Drinking Culture at University

Universities have a massive drinking culture, there is no denying that. Having now completed my first term at uni, I feel like my perspective has changed quite a bit and I felt this needs to be shared as I could not find much on this online.

I arrived at uni as very much a newbie to alcohol. I had never really drunk much at parties before and had never got drunk, primarily due to the taste and not particularly wanting to. But I had this idea that when I got to uni, absolutely everyone would be drinking a lot more than I was used to and that therefore I would have to try and fit in by doing likewise. So there I was in fresher's week, trying all sorts of concoctions that people readily suggested and served to me; ciders, beers, cocktails, vodka infused drinks, the lot. The conclusion I came to? I didn't really like alcohol.

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I had known this since the first time I tried it, though I still forced myself into drinking like many others do (very much in a mild form compared to others) in fresher's week. However, I never got drunk. It was only after a few weeks of university did I realise that saying I did not want that can of cider someone had just offered me was not a problem. People accepted that I did not want to drink.

This response completely changed my perspective of the drinking culture at university. I previously thought it was expected for everyone to drink, yet really, nobody minds at all if you choose not to. In fact, I know quite a few people who don't drink. I'm not quite sure why this surprised me, perhaps it's down to the media portraying university as a place for partying, a place for going out and a place for drinking (obviously alongside a place of learning), but I really did realise that nowhere online does it say that actually a fair number of people don't drink and it is completely fine and acceptable not to. The choice is yours and your friends should be accepting of that. If they don't then perhaps they are not the right people to be friends with.

I would like to mention that I have absolutely nothing against people who drink. This post is not about convincing people not to drink at university, it is simply trying to reassure those who do not want to that that is absolutely fine. I understand why people want to drink, though I also very much understand why people don't. I do, however, still regularly get asked why I don't drink, so perhaps if you choose not to, have a set of answers ready. An example of mine (which I all truly believe) are below:

• I don't like the taste of alcohol
• I don't like the idea of not being in control if I were to get drunk
• Alcohol isn't actually particularly good for your health and can be very damaging in certain circumstances
• It's cheaper not to drink

It should be noted though that "I just don't want to" is also a perfectly valid reason. If someone doesn't accept any of these as a reason then perhaps remind them that around 8,500 people die each year due to excessive drinking and that should shut them up. 

Along with the idea that everyone drank alcohol at university, I also had the idea that everybody goes out clubbing or on bar crawls at least a few times each week. Again, whilst a lot of people do do this and that is perfectly fine, it is also completely acceptable to not want to go out. I have been lucky enough to gain a group of friends who quite enjoy staying in our flat's kitchen watching a movie, ordering pizza and just chatting on a Saturday night as opposed to going out, which suits me well. We do all like going out, just not as often as others. It is not a given that you have to go out a lot at university, just like drinking, it is completely up to you how much you do it or whether you do it at all and those around you should not have anything bad to say about the choices you make. If it's anything like my experience, then people are really lovely when it comes to things like this and as long as you make friends with those kinds of people, you have nothing to worry about. 

Miss Muggs xx

Places To See Before I Die

To put it simply, the world is an amazing place. One of the most amazing things in life is exploring it, both the natural beauties created over millions of years and the man-made cultures, buildings and cities created in only the last few thousand. It seems also unthinkable to consider not exploring these wonders, but sadly a very large proportion of the population is unable to afford the essentials required for living let alone the luxuries of visiting different countries. I am extremely fortunate to be one of the under 10% of the population that has been on a plane multiple times in my life. Even I, however, don't expect to be able to travel the entire world in my lifetime. In fact, there are very few people who have even visited all of the continents at least once. That, I would say, is one of my lifetime wishes.. to visit every continent at least once. Whilst I don't yet know whether my future will allow that sort of thing, it is nice to dream. So I decided to create a little list of places/countries I'd like to visit or go back to at some point in my life.

EUROPE

Italy - Pompeii, Rome, Venice

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The cities listed are pretty common tourist destinations, though they are classics that I would love to visit. Italy is a beautiful country with a lovely climate in summer. I have visited Rome and loved every moment of it, though I'd love to go back. To be honest, I'd love to see a lot more of Italy, though these are the just some starting points.

Switzerland - Alps

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Now this is a very general area as a lot of Switzerland is taken up by the Alps and I have actually been to the Austrian alps before in winter (skiing). I'd particularly like to visit the Swiss Alps in summer because from the pictures I've seen, they are just beautiful.

Czech Republic - Prague

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I really don't know much about Prague other than a lot of people have been there and said it's great. I think it's one of those places I'll probably visit with friends during a summer in between my years at uni.

