Someone out there would love to smile and doesn't have it as good as you do. Find reasons to smile every day!
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
Just saying...
Something has been playing on my mind recently and I feel like I need to get it out to see it in words...
I like myself.
Not in a conceited way, or an I-fancy-myself way. But for the first time in a looooooong time, I'm happy with the person I am and where I've come from and what I am now.
I have an amazing husband, I have amazing family, my friends are second to none and I'm in a job I seem to be good at.
I don't have a cat but I'm working on that.
I keep busy, I learn something every day, I notice the beauty in everyday things, I like meeting interesting people, I still hate going to the gym, I'm always going to be cuddly, I tell jokes, I have an annoying laugh, I have plans in the pipeline, I'm going on holiday on Saturday.
That's me right now.
I'm more patient, less stressed, calmer and generally more level headed since coming back from Kenya. Possibly because I have more of a sense of perspective and priority.
But let me just say this.
I get along with everyone. I don't care what your age is, what gender you are, what colour your skin might be, what religion you choose to follow... but if you choose to put me down or make me feel less than the person I am, I don't want to know you. I have no reason to try and get along with you or try and make you a better person.
There are so many other people in the world who have it harder than you, you're just making your life harder than it needs to be and you know what? LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR THAT.
So there. *Sticks tongue out*
I like myself.
Not in a conceited way, or an I-fancy-myself way. But for the first time in a looooooong time, I'm happy with the person I am and where I've come from and what I am now.
I have an amazing husband, I have amazing family, my friends are second to none and I'm in a job I seem to be good at.
I don't have a cat but I'm working on that.
I keep busy, I learn something every day, I notice the beauty in everyday things, I like meeting interesting people, I still hate going to the gym, I'm always going to be cuddly, I tell jokes, I have an annoying laugh, I have plans in the pipeline, I'm going on holiday on Saturday.
That's me right now.I'm more patient, less stressed, calmer and generally more level headed since coming back from Kenya. Possibly because I have more of a sense of perspective and priority.
But let me just say this.
I get along with everyone. I don't care what your age is, what gender you are, what colour your skin might be, what religion you choose to follow... but if you choose to put me down or make me feel less than the person I am, I don't want to know you. I have no reason to try and get along with you or try and make you a better person.
There are so many other people in the world who have it harder than you, you're just making your life harder than it needs to be and you know what? LIFE IS TOO SHORT FOR THAT.
So there. *Sticks tongue out*
Wednesday, 28 August 2013
5 boring (but essential) items to pack for your travels
When I start packing, these are the things I'm generally thinking:
"Ooh pretty dresses! Yay pretty holiday dresses!"
"Is 5 pairs of shoes too many for one week away?"
"Ooh soapbag! I LOVE packing my soapbag with all my toiletries!"
I don't tend to be thinking about exchange rates, airport transfers and other dull but necessary things.
I've done a few trips abroad in my time so far and I've forgotten so many practical things in my haste to pack sparkly flips flops (yes, really). These things can work out to be quite expensive abroad, so I'm hoping to save you (and me) some cash here.
Here are my five boring but essential items to pack for your travels:
1. Batteries
You can pick batteries up for very little money back here in the UK, so you might be forgiven for thinking it'd be the same abroad. But noooooo. Batteries can cost four times as much
2. Torch
I DON'T NEED A TORCH I'LL BE FINE. Cut to a few days into your trip, lights are out and you need a torch. Have you remembered your batteries? See above.
3. Spare charger
I can't even count how many phone chargers I've left plugged into walls around the walls. It is a massive pain in the arse when you realise you've forgotten it. If you're moving around a few different places and you have an iPhone, don't just bring a wall charger, bring a USB cord as a backup charger.
4. Matches/Lighter
You might not need to light many romantic candles on your trip, but you'd be surprised how many times you need a naked flame and a match or lighter is out of the question. Not this time! Ta daaaaa! Plus, they're odd conversation starters if someone needs a light :)
5. Hair grips
Ok perhaps not for guys here, but you won't realise how much you need hair grips until you don't have them. Pinning your hair back on a hot day, creating funky hairstyles on the road, plus they're quite handy for other uses (you know, getting stuff out of stuff) and they can be quite hard to track down in some countries I've found!
