What I'm Loving Right Now

For the last few weeks now, I've left it until the last possible minute to write these posts, I've taken pretty much three weeks off of running with going back home a couple of times and I seem to have lost all motivation of writing again.

Maybe it's because it's the end of summer and as the colder weather starts to creep back in I'm feeling a different kind of lazy.

The summer lazy is understandable, it's warm, you're sleepy, it's nice to just lounge in the sun, etcetera etcetera.

But this kind of lazy is just a tiredness in which I can't find the motivation to do anything. 

I've been powering through One Tree Hill again and they've just graduated high school and it's gone on to being four years later and it just astounds me that the majority of them can have their dreams come true so quickly. (I know it's just a TV show but it makes me want to work a little harder for my dream).

I really really want to be a writer, someone who writes incredible novels that people want to pick up and read, maybe even a bestseller. But, although I've written one novel (and am still in the process of editing it), I'm terrified it won't be good enough.

Like, there are so many stories and books out there that why would anyone decide to choose mine to read?

I don't know what to do, so I keep reading for inspiration.

I may start writing snippets that come into my head on here - unrelated to my book, just peaks into other stories I may expand on in the future.

I'm too scared of what others may think, but I also need opinions and giving it to my friends and family to read is one thing, but they're obviously going to be biased.

A couple of posts ago I wrote about facing your fears, and this is one I've yet to overcome.

Anyway, rambling aside, here are the things I've been loving recently:

Images From Pinterest

1. TV - The Musketeers, The Strain, Containment, Stranger Things - I just think TV has gotten so much better of late. I loved the final season of The Musketeers, it obviously wasn't the most realistic of endings but I wouldn't have exactly been happy if they'd killed anyone else off! Containment and Stranger Things are two new series I've been trying and they are so so good right now. I think with both of them I have about three episodes left of each! The Strain has also just re-started for it's third season and I have to say, it is so tense and gripping. I LOVE IT. (I seem to have a weird obsession with virus-y type programmes of late).

2. iPhone SE - I upgraded a few days ago, and although it looks exactly the same as my 5S, it is rose gold and has way more space for my photos. IOS 10 is also amazing. Me and Adeel have pretty much been conversing in GIFs alone of late, it's hilarious.

3. Fred Perry shoes - I wanted some new white plimsol-like trainers for ages and I saw this cute pair on ASOS. They weren't by any means cheap, and they are definitely a little dirtier now, but they're cute and I can wear them with anything.

4. Driving - I'm slowly gaining my confidence with driving again. I keep getting sudden urges to drive a bit further than just around the block or to Tescos, but I'm not entirely sure where to go. I need a proper destination and to set up my phone so that I can use it as a SatNav before I try anything too far!

5. My boyfriend - It's coming up to our four year anniversary and I'm mega excited. Not because we've planned anything special yet or anything, just because it means we will have gotten past the point last time in the relationship where we couldn't figure out how to go further. (Plus it's been four years ago around this time that we met each other for the first time! Eek.)

6. My friends - since spending time at home and being able to see my friends again (and getting my car), I've been thinking about trying to see them all a bit more. It's so difficult us all living so far apart, but hopefully the car will help with that. It's great to spend time with them, it makes me feel like I'm not alone, even just texting them. (I've been feeling very lonely of late and I'm not sure why.)

7. Working on my future - I've been at my job now, officially, for just coming up to a year (it's been a bit longer if you include work experience and interning too). We've just had our annual review things and I've been looking at new places to live and trying to get back into my writing again. It's a slow process but the future is looking bright, I hope :)

Cherwell Boathouse, Oxford

So this week seems to have been all over the place.

I've had a lot of important problems to consider and not a lot of the usual things are managing to take my mind off of it all.

Hopefully some sort of solution can come about soon, it's sort of just a waiting game really.

Other than that, my manager came back to work this week and all seems back to normal on that front.

We've even come up with a movie club sort of thing between the three of us. 

We each take it in turns on a Friday to select a film we absolutely love on Netflix and then the other two have to watch it over the weekend and on the following Monday we discuss it.

I think it'll be a nice way to introduce new films to one another as well as getting to know each other better I guess.

There's a bit of an age difference between myself and the both of them so I guarantee they probably won't enjoy the films I pick as much, but it will definitely be interesting.

Anyways, I wanted to write this post about my most recent trip to Oxford (birthday weekend in March posts still to come 'cause I'm mega useless).

I think I wrote briefly before how I headed out of work slightly early a couple of Friday's ago and hopped on a train from Paddington to Oxford.

I had everything all meticulously planned out as per usual (it's me of course, I plan everything down to a T).

Everything was going swimmingly - no problems with the underground to Paddington (or nothing I couldn't handle), no problems at Paddington or with my tickets, and no problems finding the bus stop just outside of Oxford station.

But then came the part I was nervous about. The part where I had to get on a bus I didn't know, state where I was going which I did mention to someone who asked where I was going and he'd never heard of it (promising) and then figure out where to get off in a place I didn't know, once I'd eventually gotten on the bus.

None of this happened though as said bus never actually turned up.

My planning would have had me turn up ten minutes before seven, the time when we would all sit down to dinner, but, alas, they were in tatters as I hastily texted Adeel multiple times to come and get me instead, swanning in later than I had planned.

