I can’t believe I’m really telling you guys this. Guess what? The results of my IELTS exam came and I’m not joking if I say that I cried when I first saw them.
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But, first things first. As you all probably know, on the 25th of November, I finally took my IELTS exam. It’s the test that determines your language level in English, which you have to take in order to be able to apply for a university in the UK. And as this is my plan and dream, the exam was a must for me. Generally you need to achieve an overall level of 6.5 or 6 with at least 6 in every single band – listening, reading, writing and speaking. And as I seriously had no idea how strict they would grade the exam, I really did try my best and prepare and study for it. Also, I have to thank IELTS and the British Council for providing such an awesome online learning platform, it really helped me with preparing for the test and I’d recommend it over and over again.
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But now the most important part. For me, personally, the exam wasn’t exactly that hard. But also surely because I really did prepare for it. I had the speaking part one day before the written exam and I actually really enjoyed it. It was cool to chat for a few minutes, but of course I was nervous too.
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I’d say that the writing part was the hardest one for me. Mainly because I’m just not used to writing in such a business-like style, interpreting graphs and so on. But apart from that it was pretty cool. I mean, I think I never took an exam that was planned to such a detail. I mean, there weren’t even bottles of juice allowed, because there could maybe be something in the bottle. How crazy is that?
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But, enough of that. Without further ado, here are my results:
Overall: 8.0
Writing: 7.5
Reading: 9.0
Listening: 8.0
Speaking: 8.0
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Guys, I seriously can’t believe it. I can’t even describe how happy I am. I mean, this means that I am now able to apply for university. And this feels so honest and real now and on the one side I’m actually so scared, but on the other side I could cry for hours because I’m so happy. This really means the world to me. And I’m really proud of myself, for achieving those results. Seriously. I’m so happy, oh my god.
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So yeah guys, there you go. Here are my results. I’m so happy that I get to share them with you. I can’t wait to apply for university. I hope you enjoyed this post guys and I wish you all an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x
Guys, you know that I love talking about music more than anything. But as I guess that all these music lists are getting a little bit boring, I thought I’d change it up a bit. So, today I have the honor of introducing you to one of the coolest music labels on this planet.
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But before I begin I wanted to give you guys a little update on my last post and party a little bit, because it seems like Trump stopped working against the ban for elephant trophies. He stated that he stopped it because he wants to investigate further on how the conservation works, but I’m pretty sure that he stopped because the whole world was literally screaming at him and his administration. So yey and congratulations to all of us. Seems like we just helped to save this planet – at least for some time. Well done guys and whoever got active – thank you so much. You’re awesome.
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Okay, there’s that. Now let’s get back to this very special music label. The EDM fans among you will probably already know this supercool label called STMPD RCRDS. It was founded in May last year by the one and only Martijn Garristen – also known as Martin Garrix. And before any of you guys question my opinion about this label, no I’m not just interested in it because it’s his label. I mean, I was at first, but now that I’ve actually taken time to get to know it, it’s like Martijn introduced me to this amazing thing that I am now exploring on my own while being so damn thankful for the introduction.
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So yeah, it all started in May 2016, so you could say that the label is still pretty young. Martijn founded it after having some severe arguments and a disagreement about the ownership rights of his music with his older label Spinnin’ Records. And as the genius he is, instead of signing to another label, he just created his own, which now gives him complete freedom when it comes to his music and pretty much everything else. If I’m right the label now “belongs” to Sony Music and it seems like Martijn himself couldn’t be happier. Until today there are about 15 or so artists signed to the label, including Martijn himself (unfortunately I couldn’t find a complete list) and I have to say, all of them are freaking amazing.
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What I think is especially cool is that the label mostly consists of pretty much still unknown DJs and artists – I mean, at least I didn’t know them before. And also, like I said, Martijn is totally free when it comes to his own music and productions and so on, but of course he has his portfolio and type of music that people expect him to release and stick to, so he can’t just release anything. That’s why – another genius move – he just created side projects like GRX or Area 21, so he can release other music he enjoys to produce too. And I think that’s so damn amazing, because that way he’s able to show the world even more of his talent.
