Passing Time

As a student it is hard not to be bored. I know people always say "only boring people get bored". Totally not true, sometimes you just are bored, even though you have a million and one things piling up to do, that you just want to and have to put on the back burner sometimes. So here are a few things to do if you fall into either one of these criteria's:
1. Student
2. Girl
3. A person who is constantly bored.

To pass time during University can be difficult and I have found myself trying to pass time in more constructive ways as of late, but there are still some activities that are purely a waste of time.
1. Youtube Videos
Has and will always be one of my favourite past times. I spend every morning, brushing my teeth, in the shower, doing my make up watching Youtube videos. When I am home and procrastinating straight to Youtube. Any genre that your heart desires.
My favourite youtubers are probably Clothesencounters, her quality of videos are amazing. Dtrix for when I just want to listen to people talk absolute rubbish, Megan Batoon for her dance videos and pun videos, and so many more. You have no idea how much time this can waste, but also be so satisfying.

2. Netflix 
Like every other individual in the western world. There is nothing better than sitting there and letting Dexter run through the entire series, sitting in bed and not moving an inch. I have spent one too many Fridays in bed doing this. Forgive me University results.

3. Speaking to your housemates/course mates for hours
Time just goes.. when you are speaking to your friends about absolutely nothing. It just goes. It isn't anymore productive than either of the top two, but at least it gets you out of your stuffy room.

4. Actually finding a hobby
A recent "hobby" I've picked up is gyming, I used to absolutely detest the smell, the look and the atmosphere of the gym, actually it is a nice place to get away. On days where you've spent all day lounging on the coach, or the entire day working in the library, it is a good getaway. A hobby can be absolutely anything, even making keyrings, if that is what your heart desires. If nothing actually interests you that much, constantly try something new. That will take up time in itself, but in a productive manner.

5. Actually work
This will past time quicker than anything else will. Sure it will bore you, but if you really want to pass time, THIS. Follow this rule. Because once you're done you will feel less bored doing what you actually want to do (e.g. laying in bed, that becomes exciting)

6 more months until the end. I am going to bask in the last "passing of time" and being bored before the real world is upon me.

100th Post

"Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; love more, and all good things will be yours." - Swedish Proverb
Since this year has begun, I have tried to live a more simple more. One where I am content with fewer things, fewer people, the only thing I have picked up on is more responsibilities. 
The thing I began to realise was having more didn't necessarily do anything for me, and people do say that all the time. Having more does not necessarily mean having more, and more is not always good. 
We have been blessed with more food than we can consume, is this a good thing?
We have been blessed with more choices and paths in life than we could ever have imagined, is this a good thing?
We are blessed with so many people in our life, connections, acquaintances, is this a good thing? 
Admittedly, some things that are good for some may not be good for others. Having more for some, may actually feel like more. For me, it just became more of a burden.
I felt the need to constantly have more. I used to always want more of everything. More money, more attention, more connections, more clothes, just in general I wanted more. It didn't necessarily make me unhappy, it was just putting me in cycles of losing time doing things that were a waste. Wasting time online shopping, spending time on places like Tinder etc. 

When I came across this quote it just spoke volumes, because you can have and want more of something, but just choose the right things to want more of. I think for anybody it is okay to want more, just choose wisely the things you want more of. 

On a side note: Winter has finally come. It is beginning to get really cold during the days and freezing cold at night. It is just nice to be inside nice and toasty and just enjoying being in peoples company without being around crowds of people. It makes me so excited to return home for the holidays and just spend several weeks enjoying the food and company of my family and friends from home!

Happiness

In keeping with the upbeat posts, I thought I would post some of the happiest times over the last couple of years. A lot has changed over the last 3 years, but that doesn't mean I have forgotten any of them or not grateful for them and it still makes me happy to think of these times.

 Prom was one of those things that you expect to be 100x better than it actually will be, and it definitely was the case with us. Sure it was pretty, but the atmosphere, music, drinks was all kind of bland. It still makes as one of those special happy moments I hold though, because of the people and just the bittersweet goodbye in general.

 Just this photo reminds me of why my family are so stupid, unphotogenic and just ridiculous in general. It makes me happy to remind myself how we make each other laugh over stupid things in general.

Happy moments exploring different places, this was in Venice, I was particularly happy at this moment, because it was probably the only part of the trip where I felt happy. Makes for a funny story I assure you.

Christmas gatherings with people I've known since I was 11 years old. A big fat roast is a good memory too. It is always awesome to see these people when I am home, especially when we are all together, and just catching up about life and the different directions we all take.

