Based on what i've seen online, 2018 has been a bit of a strange one for almost everyone; it seems to have lasted forever but has flown by at the same time, and has been full of some amazing highs but also some pretty awful lows too. For me, 2018 was the year I graduated, turned 21, finally saw Taylor Swift live, had an amazing holiday to WDW with my mum and sister, became a Disney cast member again, and was reunited with my CEP roommates, but I also struggled with my mental health more than I ever have done before. 

Going into 2019 I'm feeling pretty motivated to make this year the best that it can be so I sat down and made myself a few resolutions. This isn't something I do every year because I don't want to put pressure on myself or feel bad if I don't achieve them but I think I've made them quite manageable and not too tricky to keep up with (let's see if I'm still saying that in 6 months time!). So here are my New Year's resolutions for 2019:

1. Get a job in copywriting

This one is the big one for this year; having now graduated from uni and finished as a Christmas temp it's time for me to find a full time job. It's taken a very long time but after years of having no idea i've finally figured out that copywriting is the career I want to go into. Whilst I know I'm very unlikely to just land a perfect job straight away, my goal is to have a copywriting job of some sort by the end of the year. This one is definitely the hardest of all of my resolutions as it's not just down to me but I'm feeling motivated and ready to apply to as many openings as it takes. 

2. Write at least 2 blog posts a month

It's amazing to think that i've been writing this blog for almost 3 years now when you look at how few posts i've actually published in that time. When I first started I found it hard to get the motivation to write when I spent so much of my time writing essays for uni, and I was definitely writing posts that I thought others would want to read rather than just what I wanted to write. Now i've found my footing and am writing for me more than anyone else, I love using this blog as a creative outlet and I have so many ideas and drafts waiting to be written. I know to some people 2 blog posts a week is nothing but I want to start off with a manageable goal and go from there. 

3. Exercise more

I've specifically made this resolution quite vague so I'm not feeling stressed about going to the gym a certain number of times a week or only eating a certain number of calories a day. I'm not so fussed about doing this to lose weight either, but more just for my health, both physical and mental. I'm determined to get outside more, go on walks and just generally moving about a bit more. 

4. Eat less meat

Again, this one is quite vague as I don't want to commit to a specific figure and then beat myself up for not achieving it. I would like to maybe have at least one day a week where I make a specific effort to not eat meat but right now my aim is to just eat less than I do currently. 

5. Book/go on a holiday to somewhere new

As much as I love going to the Disney parks it's been a while since I've been somewhere completely new to me and gone to explore a new country or city. Because I don't know what job I will have I don't know if I'll be able to afford to actually go on this holiday this year but i'd like to at least have one booked. My dream at the moment is to go to Salzburg and visit all the places from the Sound of Music, one of my absolute favourite musicals. 

6. Start to learn sign language

Having studied English Language, languages naturally fascinate me and sign language in particular. I learnt a bit about it when I was at uni but I want to start to learn how to actually speak it so I'm going to try and find some online courses or youtube videos to help me.

7. Read 12 books this year

Whilst you might expect an English student to read hundreds of books in a year, my dyslexia means I'm a slow reader and it can take a while for me to get into a book. When I was at uni I didn't want to spend my free time reading when I had to read so many textbooks and journal articles for my modules but in the 6 months since I graduated I think i've probably read more than I did in my whole 3 years at uni. I've created a Goodreads account and have set myself a reading challenge on there to keep me motivated to stick to my goal. 

Do you have any New Year's resolutions? Let me know in the comments below

Thanks for reading, 

Amy xxx

If I had a pound for the number of times people have asked me what I want to do when I graduate, it feels like I'd be rich enough that I wouldn't have to do anything. And when I say people I mean everyone; from lecturers and tutors to friends and family, and even the nosey nurse I saw at my annual pill check up at the doctors. I now that they are just interested in my future and what I want to do with my life, but it can get quite frustrating when it's the opening to every conversation you ever have. For a long time I would make something up, say I was looking at various different things or that I was interested in something I didn't even really know anything about. And whilst I am looking at various different things, the honest answer to that question is 'I don't have an effing clue'.

I was watching one of Brogan Tate's recent weekly vlogs (which you can watch here) whilst at the gym the other day and something she said really stuck with me; 'life is for living'. It's a phrase I've heard multiple times before but at that moment it was exactly what I needed to hear; I seemed to have some kind of epiphany whilst running on the treadmill. It made me realise that I should live my life exactly how I want to live it, and do things that I want to do rather than simply what is expected of me. If all goes to plan I will be graduating this year at the age of 20, which is still pretty young (the average is 21-22), even if just the idea of graduating makes me feel absolutely ancient. I've definitely felt over the past few years that I'm then expected to get a 'proper' office job and start my career as soon as I finish university. But I've realised that I don't want to go straight into a 9-5 office job after spending the last 17 years of my 20 years of life in full time education.