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STMPD is based in Amsterdam (like Martijn, of course) and just about a few months ago he and his team took over one of Amsterdams coolest recording studios called FC Walvisch, a spot used by international superstars like Pharrell Williams, Lady Gaga and of course Martijn. Actually, in the last of his videos YouTube series “The Martin Garrix Show”, you could see him and his team celebrating the official opening of their new headquarters. You can now find the studio under the new name STMPD Recording Studios – here’s a link to their website.
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I have to say that I am incredibly proud of Martijn for bringing this whole thing to life and making his dream come true. It makes me kind of speechless too. And let’s not forget the fact that all the signed artists are seriously so damn good. I mean, how perfect can a label get? Cool headquarters, fresh young vibes, the most amazing boss ever and freaking good artists and breathtakingly good music. That’s all anyone in the music business could wish for. Oh, and if you’re wondering why the label is called STMPD – the name was actually inspired by Martijns father’s stamp auctioning company. So it’s basically just another cute tribute and link to his family.
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Okay, so, that’s pretty much all the most important information about this amazing label that I can provide you with. And now let’s get to the most fun part, which is getting to know some of the artists. I actually highly recommend following the label on Spotify (if you do have Spotify), their playlists are amazing and also quite addictive. I’ve been listening to them on repeat the past weeks. So, without further ado, let me present you some of my favorite song releases:
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As you can see it’s pretty hard for me to not just add every single song the label ever released. I of course had to put Area 21 on the list, because I just love this side of Martijn so freaking much, and also CMC$ as his song features the one and only Conor Maynard. Like, can you believe it? Two of my favorite guys are working with and for the same label. That’s so damn crazy.
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And yeah, that’s pretty much it. There you go guys. Welcome to STMPD RCRDS. I have to say that I’m truly so thankful to Martijn for founding and introducing me to this amazing label and awesome kind of music and awesome artists. And it would actually make me so happy if some of you enjoy it too. So please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below, I’m really curious. And yeah, I really hope you enjoyed this post and I wish you all an amazing week. And, as always, thanks for reading. x
Today I’d like to talk about something I myself am and probably the whole population (at least I hope so) is very passionate about. Food and cooking.
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I just love cooking. And food. I mean, of course. It’s food. How can you not love food? But according to other people, cooking and food are two completely different and separate things. And I in some points have to agree. And this may come as a shock now, but sometimes I truly enjoy the cooking part more than the eating one. Super crazy, I know. But I just love it so freaking much.
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But actually I think the whole cooking aspect and the huge interest for food pretty much lie in my genes. My mum is a professional health manager, dietologist and vegan nutritionist. And it was always normal for us to cook meals at home. So it was always normal for me to think about food and the ways you can work with it and turn it into amazing, super delicious meals. That’s the most fascinating aspect of cooking. For example, you take a plain potato and just by boiling it and then frying it in butter in a pan you can turn it into one of the tastiest pieces of food ever. I mean, who doesn’t love fried potatoes with ketchup? Everyone. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities in cooking are literally endless and that’s what I love so much about it. It’s so creative.
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I actually know quite a lot of people who don’t cook themselves and it shocks and surprises me every single time. Because cooking is such a big part of my life and such a big hobby of mine. It’s something I do to calm down. I forget everything around me. And it makes me so happy. I even have my own Spotify playlist just for when I’m cooking. I think that says it all, right?
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But of course I understand that some people just don’t get so often in touch with food as I do. And most of the time those people actually want to cook and want to learn how to do it. An here comes my tip for everyone who wants to start cooking – find yourself someone, preferably a cook of course, who inspires you. That special person was Jamie Oliver for me. Besides my mum and my grandma, of course. But Jamie is and always has been my biggest idol when it comes to cooking. I still have no idea how he does it, but somehow this guy can take a plain carrot and peas and turn them into the most beautiful dish you will ever lay your eyes upon. I mean, even just a bowl full of cabbage looks mouthwatering beautiful in his books. Plain cabbage. Seriously? Jamie, please teach me your ways. And besides that, all of his recipes are just so damn inspiring and creative and tasty. Whenever I’m looking for a nice meal to cook, I usually just search for something on this website, because he and his recipes never let me down. And judging from all the videos and articles I’ve seen from him, he seems like the nicest person ever. And his kitchens in his TV shows are always literally kitchen goals. I know they are sets, but I have no doubt that his kitchen at home looks just as amazing or even better.