Another photo that reminds me of the bittersweet goodbye of a place we spent so many years. These people are the people I spent the last year playing card games with, being silly and just talking rubbish, working together and basically spending the majority of my time with. Definitely a happy memory.

First road trip away with the girls, clearly you can see how happy we are. Sarcasm. However it was a good road trip, despite the little bumps along the road, not literally.

Los Angeles, what can I say. One of the best weeks of my life for sure. The rigorous plan of LA made it all the better, the scheduling and the places we went just made it less stress and just an enjoyable experience.

Spending the summer working. Doesn't sound like the most fun, until you get to meet people like these who I spent the majority of the summer with, dining out, sight seeing, meeting new people, bars, clubs. Just a whirlwind experience.

Korea. Need I say more after all those blogposts I've made.

These people who made my University journey a whole lot easier. Most of them have left now that I am in my final year, it is so sad to see them moving on with life, but at the same time so happy. Looking at this photo reminds me of all the happy times dining out with them (because that is all they ever wanted to do haha)

Sometimes we all just need some time to look through old photos and smile, remind us of the happy times we all spent together. Even though so much has changed it can still remind you of the happiness in that moment, and how much better it can get from here.

Gratefulness

Today I thought I'd write a post about being grateful. One of the things I always try to remind myself of is to remember to be happy and in order to do this you have to realise what you have and don't have. I spend days where I am down and when others are down reminding myself of what I have. Even if I don't feel like I should say the obvious, such as a roof over my head, food to eat, friends and family and money to spend. Those are things that we take the most easily for granted. Obviously I could include superficial things like, I have an iPhone or I bought new shoes, but I think being 'grateful' for these things makes us a little unhappier, because it focuses our attention on the happiness being associated with superficial items. So here are 5 things I am grateful for in my life at the moment.

1. My crazily big family

There is always somebody to make me laugh, make me smile, talk to me, kick me up the butt if I am being a little bit of a dick. Somebody to encourage me if I feel discouraged. People to support me if I ever need any help. People to cook me dinner and pick up after me (when I am being a lazy little child). 

2. My free and alone time

It means I can do whatever I want, it means I can develop myself, improve myself and work towards goals I am aiming for. I am grateful that I have so much free time, when there are people out there who can't, even people younger than me who have less freedom and time than me.

3. The internet

Verging on superficial but it just amazes me that we have so much at our fingertips. It is exciting and I am so grateful that I am able to live in this age where development is so rapid, and I can have all these resources and do what I want with it. Meet people from across the world, stay connected with people across the world.

4. Old friends and new

I simply would go mad if I didn't have my friends, my need to speak and be heard can be tiering sometimes. I am grateful there is always somebody to make me laugh, share food with me, give me an unwanted cuddle, ask me how my day is, and update me on theirs. It's nice to hear what has been good about other people's day, it makes me grateful that the people around me are so wonderfully grateful too.

5. Past memories/mistakes

I am grateful for the past memories and mistakes I experienced. I think it has made me who I am today, even though some things may have gone a little downhill, but I think it is in places like this where we learn to pick ourselves up.

Being grateful is a simple task, and I know we all have something we could be more grateful for. Enjoy the things you have now, because nothing lasts forever. That can either be a good or bad thing.

Conflicting Personality

As mentioned in a previous blog post, I have a very conflicting personality. This was kind of reaffirmed to me today after having a little supervision from my volunteer manager. Just a little quiz to show you what kind of person you are, I came out with the results of being orange and gold, which are conflicting personality types. One being spontaneous, vivacious and fun, and the other being more centred, organised and timely.
I'm not sure that having a conflicting personality is either a good or bad thing. I can think of a few times where my mind constantly flips from the orange and gold side.
For example in love and personal relationships (physical), I find myself sometimes thinking like the orange and telling myself, let's just do it, do what you what, you're an adult, a free adult that should be able to have fun and just enjoy yourself, and fall for that person, let your feelings out. Then I will have the conflicting gold personality coming out questioning my actions, and so those orange actions never come to light. Simple things of this sort.
Then there are other times where the orange will be most dominant. The purchase of possessions, the purchase of plane tickets, the decisions to go on holiday when I have a ton of work to do, the decision to go to a completely unknown country. The orange personality will be so overpowering I will just do it. I say yes, and then it isn't until the time comes that my gold personality will reflect and realise I may have made a huge mistake. It is in times like this where I can learn to overcome the things I fear, learn my strengths and weaknesses, and learn what things I am not ready for. There are downsides to the overpowering orange personality type, it normally means impulse, impulse means a loss of a fair amount of money, fair amount of time, and sometimes doing things for others rather than myself.
Workwise, the gold can be very helpful, it can help me become focused and work, but then the orange will creep back up on me and decide another task looks more exciting. Therefore putting more on my plate, and gold personality types hate too much on their plate. See the conflicting issues here?

