September 2018 – that lemon life

Welcome to the Campus

Hola everyone.

And hello weekend. Or at least Friday. And also, hello to another music recommendation on my behalf. Because today, guys, isn’t just a simple Friday like any other, no no no. Today is a very special Friday, because today is the official album launch day of a very exceptional band called Hippo Campus, which I may or may not have talked about already (who am I kidding? I have because they are freaking fantastic).

So from today on there is an album out there called Bambi and unlike the movie, it isn’t meant to break everyone’s heart. But it is indeed meant to open everyone’s eyes (and ears) to the musical world out there and this new fantastic kind of music, that sounds sort of new and sort of old, both at the same time. In short, this album is a damn masterpiece and I’m going to tell you why.

I’ve been a fan of Hippo Campus ever since I first heard their song Suicide Saturday. And then I heard Monsoon and on top of that their live version. From that moment on I was head over heels in love with them. Actually, the live version, which I’ve shared on here probably a million times, is one of those videos I always go back to once in a while. It’s one of these special songs that I’ll probably make my grandchildren listen to, just to show them what was “in” back in the days.

But let’s now focus on this very new and very cool album. Personally, I would say that it’s quite a new sound for these American guys. I mean, they’ve always had their foot deep in the indie corner of the music universe, but I feel like this album gave them one last push. I mean, I was honestly completely blown away when I first heard their new single Bambi, the title track of the album. Even more so because the lyrics related so much to me. It just was the perfect song for this particular situation in my life. But the album does feel like the beginning on a new era. Of course the songs still carry their signature indie, synth sound and their evergreen trumpet lines, but especially with songs like Golden, Why Even Try and Honestly, they’ve introduced this more guitar-esque and indie-rock kind of sound to their range of musical talents. And on the other hand some of their new tracks have such an experimental and electronic vibe to them, which I totally love.

Overall the album isn’t just an utter masterpiece, but I feel like it’s also a huge step for the band too. It sounds bigger, more mature and it just fits. It’s an actual rollercoaster, where not one song sounds like the next, but somehow they are all perfectly in sync. There are ten songs in total and they all sound so unique and different, but together they become such an incredible cohesive unit. And if that wasn’t enough, the first and last song both fit so perfectly, it’s like you’re watching a mind-blowing sci-fi movie, but it’s an album with an epic opening and an even more epic ending. This is also why it’s extremely hard for me to chose a personal favorite. You know, when I listen to a new album that really means a lot to me, that I’ve waited for a long time, I always let myself completely fall into it. I lie down on the couch, turn down the lights, close my eyes and then let the music take over. But when there’s a part in a song that just completely surprises me or catches my heart, my eyes always fly open and I can tell you, that happened a lot in those 33 minutes it took me to listen through the album. So yeah. The album is that good, that I can’t decide which song I like the most. I can just tell you the ones I prefer mostly: Doubt (it’s love), Bambi (of course), Why Even Try (such a hit, omg), Honestly (yes, just yes), Golden (it’s pure gold).

But listen for yourself:

So yeah, welcome to the world Bambi. What an amazing album. I can’t wait to listen to it over and over again and fall for it more and more. As you can probably guess, I would highly recommend listening to it guys. Hippo Campus really are such a special band with a such a unique sound and honestly, they deserve far more attention than what they’re getting. I can’t wait to see them grow and gain popularity. So guys, stop whatever you’re doing right now and go listen to this awesome band. And then of course please don’t forget to tell me all your thoughts and opinions, because I’m more than curious. And yeah, until then I wish you all an awesome weekend, musically highlighted by Bambi, of course. And, as always, I hope you enjoyed this post/review and thanks for reading. x

Ps: Also, did I mention that I will actually be seeing this very awesome guys in Brighton next February? I can’t even begin to tell you guys how freaking excited I am for that. Seriously. When I saw that they would be doing a show here, I completely freaked out. Mostly because they are still very unknown I believe, especially in Austria. And of course they’re not coming to Vienna on their tour, but they’re coming to Brighton and I’m going to be there, front row, with the happiest smile on my face ever. The wait was real guys. But it was so worth it.

So it begins

Hola everyone.

