So it’s nearly a year since I last posted to my blog. Which is entirely unacceptable in my opinion but here we are. A lot has happened, I still live in Dublin but I completed my master's degree, I’ve seen more of the world than I had before and I’ve had Covid twice. Maybe I’ll talk about some of it at some point, and perhaps I won’t. Either way, here are some pictures from the past year, completely non-chronological and entirely random...
Thursday 25 May 2023
Sunday 26 June 2022
how overwhelming
Turns out I just keep getting older and doing stuff and I don’t know why I find that truly bizarre but I do. Existence is overwhelming but I guess I’m coping aren’t I. I’m usually happy enough but maybe we can thank the anti depressants for that.
And whilst my own being itself is overwhelming the world continues to be entirely ridiculous and infuriating, how on earth is anyone supposed to get on with anything when our own bodily autonomy is taken from us, it’s utterly absurd. I wish I had something more eloquent to say about everything but I currently do not.
India x
photo is of a print I liked on a box at Sostrene Grene.
Wednesday 8 June 2022
CONSTANTLY OVERWHELMED
I am constantly overwhelmed it seems and stuck in a loop of doing nothing and everything all at once. I wonder if I get enough sleep, I probably don't. I'll start writing properly and posting again soon, I hope, but meanwhile, I'm always on Instagram.
India x
Friday 7 January 2022
I'M FEELIN' 2022... Duh
Well, yet again it has been a long time since I posted anything on here. I have plenty of reasons why and maybe I'll tell you about those. I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and New Year despite all the weirdness everyone is experiencing.
I'm still in Ireland, I love my course at UCD and I've made amazing friends but my god we've had our fair share of chaos- mostly in relation to Dublin housing and how difficult it is to find anywhere remotely decent. Fortunately, we are now in a lovely house sharing with lovely people and couldn't be happier. I think maybe I'll do some posts about Dublin Housing in the near future, just because I think we have learned a lot through experience that we wouldn't have found online beforehand; of course a lot of the information online already is great and really clear on how expensive and difficult it is etc but I think COVID has had a big affect on all of this too and has certainly added to the difficulties that were already there.
Now that we are in a nice little house I'm hoping to get more content out more often, I really miss blogging, I miss writing and maybe now that I'll be more comfortable it'll be easier.
Sunday 10 October 2021
An Evening Out For Stella
Friday 24 September 2021
I MOVED TO IRELAND...
I mean I don't have anywhere to live yet but I'm here so that's something. I've planned to do this since before I graduated from Nottingham Trent because I decided all those years ago that I wanted to get my masters in Library and Information studies and that I wanted to get that qualification from University College Dublin. I suppose you might wonder why I wanted to do this here, instead of just staying home and doing it in Manchester, but where's the fun in that.
I wanted to move away and coincidently I also love Ireland, and preferred the look of the course at UCD. Finn also happens to be both English and Irish (both not half) , so he's come with me on this little adventure and though stressed, we couldn't be happier to finally be here.
There's still a lot to sort out (like somewhere to live...) but I am just buzzing to even be here at all.
So here’s a little update for you, there will be lots more from me soon.
IWx
Wednesday 21 July 2021
Isolation vs Depression vs Probable ADHD
long time no blog… mostly due to a mixture of the above and of simply having nothing to say. It’s been a weird 18 months / nearly 2 years for everyone, you don’t need me to tell you that.
A lot has changed for me since I last posted, I got a new job which is lovely, I’m finally moving to Dublin in September to study for my masters and currently I’m isolating, awaiting my PCR test results…
I figured a very short little post with some pics from my last day out in town would suffice so I won’t say much more; I’ll save everything I have to say in any depth or detail, for future, much more succinct posts.
I hope you’re all happy and healthy x
IWx
Monday 15 February 2021
CERVICAL SCREENING (SMEAR TEST): a brief discussion about my experience
I’m going to preface this post by pointing out the fact that I wrote this a while ago. My way of coping with this lockdown is something I honestly don’t even understand yet, I am content and fine but I’m definitely a bit distant from myself... so I wrote this post and then just did nothing with it even though I wanted it to be on my blog, I just didn’t post it yet and I don’t know why. But enjoy, I think it’s such an important thing to know about and to have done and I hope you find this post useful in some way.
