Swimming, Presentation, Relaxing.

In order for me to achieve in attempting to write a blog post, I needed to have some ideas on what exactly to write, so me, being the lazy person I am, I decided I was to look online for some blog topics. Scrolling down I find one that says, and I quote: “make a list of 100 blog topics that people can use,” well if I did that then I probably wouldn’t of needed to go on this site, duh.

This is only going to be a quick post. I said I would always update every 2^nd day and here it is, although it isn’t much. I wont blog for about 5 days, I will be occupied else where. But I will post as soon as I get back

So tomorrow morning I will be going to New South Wales with some friends. No it is not social, KadekLouise and I, we swim for a swimming club and as part of this club, we take part in swimming carnivals 4 times a year.

Every Australia Day we travel up to NSW, which is about 5 hours away by car, and lucky me, this year I will be the lucky duck to drive the rest of the family up to gain more hours for my L’s.

While we are there, I will be taking photos of the days that we will be competing and also having the presentation where everybody dresses lovely in their dresses or their good clothes and KadekLouise and I will order mocktails because neither of us are old enough to drink adult drinks.

We will be lazy down at the pool with my siblings and our families.

Kadek and I have been friends for 8 years in march this year, and we see each other mostly every 2^nd  Sunday, depends if I can be bothered. Don’t judge, I’m a busy girl. Although we see each other, we also speak a lot. She has been nothing but support through tough times and I couldn’t thank her enough. But she also knows how to get my mind off things and how to make me laugh. While being the good friend she is, she will bring Brownies she has made, and you can find how she made them on her blog. (kadeklouise.blogspot.com.au) Not only Brownies, if she is kind enough she might bring a chocolate orange!

So I guess that is it, over the course of the 4 days, I swim in races 2 days, and then it is relaxing, shopping and movie dates with my brother, Kadek, and not to forget her mum!

Here are some embarrassing photos of Kadek and I while we were in Albury previous years, either at the presentation or at the swim pool! 

Oh, them mocktails in 2010

2011 

2011, presentation.

Peace out!

S x

Wise Wednesday

This is something I'm going to try out. Uploading every Wednesday on an important topic that is either relevant or something that people have suggested.

But today, is self confidence/ esteem!

Self confidence isn't something that is born or learnt. Self esteem can have positive and negative effects on a person. Some people may have very low self esteem where as another person may have a very high self esteem / confidence. It all depends on the person. Nothing is to say that it is bad to have good self esteem. If you are one of those people, THAT IS AWESOME, because a lot of people struggle with the thought of liking themselves.

Being happy with yourself is one step closer to being able to reach your full potential.

Many teenagers and young children hate the way they look, some as young as 8, they shouldn't be concerned with the way they look! It is the media today that constructs and persuades the audience to believe that vanity is the key way to go about life. There are models, who are photoshopped, role models that are airbrushed to make their skin look flawless, male models promoting protein shakes for 14/15 year old boys that don't need to consume them, promoting excessive exercise use, and the list can go on.

For the girls and boys that have self doubt, for those who think they are a failure, I got news for you. You are most defiantly more important than what the next person says or the number on the scales. People might bring you down, people are nasty. The entire human race is cruel in the fact that we pick out every single flaw in ones body, that might even be your own! You are your harshest critic, and only you can change the way you view yourself.

So, I have a challenge. Every day, you should stand in front of your mirror in your bedroom, bathroom, wherever and you can't focus on the bad, only the good. Repeat, I am worth it, because you are. Every single person you walk by in the streets or in the store has a purpose. Some people may never know until they are 80, they would reflect and think I knew there was a reason why I did that.

There is a time in ones life that they don't see the point. They can't see the light in the darkest places. It can be hard to remove yourself from that negative thinking. But surrounding yourself with happy things, things that make you happy, not your mum/dad or your teachers at school. Being happy with yourself and your happiness should always come first. If you don't like something, change it for the better.

There are always going to be hard times and times that you just want to give up, but remember, no matter how hard it gets there is always an ending. You needed to experience the dark to realise the light has always been inside of you, because if you are stuck in a tunnel and you walk, you are bound to find the end. The darkness doesn't last forever.

You can achieve anything that is possible. You can fly to every single country if you wanted, you can buy a mansion in Beverly Hills if you wanted. Nothing can stop you from achieving your dreams, only you. You are your biggest motivator, but also your biggest obstacle.
The only way you are ever going to move past that one hurdle that you are approaching is by jumping.