Just a quick update from my side. Sooo, today was actually the first day of uni or actually, it was the day of the enrollment. That means, from now on I am officially a BIMM Student (yes, that excited shriek you just heard in the background was me).

No, but seriously, I am really hugely excited. I kind of felt a bit down after the enrollment as especially the timetable wasn’t as packed with classes as I thought it would be, but then I kind of realized that this course specializes in self-directed work, so more than a half of all the hours I’ll spend with uni stuff will be done outside of class, which is crazy, actually. But also a good sign.

Besides that today was basically used as some sort of introduction to uni and the course and everyone and everything else. And it was quite impressive, if I may say so. I mean, you all know me now – I hope so at least. Now imagine me walking into this room with a huge stage setup in the back and white walls with hundreds of different signatures from different artists and bands on it. And if that wasn’t cool enough, now imagine me looking around and the suddenly finding Conor’s signature right next to me. How unbelievably cool is that? I’m seriously attending a school that casually has Conor freaking Mason’s signature on its walls like it’s nothing. So damn cool, oh my god.

Oh and let’s not forget all the different work opportunities and masterclasses and talks BIMM can offer. Did I tell you that past journalism students actually got to interview Twenty One Pilots? Fantastic, isn’t it? I actually can’t believe that I’m going to spend the upcoming three years just thinking about and listening to music and then writing about it. What a dream. I kind of had a full on reality check when I got home and suddenly realized that this was all seriously happening. I am really in Brighton. I am really a student at BIMM. It’s all real. Holy moly.

So yeah, that’s what happened today. The enrollment and also the start of freshers week, which means that I’m gonna spend the rest of the week going to different student fairs, talks and gigs (of course). And then, next Tuesday, the true work will finally start. I can’t even begin to tell you how freaking excited I am. And how happy that I get to share it all with you. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave any comments or questions down below. If you want to know anything, just hit me. And until then I hope you enjoyed this little update. And yeah, I wish you all a great week and, as always, thanks for reading. x

A new chapter

Hola everyone.

It’s me, Laura. And no, I’ve not fallen into a big black hole I couldn’t get out of. Yes, I do still exist. What a miracle. Ha. Ha. Okay, but seriously, I’m back, for real. I’m sorry it took me so long, but if you’ve been following me for the past months or even just weeks, you’ll know that I’ve had this big move to Brighton and I just had to fully concentrate on that. But yeah, this is over now. I mean, it’s still happening, at least in my head, which I still can’t get around the idea that I’m now living in the UK, where people live, think and speak differently. It’s so so crazy and I’m really glad that I get to share this journey with you guys.

As you can probably guess, my life here in Brighton and my new uni will be a big topic throughout, well, the next months and maybe even years. But for now I’d just like to share everything that happened in the past seven days with you guys. I know that nowadays it’s a bit more common to move to a different country or city to study or work there and everyone always tells you that it’s a great thing that will shape you, blah blah blah. But what noone really tells you is how hard it is to leave everyone and everything you know and love behind. I don’t regret any part of this move and I don’t want any of you to think that. It’s just that this really great thing also comes with a lot of heartbreaks and anyone who’s in the same situation as me should never feel like you always have to be happy from the first second on because you’re doing this really cool thing and basically fulfilling your dreams. Because it’s okay to not feel okay. Okay?

So, you can probably guess by now that the move wasn’t easy for me. The last week at home was a total dream for me and probably one of the best weeks ever. I saw all of my friends and I got to spend a lot of time with my family. And yeah, it was just really nice. And I was truly doing fine, even on the day of the move. But then I went into the garden to say goodbye to my cat and said “Peaches, I need to say goodbye” and it was the first time I had to explicitly say it and yeah, it was kind of my trigger word. From that moment on the tears just kept spilling. And you know what, I even let them, because I knew that this was the most normal reaction on earth. And I also knew that saying goodbye to my pets would be the hardest step. I mean, I kind of had an internal panic attack during the flight, but oh well. And you know what, the human mind is something truly crazy sometimes, let me tell you. Because suddenly I had all of these worries popping up in my head. “What if I don’t understand them?” “What if I can’t properly talk to people?” “What if I don’t like my new home?” “What if…?” It was driving me mad.

