I've actually got it together to get a post up for the first time in a couple of weeks and I just?? The flu absolutely knocked me for six and I so wanted to attempt at making January productive. But I've got another 16 days to go and life isn't all about putting words out there.
I've always been a suburbs kind of gal. That is, until I had no choice about it and had tovlive in the countryside for a few months earlier this year. Here's what I learnt:
1.) It's not silent. Dammit TV shows, you had me duped (again). I lost count of the number of times I woke up to screeching owls, cat fights, or a cow having a little mooing session.
2.) I really hate bugs. Leaving your windows open at night is basically an invitation for the entire wilderness to come in. I have not missed moths or daddy long legs flying around me 24/7.
3.) Everyone wants to chat. I'm used to not knowing any of my neighbours' names, let alone their life histories. Here even the postman knew who I was. My stranger danger anxiety was on a full-time high.
4.) Everyone has pets. Okay, this part I loved. All the neighbours had dogs, cats or both, as well as a myriad of other little creatures. You were basically never more than two feet away from a friendly little stroke. My bunny wasn't quite as impressed as me with this though, hehe.
5.) I really, REALLY like fast internet. This was basically the bane of my life for those few months. It took forever to even upload a blog photo. And YouTube? A seven hour upload time for a ten minute video is simply not okay.
6.) Phone signal is actually pretty handy. Especially when you're job hunting. Unlike with the internet situation, I simply had no signal whatsoever. No signal, no mobile data, no access to the outside world.
7.) Nature controls our lives. Living in towns and cities has given me this false illusion that we control nature. Being in a raging storm in an outbuilding in the middle of the countryside however, really showed me how wrong I was.
8.) Nature can be truly beautiful. I've never really seen a sun setting without buildings being all up in my grill. I've got a little collection of gorgeous photos of colourful sunsets from this summer, which are completely unobstructed by architecture.
9.) I don't like being isolated. I'm such an introvert that I thought I would love to be out in the middle of nowhere, without having to see and talk to people all of the time. But I actually hated it. I felt so alone and missed the hustle and bustle of normal life.
10.) I really kind of like my boyfriend. Shoddy internet, no phone signal and living in one room in the middle of nowhere for four months taught me a whole lot. Mostly though, I realised that my relationship is strong, and I love being in it. We survived that without murdering each other, so we can survive anything, right?
I hope you enjoyed this post! Have you ever lived in the countryside?
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I've been filming a really serious Youtube video for you all today, so this post has come just in time to make me feel all light hearted again. Disney is my favourite comfort food of the cinematic world. On a bad day, some cheesy nachos, a blanket and a Disney film (or three) are definitely the way forward. So, I've rounded up my top ten Disney films to inspire you all this Saturday. Some are classics, some are more recent, but all are animated. Because animated Disney films are always going to be the best, dur. I had a shortlist of about 25 initially, so consider these the creme de la creme of my Disney obsession.
1.) The Nightmare Before Christmas. Is it a Halloween film? It is a Christmas film? Who knows. I've already watched this one this year, and totally used the excuse of it being a Halloween film. This is a Tim Burton masterpiece, and if you've never bobbed up and down around the house singing 'THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN', then you're doing it all wrong.
2.) Up. Have you ever had your heart broken? If not then prepare yourself because this attacks you right in the core of your feels. A cute, grumpy old man named Carl won't let developers knock down the house he lived in with his wife until she died, and his attempts to deal with everything just make my heart bleed.
3.) The Princess and the Frog. I'm not usually a big fan of the traditional Princess movies (although I have to say that this is not the only one on the list), but I absolutely adore this one. The humour in it is perfect, and I don't think I've ever been so upset by the death of a character. I'm not going to spoiler it, but if you've watched it then you'll totally know who I mean.
4.) Tangled. I did warn you there would be more Princess-y ones on the list. Tangled is effectively the story of Rapunzel, but Disney-fied. Rapunzel has her very own chameleon sidekick called Pascal, who is the cutest little guy imaginable. Some of the songs from this one are astounding, and the scene with the lanterns is all pretty unforgettable. I only wish I had gotten to see this on the big screen in the cinema.
5.) Big Hero 6. In my opinion, this is the most unjustly underrated Disney film out there. Seriously, how have more people not seen it and fallen in love? Big Hero 6 follows the tragic story of the death of an older brother, who has engineered Baymax, a personal healthcare advisor. After his death, Baymax still exists on standby, waiting to detect someone in pain. All I want is my own personal Baymax to introduce himself and give me a hug when I feel poorly. Someone needs to get on that asap.
6.) Alice in Wonderland. I'm talking the traditional one rather than the Johnny Depp version. I used to watch this as a child all the time. This is one that the creators really ran wild with, and I loved all of the swirling colours, rapid scene changes, and the fantastical storyline.
7.) Lilo and Stitch. I know a lot of people that really hate this one, and I have to ask: what are you doing?! Stitch is the cutest little alien I've ever seen. Also, if the 'ohana means family and family means no one gets left behind' quote doesn't tug on your heart strings, then you may need to get them checked out. The montages of naughty Stitch in this are hilarious, and something I could watch time and time again.
8.) Beauty and the Beast. What a classic. I'm actually SO excited to see Emma Watson in the live action version oft his, but the animation will always take a place in my heart. The songs are addictive, and I wish Belle's simple dresses were the 'in' thing right now. They are just too good.
9.) A Muppet Christmas Carol. Okay, okay I know two Christmas movies made it onto the list, but it's November so this is totally okay. I've never actually watched a 'normal' version of A Christmas Carol because who needs one when you have this? Tiny Tim is the most adorable little creature, and I love the narration they have throughout it.
10.) Hercules. This is mostly here because of the songs, I'm not going to lie. And then partly because of Pain & Panic and Meg's sassy nature. The muses' songs are quite simply addictive, and this is one film that I've watched so many times that I can now quote the entire thing almost word for word.
What would you have put in this list?
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