fun – Page 16 – that lemon life

Picture Perfect

Hola everyone.

Can you believe that it’s already March? Because I seriously can’t. I mean, I’m going to be twenty freaking two in 24 days. Oh my god. Time seriously flies by. And just to add to all this craziness, I started my sixth and last semester at my university in Vienna yesterday. I still remember my very first day like it was just a few days ago.

But actually, I am really looking forward to this semester. I don’t really have that much to do, just a few lectures and a lot more practical seminars, which I am very happy about. But my highlight has to be a photography course I am doing. I just had my first lesson yesterday and holy moly, it’s so damn amazing. Seriously. I mean, you all know that I am literally in love with photography and my camera, so being able to do this course is like a dream come true. I think I’ll really learn a lot if I invest some time in it – which I will – and we’re even going to do some film photography and then develop the pictures ourselves, which I’ve never done. Doesn’t it sound like the coolest thing ever? It surely does to me.

And as I was already so inspired by the whole photography theory, I took a look through all the pictures I’ve taken in the past years since having my camera and thought I’d present you my very best and favorite pictures. Some of you may know most of them from all of my different posts, but I think they get a different kind of vibe if you just put all the best ones in one big pot and present them to the world. All of the pictures of course have their own little story and background. Some show my beloved ones, some were taken during a holiday in some fascinating city, some are clips from all of my different adventures and some are just from home and show my everyday surroundings. What connects them all is that I love them with my very heart and that they all mean something special to me and that I’m very proud to present them to you. So guys, please enjoy this little selection of my favorite pictures. Oh and please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts down below. And, as always, thanks for reading and I hope you’re all doing good. x

Concert overload

Hola everyone.

Sorry for not posting anything yesterday. I had quite a busy day yesterday and then went to a concert in the evening. And I know what you’re thinking right now – do I ever spent my time by doing anything else than going to concerts? And my answer is: nope, not really.

But jokes aside, this week really has been the week of music. I went to a concert on Monday, to see Coasts and The Hunna, and yesterday to see Kraftklub, a super freaky, super cool band from Germany. And I have to say, both concerts were pretty damn amazing and on the other side completely different in size, style of music and overall feeling.

But for this post, let’s talk about pretty much the smallest concert I’ve ever been to – Coasts and The Hunna. Actually, the whole concert trip started of pretty badly as I completely mixed up the dates and already drove to Vienna on Sunday and then went to the venue just to see that the whole place was shut down and that the concert was actually scheduled for the next day. Yes, I was embarrassed. No, I don’t know how that happened or why I didn’t notice the date when I was packing the freaking tickets. And yes, my friend and I did laugh about it quite for some time. So, that was the start. It could have been better, let’s get that right. But hey, we made the best of it, went for dinner and had a nice, long chat. And the concert the next evening totally made up for it, as it was freaking amazing, seriously. I mean, the venue, The Flex in Vienna, is literally just a small club. There were like 200 people, at best. It was so so so small. At first I was even looking for another entrance, but that little stage was really the stage.

Anyways, the support act, Coasts, started right after we got in and I have to say, I really really enjoyed their set. I mean, I’ve now been listening to them for three or four years and I’m really happy that I finally got the chance to see them live. Which also surprises me a bit, as I would have never thought that bands like Coasts and The Hunna, which are pretty unknown here, would visit Vienna on their tour. But I’m really really really glad they did.

After Coasts The Hunna went on stage and from the first second on, I was sold. I mean, I looooove their music, seriously. It’s like what I love about music in a nutshell. It’s rock and punk and awesome drum beats and an amazing singing voice all in one. I love it. And I loved their show. I was screaming and singing my lungs, jumping around like crazy and just smiling throughout the whole show. It really was breathtaking. Both bands are amazing live and they really know how to entertain a crowd, even such a small one.

But apart from all that fantastic live music, my highlight of the night has to be when my friend and I were about to walk out and I just took all of my strength and braveness together and walked up to the lead singer of Coasts to chat. I don’t even know what got into me. I mean, I’m usually the shyest person ever, but there I was, walking up to this guy, ready to talk to him. And I have to say, it was so so so nice. God, he was so nice to me. No joke. When I got to him I quickly said that I loved their set and that I’ve been listening to them for over three years and he got all smiley and thanked me a hundred times and pulled me into a hug. Like, straight out of nowhere. How freaking cute is that? And then we chatted a little bit about their show and their upcoming tour and he said that they would come to Vienna again and I told him about my plan of moving to Brighton and he said that he loved that city and wished me good luck with my studies and that I should come to their show when they’re playing in Brighton and then stay a little bit and say hello, because he will for sure remember me. And then we exchanged names and he hugged me again. And then I went back to my friend, feeling so so so proud. I never thought that I would once be so brave to just walk up to a singer of a band I love, just to chat with him. Without nearly getting a heart attack. I’m really so so proud. And I’m really glad that I walked up to him. One of the best decisions ever.

