True👌

missing my fall semester study setup, missing taiwanese vegan desserts, missing taipei

My little morning spread! Still visiting home so am trying to take full advantage of the amount of food my mother has in her house hehe. 

Still writing papers, feeling like that is all I do now! I am getting kicked in the butt by my epistemology paper on phenomenal concepts…and I cannot wait to be done and over with it :|

do you have any tips for retaining information?? i’m studying japanese but i feel like i’m not absorbing anything

hi angel!! here are a few masterposts you might find useful:

eight ways to remember anything

how to study if you have a bad memory

ways to become more familiar with your target language

hope that helps! 💌

2018

- wake up with your alarm. don’t lie there for another half an hour. seize the day

- have a glass of water as soon as you wake up and before you go to sleep. hydrate

- stretch. do some yoga. try and do the splits or even just touch your toes. relax and meditate and focus on your breathing

- even if you’re not going out, change your clothes and your underwear. clean is always better

- go for run. or a walk. or to the gym. even just once a week. just get outside

- read a little everyday. maybe for leisure or maybe for class. just learn

- new music is always lush. spotify, apple music, a live gig. go hear someone’s heart

- cut things out that make you unhappy. people, relationships, certain foods, habits, anything

- study hard. work hard. get it. the job, the degree, the relationship. just do it for you

- check your boobs everyday. make doctors appointments

- eat a piece of fruit and veg everyday. we all know 5 a day is far fetched, especially for students

- compliment people. you never know how much someone needs to hear something positive

- compliment yourself. look at yourself in the mirror and say five things you like and maybe one to improve. you can always better yourself but don’t make that your be all and end all

- a relationship should never be your everything. it’s lush to be smitten and to have someone smitten with you but be sure not to become half a person. you are a whole. reclaim your independence. learn to love your solitude

- don’t forget your friends. keep in touch with people. don’t be glued to your phone but make sure you stay in contact

- give yourself time to heal. grief is a weird thing and time isn’t always the healer. you’ll have good days and bad days and you should never feel bad for crying. it’s not over and you don’t have to move on in the way people think you should. memories are good things

- don’t put so much pressure on yourself. eat that pizza. buy that charity shop coat. there’ll always be money and there’s always tomorrow to eat a salad. calm down

- stress is the silent killer. you don’t need that first degree or that promotion. do your best and you’ll be rewarded

- say fuck it once in a while. or a lot. a couple of g&ts, a party, a new outfit

- have sex or don’t have sex. it’s a lot of fun when your needs are met and you’re enjoying yourself with someone you love or just like the look of

- withdraw consent if you get uncomfortable. at the beginning, middle, end, it’s always okay. don’t let social expectations dictate your choices. the idea of being a slut doesn’t exist unless you’re hurting someone you’ve made monogamous promises to. other than that you’re good

- get checked and be good to your body. sex is great if your mind and body are good with it too

- take photos. paint. write in a journal. document your life. you never know when you’ll need some nostalgia or a creative outlet

- families aren’t perfect but they’ll always be in your life in some way. in person or in your heart and memory. try to make them good memories. there are those without parents and siblings and grandparents who would give anything to have what you have. try a little. take the higher ground

- mental health is important. cut out anything that could contribute to its downfall. your mind’s long life is more important than temporary fixes

- listen to the people close to you. most of the time they have your best interests at heart and they’re trying to help you see what maybe you can’t. don’t take things so personally

- we’re living in a time of hate. be a ray of sunshine to this dark world. don’t seclude yourself to your own cave. that isn’t what self love is. we need to take care of ourselves first, yes, but remember to love each other too

- take one day at a time

one of my motivation not to fail any classes is student loans. I cannot afford to fail, so passing is my only option. I think about my student loans, and it gives me the motivation to do my best. (not very inspirational, I know but its the truth)

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by the vastness of things I want to be, do and achieve.

I want to be the girl reading Anna Karenina in a dimly lit cafe and losing herself in poetry and philosophy every night. Yet, I also want to be sharp and analytical and save lives with a scalpel in my hand. I want to travel the world and surprise people with how many languages I can speak - drink wine and watch ballet in France, explore abandoned castles in Scotland, feel the centuries of history in Italy and Greece, learn to surf in Hawaii or Australia. I want to have an attic studio where I can make art and laugh with my lover about the funny-looking portrait as I can never get the face proportions quite right. I want a house away from the city and a horse so that I can roam the fields. But I also want to live right in the middle of the city and admire the skyline and the skyscrapers every night. And the list goes on and on…

They say follow your passion but which one do I follow if there are only 24 hours in a day? I know I won’t be able to do all of the things I dream of but I personally object to having to limit myself.