EXAMS ARE OVER!!

This Monday just gone I sat my last exam of Second year. It was a three hour exam on the victorians and at 5pm I walked out of the sports hall a free woman. I hugged a few people, drank some Starbucks with some of my favourites and watched the last few episodes of the US Office. Over the last few days I have been attempting to adjust to the more relaxed life I now lead. However, I do not do well when I have nothing to do so I have been keeping myself relatively busy by exercising, starting new and hopefully very exciting projects, reading (a lot), hanging with friends, setting goals for the summer and travelling home for a few days of chilling.

I finished reading #Girlboss on the train home yesterday afternoon and wow, what a badass inspirational book which just made me want to go out and achieve. Myself and my friend Laura have some exciting goals for the future which I shall share on here in future but at this moment in time we are just concentrating on working hard (and God knows that we have worked hard academically over the last year) in university and in applying for internships and work experience. So many of my friends are rather weary of leaving uni but if I am honest with you I think it will be awesome, don't get me wrong I really enjoy uni but there is such a big world out there filled with potential opportunities that I am incredibly excited to enter. 

I've just attached some pictures of my journey home on the train to this post :)

LISA IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY // T W E N T Y

On the 27th of April, not the Sunday just gone but the Sunday before that, it was my birthday. I am now 20 years old. T W E N T Y! that's ridiculous if you ask me. I actually remember turning 10 and being like OMG, I am a decade old AND I am so old now that I have two digits in my age. Woooow. So many things have happened in those 10 years which makes me excited for what the next ten and the next ten etc. etc. will bring.

I was, and still currently am, revising hard for my exams over the easter so I didn't really do much for my birthday but that was just what I wanted. I woke up around 9 which was an awesome lie-in for me, did some Tudors revision in bed before Mam and Hendrix walked in with my cards and coffee, oh, and toast with a candle in it. I opened my cards, drank my coffee, had some porridge and went to the gym. Barring the revision it was a pretty nice morning finished off with a nice warm bath. After watching multiple episodes of The Office (US) and reading I did some revision here and there before mam made some homemade Chinese. I said that I didn't really want a cake so I asked for a scrumptious meal instead - it was the best decision.

While watching some Monty Python on Netflix my mam walked into the living room with some baby Collin the Caterpillars with candles in them which I blew out after some rather interesting singing from the parents. I packed my stuff and went to bed relatively early as the morning after I headed back to uni.

A nice, chillaxed birthday :)

LISI LOO READS // Tina Fey & Mindy Kaling

Last year it was the hilarious Miranda autobiography, this year it was the incredibly intelligently funny, Mindy Kaling's book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without me - I am talking about a book that got me hooked on reading once more. I love to read but while at uni I read all day everyday so when I get back to the house for the evening I just get into bed and sign in to Netflix to watch The Office (U.S) and Parks and Recreation. However, since being home for easter, after finishing revising for the day I sit on my bed and read page upon page until I turn around to see the clock has passed 10pm.

I loved The Mindy Project from the first episode and when I found out that Kaling was also a writer on the US Office (which I absolutely love) it sealed it for me - My Mindy Kaling obsession began. I think, the thing I like most about both Kaling and Fey is that they are incredibly intelligent women who are undeniably funny. That is something that, sadly, many people today still don't seem to believe add up. Kaling's stories about friendship, university and most interestingly, life after university, gives you some hope that you will eventually find your way.

I downloaded Tina Fey's Bossypants audiobook back in October of last year but only listened to a few chapters. I don't know about you but I am not too sure about audiobooks - I feel like I'm cheating a little bit. I prefer to read the book and feel like I've accomplished something. Selfish? Probably. Fey, like Kaling, writes about her hilarious upbringing on the East Coast of America and working her way up, via a stint in a Chicago YMCA, to become one of the most loved comedic actors and writers in the US today. From writing and performing on Saturday Night Live to creating the internationally known 30 Rock, Fey has become an American national treasure.

Not too many people inspire me, and I think that's how it should be. If everyone inspired you then who knows what you'd end up like - either totally amazing or immensely confused. My money's on the latter. Although, Kaling and Fey have made it on to my list. I know that's all I've been discussing lately but during this occasionally monotonous time of revision (I state occasionally because sometimes I find it quite interesting) I need something to keep me motivated, something to aim for. Reading both these books have reminded me that in order to get to where you want to be in life you need to work incredibly hard but you can have a laugh along the way.

Get Reading.

MOVIE NIGHT // The Giant Mechanical Man

The next time you have a movie night I suggest, no, I urge you to watch The Giant Mechanical Man. This film is everything. I am not going to go on about how awesome it is (and it really is awesome) because then I'll just oversell it and when you actually do get around to watching it (it's on Netflix if that makes it any easier), you will inevitably be disappointed.

I came across this film, that premiered in the Tribeca film festival a few years ago, during my relentless googling/YouTubing of Chris Messina. Messina plays Danny Castellano in the magnificently funny and intelligent The Mindy Project written by one of my favourite comedy writers ever - Mindy Kaling. Messina has been in a few Hollywood films over the years but he mostly acts in smaller Indie films such as The Giant Mechanical Man where he plays a rather lost thirtysomething man alongside The Office (U.S)'s Jenna Fisher. Both Fisher and Messina are so good in this film that I have watched it on repeat nearing on five or six times now.

