to write.  

Guys..... I got new housemates!

I was really nervous before the two girls showed up but now it feels like I've known them for a long time.  We've been having so much fun together and trying new things.  It's been great having people the same age as me around and being able to do things together.  It's going to be so awesome at the end of January because the girls are coming to Tasmania to visit while I'm at home!! I'm going to be able to show them around and do stuff with them before I head off to uni.  

I really have to be doing my res college application now so...

Byyyyyeeee! 

P.S. there will be photos soon to show what I've been up to recently :)

Excursion #1

Hey guys

Last Friday I had the chance to tag along with the Grade 2s and 3s for their excursion to Ceres Park.  Ceres Park is a community garden in Brunswick, Melbourne.  Leaving the school at 9am we arrived at the park roughly at 10:30.  As both classes had a small amount of children in them the giant bus had only about fifteen seats taken up all together out of about fifty two.  

Their excursion was for them to see and listen about native Australian plants and patterns in nature.  It was a very informative excursion with most of the kids enjoying it.  When we stopped for lunch, I headed off to the cafe there to buy myself lunch.  Can I just say that it was exactly what I expected for a community garden.  Pretty much all the food was vegan, home made and over priced.  The only thing that looked semi fulling and least expensive was a sausage roll.  Yes I know, how boring but man it tasted good hahaha.  I don't quite know what was in it but it tasted good as.  

All up with was a pretty relaxing day just listening and wondering around the gardens.  It was a pretty nice day as well which was a plus.  It was nice to get away from school and to get out of the routine, so I enjoyed it.

Laters xx  

Anglesea Part 2

Hey guys,

After camp I went back down to Anglesea for the long weekend.  I stayed with my mentor's family in their little bungalow type thing.  Their shack was awesome.  As my mentor is an art teacher I imagined nothing less than how she styled their place.  All I can say is wow, it was awesome.  Her and her husband have two young children who are absolutely adorable and they are obsessed with Harry Potter at the moment so I love them even more.  I think I watched about three Potter movies over the weekend which was great.  

We went to Lorne on Saturday to look at the Lorne Sculpture Festival, which was awesome.  The weather was temperamental which was annoying but I had fun.  Even though it the weather was shit there were still tonnes of people everywhere which surprised me. The kids also asked if we all could go to this book shop, which was certainly fine by me.  It was such a cute little shop with wooden shelves filled with books that reached right up to the ceiling.  There were so many people inside though.  It was a struggle for me to walk around inside with my backpack on without knocking over books or a small child.  I found some good books in there which i ended up spending my food money on, oops. I ended up buying five different books;

Tape by Steven Camden

Lonely Planet's Best Ever Photography Tips by Lonely Planet

Around The World In 80 Raves by Marcus Barnes    

Beauty by Lauren Conrad

The Rules of Photography And When To Break Them by Haje Jan Kamps

So money well spent in my opinion. 

We went to the beach in Anglesea on Sunday as it was surprisingly hot after the day before.  Oh my lord were there loads of people.  Not only on the sand but also in the water.  You couldn't stand in one place to long without having to try and dodge a surfer, a swimmer or even try not to get caught in a rip.  It was fun though.  It was so hot that I actually put sunscreen on for the first time in ages(everyone should put sunscreen on anyway, I just always forget or can't be bothered but you always should).  

The last day was just spent packing and cleaning up the house.  So all up it was a nice and relaxing weekend spent in Anglesea.  I definitely plan on going back some time in the future.

Laters xx  

Anglesea Part 1

Hey guys,

So two weeks, I headed off on the bus to Anglesea with the grade 7s for a week.  I was keen as for it because it wold be the first time I was away from the school for a while like properly.  Due to me being the only female gappie there I got my own room with a double bed (score)!  I was put in the same block as some of the year 7 boys and next door to two of the male gappies.  I also shared a bathroom with the two boys, which wasn't as bad as it sounds haha.   