Taking risks is scary, hands down without a doubt. If there was a scared train, get me on it. But there is always good in taking risks, good and calculated ones though. As it turns out, it is essential and crucial to our development as individuals to take risks.

Finding the triggers of low self-esteem can be difficult. We personalise negative events by inferring a negative meaning about ourselves. So turning your "inner critic" into an "inner coach" is crucial in developing better self esteem, this can all be developed in the way you talk, the way you walk, the way you sit. If you practise these habits you are more inclined to believe them because they are positive.

Make sure you recognise your achievements. Looking back you reflect on all the challenging hardships you've had, and all those experiences have shaped who you are today. The brain learns from repetition, so constantly practicing positive thinking will train your brain to look at the things they once thought to be negative, in a better light.

I hope this blog was not only insightful but helpful to some. People have to realise that the only one stopping you, is you. Coming to terms with who you are and who you are becoming can be scary, but it is the good for you, because you can look back and reflect on the difficult times you have had and realise you were strong enough to get past them. If you have done this recently, I AM PROUD!

Remember making someone else happy starts with making yourself happy, because you can't fully commit to helping someone unless you are at peace with yourself and there is not a raging war going on inside your head.

A little positivity is all you need.

Maybe sometimes you have to stop waiting for someone to come along and fix what’s wrong. Maybe you have to stop feeling sorry for yourself and realize that no one else has the right answer. Maybe sometimes you have to be your own hero. — Unknown

I hope you enjoyed this bundle of words and actually made sense of it.  

If you want, leave a comment on some more Wise Wednesday suggestions!

S x

Back to school.

First day of Prep. 2002.

First day of High School. 2009

Seeing as were discussing school, I thought i'd dig up some old photos of me when I was in school... I looked horrid. By the way, in neither of these photos am I wearing glasses, which I did have in 2004. I look nothing like I do now, which I think is a good thing so I don't look like a complete idiot. Ha! You also may notice that in the first picture on the left, there is a tear in the photo, because when my sister and my mum were moving my photos from wall to wall they ripped this one... Safe to say I was quite disappointed.


Okay, I am probably the WORST person to give advice on getting back to school.... It seems daunting, I know. I don't even know why I am writing a blog post on this, but I just feel like it might be helpful for others but boring for some. Anyway, it had to be done.

I know that people from Australia are going back to school in a couple of weeks or are starting to go back to school already. So I figured I might give these little tips of mine a work out throughout this school year, and maybe you can do it too.

Every year since I was about 14, I opted for a new years resolution that was easy to accomplish, then one that was a little more difficult. You know the typical, get fit, try harder at school, ect. But this year, I feel, is a little bit different then other years. Maybe because this is my final year of high school, then I go onto University. If you are already in College or Uni, then maybe you have already got some and can give me some helpful hints.

My new years resolution was simple: To get fit so it releases stress so that this year can run as smoothly as possible, and to try and be more organised. Safe to say it isn't going well so far.

I thought that one way to be more organised for this big year is to research some realistic tips that can brighten up the school day or the aftermath of school, you know, such as homework.
Here are some that I thought I might give a go this year!

One. An inspiration board. It may seem stupid and weird to have things that you aspire to be. But it can help. I am coming to the conclusion that I have no imagination at all so if I have it in front of me, then I am more likely to have a an idea of where I want to end up in a few years or by the end of this year.
What you will need: 

• A cork board, or something that you can pin or clip things on.
• Coloured pins or clips, so it can make it look more appealing to the eye. 
• A rough idea of how much time you want this to be covered. For example, do you want to achieve everything on the cork board by the time that the year has ended, or by 2017 comes?
• An imagination. What do you want to be doing by the end of the year? For me, I will be putting my ATAR score that I want to get into the course that would be idea for me. Maybe a goal that you want to achieve. The places that you hope to travel in the future. Maybe how much money that you want to save by the time school is out. The list can go on for ever. 

Two. Preparing lunch the night before. I know, sounds lame. But it could work. Getting your brain trained to never forget lunch, because I know from experience that I got into the habit of not taking lunch to school, silly me. It is very unhealthy for you not to eat throughout school because your body needs the extra fuel to keep it going and you may not think it does but all those skipping meals can be dangerous. I have thought about this one a lot. Get your science out, Shaylene. 

Making your lunch can be chore, but it doesn't have to be! 

What you can do:

Maybe make a wrap. Put in some salad that you like. As for me, I go for the Chicken, mayonnaise, cheese and lettuce. I'm boring I know, but I am also naughty, because I buy then from the canteen, shh. 