Rationally, most of my worries were pretty much total nonsense. Of course I still worry sometimes, mostly about uni right now and my new classmates. But you know, I always try to calm myself down by thinking that I can’t be perfect. I didn’t grow up in the UK and wasn’t raised bilingual, so of course I’m going to make some mistakes. But I’ve been progressing every single day and it’s actually really cool to notice how my brain slowly adjusts to the new surroundings and language. And I’m also already in contact with one of my new peers and yeah. Everything’s gonna be just fine, I’m hundred percent sure of that.

Besides that, I truly love my new home and Brighton and my new “family” and just pretty much everything. The house is freaking amazing, my room aswell, Nick and Silvia are literally the nicest people ever and the location couldn’t be any better. If I truly concentrate on it, I can even hear the waves crashing into the shore when I open the window. It couldn’t be any better, seriously. But for any of you who are planning on moving to a totally different place, I can just recommend having your parents with you for the first few days. I think that’s what really helped me to both adjust to my new home and not get a heart attack at the same time. I mean, watching my mum get onto the train and leave without me was probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do, but moving to Brighton all on my own would have been a completely different and also harder story. I just really needed them and I’m happy that I had them with me. Also, I’ll be seeing them again in just 32 days and I already can’t wait.

You know, when I first got to Brighton I was asking myself whether I had made the right decision or not. Maybe it would have been better to just stay at home, do my Masters degree and then get a job at some magazine or whatever. Maybe that would have been easier. But then something very, very, very exciting happened. Some of you may know that Felix Kjellberg, aka PewDiePie, aka one of my favorite YouTubers, also lives in Brighton together with his fiancée Marzia Bisognin. And when my parents and I were walking to their hotel just after getting to Brighton, I actually told them all about Pewds and Marzia and was like “oh my god, imagine me walking around and then seeing Marzia with their two pugs. One is white and one is black. That would be so crazy.” I was probably annoying them, let’s be honest. And then we were passing this street and I looked to my left side and suddenly there was this guy, wearing a black jumper and black joggers. And I thought “hmm, why do I feel like I know him?” And then I looked down and saw them – Edgar and Maya, the two pugs. So, there he was. Felix. The one and only Pewds. I thought I was dreaming. I, of course, went completely crazy and whispered/shrieked at my parents “IT’S PEWDIEPIE. IT’S PEWDIEPIE.” And my mum was like “WHERE????” (she knows him – of course she does). And my dad was just staring at us like we were some crazy people. And then I looked back at him and he was looking at me and oh my god, I probably looked like a total freak. My mum then basically ordered me to turn around and walk past him, which we did. And as soon as he was out of sight, I basically went nuts. I couldn’t believe it. I had just moved to this city like five short minutes ago and as soon as I stepped outside Pewds walked by. How crazy is that? I still can’t get my head around it. And yes guys, he has got some looks to serve, I’m just going to be completely honest now. And it might be a bit crazy, but I took this as the sign that I had made the right decision. Because when mum and I visited Brighton two years ago, I was basically scanning every single face I went past and nothing happened. But this time I saw him, completely out of the blue. That just had to be the sign.

Since then I’ve used every singe day to get to know my new home better, street by street, house by house. Let me just tell you one thing – Brighton is damn beautiful and living next to the sea is one of the coolest things ever. Honestly, I feel like the luckiest person ever. Thanks to Silvia and Nick I don’t feel so alone here and they kind of prevent me from getting too sad about the fact that my family isn’t here. Which I’m very thankful for, seriously. I’ve already started to decorate my room and usually spend my days walking around in the city, doing a bit of shopping and stuff. And I’m also really looking forward to fresher’s week that’s coming up. In short, apart from missing my home, life couldn’t be any better right now. I’m basically living my dream and yeah, I’m just really happy and thankful.

And now I’m going to stop talking. Firstly, because this post if getting far too long and secondly, because it’s already past midnight and a new episode of Bake Off is waiting for me to be watched in bed. So I’m gonna go now. If any of you have got any questions about my move or Brighton or anything else, please don’t hesitate to leave them down below. I’ll try to answer them as fast as I can, I promise. Also, down below you can find some pictures of Brighton that I took the past few days and I really hope that you enjoy them. And yeah, I wish you all an amazing weekend. It feels really good to be back. Thanks for reading, guys. x

Hungarian nights

Hola everyone.