Greece-Santorini

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Having seen hundreds of photos from Santorini, I decided to add this to my list. People tend to say there isn't too much to do, but it's beautiful and still worth a visit, so here it is, on my list.

Netherlands - Amsterdam

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Basically everyone I know has been to Amsterdam but me. It looks amazing in the photos, such an interesting city and beautiful canals. I particularly want to go and see the Anne Frank house (doesn't everyone?) having read her diary as a child.

Iceland

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This is last on my Europe list because I have been there before (fairly recently) but I definitely want to go again. It's such a barren landscape with little civilisation, yet amazing natural features including waterfalls and glaciers galore! The Blue Lagoon is also a must. I don't think I appreciated Iceland as much as I should've done when I was there...plus it rained a lot.

ASIA

Thailand/Vietnam/Laos

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This is rather vague because to be honest, I've heard wonderful things about all the countries in this area of the world. Beautiful scenery, a very different culture to what I'm used to and loads to see, this will be a big trip if I go there, but it's one of my top places (well, areas of the world) I'd like to visit.

Maldives

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I'm sure you've seen pictures of the Maldives before; little cabins and huts on stilts over the stunningly clear blue water and amazing sandy beaches. What more is there to say? It's unlikely I'll ever have the money to visit such an expensive holiday destination, but I can dream.

OCEANIA

Australia - Perth, Sydney, Kakadu National Park

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Where do I begin? If there was one place I had to live outside the UK, it would be Australia. I've only been once, when we visited Western Australia and the Northern Territory (including Perth and Kakadu) but I fell in love with it in the first week of being there. It has such a wide variety of landscapes across the country and I'd love to see the East Coast which I didn't before. Obviously the Great Barrier Reef should probably be on my list, though I'm not particularly great with open water. I'm still hoping to see it one day though *dreams of Australia* ahhh...

New Zealand

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Another classic. I'd love to visit both the North and South Islands because they're so different, but it depends how much time and money I have. Again, this is somewhere I may never make it do due to lack of funds (it is also one hell of a long plane journey).

AMERICAS

USA - New York, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Monument Valley, Hawaii

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I could list so much more of the USA. Ideally, I'd go on a road trip round the USA, but that would be pretty expensive if I wanted to visit all 50 states..I've only ever been to California before, so I'd particularly like to see what the East Coast has to offer and I'd like to see more of inland USA as well.

Galapagos Islands

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This is wildlife heaven. I am interested in biology, generally more human biology, but I'd absolutely love to see the wildlife, perhaps go on a tour of the islands to see it all. I don't know too much about actual holidays there other than it's another expensive place so perhaps I need to look into it more, but I know I want it on my list.

ANTARCTICA

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I'm not a massive fan of the cold, but this continent is one I'd love to visit for reasons I can't really explain. I know I'd like to see the penguins (I like penguins), but I'm not entirely sure why else. It's very desolate. I guess I'd just like to say I've been there.

AFRICA

South Africa

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I named South Africa in particular because I know people have been there and said it's worth a visit, even just for a safari, but to be honest there are a lot of places in Africa that sound pretty cool. I guess I'm less keen on central Africa because I know there are a lot of vaccinations involved before you go, but in some ways I'd quite like to help with one of those volunteer projects that builds schools or helps communities out in various ways, that sounds like an amazing experience.

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I'd like to note that just because a country isn't on this list doesn't mean I don't want to go there, I simply wrote this list of my favourites so far, so if you have visited or are from somewhere that you think is amazing that I haven't listed, do leave a comment :)

-What are some of your favourite places you have visited or would like to visit?-

Miss Muggs xx

Empty Days

Do you ever have those days were you feel completely empty? Sometimes it happens randomly, sometimes it happens as a result of a falling out with someone or being told bad news or some other similar situation. I have found myself recently having a few of these days, unsure what to do with myself and often ending up staring into space doing nothing.

It's days like this where I sometimes find a walk in a quiet place or sneaking away to a private place (if it has a good view that's even better) can help immensely. In fact, in this state I find it difficult to do things that make me happy because I'm not particularly unhappy. It's more of a feeling of nothingness, like a complete absence of any feeling.

I was recently lucky enough to go on a trip to California and for a short part of the trip we stayed at a place in the hills above L.A. The view over LA is one of my favourites views I've ever seen, particularly in the mornings and after it's got dark in the evenings. In the morning the mist covers everything but the skyscrapers in the city centre, which seem to tower out of what almost looks like a cloud. It looked like something out of a fictional story or movie and was breathtaking. At night, the city is alive with lights and the sky above seems to be thriving with airplanes and stars.