What are your boring but essential items to pack for your travels?
"Ooh pretty dresses! Yay pretty holiday dresses!"
"Is 5 pairs of shoes too many for one week away?"
"Ooh soapbag! I LOVE packing my soapbag with all my toiletries!"
I don't tend to be thinking about exchange rates, airport transfers and other dull but necessary things.
 |
| All the essentials. Barney? Check. Whiskey? Check. Cat? Check. |
I've done a few trips abroad in my time so far and I've forgotten so many practical things in my haste to pack sparkly flips flops (yes, really). These things can work out to be quite expensive abroad, so I'm hoping to save you (and me) some cash here.
Here are my five boring but essential items to pack for your travels:
1. Batteries
You can pick batteries up for very little money back here in the UK, so you might be forgiven for thinking it'd be the same abroad. But noooooo. Batteries can cost four times as much
2. Torch
I DON'T NEED A TORCH I'LL BE FINE. Cut to a few days into your trip, lights are out and you need a torch. Have you remembered your batteries? See above.
3. Spare charger
I can't even count how many phone chargers I've left plugged into walls around the walls. It is a massive pain in the arse when you realise you've forgotten it. If you're moving around a few different places and you have an iPhone, don't just bring a wall charger, bring a USB cord as a backup charger.
4. Matches/Lighter
You might not need to light many romantic candles on your trip, but you'd be surprised how many times you need a naked flame and a match or lighter is out of the question. Not this time! Ta daaaaa! Plus, they're odd conversation starters if someone needs a light :)
5. Hair grips
Ok perhaps not for guys here, but you won't realise how much you need hair grips until you don't have them. Pinning your hair back on a hot day, creating funky hairstyles on the road, plus they're quite handy for other uses (you know, getting stuff out of stuff) and they can be quite hard to track down in some countries I've found!
What are your boring but essential items to pack for your travels?
Sunday, 25 August 2013
Saturday, 24 August 2013
Photo album from the Serengeti
 |
| Nothing says 'Welcome to the Serengeti' like skulls! |
I need a new camera, I'm not happy with the lighting in a lot of these photos - any camera suggestions?
Wednesday, 21 August 2013
Is it worth going to Uni?
I was thinking the other day. I like thinking.
I thought about where I am in my current job and the Marketing skills I now have and where I've got them from.
Let me tell you, I didn't get the skills I have now from my University degree. Therefore I was wondering why should people really bother going to Uni these days?
Firstly, my degree (a 2.1 since you're asking) was in Childhood Studies. Yep. I'll just let that sink in for a second.
I chose to take that course because I really wanted a career working with children, then when I graduated I got offered the chance to teach in Uganda for a month which completely changed my attitude to working with children in the UK. I just couldn't bring myself to enter the system back here where people didn't necessarily appreciate what they had.
So I ended up taking what I thought would be a fairly temporary position in the volunteer travel company I went to Uganda with. I started in a really low paid role, very admin heavy and gradually worked my way up over the next four years to manage the customer support team.
*Takes a bow, thank you very much*
When a Marketing job opportunity came up in the company, I thought about giving it a go. I was nervous as I had no real Marketing experience, but I knew the company and had taken on their social media in another department and helped out with re-writing the website, so I had some experience but knew none of the lingo or abbreviations that come in Marketing.
Anyway, I had an interview and no one else must have showed because they gave little ol' me the job! I'm just trying to be modest, I was easily the best applicant! HA!
They knew about my lack of experience, but they also knew about my passion for work, my energy and positivity - you don't learn those things at Uni.
Over the next few years in that position I learnt what I needed to know in Marketing and felt more confident every day. When the time was right I decided to leave and (you already know this) take a career break to Kenya.
So that's my story so far. I wouldn't say my degree itself taught me anything that I use in my current job... HOWEVER, here's my list of things leaving home for University has taught me:
* I'm more independent. Leaving home means growing up. I find it quite hard to believe you can be grown up while living with your parents under their roof. Sorry. I pay the bills. It's my name on the rental contract.
