I suck!

So yeah, it seems I'm seriously failing at this! I was tempted to give up, but there's not that long left, and I was enjoying it before I started slacking, so I might as well carry on! So this is a three-in-one because I've been uber lazy. (Well, actually I was busy writing the world's worst essay, but hey!)

Day 21 - A picture of something you wish you could forget

I spent the last few days writing a sci-fi essay about whether Rocky Horror could be classed as sci-fi or not. It was rubbish. I'd like to forget I ever wrote that. 

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at

If I could have one skill, I'd love to be able to draw. I struggle drawing stick figures! My cousin Joe, and my brother, are amazing at art, and I envy them so much! I just think that it'd be something I could spend a lot of time doing and would help me relax. It certainly keeps Cameron quiet for a long time!

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book

This one was probably the hardest choice I've had to make yet with these! To be honest, this has been a recent change. I've always classed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as my favourite all time book, but I absolutely fell in love with Eat, Pray, Love. I have to admit that To Kill A Mockingbird came very close to stealing the title again, but although I do love that book and can't wait to read it again, Eat, Pray, Love touched me and changed my outlook. (I never thought I'd ever say that about a book, but yeah, it's powerful.) 

I read Eat, Pray, Love during the summer, and it took me an unusually long time to read, I have to admit. For those who don't know, here's the blurb:

Elizabeth is in her thirties, settled in a large house with a husband who wants to start a family. But she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a rebound fling later, Elizabeth emerges battered yet determined to find what she's been missing. So begins her quest. In Rome, she indulges herself and gains nearly two stone. In India, she finds enlightenment through scrubbing temple floors. Finally, in Bali, a toothless medicine man reveals a new path to peace, leaving her ready to love again.  

The book is one emotional rollercoaster, as you can probably imagine just from that snippet. I first heard of it when I saw the trailer for the film, which I instantly wanted to see because I adore Julia Roberts, but I knew that the film couldn't possibly compare to a book with that much personal thought and feeling involved in the story, and it doesn't!

I gave the book to my mum and my friend Jasmin to read, and both of them ended up giving up on it, which I don't blame them for at all. It is hard going, especially during the India section, where Gilbert spends most of her time talking in detail about her struggle with meditation and prayer. I think that it's something you really need to have the patience for, and an interest in, to work through. But once through that, the finding love in Bali is worth it! 

It's basically a story about going on a journey and finding yourself and figuring out what you believe in and what you want from the world. I've been reading a lot of books like this lately, I think because it's what I'm trying to do myself at the moment.Gilbert is extremely easy for me to relate to (although I'm not a 30 odd year old divorcee travelling the world, there is a moment when she's in India when she talks about her relationship with God, and I was just like 'wow, you've just summed me up'. It was amazing.)

Anyway, now I've showcased my extremely lame book reviewing skills, (which I should really try to improve, considering the career choice!) I'm going to shush about that! I think that if you haven't read Eat, Pray, Love though, you definitely should. 

Oops...slacking!

Argh, I've missed a day again! I did spend the beginning of yesterday giving a presentation and in another lecture, and the second half of it asleep, so I think I've got another good excuse! Anyway...

Day 19 - A picture and a letter

Cutest. Thing. Ever.

This is a picture/letter combo. This is the letter my brother wrote to me before I moved to Bangor. He was six at the time and spent about a week very upset because he thought that I was going away for three years without coming back, and that he wouldn't see me until he was nine! He cheered up considerably when he grasped that I was going to get the train back every few weeks and that he couldn't get rid of me that easily. Bless him. If you can't make it out, here is my translation...:

Dear Laura,

I want you to have a good three years at university.

I love you lots and lots. I do hope that you do that good.

Bye bye Laura.

I love you.

Good bye Laura.

From Cameron and mum.

Then he has drawn a picture of a rabbit, and under it, it says 'I'm a rabbit. I'm a pet. I have got a circle tail. And the rabbit is saying 'next door's got three rabbits'... I should explain that when he was about four, and first got his glasses, we thought he looked like Jonathon Lipnicki in Jerry MaGuire, who said 'next door's got three rabbits' to Tom Cruise, and we used to always say it to Cameron...