LA in the morning - a slightly less misty morning

LA at night - the camera really doesn't catch it's beauty

One morning I got up early to skype someone back in the UK but it turned out the wifi didn't work that day, so I decided to go on a walk around the property and stare out at the view for ages. That was one of my favourite moments. Being able to just sit, think, but at the same time not really thinking about anything in particular. It was really relaxing and brings you back to yourself if you're feeling the empty feeling I previously described.

I guess this post didn't really have much point to it, I didn't really go anywhere with it, I just wanted to share a recent experience that has helped me to cure my empty feeling that I sometimes get. If you can find a quiet spot, wherever you are in the world, that looks out over something or even just somewhere where you can look up at the stars at night, make use of that spot. Obviously make sure you're alone in this spot, it doesn't have the same effect otherwise. Looking out over life is a great way to get back to yourself again.

Anyway, I hope you didn't find this too random or pointless and thank you for listening to me ramble (as I always seem to do in my blog posts) once again.

Miss Muggs xx

Unsettled

Unsettled - the only word that can be used to describe my feelings at the moment. I supposed it's the realisation of how big this year is for me and many of my friends. The end of school, the start of uni, everything changes and all very suddenly. Throw in some added disappointments in the form of a rejection or two and, I'm not going to lie, it throws your mind into a whirlwind of confusion that can, at times, spiral out of control.

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This academic year in particular has been tougher than most due to a combination of stress, work, uni applications and entry tests. It's lead to a whole load of ups and downs, with seemingly more downs than ups. I have noticed myself feeling less happy than I've done in previous years as a result of all this and have set myself a mini new year's resolution of caring for myself more. I mean this both mentally, in terms of making sure I stay positive, looking after myself so I don't get into such lows and using meditation or whatever necessary to calm myself down when I feel stressed, anxious or unsettled, and physically, making sure I eat enough and hopefully regaining some of the fitness I once had in preparation for a walking holiday this summer.

I think part of the problem is I've spent a lot of time focusing on work and pressuring myself into getting the very best results, when in fact sometimes this puts me under so much stress I crumble. I'm hoping that now the longest term, uni applications and coursework are all out of the way I'll have more time to focus on staying healthy (not in the healthy food way, but mentally and physically healthy).

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I know this is rather a short and rambley post and after a year, perhaps a little disappointing in terms of content, but I felt like blogging. I've decided once and for all that I'm not going to have any schedule for this blog nor am I going to post regularly. This will simply be a blog for my thoughts whenever I feel like sharing them.

I want to say, as a final point, to anyone out there who's been feeling down or stressed or anxious or anything similar, that things will get better eventually. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel and you will reach it sometime soon. That might be next week, next month or next year, but it will happen. Look to the positives of the future, but don't forget about the present because as I've said before on this blog, ignoring the present sometimes means you miss out on making the most of moments which might turn out to be some of your most precious memories. Also, looking to the future the whole time leaves you with a constant sense of hoping but never achieving, it really does leave you feeling happier if you look at the good things happening here and now. If you're still struggling to see the brighter side of life at the moment, perhaps check out my post How to be Happy. But trust me, things will get better :)

Songs I feel are relevant to this post:
Low - Lauren Aquilina
Home - Gabrielle Aplin

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year!

Miss Muggs xx

The Return Post

I've always been someone who likes things to be done in certain ways. I guess some might call me a perfectionist, but I don't quite think it's that. I love spontaneity when I'm out and about with friends and family, but when it comes to work I need something solidly written (unless of course I've been working on it so much I just want to get it over with..).

I've been thinking about blogging a lot, particularly recently and back immediately after I began this sort of hiatus. I guess I've just been trying to think of something to write about, I've been waiting for inspiration to come. Whenever it does come I'm usually busy or at school or I'll come up with an idea but not have any proper content to put into a post. I hope you understand where I'm coming from with this. 

(Prepare yourself for the generic excuse for not blogging) I have been pretty busy recently with AS-levels, which just seem to take up a lot of time and some other personal things and extra-curricular activities fill up a lot of my "free" time. Homework is never ending and my sleeping pattern has taken a hit, causing me to feel incredibly tired and whenever I do get a free evening or weekend, all I want to do is watch TV and scroll pointlessly through various social networking sites on my phone. Don't get me wrong, I'm thoroughly enjoying life right now and am perfectly happy, just pretty busy and it's tiring. This evening is the first that I've taken to deliberately put my phone to the side, light some candles (I hope a post will come in the future about this, but as I'm clearly useless at regular blogging, who knows if or when that will come) and open up my laptop to blog. I've committed now. Other plans for the evening include painting my nails and having a bath with one of the many LUSH bath bombs I got for Christmas. It's like a laid back pampering evening just for me. 