So yeah, that was the story of the smallest concert I’ve ever visited and of how I overcame my shyness and talked to a super nice singer and band member. If any of you guys ever get the chance to see these bands live, please don’t waste it. They are really amazing and they deserve all the love and appreciation they can get. I would say that they are pretty underrated. So if you have time, do give them a listen, you won’t regret it, I swear. And apart from that I hope you enjoyed this little post and please stay tuned for Monday and part two of my concert week. And until then, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And, as always, I hope you’re all doing good, I wish you a nice weekend and thanks for reading. x

I’M FREE

Hola everyone.

I know. I know. I know. Where have I been? Did I get stuck in a hole? Did I decide to disappear for a few weeks and start a new life? I have to say, it’s nothing like that. It’s uni. Or it was. Because two days ago, I finally had my last exams and now I’m free. I’m finally free. Free. Free. Free.

And I can’t even tell you how much I’ve missed posting stuff on here, talking to you guys. But I just couldn’t afford spending my time on anything else than studying and basically existing. That’s what I’ve been doing the past two weeks. And god, it was exhausting. You have no idea. I finally understand why exam week is called week of hell. Because it really feels like hell. But now it’s over and I’m so freaking happy. And I’ve got so many things to tell you guys. So, let’s get right to it.

First of all, the new Fall Out Boy album is out and it’s so damn good, holy moly. At first, due to Young and Menace, I was a little bit worried I’d loose my favorite punk boys. But thank god, I didn’t. The new album is so amazing, seriously. It’s the perfect mixture of punk songs, electronic beats, slow, soulful pieces and amazing guitars and Patricks angelic voice. It gets very close to being perfect, really really really close. Maybe it even is perfect. So I can just strongly recommend it to you guys, please go and have a listen, seriously. If I had to chose, I’d probably say that “Bishops Knife Trick” is my favorite track of the whole album. But let’s be honest, that basically changes after every single listen of the whole album. The songs are just too good. And, in typical FOB manner, the track titles are pretty much the coolest thing ever. I have no idea how they come up with names like “Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea”, but I’m glad they do.

And now, the most important news. Yesterday, in order to end the semester in the most amazing way ever and have a nice party, my mum and I went to a concert, a Nothing But Thieves concert. And holy moly guys, I’m still so damn speechless, it was such a blast. And I know what you’re thinking right now – isn’t that the band I just saw a few weeks ago, two months, to be exact? And yes, indeed it is, you’re a 100 % percent right. You may question now why I would buy tickets to a show I basically went to two months before? And here’s the simple answer: because. And since yesterday, I will always go to see a band I love with all of my heart twice if I can. Because yesterday was easily ten times better than the first show. And I didn’t think that that was even possible.

First of all the venue was like a third of the venue in Vienna. The room was packed with people and it was hot as hell. I have no idea why, but somehow Conor, the lead singer, still decided to wear not only one, but two long sleeved sweaters. I was nearly dying there in the crowd, Price, the drummer, was half naked, and then there was Conor, jumping around cuddled into two sweaters. Such a weirdo, I love it. And due to the size of the venue, we were so close to the stage and, especially pleasant for me, close to Conor. We even had some eye contact going on once in a while. And I just loved it so much, watching him and the boys interact and do their thing, being able to notice all the little details about them.

Also, I don’t even know how, in the matter of the past two months, they got so much better, they even excelled themselves. It was crazy. You could see how comfortable they were on stage and how much they enjoyed it. Conors voice just gets better and better with every single show and just their whole set too. They are such an unbelievably amazing band. And I loved seeing how happy they were. For me, a show gets a hundred times better when you see that the band enjoys it as much as the crowd. If they are happy, I am happy too.

Another highlight was of course the updated setlist which included one of their most amazing songs – Number 13. And god, was it worth it. It’s such a blast live, holy moly. And a new cover of a song called “Be My Husband” replaced the one of “Free Falling”, which was extra special for me, as it was one of the songs Ed covered during the first show I ever saw him. And let’s be honest, Conors voice is just breathtaking. Thankfully I got to film the whole part of the show, even him chatting with the crowd for a while, laughing and joking around. He’s such a damn cutie. Seriously. Having his laugh on tape is literally the best thing.