If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen me post on my stories about getting my cervical screening done for the first time ever last week. Oddly perhaps, this is something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time... let me explain myself
In the UK you get your first cervical screening age 25, you wait for a letter from the NHS, then book in at your GP. I got my letter in December and booked in literally a week before I had it, turns out you don’t have to be 25, you just have to be nearly 25 and have received the letter.
I think the age limit is slightly ridiculous, the screening is so so important, not only for peace of mind that you’re healthy but to check you have no abnormalities or growths, and therefore to prevent cervical cancer.
In my opinion, the test should be encouraged from age 18, like it is in lots of other countries. If you’re sexually active, you should be getting the screening.
So I was excited about getting my screening done, which a lot of people thought was weird, but this excitement was due to the fact I know it’s so important, and that I’ve had to wait so long for it. I still might sound a bit silly for being excited but there you go that is why.
Now, let’s talk about the actual screening. It is over so unbelievably quickly and is barely even uncomfortable, it just feels a bit weird. You go in, undress from the waist down (I intentionally wore a dress), you lie down, ankles together and knees bent outwards, they put the apparatus inside you, open it up, take a swab and then remove. The whole time it was being explained to me and the practitioner was chatting to me throughout. Honestly the most difficult thing was wearing my mask because I couldn’t see anything since I was lying down. It was so quick and easy, it was honestly over within 5 minutes at most.
So if you’re due to have a cervical screening and you’re apprehensive, I can honestly assure you it is nothing to worry about. If you have any questions about my experience feel free to DM me on Instagram and I’ll honestly tell you anything!
IWx
Wednesday 20 January 2021
2021
I’m not going to lie, I’ve not been feeling particularly positive lately. I’m coping and doing ok and making sure I don’t push myself too much. I hope everyone else is also being kind to themselves- I think it’s truly so important at the moment. As Harry Styles says, Treat People With Kindness and I think that people definitely includes yourself.
Sunday 18 October 2020
THE ETERNAL AUTUMN REWATCH OF GILMORE GIRLS
For me, and I think so many others, feeling the need to watch Gilmore girls from season one episode one as soon as it’s officially autumn comes hand in hand with listening to Taylor swift, big jumpers and strong hot coffees. I am going to try my best to explain the love I have for this show and how it is so seasonally appropriate, regardless of the season it may be in whatever episode.
Needless to say, my boyfriend, my family and my friends find my seemingly constant re-watching of shows tiresome but especially when it’s Gilmore girls. For me, for no particular reason, watching Gilmore girls gives me the exact same feeling as the start of a new school year. A fresh start, positive vibes and a renewed energy. I realise I’m 24 years old, I’ve not had a start to a new school year for quite some time, but my whole life it has been my absolute favourite time of year. The smell of new school uniform, paired with shiny shoes and a carefully planned low messy bun. I didn’t love school or anything, I just loved the start to a new school year, and there’s not much depth as to why, just a feeling. Gilmore Girls gives me that same feeling.
The opening to the first episode, playing The La’s there she goes, an autumnal anthem if I ever did hear one. It’s the nostalgia of being back in school, a beautiful and complex mother daughter relationship and so much dialogue. I am a talker and my mind goes at a million miles an hour, and Gilmore girls keeps my attention, quick wit and sarcastic comments make the show what it is.
The characters are loveable and detestable in equal measures, they’re all inherently flawed, making them multi faceted unlike so many male written female characters. It is realistic, whilst also being entirely ludicrous, how anyone is uninterested by it baffles me.
I am however only this attached to the first few series, I’m absolutely not invested in Rorys life at Yale, or with Logan at all. I think Dean is a wonderful first boyfriend to Rory and I adore Jess but I also don’t think she should have ended up with any of them, as she didn’t. I think it’s important to note that although yes, boyfriends and boys are a big theme throughout the programme, they are never made to be the priority or sole interest of the main characters. Perhaps Madeline and Louise, but quite frankly I love that about them, I love that they were completely normal teenage girls.
I wish I could adequately explain why Gilmore Girls is the perfect autumnal watch but it’s so difficult, it’s a vibe or a feeling and I sound like fruit loop but I know it’s true. If you’re a Gilmore Girls fan, please let me know why you think Gilmore Girls is particularly autumnal because clearly I need a hand here!
-IWx