But putting things in the wrap that you like, you are more inclined to enjoy eating rather than having it as a burden on your shoulders. 

I remember growing up, I hated sandwiches. They were just so boring, its like., "Oh, I wonder what I have for lunch today, oh a sandwich... yay" and there was nothing interesting. 

Or maybe your lunch isn't the problem, maybe it is the snacks. Having healthy snacks in your snack box is great. Cut up carrots, or cucumber sticks with maybe some dip on the side. Celery, thats the best one. I don't like cucumber myself so celery is my go to one. Did you know, celery doesn't have many calories and by the time you eat it, you've burnt off the calories you've consumed? 

Three. Homework place. Who says homework has to be done at a desk? No one. 

I usually do my homework in my room, but that doesn't always work. I have all my technology devices with me too... and I get distracted... very easily. Start by locking away your devices and do at least one hour per night. Maybe give them to your parents or a sibling. 

What you will need to do: 

• Find a happy place, somewhere that is free from distractions
• Make sure that no distractions are available for you to immerse yourself into.

Four. Enjoy school. 

Another one of my resolutions was to have a more positive outlook on school. I know I have repeated myself a lot, but school is good, and I don't mean that in a cliche kind of way, I honestly don't think I have ever hated school, I have always liked going to school, even on the days I feel like absolute poo. Apart form the odd occasion of girls falling out. That sucked a lot. 

As for having days off school... My mum was never lenient on my siblings and I, we either had to be vomiting, or dying for us to have a day off school and that was good. Obviously you need school, but I also know that a lot of kids my age struggle going to school, I don't know if that is because of bullying or it just doesn't hold the same appeal. Which makes sense, learning isn't the most fun experience, but it has to be done. We learn every day, why is school any different? 

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand where those people are coming from, I would never want any one to subject themselves to something they hate with an absolute passion. 

And this post is definitely not going where I hoped it would go, but anyway. 

If you did like this post, please let me know in the comments. I know it was a pointless one, but it had to be done. 

In the meantime, enjoy this photo of a moment in time where I thought I was cool. 

That's me, yup, right in the middle. It was my 13th birthday, and I obviously loved Twilight... explains the shirt. 

S x

My trip to Vietnam. #Part two.

Note: I do not intend to brag or show off my experiences at all. I am very fortunate enough to be apart of World Challenge and go on a month long trip to Vietnam.

So where did we leave it?

After the acclimatisation trek we took a bus to Dalat. Wow, was that an experience or what? It was amazing, Dalat was so different to the other places we went to and boy was it beautiful. It was very built up and it seemed like the Vietnamese government had invested a lot of time into the city.

After a late lunch I decided I wasn't going to go back to dinner, and I think it was because I was missing home a little also. So I was in my room alone and then at about 9pm the girls came back. Then my lovely teacher brought be back two Kit Kats, oh she is wonderful. We then, that night all the girls got together again and we started packing for the 5 day trek that we were about to endure. Luckily for me, I had packed my bags while they were out for dinner.

Amy preparing her water bladder for the trek.

The Walking Dead was on multiple times while I had been there. I don't know why, but when I am at home, I don't find it all that appealing. But it was pretty good, if I can say myself. I would always ask Jade, "So what does it mean if they did this?" "Or this" "Are they a Zombie yet?" I think she got sick of me by the end.

Here are some photos from the trek that I hope you enjoy:

Me, you know chilling on a mountain view

Due to the river crossing that we had done, our shoes and socks were wet. No dryers, so fire was the best option

Oh, isn't this cute.

Blowing our mattresses and putting up our tents before dark.

The trek was amazing, I would do it in a heart beat. Maybe not the actual walking part. I think that was pretty hard with a back back on. Mind you we all had to carry food and water, because some places we couldn't get water from a running stream or the van wouldn't be able to reach us. So taking food and water was obviously essential to survive. 

While on trek, Chloe had sprained her ankle, so I lent her my walking poles. So the boys had offered to take her bag from her to relieve her of some of the pressure placed on her ankle by her bag. 

After trek we also had found out that our Scottish expedition leader's birthday was on the last night of Dalat, so the girls, Jade, Jess and Amy went to the bakery, (Sorry, I forgot someone!) and brought Ali a cake. He didn't know that we knew his birthday. Thankfully to Simon, he looked at the Challenger Manual which had everyones date of birth and their citizenship and saw that his birthday was then.

That sexy face.