* I learnt to make friends. Uni isn't what I thought it would be. It was very clique-y and I didn't love it. But I learnt to choose good friends (one of which is now my husband) and for that I'm thankful.
* I learnt to get on with stuff. A lot of uni time is spent self-teaching. I'm not sure if I could justify the costs of Uni nowadays, especially now I know how much of it I taught myself. I want a refund!
So, if I had to do it all over again, I might make the choice to just start at the bottom of the ladder and work my way up, learning skills as I go. But then I enjoyed the University of life and all the fun that comes with it, I just can't get over how much it costs to go to Uni these days... kids, I feel for you but there IS life outside of Uni. Just choose your path and take every opportunity along the way.
Auntie Katie over and out.
I thought about where I am in my current job and the Marketing skills I now have and where I've got them from.
Let me tell you, I didn't get the skills I have now from my University degree. Therefore I was wondering why should people really bother going to Uni these days?
Firstly, my degree (a 2.1 since you're asking) was in Childhood Studies. Yep. I'll just let that sink in for a second.
I chose to take that course because I really wanted a career working with children, then when I graduated I got offered the chance to teach in Uganda for a month which completely changed my attitude to working with children in the UK. I just couldn't bring myself to enter the system back here where people didn't necessarily appreciate what they had.
 |
| Did I tell you I've been to Uganda??! |
*Takes a bow, thank you very much*
When a Marketing job opportunity came up in the company, I thought about giving it a go. I was nervous as I had no real Marketing experience, but I knew the company and had taken on their social media in another department and helped out with re-writing the website, so I had some experience but knew none of the lingo or abbreviations that come in Marketing.
Anyway, I had an interview and no one else must have showed because they gave little ol' me the job! I'm just trying to be modest, I was easily the best applicant! HA!
They knew about my lack of experience, but they also knew about my passion for work, my energy and positivity - you don't learn those things at Uni.
Over the next few years in that position I learnt what I needed to know in Marketing and felt more confident every day. When the time was right I decided to leave and (you already know this) take a career break to Kenya.
So that's my story so far. I wouldn't say my degree itself taught me anything that I use in my current job... HOWEVER, here's my list of things leaving home for University has taught me:
* I'm more independent. Leaving home means growing up. I find it quite hard to believe you can be grown up while living with your parents under their roof. Sorry. I pay the bills. It's my name on the rental contract.
* I learnt to make friends. Uni isn't what I thought it would be. It was very clique-y and I didn't love it. But I learnt to choose good friends (one of which is now my husband) and for that I'm thankful.
* I learnt to get on with stuff. A lot of uni time is spent self-teaching. I'm not sure if I could justify the costs of Uni nowadays, especially now I know how much of it I taught myself. I want a refund!
So, if I had to do it all over again, I might make the choice to just start at the bottom of the ladder and work my way up, learning skills as I go. But then I enjoyed the University of life and all the fun that comes with it, I just can't get over how much it costs to go to Uni these days... kids, I feel for you but there IS life outside of Uni. Just choose your path and take every opportunity along the way.
Auntie Katie over and out.
Monday, 19 August 2013
5 Things I Hate About Commuting
So now that I'm back from my career break in Kenya, I'm travelling to Bradford every weekday on the train and I can officially call myself A Commuter.
I despise it.
The only good thing about my commute is that it's only 8 minutes on the train to Bradford.
Maybe it's because I got so used to travelling by matatu every day and I just loved going on the matatus. They felt so alive, so bumpy, so loud, so raw, SO CHEAP. I loved the loud music pumping from the speakers. I loved the UV lights that shone after dark inside turning them into mobile discos. I LOVED that when you got to your destination you had to bang on the roof when you wanted them to stop. I loved that conductors called me 'Whitey' and mothers passed you their children to put on your laps.
My life now is such a huge contrast to what it was six months ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly happy and it's all going in the right direction, but that doesn't make the journey to and from work any less depressing and GREY.
Here's the top five things I hate about commuting:
1. The people who get up five minutes before we arrive at the station and wait by the door. Where do you think you're going? The driver hasn't even announced that we're about to arriving and you're pushing me out of my seat (even though I'm getting off at that station too) just so you can get up and stand NEXT to the seat in the queue to get off the train. Don't even get me started on the people who press the OPEN button before the train has fully stopped...