Without getting too dramatic about it, I think the film appeals to me because it basically tells you to fudge what everyone else is telling you you should do or should be and just do and be what you want and that is the only thing that will make you happy. I think this is important to remember, especially in a world when there are so many pressures put on people from all different sections of society 'advising' them to change who they are or what they like. Stick to your guns and all shall be fine.

LIVE WITHOUT WALLS

// A few random photos from a week of outdoor exploring 

Over the past months at university I have made it my routine to go to the gym 6 days out of 7 as it gives me time to relax, but since coming home for Easter holidays I find that outside is where I want to be. Over the winter months its hard to exercise outside due to all the rain and the snow and more rain and the wind, oh the wind! Although, alas, the sun has started to shine as spring has made itself comfortable on these shores. As a result, every lunch time I take a break from revision and go for a cycle. I usually do a 14 mile sprint because I don't want to be out too long as I'll just have to revise later into the evening and I prefer to have everything done by the latest half 6. 

Over the last week myself and my mam have been going on long walks as she is training for the London Moonwalk that takes place later next month. Last Saturday we walked around 12 miles and this Good Friday I walked 15. There are so, so, so many steep hills around our area that it feels that you are doing 15 miles of constant lunges and squats. Ouchie! But it is really awesome to be outside and as we were discussing today, we really do live in a stunning part of the world that not many places on this planet can rival. Once I head back to Southern England I shall start to take my cardio sessions outside as I have something coming up later this year that will require me to train pretty hard - Exciting stuff!! 

If change one thing in your life over the next few weeks/months/years go outside more, leave the computer and your phone and get exploring. 

REVISION PLAYLIST //

I talked about my extensive Spotify playlist listening while revising in my last blog post, so I thought I might put the playlist on here so you can have a look/listen to what I sing to while attempting to learn whether it was politics or religion that was the biggest trigger in the start of the English civil war and whether the religious reformation was in fact completed when Elizabeth passed the Acts of Supremacy and Uniformity or, if Oliver Cromwell was right in saying that more needed to be done. Interesting, no?! If I am totally honest with you, if I wasn't so stressed because of the little time I have to revise, I would actually enjoy reading over what I've been taught this year. I do enjoy it now but I am more concerned in ploughing through and remembering everything more than anything else. But, as I repeat over and over in an attempt to convince myself that it's true, I can only do my best and work my hardest. 

I add tracks to this playlist on an almost daily basis as I procrastinate from my work, so be sure to follow in order to keep up to date with my revision playlist // My favourite at the moment is Dynamite Hack's cover of Boyz in the Hood. 

REVISION

It's that time again when I spend the majority of the day attempting to organise and learn everything that I have been taught over the last few months in preparation for my 5 exams that start on the 29th of April and end at 5pm on the 12th of May. This year seems to be much tougher than any other when it comes to sitting down and revising. I'm usually really good but, I don't know, it's still early days - I might (hopefully) get in the groove soon.

There are a few things that I see as essentials when revising so I've listed them here:

// Water - lots and lots of water
// Breaks - even if it's just two minutes to watch a clip on youtube
// Music - I listen to Spotify around 6 hours a day when revising
// Coffee - self explanatory!
// Highlighters - makes the work look more fun
// Rationality - don't stress yourself out too much and don't set yourself unattainable goals (this one I'm still working on)
// Exercise - make time to go out and move at some point in the day, it doesn't have to be in the gym - go out on a walk or a cycle and get some fresh air!

Have fun and work hard people - it'll be worth it in the end.

WEEKEND IN PICTURES// MANICS, COFFEE AND TRAVEL

Friday // 

Saturday //

 Manics //

Sunday //

Friday // Friday morning I popped to the gym to squeeze in one more session before coming home for Easter. After that, myself and Laura had some breakfast, sat on the couch in the living room wrapped in duvets and blankets and watched day time TV, you know - all the classics, Jeremy Kyle, This Morning. Eventually I had to move because I had a train to catch to Cardiff central where I would be staying for the weekend. 

Saturday // After a rather lazy morning, myself and my mam headed in to Cardiff central to do a bit of shopping but mostly to have coffee at Coffee Barker - probably the best cup of coffee you'll get in Cardiff. Yuuuuum. While on our little wander we popped in to the White Company where I bought the perfect white tee which I quickly changed into because my jumper was just too warm. I also bought a new foundation and blusher from Benefit, where I also booked in for a free makeover just before my birthday - yaaay. A quick lunch in Madame Fromage (lush place down Castle Arcade) and it was time to pop back to Canton to get ready for the Manic Street Preachers gig that we were going to later that evening. The Manics are one of my all time favourite bands and I have seen them twice before and they did not disappoint last weekend. James Dean Bradfield's voice is insane and when he played some acoustic songs he really showed it off. They also played two songs from their forthcoming album that really remind me of their earlier stuff - more political, more rock. With the last chord of A Design For Life being played we headed on the bus home. 

Sunday // After packing, having a quick brunch in The Fat Pig Deli and creating a playlist for the ride home on Spotify (mostly consisted of Manics classics) we made our way West and back home.