But, I have to say, my most favorite part of the show has to be when they played “Ban All the Music” and somehow literally everyone went totally apeshit. No joke. I mean, the crowd was amazing throughout the whole show. Jumping around, dancing, crowdsurfing, doing moshpits over and over. Conor even said that it was the best moshpit he had ever seen. But when they played BATM, it got a totally different level of crazy. First of all, the crowd went completely berserk. Then Stu, their tour manager/handy-man, started crowdsurfing out of nowhere. God, I laughed so much. And the boys just followed, jumping around on stage, laughing and joking. At some point Dom, one of the guitarists, even went up to the mic and just screamed a note, while Conor stood next to him, looking at him like “what the hell are you doing???” and laughing his butt off. God, that was such an experience. It wasn’t just a concert, it was so much more.

So yeah guys, there you go. That was last night. I also have to mention that it ended in the coolest way possible, because when we walked out of the venue, we walked past the tour bus and I was like “oh my god, how cool. I’ve never been this close to one of these buses.” And there was this little gap in-between the curtains and I just randomly looked at it and there he was, sitting there, eating I don’t know what – Conor. I can’t really explain why, but somehow that was such a special moment for me. Because it’s something completely different when you see someone on stage, doing what they love and what they are best at, and then off-stage, all calm and relaxed, without the whole star appeal. It just was really special.

For me it was the most perfect way to end my semester and to start my break. And it was the perfect way of rewarding myself for all the exams and hard work. I think it’s important to give back to yourself once in a while. And I’m so happy that my mum enjoyed it as much as I did.

Apart from that, I am just really glad that I get to be at home now for the whole month. And it’s already my last semester of uni. How crazy is that? Time has really flown by. Oh and oh my god guys, tomorrow I’m having my interview with BIMM, you know, the university in Britain I applied for. On the one hand I’m really really really nervous, but on the other hand I’m also so excited. I’ll of course keep you updated. And expect to hear a lot more from me again, I am officially back. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this post and that you’re all doing good. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave your comments down below. And of course, thanks for reading. x

My New Years Resolutions

Hola everyone.

The new year is literally just around the corner and in prospect of this I’ve been thinking pretty much about 2017 and what I achieved and what I’d like 2018 to be like and what my goals are.

I have to say that 2017 has been a pretty crazy year for me. I mean, I started off the year with my last month of living in Berlin and then I got back and continued university and recently I found this amazing university course in the UK and just an hour ago I started applying for it. I mean, how crazy is that? And I flew to Zürich to see Ed and then to Amsterdam to see Martijn. And I got to visit three new cities in the UK – Liverpool, Blackpool and Manchester – and flew to Paris with my mum and got a new, unbelievably beautiful tattoo there. I just started writing my first Bachelor thesis and I’ve just got this semester until February and then the last one and then I’ll be already finished with my Bachelor in Vienna. I seriously can’t believe how fast the time has flown by. And apart from all these huge things, I accomplished so much more and made so many more experiences and and and. I met new people, started new friendships, had quite an amount of exams, attended looots of concerts and started a job as a magazine journalist. I cried a lot but laughed even more. Went on many adventures and got out of my comfort zone. And when I look back at it, I don’t think I’d change anything (apart from all the bad stuff that happened and is happening in the world right now, but let’s not get started on that).

But there is a new year coming up and I want it to be a new start, a new beginning. A new year to meet goals, turn dreams into reality and so so much more. So I thought why not make a list of my personal new years resolutions? Let’s go.

I really want to stay the optimist I am – it doesn’t work all the times, but sometimes it’s the only thing that brightens up a shitty day
I want to dive even deeper into the topic of my heart – music.
I want to experience more, learn more, see more, hear more, feel more.
I want to meet new people, new cities, new cultures.
I want to get even more out of my comfort zone. Of course it’s scary, but those are the moments life turns from good to exciting.
I want to stay healthy.
I want laugh louder, cry harder and live every moment to its fullest.
I want to show the people around me that I love them and that they literally mean the world to me, because they all deserve it.
I want to go to as many concerts/festivals as I can – those are my happy places and I’m kind of addicted, so…
I want to read even more books, listen to even more songs and bands and watch even more movies.
I want to meet up with my friends and family as often as I can. I know it’s hard, because we all have our own lives and own tasks and jobs and so on, but when I look back I don’t remember the hours I spent scrolling through twitter on my phone, I remember the evenings I spent with my friends, drinking a Chai Latte and laughing about stories of when we were young.
I want to stop pressuring myself so much. I know I’m a perfectionist and that’s actually something I like about myself, but that changes when I start treating myself badly.
I want to continue working as hard as I do now or even harder (I know this kind of doesn’t go with the resolution above, but I’m sure there is a way to combine those two things).
I want to cuddle even more with my family and my pets.
I want to take even more pictures, cook more meals and maybe find a new fascinating hobby I can be passionate about.
I want to try out new things and new activities, maybe some kind of sport or something like that.
I want to try and start being punctual – this is actually the toughest aspect of this list, I am literally never punctual.
I want to go to sleep earlier and change my sleeping schedule – it’s slightly getting out of hand right now.
I want to be nicer to the people I love, I want to forgive more and stop freaking out because of little, stupid things I will probably have forgotten about an hour later.
I want to finish my Bachelor and try to get the best grades possible.
I want to nail my two Bachelor theses.
I want to keep faith and believe in myself, even when the times are hard and I feel like everything is getting too much (like now, when my to-do-list is literally far too long – I can do it and I know it).
I want to get into BIMM (the university in the UK) and find the cutest little flat ever.
I want to continue being this curious and childish and easily excited and funny.
I want to love more.
I want to continue writing this blog, as I love it so much that I can’t even describe it.