Chicken Schnitzel, taste actually quite amazing.

Happy Birthday, Ali.

I know it is only a short entry, but after this, I'm trying to recover the photos that I lost, luckily the majority of my photos, I have. But the other 400, not so much. I will most likely write but with no photos, sorry. 

I hope you enjoyed! 

S x

My trip to Vietnam. #Part One

This is my recollection of my adventures with World Challenge when we travelled to Vietnam for a month.

On the 23rd November 2013, at roughly 10:30am we boarded the plane to fly to Kulala Lumpur, our first stop over before we officially fly to Ho Chi Minh City, also formally known as Siagon.

Waiting at Melbourne airport was hell, for many reasons. Normally I wouldn't mind waiting for my plane to arrive. But there happened to be a bit of a lost and found game to be played... with my passport. The story is as follows:

Usually, I have everything on me at all times, but we had just passed customs and we followed Belinda, our teacher and Immy, our assistant guide to the gate that we had to board the plane on, that was all good. No hiccups there.
"Okay guys, make sure that you're back here by 15 past nine at the latest," Cool, we had time. The girls and I went to the bathroom. I think I was the last one out, I dried my hands and walked out.
When we were nearing Hungry Jacks, I realised I didn't have my passport on me at all, I flipped and I am pretty sure I had an anxiety attack while I was standing right in the middle of the walk way. Freaking out some more, my friend said that we will back track where we walked from. So we did. And you guessed it, it was sitting on the floor, face up in the bathroom near the hand dryer. What a great start!

So it was an all up 10 or 11 hour flight, that includes the stop over flight from Malaysia to Vietnam, which was 2 hours. I didn't sleep at all on the flight, but maybe that is just me.

We arrived in Ho Chi Minh city at 8:30 their time. They are 4 hours behind Australia. So getting used to the time difference was difficult. I think all up I was up for about 2 days, acquiring for the time difference also.

For the next three days we just adjusted ourselves to the climate and it was fun. It kind of reminded me of  if Bali and China and a baby, Vietnam would be there.

Visiting markets, staying up late, watching the english music channel, were few of our favourite things that we did at every single place.

While we were in Vietnam we caught over night trains. They were most definitely not anything flash. We had 2, 10 hour trains and one 21 hour. But after we had finished at Ho Chi Minh City we caught the 10 hour train ride to Nha Trang. We didn't stay very long, I believe it was an hour all up.

The train ride to Nha Trang. - You can see me top left.

The bus ride however, took way longer than expected. I think it was about 5 hours. It was not the most pleasant bus ride. People got on and off the bus like it was public. But we had to make do with what we had.

Sleeping on the 5 hours bus ride.

We arrived at Buon Ma Thout at about 2:30pm and I wasn't particularly fond of this place, I called it creepy town. It was very weird. We retreated to find lunch after we all found some food!

Note: As part of World Challenge, all the students organised the transport, the accommodations, the food, everything. We even had to watch our own budget. I believe the total budget for the entire trip was $11,000 US.

We had one night at the hotel, before we set off to our first trek, the acclimatisation phase.

Getting ready to head off!

We stayed in a house that because I didn't bring my mosquito net, because you know, you gotta have those so you don't get malaria! So I shared a tent with my good friends Jade and Teagan. But we slept inside a room in tents... odd.


So we trekked for a while more, then that next night we stayed in a traditional long house. I stayed with Jess, Jade and Grace, and it couldn't be better. This was my favourite day, mainly because I got to see many, many elephants. I got to ride one too! I took a selfie or two with an elephant. It made me smile so much. So here are some photos for you to smile at too!

Our World Challenge Group!

Ah, my selfie!

Grace, with her head torch.

I loved the trek, but I don't think it fully prepared us for what was to come. We walked back to the bus that took us back to our hotel room. We had one more night into creepy town, then we would be off to Dalat!

After the trek, we were all VERY desperate for showers and things that made us feel clean, such as washing our clothes. Normal people would hire people to do that for them, like the boys did. But no, we though we would be cheap and wash it in the bath.

This is like an Eclair that we get back home. It has chocolate custard  inside and it is probably the most amazing thing I have ever eaten in my entire life! 

This is Me, Teagan and Jade washing our clothes after trek. Then me being smart, had either the hair dryer or I stood in front of the air conditioner to dry and dry my clothes. I think I did that most of the night.

Mind you, this is only the first half of the experience, more is to come.

I hope you enjoyed the first instalment of My trip to Vietnam!

S x