There are a lot of personality tests out there, and if you just so happen to have some time, maybe give it a go. It really gives an insight into yourself, and possibly help with your personal life as well as work. The one we used is a colour based one, but I am sure there are plenty.
So maybe learn a little about yourself today just as I did :)

Learning to Love University

There are times when University gets tough. Being in a completely different place to home is daunting and frightening, learning to navigate the town, the people. The people may not be the type of people you've known back home, and they sure as hell will differ from the array of international students you will meet. University isn't all it's made up to be all the time, there will be boring days sat by yourself watching Dexter on repeat, days you'll be doing this with your housemates, days you will be stuck in the library doing work, pointless days walking around campus laughing with your friends, eating dinner out every night can even be a bit much.
But there is also a bright side to the very different experiences you will get from University.

• Those times when you are so bored in your room whilst everybody else seems to be frantically trying to meet their deadlines. Cherish these times because it might be the only alone time you'll get, the other nights they might be trying to persuade you out, or eat dinner with them, or just to simply entertain them. 
• Times when you yourself are bombarded with deadlines. It might be the only time you actually feel busy at University, make the most of it, because it most likely counts, and that £9000 you're paying, you'll be glad you had something to answer for it.
• Those horrible people you meet. That you can also forget and never see again if you don't want to, sure you might bump into them, but a little hello never hurt anybody. You'll realise how much you can tolerate people, and how good your temper actually is. Good practice for the working world I hear.
• The dirty kitchen, toilets and rooms. You'll finally learn to take care of yourself, after days of not having cutlery to use, after the bins are so filled you are having to move around THEM. The dishes you or your housemate didn't wash start to smell, this when you learn and start to appreciate home comforts and looking forward to moving out, and the only time you are looking to University to finish.
• So many people and opinions. You learn to take criticism like a real boss, you also learn to give it to. A little bit of constructive criticism goes a long way, even if sometimes you have to mentally re-word their harsh words into becoming "constructive". 
• Never ending invitations to society events/fundraising events/house parties/club nights. You learn what things to prioritise and which things are just a load of b***. You're major sense of FOMO also decreases by miles! Lord knows it is tiering if you are still suffering from FOMO during your final year of University.

All of these things can be seen as a negative, but actually things are pretty sweet when you're a student. All this extra time to either sleep, study, watch television, exercise, eat, or actually be productive with your life. It is endless. At the start it can be difficult missing familiar people, places, foods and smells, but it definitely gets better. Change is good. 

Sussex Downs

There's a great thing about being at Sussex University. It isn't until you live in a place that you can explore all the little and big things they can offer. If I'm honest, one of the reasons I came here was that every year they place a massive christmas tree in the Library Square, this enticed me, A LOT. Sad, I know. But the campus it self is beautiful as well. I didn't even know we were so close to Brighton, I didn't know what Brighton was known for until I got here.

I found out that apart from London, it has the most alcoholic spots in one area. This would explain the incredible night life we have the chance to enjoy, every night is a party night, well a potential party night.

On the other side of things is the beautiful countryside of Sussex. Over the weekend I had a little time to explore, do some hiking, and find some time for myself. With Autumn coming to an end, I wanted to hike through and just get some fresh air.

It's so nice to get away from the busy streets of brighton, the busy roads and people walking everywhere in town. Especially after a night out, it makes you feel refreshed.

Oh hey foot shot, probably not the best shoes to wear on the hike when it looks like it is about to rain.

It looks a whole lot drier than it actually was, but the muddy route made it slightly more fun.

People along these tracks are also super friendly, I'm not sure whether it's because there is a small connection that you are all doing the same thing, but people are just more open and friendly in spaces like this.

Peace

It has been said a million times before and we are always striving for something more, we always want something somebody else has, and we forgot what we have once made us happy, and can still continue to make us happy. I try to be happy all the time, even if I am a little stressed or feeling a little alone, or feeling a tad upset I just try to hide it, because it will burden other people. I know a burden shared is a burden halved, but at the end of the day you have still passed it on. And I truly believe I don't have that much missing from my life.