So guys, there you go. Those are my new years resolutions or let’s say those that I can think of right now. I’m pretty sure I could come up with about a hundred more if I had more time. But I want to try and make every single one of them and stick to them. Mostly because they all mean quite a lot to me. And I think this way 2018 can’t be anything but another amazing year.

But guys, what are your new years resolutions? Do you even have some? And do you stick to them? This is actually my very first time of writing them down like this, so wish me luck. And guys, I wish you all a happy new year and I hope you’re all doing good. I wish you all the best. Thank you so much for 2017. It’s been an amazing year and I’m more than thankful that I could spend and share it with all of you. Thank you. And, as always, thanks for reading. Here’s to 2018. x

Another Day – Another Concert

Hola everyone.

As you already know me so well, you know that I love going to concerts. It’s like food or the air I breathe, I need concerts to survive. I mean, how boring would life be without live music? Oh my god, I can’t even imagine. So dull.

So, in order to not let my life become some kind of boring or dull, I just had to visit another concert and thankfully Nothing But Thieves, one of my favorite bands, decided to pay us a visit. And holy moly, it was soooo amazing. I don’t even know where to begin, no joke.

But first let me tell you something about the band. I first got in touch with them about two years ago while dreaming about flying to the UK to attend Reading Festival – which my mum and I then also did, as you all know. I remember falling more and more in love with their music and their style and just the band overall. And when I finally saw them at Reading, I was head over heels in love with them. Especially with Conor, the lead singer. He’s literally the cutest ever and was so emotional at the show at Reading. So when they announced their European tour, I just had to see them again.

I am indeed a really really big fan of their music. They somehow sound like nothing I’ve ever heard before. And Conor’s voice is so damn unique, it’s fascinating. And they sound so damn good live, oh my god. I would say that they perfectly fit into the lane of music I love. They are a little bit poppy, a little bit slow, very emotional and deep when it comes to the lyrics and then suddenly they get all loud and heavy and full of amazing beats and guitar riffs. And all of that topped with Conor’s angelic voice. It’s literally everything I could wish for. So yeah, that special mix is really what gets me.

And exactly a week ago it was finally time to see them again. Crazy that it was only just a week ago, feels like it ages. The concert was in a pretty small venue in Vienna and completely sold out (props to them). I actually loved the venue, as it had stairs in the back so I didn’t have any problems with the sight. I hate when there are only tall people in front of me, I mean, I’m not the smallest person ever, but especially at concerts platforms come in pretty handy for me. And my mum was happy about that too. So thankfully we didn’t have to worry about not seeing anything.

So we got in and that first support act was already playing – a band called Airways, which I funnily enough already knew beforehand, as one of their songs (it’s called “Mate”) is part of Spotify playlist. So it was no surprise for me that they were amazing. And then the second band came – called The Xcerts – and they were just as amazing as the first one. I really have to applaud NBT for picking such good support acts. They really were a perfect pick. And also the music they played before NBT finally got on stage. Two Door Cinema Club, Foals, The Killers – all the big hits to get us all hyped up. And it worked, I really have to admit.

And yeah, then they finally came and god, was I happy. The started off with “I’m Not Made By Design”, which was a perfect start. And then they basically continued playing all the big hits, switching between their old and new album and fast and slow songs. It was really really really amazing. I especially enjoyed “I Was Just A Kid”. I don’t think I never headbanged that much at a concert. I mean, I didn’t headbanged like you’re probably imagining it right now – but I did like the Laura version, the easy version. And I was soooo hyped up, holy moly. I screamed, danced, sang my lungs out and enjoyed every single second like it was my last one.