I read the letter to Cameron over the phone the other day, and my mum said he was extremely embarrassed! He's obviously too cool now at nine years old to admit that he ever cried because he thought he wouldn't see me for three years haha!

So, moving on...

Day 20: A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel

Africaaaaa

Aha! A way to get my Africa answer in afterall! I've always wanted to go to Africa and volunteer, but it costs a lot of money and I'm very poor, so it's a no-can-do. Hopefull I will be able to do, when I have a job and have saved up that lot of money! ...But then I'll have a job. Oh well, I'll definitely go at some point! 

30 Day Picture Challenge: Day Seventeen and Eighteen

Oops, I missed a day! I was working at an open day and then was rushing around getting ready, then had a few drinks, so I didn't have time! Anyway..

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently

I have to admit I never thought that I would admit that getting up when it's actually still morning would benefit me in any way! But I gave up lie-ins for lent and it's done me the world of good! I've actually been in a better mood when I get up (anyone who knows me will know I'm a horrible, horrible person in the morning!), and it's actually motivated me to do more, instead of just sitting around being lazy. I have to admit that I've slept in this weekend because I'm ill and been waking up during the night coughing, but I feel more tired now after more sleep than I have done all week! So I think this is something that I will carry on with, (even if I have technically failed my lent challenge!)

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity

That caption is very true! People seem to be think that big boobs are public property. It's really, really annoying.  I'm not gunna cry myself to sleep about it, but I do get really annoyed when I'm out and just get random people oggling! I wouldn't go up to someone with a huge arse and be like 'Woah your arse is huge!' and then grope it! ...Anyway, this one isn't a very fun one, so I'm going to finish it now before it turns into a moaning blog! :) 

30 Day Picture Challenge: Day Sixteen

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you

Nicholas Sparks

This is rather fitting, considering I've just watched the movie version of Nights In Rodanthe. I absolutely adore Nicholas Sparks, as I've mentioned before. His stories aren't fancy or groundbreaking, they're just stories about people and their relationships. There's a bit of religion in there, and you can guarantee that someone is going to die, but they're just about love and family, and they just make me happy when I read them, even if I'm smiling through floods of tears! 

30 Day Picture Challenge: Day Fifteen

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die

My first choice for this one was volunteering in Africa, but I couldn't find the right picture to represent it. Anyway, the second thing on my list is a sky dive. I can imagine that it'd be the most thrilling thing ever to do, but I reckon I'd be too scared haha! They would literally have to push me out of the plane!

Day 14 - A picture of someone you could never imagine your life without

Ignore my black hair...I was going through a 'stage'.

I know I'm doing a lot of cheating in these blogs, but frankly, who cares? There's not just one person I couldn't imagine life without, therefore I can't choose just one picture. So I chose two. My two favourite pictures of my favourite people in the world, my family. Simples. 

There's obviously a lot of people missing from these photos, because my family is HUGE. But even though there's so many of us, spread out so wide, we're all extremely close and I love that :) Plus, I have to love them because we all look so much alike, I'd never be able to deny we were related! 

30 Day Picture Challenge: Day Thirteen

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist


This was actually a really hard one! My first thought was Snow Patrol, because they make up the majority of my top 25 most played playlist. Then I thought Jimmy Eat World, because they remind me of college and I adore The Middle, and Hear, You, Me is one of about four songs that have ever made me cry! The Script and Lifehouse were other possibilities, but I simply couldn't choose between them. Then I remembered this beautiful man...

Michael Grubbs

Grubbs is the lead singer of band Wakey! Wakey! and I absolutely love his voice! He played a character of the same name in One Tree Hill, and I fell in love when he sang this song...

Dance So Good (Youtube) PHWOAR! 

Anyway, download his album... Almost Everything I wish I'd Said The Last Time I saw You :)