On the first day my group was down for body boarding.  It was nice and hot so it was good to get into the water, but man were the waves dumpy.  It was fun but I almost took a couple of kids out because there were just shit tonnes of them in the water.  There was about five different surf/body boarding classes out in the surf that afternoon.  

Wednesday my group (Group A) was down for "mountain biking" (it was more of a casual ride around Anglesea) and an initiative course full of problem solving activities for the kids.  On Wednesday night us gappies held a social for the kids.

Thursday Group A did some activities on the beach and made sand castles and we also went surfing.  Oh my surfing was hard for me.  I'm such a spud that I kept falling off and getting dumped and thrown around in the surf.  Oh such fun.  

Friday the kids did kayaking, I didn't feel like doing it so I just stayed on shore and took photos.  They were doing a lap around this little island in the centre of the lake, which was gonna take them like half an hour so I walked to the shops and got a coffee; a real coffee.  I enjoyed staying dry and taking photos.  

All up the camp was amazing and I would happily do it again if I got the chance.  

xx

       

kiss the boys and make them die

kiss the boys and make them die by marleyrhc featuring diamond jewelry

Sitting By The Pond

Sitting By The Pond by marleyrhc featuring a blue maxi skirt

Mondays Are Great!

Oh hey again,

Okay I just wanted to show you guys that I brought a hair dryer!  It's my first online purchase!  I brought this beauty off of Ebay last week and I've just been so excited for it to come.  

I apologise for the shit photo but yeah. The hair dryer is the;

Remington AC 5010 Salon Pro Hair Dryer with a 2200W Long Life AC Motor 

But that's just fancy talk for a wicked new hair dryer.  So anyway that was it.  Hope everyone is having a good Monday like I am.  If not go buy a new hair dryer maybe hahaha

Adios Amigos xx

Gold Medalist Right Here...jks

Hey guys

Today I took some kids into Melbourne Docklands to the ice skating rink.  I don't know about you but I absolutely love ice skating.  I've only done it a couple of times and every time I just fall in love with it even more.  It proved to be a struggle getting everyone organised and for them to stay together to get from point A, to point B then to point C.  But nether the less it was such a fun and tiring day for us all.  It was good to see most of them having a go and trying their hardest not to fall even if their legs looked like spaghetti.  But man, it was fun to watch them discover how much ice hurts when you crash into it.  

I love my brother but he seriously needs to learn how to focus a camera.  There were so many people at the rink today.  You had to be constantly watching where you were skating because there was tiny children and people falling over every where.  It was a tad dangerous at some points especially when little kids wouldn't look where they were going and cut you off.  This little girl did this to me and I ran straight into her cause she turned so suddenly and I wasn't expecting it.  I almost knocked her straight over.  

These are the only semi-nice photos from the own SD card...  I was obviously just moving too fast for the camera hence the blurriness :')

We also went and spent some time in Harbour Town doing some shopping and getting lunch/dinner before we came home.  I got two new pairs of flats and a pair of small high heeled ankle boots, for work of course ;)  

On the train home I was so stuffed.  MY feet were hurting from the ice skating and all the walking I had done.  But pain is temporary, memories are forever hahaha. Today was wicked fun and can't wait to do it again some time.

Good night xx

p.s. I'm kinda excited for camp (yeah I know, like what?)

Old Meets New

Old Meets New by marleyrhc featuring a hooded coat

So guys I've just discovered Polyvore... 

It's been a while...

Hey guys,

So it's been a while again... Soz mate, what can I say? I'm just really busy.  Anyway so on Saturday I took the train into Melbourne for the day to see my brother.  It was the first time I had seen him in about two and a half months.  We didn't get up to much, we kinda just chilled at his college at went into Central for a bit.  It was nice to see him and have a good catch up.  It was interesting though but when we went to catch a tram into the CBD for dinner there we literally no way we got fit in one.  Tyson and I tried to get on three trams but they were so full due to the White Night Festival that was in town.  I had't realised this festival was on until we were walking through China Town with hundreds of people surrounding me.   