Sure there are things that get me a little down, like my appearance, or sometimes I'm not with somebody who I can be with 24/7 or console to, and sometimes whether I am doing good enough in my work, or whether my family are okay back at home, or my sisters are happy. But with all of these things I can ALWAYS find the positive side. 

I've told some of my friends this where positivity and happiness is something you think about, and I think they kind of shrug it off, as if just changing the way you think and your outlook won't help them at all. When it has been proven to do so, so many times before. Most of the times we just need to be thankful for what we do have, the people, the possessions and our ability to reflect on all this. 

I have a major case of FOMO (fear of missing out), or I used to anyways, but it still lurks within me. And I think it is always because I don't want to miss out on anything, and I don't even know why. It is during stages of fomo where I dip in and out of positivity and I find myself being negative and weary of my decisions, and it sucks, because I shouldn't have to compare myself to what everybody else is doing or experiencing. If I want to do it, and if I believe it will be fun or enriching I should go and do out, but it has turned into things like weekly clubbing, and that sucks that I compare myself in terms of what I am doing, where I am going with my friends, and how often.
And the quote above just highlights exactly what I want to tell myself everyday. It presents my pessimistic side, and yet always finding the positive.
I hope for everybody that this is the case eventually.

Shoreditch

So we all have that deep down hipster that wants to explore all the hip cool places in town. Shoreditch is apparently one of them, full of cafes and markets and a stones throw away from Liverpool Street and London Bridge it is super easy to get to.
My recent hipster adventure took to Albion in Shoreditch, which sells produce, breakfast and dinner.

 Couldn't miss this photo opportunity of the fresh fruits and veggies, and a few tourists looking at us.

 Fresh produce and all the organic and good hipster jars you'd ever need to fulfil that need.

 The seating area and kitchen, this was whilst in the queue and considering the line it went pretty quickly. Even though some people (e.g. us) mope around on the tables reading newspapers, talking, eating slowly!

 The cheapest drinks of the menu. Student Life eh. The usual condiments for breakfast and something a little different, I believe was called the Oxford Sauce, it can be found here at http://oxfordfinefood.com/baron-pouget%E2%80%99s-oxford-sauce.html/. I wasn't expecting to like it, but actually if you love vietnamese food and vinegar like me this is a gem. 

When our breakfast sausage, bacon and egg bap finally arrived. Delicious, so big and so filling. Took forever to eat. The bap especially was delicious!

 Boxpark, little pop up boutiques.

 The flowers in Shoreditch are so pretty, and SO expensive. The paper wrapping and the colour combination of the flowers are so pretty though!

 After walking around for a little in Shoreditch we retired to Pauls. Firstly we tried at Covent Garden, completely packed and waiter even told us he would have no idea what time the table would be ready. So we just went to find another Paul, it's the small wonders of a metropolis like London that makes everything so convenient. 

 The tart was good and the tea so so, but the service was appalling here at the branch near Charing Cross. So if you ever visit a chain bakery/cafe/restaurant probably best to visit the most well known ones, because they are well known for a reason.  

Life and Food Lately

Lately life has been quite busy, not that I'm complaining. Somehow I am still taking time out of my schedule to entertain myself and others and gorge on good food!

Asian food is definitely food for the soul. This is a place I come if I want something "authentically asian" but far enough off that I feel like I couldn't have it at home. Pompokos is somewhere I go where I fancy a katsu curry. They do two different types of chicken katsu here, different to anywhere I am used to. They do the breaded, which I almost always have, and the fried chicken katsu curry. Both, delicious. Pompokos is super cheap and super tasty, I return regularly and no doubt I will be back again soon. 

 The noodle bowl that all my friends seemed to get but me. I can't refuse anywhere that does katsu curry I'm afraid! The only place I will do this is Wagamama, I cannot stand that curry. It tastes completely different, it doesn't even taste like curry. (Sorry, not sorry, turning into a rant)

This made for an interesting picture, a graffitied wall in the cellar of my friend's house, which is actually quite creepy the more I think about it. And yet so cute! The journey down to the cellar was even more scary, the steepest wooden steps you could ever go down!

Party in the cellar? Sounds like a better idea than actually having one I'm afraid. The dark is too much for 3 girls and 1 guy to handle!

Girls night out in Brighton, as per usual we ended up in Pryzm, which seems to be the only place we are ever at nowadays! First off we started at Be At One, expensive cocktails, bit of an older crowd, music too loud, it just wasn't the dreamy bar I'd been thinking of. At least I have experienced it to know better now. 