One of the keys things that I thought about a lot during my break from blogging was the content I wanted to write about. I originally began this blog with the intention to write about whatever inspired me at the time and just general thoughts, which I hope to continue. But I also thought I would write about beauty. This was perhaps not so true to me and more because I saw others doing it and wanted to follow the crowd. I'm not saying I won't ever post about beauty products again or that I'm against it at all (in fact, I love reading beauty posts, I'm just not great at writing them myself) but I just won't do it as much. I wear makeup and enjoy the occasional splurge or getting ready to go out. However, the majority of the time, I simply wear the same makeup over and over again. I think I've talked before about how I'm a creature of habit. I will buy the same stuff again because it's what I know. So I just think any posts I write on beauty, I wouldn't enjoy writing as much and it would reflect in my writing. The plan is to continue writing about whatever inspires me on that day and it is most likely to be just thoughts on life. I don't like the fact that blogs seem to have to be labelled as 'beauty blogs' or 'lifestyle blogs'. I have no idea what a blog could be labelled as if it is just someone writing their thoughts on life (perhaps a 'thoughts blog'? Haha) and I don't particularly want this blog to be labelled as anything. If you are reading this right now and you enjoy my content, thank you! If you aren't quite so sure, I understand, and thank you for at least going to the effort of reading this. I started this blog simply for myself. Of course it makes me happy when I see that someone has seen or read my blog, I mean, doesn't everyone? I just want to write about whatever I feel like and share that. If people want to read it, that's great. If people don't want to read it, that's fine too. 

So anyway, that's my little ramble about blogging over. I will hopefully posting slightly lighter, chattier posts in the future (whether this is next week or months in the future, who knows). It feels easier to blog now I've dusted away the cobwebs and broken the ice. I guess we'll just have to see what the future beholds.
By the way, all the random photos which don't have specific relevance to what I was talking about come from Tumblr and I just thought they were pretty. I hope you like them too :)

Miss Muggs xx

Train Stories

Oh look, it's a Sunday and I haven't posted on my blog in a week and a half. Somehow whenever I decide I'm going to try and stick to a schedule, things start happening and I can't. Let's see if I can explain...you know those weeks when you get one piece of homework which leads to another and another and then you're going out to dinner to celebrate your brother going back to uni and then you have to go up to London on a Saturday to do something and then to finish the week off perfectly, you get a cold? I've had one of those weeks. Things go quite hectic and so I never got a chance to sit down at the computer or even to plan anything. So today will be a bit of a chatty post I'm afraid.

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The other day, as I was coming home from London on the train, I overheard a conversation that started off between two people and ended up being a conversation with half the carriage. There was an elderly man, who was perhaps a little drunk, sitting on his phone in the carriage when I got on. Along came a group of women who had just done the 5km colour run, still covered in paint, who came and sat down at the set of 6 seats he was sitting at. In the next 5 minutes (in which I was distracted), somehow the group of women began chatting with this man and ended up talking to the person whom the man was on the phone to. Together, they chatted and laughed and asked questions about how this man knew the woman who was on the phone. By this point, some others had joined in laughing and most people were smiling. I listened to the story and although I do not feel it's appropriate to go spreading stranger's stories on the internet, I can say that at least half of the carriage were laughing along by the end of it. It was not the funniest story, nor was it that heartfelt, (in fact, it was a fairly normal, day-to-day story despite its odd parts), but somehow it connected those of us in that carriage who were listening. People who were coming home from a busy day, people who'd just been out to dinner, people who were coming from all sorts of things had come together to laugh at this lovely old man and his story.

Most days, if you look around, the train is filled with people staring down at their phones or out of the window looking glum. Occasionally, there is the odd family who are chatting about the new iPhone which just came out (yes, I heard one of those stories too). But very rarely do you get an occasion where complete strangers are brought together in laughter by an old man and his story. The whole situation cheered me up greatly and will certainly stay in my memory.

Sorry if this post has been a little bit random and chatty. I don't know quite what it is about train stories that fascinates me so much, but listening into even just 5 minutes of someone's life who you'll probably never cross paths with again seems wonderful. Perhaps I'm just nosy or listening in when I shouldn't be, but surely I'm not the only one? I love the little stories I hear and getting a glimpse into people's lives. I love the fact that sometimes I forget them and nobody else will ever know. I love the fact that other people, even complete strangers, can take my mind off my own problems and give me something to concentrate on and laugh about in the most odd places like trains.