The lights were amazing but it was a pain in the ass to walk through everyone to get to Southern Cross to catch my train home.

As it was family day on Sunday, Tyson got on a train (after missing the first one) to Corio.  It was good to show him around the school that I'm working/living at and for him to meet some of my new friends.

All up it was a good weekend with lots of walking.  Oh excitingness, I'm going ice-skating in Melbourne tomorrow!  I'm going with some of the boarders here at the school which is going to be so much fun.  Oh I'm also going on grade seven outdoor ed camp to Anglesea on Tuesday! So stay tuned for more in the next week or so.

Laters xx

Bonjour

So what's up guys?

So I'm on to my third week here and I'm absolutely loving it here. Everyone is so nice and friendly and it's awesome living here.  The time has just flown by with me working in some art classes, in a middle school boarding house, coaching a softball team and working at the junior school. It's been busy but relaxed at the same time.  On Saturday night, Amy(my house mate) and I were given free tickets to the theatre to see My Fair Lady.  I think it was the Geelong Theatre company or something that put it on and it wasn't too bad surprisingly.  The lady that played Eliza Doolittle was really good and she did the character proud.  So I enjoyed that. 

I'm only now starting to get tired and very sleepy.  All the adrenaline from first getting here has worn off and now I'm just tired as hell.  Anyway my brother might be coming up over the weekend so that's exciting.  So I'll show him the school, where I live and all the other people etc. 

So I'm coaching a middle school girls softball team and it is a challenge.  Most of them have never played before and it is so unbelievably hard to explain the rules while trying to make it interesting at the same time. Argh it's a bit frustrating but we are making progress.  

I haven't taken any photos because I've kinda been flat out but yeah they're coming.

Adios amigos 

xx  

Gap Assistant, what?

Hey people,

So on Saturday I said goodbye and jumped on a plane to Melbourne to officially start my gap year.  I arrived and was met at the baggage claim by the school’s driver who was holding a sign with my name… I know fancy :’)  I met another gap assistant from Japan, then we headed for the highway to Geelong. 

An hour later we arrived at the school and my housemate and two of the other gap assistants welcomed me.  They left me to unpack and get settled in while they watched Wild Child.  I then went on a tour around the school grounds and had a look inside some of the buildings.  Geezuz it was hot though.  The school is pretty much a little town.  Most of the staff lives on campus and they ride bikes around and to classes. 

The school is great; everyone is so friendly and welcoming and it has just a great vibe about the place. 

I’m a bit worried because I can be a homebody and I hope they don’t take offence at the fact that I just wanna sleep and hang out in my room, like I always do.  But I’m starting to get out and about more.  The school is big on involvement in everything so I have been doing so many different things.  It's actually really great at this school.  But the only thing that isn't great, is the weather... It is expected to get up to 40 degrees on Saturday and I am not looking forward to it at all! I am literally going to be hibernating in the freezer all weekend! 

 I'm still trying to wrap my head around the school times and where I have to be but it only been four days so it's okay.  I don't even know how I'm awake to be honest.  I've gotten up at 6:30 everyday and been doing so much stuff and then can't get to sleep until like 11/11:30.  What is wrong with me.  That is definitely not enough sleep for a normal person!  But I can see myself crashing sometime soon and just not wanting to get out of bed.  

Today I went and spent the day at the Early Learning Centre with the little three and four year olds.  They were so cute and little and I'm even surprised that I actually enjoyed my day!  There was this little girl named Charli, who would not leave my side and always wanted to play with me, argh it was so cute!  The gappie that came with me this morning to show me what to do told me how Charli was really shy and that it took her six weeks for her to talk to him.  So I was like okay then that cool but she was talking to me within the hour! I'm actually a child whisperer believe it nor not.   