 Here I am again at Viet Rest in Deptford, one of my favourite vietnamese restaurants. A chicken salad to begin. The flavours are so fresh and the vinegar makes everything a little tastier.

My main dish considered of the vietnamese style ham (dreamy), banh cuon the meat inside the rolls are just delicious. My favourite dish most definitely, piled on with vinegar. This dish over pho anyday, I'm sorry, controversial comment.

And again, I find myself in Foodilic on North Street in Brighton. For £6.99 buffet style you really can't hate it. The vegetables taste fresh enough, the seasoning and sauces that they place on them just make it even more yummy! This place secured my love for cous cous! For a vegan style restaurant they really know how to make their chicken and beef!

Brighton is fully of quirky little places and the people are even quirkier. Most people here are lovely though, and it's nice to see little graffiti like this around from time to time. In 2 years I had never driven up this road and I am so glad I did and manage to capture this.

 Selfie time, and James making new friends. Guess where? PRYZM again. 

Finding Motivation

Finding Motivation
It's the 8th week into the 1st term of the 3rd year at University. I know a lot of people are at this same stage in life. I also know there are several people also lacking motivation just like me.
You somehow start off term so excited, so eager, so ready.
For me it was early mornings, library sessions everyday and reading everyday. That turned into several times a week to hardly a few days a week. It's difficult to keep yourself motivated when there aren't any formal deadlines. I am living proof.
There are however a few things I do to stay motivated.

1. Write down goals.
A lot of people say this, but genuinely I think it helps. A daily reminder of your goal (maybe it's writing an essay, doing exercise or drinking more water). When you write down these goals there is no way for you to avoid thinking about it.
Write it down where you can see it, post it note, notebook, phone notes, phone background.

2. Getting out of Bed
I find if you get out of bed early enough in the morning it just motivates and sets the tone for the day. The earlier you are awake, the less other people are, the less distractions there are. Especially in a student household. Wake up anytime before 10am, you're guaranteed to have the house to yourself and silence (if that is what you like). And yes getting out of bed is the hardest part, your alarm rings at 7am and you feel groggy and can't even seem to open your eyes. But once you roll out of bed and into the bathroom, you're instantly energised. I've recently been reading a book called "Find Your Happiness" and it is about a journey of a woman who took a few steps over a year to change her perceptions and actions to find her happiness. One of her goals was "act how you want to feel", so if you want to feel energised, get up and about, and you're almost, I say almost, guaranteed to be more energised.

3. Talk to People Who Motivate You
It's easy in a University environment to find people who can motivate you. Most people will have an end goal in sight, most probably a job. We are also all hoping to gain qualifications from this, and it is hugely motivating to find people going through the same thing as you. To talk about your goals, to talk about what you are doing on your journey. If your University friends aren't motivating, your home friends, your parents, your cousins. There is somebody. Maybe even those people who have supposedly "reached" their goals, talk to them, it is bound to make you feel more motivated.

4. Reading Blogs/Books About Motivation
I love reading things to do with anything, motivation, happiness, academic studies. It is my way of procrastinating when I'm not reading my formal work. There are lots of places to find motivational words if you don't wish to fork out on a book. BLOGS mostly, wherever you look there is motivation everywhere. Daily there is bound to be an established blogger writing about how they've been motivated, what they look for for motivation, and how they continue to be motivated. Give them a read. Places like Elite Daily and Thought Catalog are also great places for motivation for millennial's, and everything in between.

5. Dream 
Those few seconds for me before bed before I past out, I dream about my goals, and that mostly gives me motivation for the morning to roll out of bed. It almost always dictates my dreams durning my sleep too and makes it that little bit easier to get up.

I always find solace in a motivational quote too, and they are everywhere online.
So if you're a student, or anybody lacking in motivation right now, give these little things a try. If they don't help, don't do anything drastic to me please. Enjoy and hopefully it helps!

Life of a Pessimist but an Idealist

Life of a Pessimist but an Idealist

So you're probably thinking these are conflicting personality traits. I would agree with you to a certain extent. Definition of a pessimist is somebody with "a tendency to stress the negative or unfavourable or to take the gloomiest possible view" and an idealist is "influenced by ideals that often conflict with practical considerations". However I do believe I am both.