Great start.

Once we had arrived at the boathouse, however, I was in awe in all honesty.

It was such a beautiful location (plus the group we were eating with was a lot larger than I had anticipated).

Cherwell Boathouse (next to River Cherwell) is a beautiful Oxford location primarily known for its wonderful punting spot, the restaurant a clear bonus.

http://www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk/

With the hasty introductions out of the way, we sat down to our chosen starters already at our places (fancy name cards and everything) - we'd previously selected from a menu what each of us would like for starter, main and dessert - and tucked in.

I had chosen a smoked salmon mousse with pickled vegetables, rocket and lemon dressing for my starter and Adeel chose to go with a gazpacho with red onion, sans olives.

I have to say, out of the three courses I was looking forward to the starter the least as I didn't know what it would be like. I'm happy to say it was amazing. Plus the sweet pickled vegetables and lemon dressing really accompanied it well.

Unfortunately Adeel didn't like the gazpacho that much, in fact not at all, but I suppose you can't win them all.

For mains we both chose pan seared rump of lamb with buttered Jersey Royals, Chantenay carrots, summer greens and salsa verde. This was reallyyy something. The meat wasn't chewy like I've found most lamb to be and the rest of the flavours were just perfect. 

I ended up enjoying this more than the dessert and I am definitely more of a sweet person than a savoury!

And finally, for dessert I chose the orange cheesecake with orange gel and pomegranate sorbet and Adeel had the chocolate fondant with raspberry ice cream.

I know when I considered the menu I almost went for the staples I always seem to pick, but I went out of my comfort zone instead as it was an out-of-the-ordinary dinner with good company and a new hope blossoming.

All of the dishes were served beautifully, the portions weren't massive which was perfect for me who has never gotten through a three course meal before (and was worrying all day about how I was going to eat so much!) and the surroundings were stunning, peaceful and definitely a nice way to relax after a long week at work.

I couldn't recommend this place more. It's a bit off the beaten track - at least for me - but I would definitely go again. In fact, I am hellbent on going back and trying the punting at least!

I wish I had taken more pictures (okay, I only took one, I'm really awful at this!) but I just can't bring myself to take pictures of my food, especially as it was quite a nice place and I didn't want all those older people to look down at me.

Oh well, if you would like to see any more pictures their website is here: www.cherwellboathouse.co.uk

This post is not sponsored, all opinions are my own.



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Life Lately

Well, summer sure has arrived.

London has been sweltering these past few days. My window hasn't been shut in months. There isn't any air in my room even with a fan on, circulating warm air.

But, you know what?

I'm enjoying it.

I used to hate summer. Loathe it in fact. I felt like the heat never agreed with me because I always felt mneh whenever it got over 23 degrees.

I don't know what changed.

Maybe because Adeel really likes the sun and it had an effect on me? Or maybe because I'm a lot happier than I used to be and happy people tend to like the sun I guess.

It's been a quiet few weeks at work with my boss away on his holidays, leaving myself and my other colleague to hold the line in his absence.

We were both worried chaos would rain down on us with an urgent crisis popping up here, there and everywhere. But, nothing of the sort happened. Not one thing. Nada.

I suppose I should appreciate the quiet time as I'm sure it will be busy again soon enough.

The only busy day turned out to be the day before I knew I wasn't going to be in due to an ASAP dentist appointment for my first filling.

But all was under control again by Monday. Filling went ahead with no problems and I feel like a proper adult now with all these weird, adult-y problems (I can't even see the filling).

I also went to see Romeo and Juliet on Wednesday afternoon with a friend which was different.

I'm so used to watching musicals that the lack of music and the strong Shakespearian meant we actually had to concentrate for the couple of hours instead of sitting back and relaxing.

Admittedly, we did only book to see it because a certain Mr Richard Madden (aka Robb Stark) was meant to be Romeo. But, alas, he had a jogging injury so his understudy performed in his place.

We still got to see Lily James and Derek Jacobi though, which was nice.

This weekend has been a slow one, but well needed with the heat we're trying to live through.

Hopefully I'll get to go away somewhere nice soon.

Dreaming of a proper summer holiday.

And also kind of feeling a little regret this week seeing a lot of people posting graduation photos and going off to prom.

Okay, so I live near a school and I saw those people and only those all dressed up, filing onto a number of coaches, evidently going to prom.

My Facebook is the one that has been filled with all of these graduation photos and people announcing their new jobs or new locations and certificates and degrees.

I guess I'm just jealous because I never got a prom and for my graduation it poured it down with rain and I wore jeans instead of a dress. 

Half of my family couldn't even come in to see it, they had to stream it in a restaurant just outside. 

Plus I realised I felt all alone in there. I was surrounded by classmates and teachers and other pupils but I couldn't feel more alone.

They say university is the time for making the "friends for life". 

But he was sat outside with my family, unable to get in due to a two-ticket-per-student rule. Plus he graduated a couple days ahead of me because he was in a different school.

I never really knew how disappointed I was with it all until I saw all of these other people posting their happy, sunny photos with huddles of friends and family.

Sorry for the downer of a post, but a girl is feeling pretty rubbish about it all and wanted to write it out.

Hope your week was a more successful one.



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