I've actually had a really good week at my new job.  It's been so nice to meet everyone and get settled in.  I'm glad I'm here.  

Yep, bye.

An update on life

Hey guys,

So on Friday I was up at 4:30 in the morning to drive my brother to the airport and my sister to the bus depo.  As my brother goes to university in Melbourne and lives on campus he only flies back home when it's the longest holidays and when the uni is closed.  He is now in his second year studying History and Philosophy and weirdly loving it.  

Now that I'm moving to Geelong, which is only a hour away from Melbourne, we will get to see each other more and it will be cheeper.  

So my little sister was selected for the under 18 basketball country cup team that is held in Albury each year; she is only 15...  Anyway everyone is very proud of her and all her amazing sporting achievements.  So she was off on the bus to Devonport to catch the Spirit of Tasmania to Melbourne then they are to drive three hours to Albury.  Just take a moment to think about this for a second.  There are roughly 150 kids aged between 12 and 19 on a day sail on the boat then a three hour drive for them after a day of training .  I'm surprised no one has died of exhaustion or boredom.  

Also my friend Imogen has been staying with me since the 2nd.  I am so surprised she hasn't gotten sick of my bullshit and gone home already.  But anyway thanks bro!  It's been tough but we've gotten through this. 

I've got mixed emotions about moving to Geelong.  I'm happy that I'm leaving and meeting new people etc etc but I'm sad that I'm leaving my friends behind.  It's gonna be hard to adjust to life in Geelong without knowing anyone.  It's gonna be an awkward first few days. 

Anyway I'm logging off.

Bye bye xx  

WOW

Hey guys,

So wow, I have been so busy lately.  So I hope everyone is well relaxed and has been having a great holiday!

So my family and I went camping for a couple of days around christmas up at Waterhouse which is near Bridport on the North coast.  I wasn't too keen on camping but it actually was a lot of fun and it was good to get out of the house and away from the internet ;) It got up nearly 30 degrees where we were which is good considering it's Tasmania!  It was so good; no clouds and barely any wind.  On the first day after we set up, my little sister and I went for a walk to explore our surroundings.  Jordan and I found these massive sand dunes on the topside of the bushes along the hills.  It was the most random thing ever.  We climbed up the vertical wall of sand and tree roots to get to the top.  It was a struggle but the view was amazing!  We ended up exploring the sand dunes and this beach on the other side for two hours!  

My family had christmas day up at our camp site with eggs and bacon under the sun.  It was probably the best camping experience I've ever had (school camp was horrible!), but four days of camping was enough for me so I decided to come home on boxing day.

So since camping I got my nose pierced (!!), set up my new phone, had new years with my friends and visited other friends that live out of town.  It's been so crazy and it's hard to sum it up without going into too much detail because yeah you know why ;) My friends and I went out for dinner last Thursday and had an adventure that resulted in me only sleeping for an hour that night!  I'm not purposefully trying to be vague but I don't really wanna go into much detail about some of the events from the last couple of days haha sorry guys. 

I've been in contact with Geelong Grammar about my position as a gap assist lately in regards to when I'm moving over.  I was originally going to go in the 10th then the 20th then the 24th and now it has been pushed back to the 31st!  I'm actually so happy that I am leaving later because now I can see from friends that were originally away when I was going to leave.  So I couldn't be more happier and it also gives me more time to pack hahaha.

I was really sad (secretly still am) about the fact that I didn't go to falls.  I didn't go because I wasn't organised and one of the friends I wanted to go with was on crutches so she couldn't come with me.  So we cried (not really) on the phone together.  But this year is my year for Falls!  But instead I did my friends hair watched them get ready for going out.  I'm not 18 yet so I get to stay home and go on the internet while they go out.  Yay for me, not.  

It's been hard for me to let go of last year but now I think it can only get better!  So I hope everyone has been having a good year so far with no regrets and lots of good memories already!