I am pessimistic at times, and it can be beneficial in a couple of ways.
1.You never expect so you are never disappointed. 
Maybe I'm using never a little too lightly here because obviously I do sometimes have expectations. Sometimes I'll be expecting my steak to be phenomenal and it turns out bland, sometimes I'll be expecting to receive a message and it doesn't come. But most of the time I know to tell myself not to expect.

2. You can prepare yourself for the worse case scenario
You've told yourself what could happen, so if it doesn't work out you've already set your guard up and you can get over any situation pretty quickly. Saving time is always a good thing.

It can also be negative.
1. You always expect the worst so you kind of just shut people off.
Especially when it comes to friendships and relationships. You kind of expect the least from them, expect nothing to come from it, or expect they don't like you all that much. It's pretty sad really.

2. It can stop you from even trying.
Sometimes I talk myself of actually doing stuff, or getting involved with people, or applying for jobs or anything within this nature. Because I'll think of the worse case scenario and the negativity will overtake the positive.

The thing is I'm a pessimist, but I am a positive person. I think positively and try to tell myself even if it doesn't work out it doesn't matter. Even if the worse case scenario happens there are always other chances, always other people. In whatever negative situation I will always try to find a positive, and I guess that is where my idealist personality trait comes out.
So the next time somebody tries to insult you and call you a pessimist, tell them it isn't all negative and actually you can be a pessimist as well as an idealist.
So enjoy what you are, and tell yourself positive things. You are you and don't let people talk you down. Because all personality traits have good and bad points, so be happy, be you and be happy about being you :)

10 Reasons Why Being Single Right Now Is Bliss (..for me)

10 Reasons Why Being Single Right Now Is Bliss (..for me)

So I know singledom can have it's pitfulls, and lord knows there are people who hate it with a passion, always needing somebody to hold their hand (or more if you want to divulge into all those nitty gritty details). But in my time alone, I have found it to be actually my happiest (so far). So here's 10 reasons I am happy to be single, and some reasons you may be or should be too!

1. I can sleep at whatever time of night I want to. 

If I want to conk out at 8pm I can, if I want to sleep at 3am I can too. No reserving time for late night phone calls, no 3 hours lost of chatter if I am really tired. Sleeping makes me happy, and the more you sleep the more likely you are to have a better day the next day, productively and for your body.

2. I can speak to whomever I want, whenever I want.

No jealous boyfriends or girlfriends telling you you shouldn't be friends with somebody because maybe their is a possibility of liking every single other opposite sex friend you have. Make friends with whomever, or don't make friends with whomever, totally your choice! Who knows what you might be passing up, maybe the big networking opportunity you've been waiting for, maybe your future who you've given up to be with your current, who knows.

3. I can plan my schedule around me.

Gone are the days where I prioritise somebody else's schedule over mine. Wednesday? Oh, just volunteering and then I can do whatever I want. Gym? Maybe. Sleep? Also maybe. I can do whatever I want. 

4. There is nobody to argue with. 

I don't think I've argued with somebody for over a year and half. I genuinely don't have anything to argue about, or anything to get upset about. You know what they say, mo money mo problems, in this case no boyfriend no problems. I no longer wonder about what somebody else is doing, what time they'll be home, how long they'll be out for, whether they've eaten, whether we'll eat together, whether we'll be together 5 years from now. 

5. I don't spend my time attached to my phone.

When around a group of friends, I no longer check my phone every 2 mins just to see if they've text me, what time I should text them. 

6. I can choose to look like a slob or look as dressed up as I want wherever I want. 

I no longer have to get dressed up into the world and face seeing somebody who might make a comment. And if they do make a comment I'm not likely to care. So there. I can be as lazy as I want. 

7. Winter means I can eat as much food as I want.

Nobody will be there to question why I've suddenly added two muffins to myself. Nobody will be there to question the pouch on my stomach. 

8. I spend 10 less minutes in the shower every shower time.

No need to shave my legs, my armpits and anything else that requires shaving. I can even save money on buying razors. So hello? Why wouldn't I be happy. Saving time and money, and time is money. It all comes full circle.

9. I prioritise time with my family more.

My family will be there with me forever, and I want to be there for them now too. The little cousins in my family who won't be as cute as they are now in 5 years time, I am able to see them grow, help them grow and just enjoy being around them.

10. I am free, so free. 

In the last year I've travelled, I've made new friends, I've picked up new hobbies. 

So for some people this may not make them happy, but these combined for me has added to the little piece of happiness that I already had in my life. Being single isn't all bad, and it isn't all bad, sometimes you just need to see the good, and welcome change if it ever comes.