A lot of people take a gap year between finishing school and going off to uni, doing anything from working and saving money to travelling the globe. Whilst going straight to uni after finishing my A Levels was 100 percent the right decision for me at the time, I now feel like I need to take a gap year once I graduate. Though I definitely won't be going off travelling the globe any time soon and I'll need some kind of job, I want to be able to take a year where I have very little pressure on me. The last year of university has been so incredibly stressful with multiple essays and deadlines all happening at once, and I would like to have some time where I don't have to think about deadlines and word counts and referencing before I then become part of the real world and have to worry about the stresses and deadlines of a 'proper' job. 

Whilst it will hopefully be a year of less stress and worry, I don't plan on doing nothing for a year. I plan on taking the year to reflect and figure out exactly what I want to do in life, and travel more and visit my friends in all the far reaches of the UK that I don't currently have time to go and see. I have already started applying for work experience placements so I can figure out if what I've been thinking about doing career-wise is actually what I really want to do, and I will hopefully be getting a part time job somewhere (fingers crossed for an opening at my local Disney store because I would love to be a cast member and part of making the magic once again). 

It's taken some time but I've finally realised over the past month or two that it's okay to not know what you're doing in life, and probably more people than you realise are going through the exact same thing. Whilst there are some lucky beans out there who know exactly what they want to do and have done since they were 7, and have all the relevant experience they need and a 10 year life plan, it's okay if you're not one of them. 

Thanks for sticking with me with this very rambly stream of thoughts. I'm determined to make 2018-19 my year and hopefully putting my thoughts and plans out there in the world instead of having them just in my head will help me to make sure that happens... Just 6000 words of assignments, a dissertation and an exam to go before then though!

Love Amy xx

As you're reading this I'm currently in Disneyland Paris for the 25th anniversary (so expect a photo diary post or two from the trip next week!). Because of this, I wanted to do something Disney themed for this week's post. Disney is a massive part of my life and most of their films have really great life lessons and messages, and give us some really great motivational and inspirational quotes. Some of these quotes have proved to be great life lessons so I thought I would share some of my favourites;

"Just because it's what's done, doesn't mean it's what should be done" - Cinderella (Cinderella)

"Ladies don't start fights, but they can finish them" - Marie (The Aristocats)

"Remember you're the one who can fill the world with sunshine" - Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

"You must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul" - Gusteau (Ratatouille)

"Don't just fly, soar" - Dumbo (Dumbo)

"Have courage and be kind" - Ella's mother (Cinderella)

"Today is a good day to try" - Quasimodo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

"Our fate lives within us. You only have to be brave enough to see it" - Merida (Brave)

"A little consideration, a little thought for others, can make all the difference - Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh)

"A true hero isn't measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his heart" - Zeus (Hercules)

These are just some of my favourites, there are so many other great quotes but these ones just have a lot of meaning in my life. If any of your favourites aren't here then let me know in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!

Amy xxx

Before the new year, I went on a mission to find a practical but pretty new planner to use in 2017. As a student, I wanted something that allowed me to write down all of my assignments, readings and due dates, whilst still giving me space for jotting down any notes, to-do lists or appointment times. After searching everywhere, from Paperchase to Kikki K, I had pretty much given up hope of finding anything that fitted that description whilst still looking cute. Either there was only space to write down assignments and work, or there was only space for writing out a schedule, there didn't seem to be an in between. However, I was lucky enough to be given a Happiness Planner from my parents for Christmas and so far, it's fitted my needs perfectly!

Since coming to university in September I have become much more confident in myself and my abilities. This new-found confidence has allowed me to challenge myself and step out of my comfort zone more and more times. And I've found that with each 'step' I take, this zone gets bigger and bigger.

Starting this blog was a big challenge for me and the positive outcome has made me determined to challenge myself as much as possible throughout this year, even if it's just small things like retrying foods I thought I hated or speaking up more in seminars. But I've set myself quite a big challenge too;

Those of you who know me know that running is a large leap outside of my comfort zone. At school I was the girl who faked an injury every year to get out of cross country and who hid behind the lockers to avoid getting picked for sports day. But last week I signed up to do a 5K in September. (You did read that right, I am voluntarily running).

If you know me you'll also know that I'm a massive Disney fan and this race just so happens to be taking place within the Disneyland Paris parks, during their inaugural runDisney half marathon weekend. But although I'm excited to spend a weekend in Disney, this is about more than just limited edition pins and medals. Although more experienced runners may see a 5K as a piece of cake, I have never done anything like this before and I'm determined to prove to myself that I can cross that finish line (although at the moment just the thought of doing a 5K has me breaking out in a sweat!)

What are you going to do to challenge yourself this week?

Amy xxx