How are you guys? I hope you’re all doing good. On my behalf, I’m getting quite nervous with every day that’s passing, as it means that the move to Brighton is getting closer, day by day. But like I said, I’m mostly really excited for everything that’s coming up. I sometimes just wish I could cut my house out of the ground, shrink it like they do in Ant-Man and the Wasp, stuff it in my bag and take it with me to the UK, including my family of course. But sadly, I don’t live in the MCU. I can only keep reminding myself that thanks to all the new technologies, the world has become a lot smaller and that I can talk and see my family and friends whenever I need to. And I can always fly back home too, so yeah. I’ll stop being dramatic now and stick to my more optimistic thoughts, like, hell, I’m seriously moving to the UK to study music journalism. How crazy is that?

On another note, here’s what I actually wanted to talk to you guys about today. As summer is slowly coming to an end, I thought I’d continue my series about my trip to Budapest and share another collection of pictures with you. And you guys know that I’m a sucker for black and white photography, so it probably won’t surprise you that I just had to take some pictures of the city at night. I’m also proud to announce that some of these pics were actually taken by my mum – and yes, they are amazing. Go, mum.

I don’t know about you guys, but I just really really love the look of black white photos, especially when they were taken at night. It just gives them such a magical tone and I love how the lack of colors can transform a city landscape. As you can probably see on the pictures, mum and I really did enjoy strolling around the city at night and looking at all these huge, impressive, old and historical buildings. If you’re asking me, some really gave us some serious Hogwarts vibes. It was just so so cool and I enjoyed it so much. That’s exactly why I love traveling and exploring cities so much.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy these pictures just as much and please don’t hesitate to share all your opinions. Also, I’m very sorry that the past few posts have been quite short, just like this one right here, but you’ll probably sense that the move is taking up most of the space I’ve got left in my head. I promise it will get better again as soon as I’ve moved to Brighton and made myself comfortable. Besides that, I also have to tell you guys that sadly this will actually be my last post for about two weeks or so, as I really want to focus on enjoying my remaining time here at home with my family and friends. But, before you all get super mad at me, this also means that when I’m back, you’ll get to hear all about Brighton and my move and uni and everything else. So, please stay tuned. And until then I wish you all a great weekend and an amazing time. And, as always, thanks for reading. x

Budapest

Hola everyone.

Can you believe that it’s already a new week again? I can’t. The move to Brighton is getting closer and closer and next Saturday seems to be approaching much faster than I had anticipated. More and more people keep asking me how I’m feeling, whether I’m a bit scared or nervous. But honestly, I can’t really describe the state I’m in right now. I’m nervous and a bit anxious sometimes and of course sad, especially when I’m lying on the couch with my whole family and feeling their presence, fully knowing that I’ll be missing this exact feeling. But I’m also really happy and excited for this new chapter in my life. Seriously. I already have so many things planned and just the thought of seriously living the one part of my life I’ve always dreamed about makes my stomach fill up with butterflies. I think if you can feel ready for such a huge thing, then that’s what I’m feeling.

It’s currently a bit after one o’clock am on a Monday night and I’m sitting on our couch at home, Thor Ragnarok glimmering in front of me. You know, you can’t really go wrong with this movie and it makes me laugh, so. But that’s not what I want to talk to you guys about. I don’t want to talk about my love for Marvel or my move to Brighton. Today I’d like to talk to you guys about my trip to Budapest or even rather share my favorite pictures with you. To be honest, the cities beauty and coolness really did surprise me. I loved the whole look of the city and especially the crazy amount of historical buildings. I mean, have you seen the parliament? It’s freaking beautiful. And besides that I also loved the modernity when it comes to food and fashion. The whole city is packed with vintage stores and vegan restaurants and shops. It was just so so cool. And I think that also shows in the pictures. I hope you enjoy them just as much as I enjoyed taking them. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments and questions down below and I wish you all a great week. And, of course, thanks for reading. x