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Okay, so that’s that. But in order to not just repeat myself in a post I’ve already written, I thought, as I’ve been cooking quite a lot in the past months, I’d share my favorite meals with you guys. Let’s go.
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Pasta with tomato sauce and tuna
This is literally my go-to comfort food and I usually cook it at least every two weeks if not even more often. Also it’s pretty easy too. Just grab your favorite noodles and favorite tomato sauce, elevate them and make them tasty and there you have it – super fast and easy comfort food for all you pasta lovers out there.
Mashed potatoes with pretty much anything
This is the kind of meal that I immediately associate with my home. Mashed potatoes is the meal my mum raised me with, because she never wanted to feed me those typical baby food glasses. So she just made her own. And since then her mashed potatoes are the best mashed potatoes I will ever eat in my entire life. Nothing can beat the love of a mother.
Ramen or Pho
Here comes the asian aspect of my culinary favorites list. I actually had my first Ramen last summer, in Brighton at the local Wagamamas. It was a seafood ramen and the moment I tasted it, my life changed. Since then I’ve been on the mission of finding the best ramen / pho in the world. Right now my favorite is the bowl you get at the popular restaurant called Monsieur Vuong in Berlin. It’s freaking amazing. If you ever get to Berlin, you need to check by this awesome restaurant.
An amazing salad
Since I’ve been living on my own here, I’ve discovered my special love for a good salad. The important part is the dressing. If the dressing is good, I could eat tons and tons of salad. Like caesars dressing. Oh my god. So good. So yeah, I’m one of those people who actually love eating salads. But not for the healthy aspect, but because I could just bury myself in a good salad. Oh and of course the more colorful and freaky the salad is and the more various ingredients are in it, like fruit or nuts, the better.
Any kind of rustic stews
Yeah, I love stews. Comfort food right there and then. I mean, what’s easier than chopping vegetables, putting them into a pot of soup and just waiting for them to cook? That’s pretty easy. Seriously. And it’s literally one of my favorite dishes to cook in winter when it’s cold and rainy outside and I know that I can later curl up on the sofa with a nice, hot bowl of stew. What a dream.
Pasta, pasta and more pasta
I’ve already mentioned one of my favorite pasta dishes, but let’s be honest. It’s pasta. How could you not love pasta? And what else should I say? It’s pasta. It even tastes freaking amazing just by adding butter to it.
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So, there you go guys. That’s my love for cooking and some of my favorite dishes. Honestly, I could go on and on and on with babbling about food and my most beloved meals, but I think it’s better to stop now. And I mean, I haven’t even started about my love for baking and desserts. God. Desserts. But I guess I’ll have to save this for another day, another post. Until then I hope you enjoyed this little one here. Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below so we can all talk about who much we love food. How amazing does that sound? That would be my favorite discussion ever. And yeah, besides that I wish you all an amazing week and, as always, thanks for reading. x
Another beginning of the month, another music list, right? And as it’s just the beginning of November, I thought we’d start this one off together with some amazing music. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
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For this month – and this won’t come as a surprise – my music is pretty heavy on the EDM side right now, due to Martijns show and my longing to relive the show over and over again. But of course there’s something for everyone on there – at least I hope so. So, let’s get right to it, shall we?
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Area 21 – Girls
The EDM fans among you will probably know this – Area 21 may not sound like Martijn, but it actually is Martijn together with the singer Maejor. And I don’t know about you but I’m literally addicted to this side of him, no joke. I usually don’t listen to this kind of music, but I could bury myself in this. And don’t even get me started on how amazing this is live. Holy moly.
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Saint Raymond – Nightcrawling
He is back. FINALLY. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that Callum is finally back with awesome new music. And I’m still so thankful to Ed for taking Callum on tour with him and introducing me to him in 2014. Thank god.
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Hippo Campus – Monsoon / Tuesday
I found this band through another Spotify list and I’m so happy that I did. Just another reason for me for being so deeply in love with Spotify. And this band, oh my god. And this song. I have to say, when I found this song as a live version, I nearly fell off my chair. Seriously. Like, how is it possible to sound this good live? And there is that part when the upbeat part starts and it always feels like a spark of light lit up in my soul. I love it so much. Goosebumps guaranteed, every single time.