-Have you ever heard a train story that you've remembered for a particular reason? Do you like hearing the stories or do you think I'm just a bit weird?-

Miss Muggs xx

How to be Happy

It occurred to me recently that I seemed to be accidentally sticking to a blog schedule of posting every Tuesday. So last week I decided 'great, I'll try and stick to this accidental schedule and post something on Tuesday, perhaps write the post over the weekend to be prepared'. Along came the weekend and I ended up feeling very tired from the first two days back at school, which I'd just had and then felt a little down and upset for various reasons on Sunday. Then came Monday...then Tuesday...now Wednesday. Still no post. I am sorry about this. I have been thinking about the post I wanted to write for a while (honestly!) but just didn't get round to it due to spending all my spare time researching for biology coursework. Sorry. I've heard that other bloggers are in similar situations, so I don't think I'm alone in the back-to-school-and-missing-a-blogpost situation, am I? Is anyone else struggling with time?

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Right, onto the actual post. Recently both I and a couple of my close friends have been feeling a little down, upset or just generally not ourselves. Luckily I only felt like this for a day or so but I know some people who have been dealing with this feeling for a number of days, weeks or even months. So today I've decided to write a small (hmm..."small") list - oh how I love lists! - of things you can do to make yourself feel happier when you're feeling down or upset.

• Exercise - sometimes I really don't feel like doing this when I'm sad, but it is actually a brilliant way to feel better. Push yourself to go running or something and it will make you feel better, promise
• Make a list - this can be of things to do or just things that make you happy, but I always find this helps a lot
• Sort out something - either just doing the homework that is hanging over you, cleaning your room or sorting out whatever is wrong can give you great satisfaction 
• Go out for lunch/coffee/shopping with friends - seeing friends and being able to ramble on about everything that's wrong to a friend is wonderfully satisfying or if you want to keep it to yourself, then going out will take your mind off the problem(s)
• Call up a friend - this form of communication has become quite rare these days with all the texting and instant messaging, but if you can't meet up with someone, calling or skyping someone can be really comforting
• Write in a diary/blog - sometimes you just don't feel like sharing your issues in life, but spilling out your emotions onto a page (whether physical or online) gives you a sense of release without necessarily having to share with people you know
• Read blogs - I'm sure anyone reading this will know that reading blogs is really relaxing and takes your mind of any issues, it really is a great way to pass your time
• Watch YouTube videos - again, I'm sure most people will understand how wonderful YouTube is. There are loads of youtubers who make videos which will definitely take your mind of your problems 
• Search using keywords like 'summer', 'christmas', 'sunsets' or 'positive quotes' on Tumblr - I find Tumblr is a great way to feel positive and happier about life. The pictures just make make me think of positive memories of summer holidays and quotes always make me feel more confident and ready to face the day
• Look through positivity boards on Pinterest - again, this is similar, in the sense that Pinterest is filled with beautiful photos and quotes, I mean, who doesn't love a good quote? 
• Turn on some fairy lights, put on some comfy clothes and snuggle up in bed with a good book - this has got to be one of my favourite methods of making myself feel better. Everything about it is just great, and if you don't feel keen on reading, then why not grab a hot chocolate or cup of tea and snuggle up with that instead?
• Watch TV - all the great TV series are starting again soon after their summer break, so who cares if you watch 3 hours of TV or 10 episodes of How I Met Your Mother (or whatever you like) in a row? If it makes you feel better, go for it!
• Watch a romcom or chick flick - any feel good movie is guaranteed to make you smile and be sucked out of reality for about 2 hours
• Bake cupcakes - food is a wonderful thing when you're feeling upset and making it is even better. Especially cupcakes. Because cupcakes are heavenly.
• Songwriting/dancing/painting/drawing/writing a story/poem - this is another favourite of mine. Creating something (anything!) can help you to release all your emotions and feelings into your creation without having to directly talk about them. Everyone has their own way of expressing their feelings, so I think it's important to work out what your's is and do it

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These are just some of the things I like to do when I'm feeling sad, but there are plenty of others, many of which are personal to each and every one of us. So whatever you think will make you feel better, then do it. No matter what other people say. Well, obviously if you have a deadline for school or work, take that into consideration rather than wasting an entire weekend watching TV and reading. It'll only make you more stressed! I want to say a big thank you to one of my friends, who helped me with some of these ideas. I know she's probably reading this right now, so thank you! 

-What do you like to do when you're feeling a bit down?-

Miss Muggs xx