And as I already said, they were so damn amazing. They really are one those bands that sound like 100000000 times better live. Which is pretty hard if you know how amazing their albums sound. And Conor was so freaking cute. I could really see that he was really comfortable being there on that stage. I remember him being all nervous at the Reading show. And comparing it to last Friday, I really do get all proud inside. Because he and his band made so much progress in the last year and I’m so damn happy.

But what I especially love about Conor is his humor and his awkwardness. Like, he danced around and smiled and I enjoyed watching him with his bandmates so much. They really are an amazing pack of musicians. And you could sense that they love what they’re doing. Oh and I loved the part when it was just Conor on the stage, with his acoustic guitar that is far too big for his body, but let’s be honest, that just adds even more to the cuteness. He sang a cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin'” and yeah, I of course teared up a bit. It was just too emotional.

And, of course, their last song “Amsterdam” really was one of the highlights. Until that point the energy had built up more and more and then when the song started it was ready to burst and it nearly blew the roof off, no joke. The dynamics was freaking breathtaking. We all jumped and screamed and sang and I felt so alive at that moment, I felt like the happiest person on earth. So I really have to thank NBT and their support acts for again creating a night that I will surely never ever forget. Thank you so much for making me so happy. See, that’s why I love music so much. It’s literally my happy place.

So yeah guys, there’s that. Another unforgetful concert and another story for me to tell and another reason for me to love music and concerts and bands. It all makes me so happy. And I really hope that you enjoyed this little post too. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And, as always, I wish you all an amazing weekend and thanks for reading. x

Happy Friday

Hola everyone.

Right now it’s eight pm on this Friday evening and I’m sitting in my apartment in Vienna, thinking about what I should tell you guys first. Fall Out Boy is playing in the background and to be honest, I couldn’t be happier.

There is something quite exciting and also slightly frightening happening tomorrow, which also partly happened today. Let’s get right to the point. I am currently taking my IELTS exam. The exam that determines your level of English and the one exam that decides whether I’ll be able to go to a university in the UK or not, because in the UK you need to have a special level in order to be even allowed to apply. So yeah, you could say that this exam is pretty important and the results are even more. Wish me luck guys.

I have to say, I can’t really tell you how I feel about the exam – I’m taking writing, reading and listening tomorrow – because on the one hand I am really nervous because the results are so important for my future, and on the other hand I’m super excited because I just love the English language so freaking much and I know that I am good at it so I actually look forward to showing off my skills a little bit. It’s a little bit complicated.

But today I already had the speaking part of the exam and as far as I can tell, it went pretty pretty good. I had to talk about my family and friends and education and that kind of stuff, so it wasn’t that hard to come up with good answers. But I think it really showed that I was quite nervous, I literally couldn’t stop talking. The examiner had to always stop or slow me down, I was just babbling on and on. I mean, not that that’s something bad. Actually I think it’s far better to talk too much than not enough. But yeah, that was that part. I am really happy that it worked out and I can’t wait for the results, really.

And apart from that another really amazing thing happened today. God, how long has this day been? I feel like I’ve been awake for 40 hours. Anyway. Today, I tried to get tickets to see Fall Out Boy I’ve on their next tour. I actually tried getting some yesterday, but the presale didn’t work at all, so I really placed all my bets and hopes on today. And guess what? I seriously managed to get some pretty awesome seats and I am literally internally screaming in happiness. I mean, how awesome is that? I really got tickets to see Fall Out Boy, one of my favorite bands on this planet. And not only that I’ll be seeing them for my birthday, no, I’ll also be in London, my favorite city ever. Oh my god.

Unfortunately, this amazing band again decided that my country isn’t worth a visit, so, as always, I have to get to them if they don’t come to me. And thankfully I really do have the most amazing, coolest parents on earth, who said that they would make my big wish come true and fly to London and see Fall Out Boy together with on my birthday weekend. I could start crying just by the thought of it. I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am. Sometimes I seriously have no idea what I did in order to deserve such awesome parents. And oh god, I love this band so much, I can’t believe this is happening. Holy moly.

So yeah, that was my day. After the exam I went for some christmas shopping and now I’m back home and already thinking about which part to prepare for first – writing, reading or listening? To be honest, I’m really not that nervous about tomorrow. Because I know my abilities. And I just love this language. I know I can do it. And I just have to tell that myself over and over again.

But guys, how was your day? I hope you had an amazing Friday. And I hope you enjoyed this little update or whatever you could call this. I’ll of course keep you updated on my IELTS results. And yeah, until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x