2. The zombie-like expression people wear on their faces. Seriously? Are you happy with your life? I can only describe your face as GREY. It makes me sad to look at your face. It makes me worried. I want to talk to you.
3. The people with no concept of volume. Oh hey, you know those things in your ears? Those headphones? Did you know that they actually aren't soundproof OUTSIDE of the ear area? If I wanted to listen to your music with you I'd sit on your lap and sing along to the music with you. But I don't. SO TURN IT DOWN.
4. The silence. Maybe I was spoiled in Kenya with the music on public transport. But I can't help but feel if the train had speakers with upbeat music playing (and I don't mean the music in your earphones) for everyone, we might have more of a smile on our faces when we left the train? Sometimes the silence on the train makes me want to do something crazy like, oh I don't know, start a conversation with someone or just sing a song. If I could cartwheel then I'd do that!
5. The pushing to be the first to the ticket barrier. Hey, you want to get there so badly, be my guest. I am in NO hurry. But when you barge my shoulder and don't apologise, don't expect me to be nice about it. Especially if you're a d*ck in a suit. On your phone. Carrying a briefcase. That's no way to get ahead in life. Despite what you may think of yourself.
The one thing that gets me through is remembering it's not the same all over the world. We're so developed that we've forgotten the basics. For me it doesn't get any better than being thrown about in a minivan, dust blowing in my face, music pumping, swerving through traffic.
The day I become comfortable, or resigned, to this commute is the day I stop doing it. There's so much more to life than that.
I despise it.
The only good thing about my commute is that it's only 8 minutes on the train to Bradford.
Maybe it's because I got so used to travelling by matatu every day and I just loved going on the matatus. They felt so alive, so bumpy, so loud, so raw, SO CHEAP. I loved the loud music pumping from the speakers. I loved the UV lights that shone after dark inside turning them into mobile discos. I LOVED that when you got to your destination you had to bang on the roof when you wanted them to stop. I loved that conductors called me 'Whitey' and mothers passed you their children to put on your laps.
My life now is such a huge contrast to what it was six months ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm mostly happy and it's all going in the right direction, but that doesn't make the journey to and from work any less depressing and GREY.
Here's the top five things I hate about commuting:
1. The people who get up five minutes before we arrive at the station and wait by the door. Where do you think you're going? The driver hasn't even announced that we're about to arriving and you're pushing me out of my seat (even though I'm getting off at that station too) just so you can get up and stand NEXT to the seat in the queue to get off the train. Don't even get me started on the people who press the OPEN button before the train has fully stopped...
2. The zombie-like expression people wear on their faces. Seriously? Are you happy with your life? I can only describe your face as GREY. It makes me sad to look at your face. It makes me worried. I want to talk to you.
3. The people with no concept of volume. Oh hey, you know those things in your ears? Those headphones? Did you know that they actually aren't soundproof OUTSIDE of the ear area? If I wanted to listen to your music with you I'd sit on your lap and sing along to the music with you. But I don't. SO TURN IT DOWN.
4. The silence. Maybe I was spoiled in Kenya with the music on public transport. But I can't help but feel if the train had speakers with upbeat music playing (and I don't mean the music in your earphones) for everyone, we might have more of a smile on our faces when we left the train? Sometimes the silence on the train makes me want to do something crazy like, oh I don't know, start a conversation with someone or just sing a song. If I could cartwheel then I'd do that!
5. The pushing to be the first to the ticket barrier. Hey, you want to get there so badly, be my guest. I am in NO hurry. But when you barge my shoulder and don't apologise, don't expect me to be nice about it. Especially if you're a d*ck in a suit. On your phone. Carrying a briefcase. That's no way to get ahead in life. Despite what you may think of yourself.
The one thing that gets me through is remembering it's not the same all over the world. We're so developed that we've forgotten the basics. For me it doesn't get any better than being thrown about in a minivan, dust blowing in my face, music pumping, swerving through traffic.
The day I become comfortable, or resigned, to this commute is the day I stop doing it. There's so much more to life than that.
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