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And as one song is far too less for this amazing band, I have of course got another song of theirs to show you. This one is called Tuesday and it’s literally such a calming song. I can’t really tell why, but it just is. And it’s literally the most perfect song to listen to while cooking. Actually all of their songs make the most perfect cooking playlist.
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The 1975 – Milk
Yes, that really is the title. I really have no idea why, but somehow The 1975 thought they’d just upload this song again, as it is actually pretty old. But that doesn’t make it any less amazing. And that’s how I found it again. I especially love the guitar in this one. And personally I’d say it’s one of their best songs ever.
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Brooks & Grx – Boomerang
And another EDM track – what a surprise. And again Martijn, of course. Yes, he has more than one side projects, here under the name of Grx. I can just say that when I heard this live I freaked out completely and since then I’ve been listening to it every single day and am falling for it more and more. The drop is freaking amazing. What an awesome piece of music.
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BØRNS – 10.000 Emerald Pools
Some of you may know this song from the movie “The Space Between Us” – one of my favorite movies ever, just to mention it. To be honest, the first time I heard the song I thought that Børns was a woman. Really. But the fact that he’s a men doesn’t change the awesomeness of the song. I really really really love it and I think it’s truly a one of a kind song.
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Zuli – follow you
Another song I found through Spotify. Thanks Spotify. It’s the kind of song that perfectly describes my taste in music. Especially the end of it and the guitar part. What can I say? It’s just a great song that puts you instantly in a good mood.
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Tom Rosenthal – Pingu in the Igloo
What other good way to end this list is there then to end it on another amazing piece by Tom Rosenthal. I’ve already introduced my love for this guy and his music to you, so of course I had to include him here too. It’s the perfectly calm song, for a nice evening on the couch, preferably with tea and a comfy blanket.
So there guys, there you go. Here’s a small selection of the songs and music I’ve been listening to the past weeks. I hope you enjoy it. As always, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. I’m really curious whether you know or like the songs or not. Oh, and yes, that is indeed Martijn in the cover picture. And, yeah, until then I wish you all an amazing weekend and, as always, thanks for reading. x
So, as recently mentioned in my last post about Martijns amazing show at ADE I was luckily able to visit myself (here’s the link), I was in Amsterdam a week ago for a short trip with my friend. And I can just tell you guys, it was freaking amazing. What a lovely city.
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Okay, so first things first. We stayed in Amsterdam for four days, from Thursday until Sunday. Martijns show was on Friday so we thought it would be better to fly home on Sunday, as Saturday was our literal hangover day. God, was I tired. I think we got home at about 5 o’clock in the morning and as excited and hyped I was, I just couldn’t sleep and basically slept for about three hours that night. But oh well. Sleep is underrated, right?
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Apart from Martijns show, which of course was the highlight of those four days, the trip was really really really amazing. I loved it so much. I mean, the city is so cute and you just feel so welcomed there. All the people are so nice – as you can see down below in one of the pics, as some guys came up to me all of a sudden while my friend was taking a picture of me and placed themselves around me for the picture. First I thought that they wanted to make fun of us or anything, but they actually were so nice and funny. Like, just look at the picture. How funny is that? And it came out looking so perfect, I just love it.
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And the city overall has such a cool vibe to it. I mean, I’ve never seen so many good-looking people in a matter of four days. No wonder I want to move somewhere up North. And all the stores and restaurants and cafés are so cool too. They all look so modern and new and stylish, it’s nearly overwhelming. I couldn’t stop looking around in total awe. It was actually my first ever time visiting The Netherlands, but after those four days I fully understand why it’s one of the happiest countries on the planet. It was really hard for me to not smile during those days. Seriously.
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What made the weekend even more special for me was of course ADE. It’s so crazy to be in a city that is filled with people who share the same love for music. And let’s not forget all the DJs that were there too. I got a teeny tiny heart attack every time I saw the yellow flags around a corner. God, I can’t wait to visit the city and ADE again and make the most of it – go to all the different shows, of course visit Martijns shows on Friday and Saturday and go to different talks and masterclasses. The festival is literally such a cool opportunity to see different artists and meet so many different people from all over the world.
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And I think apart from ADE, we also made the most of our trip. We went to different museums – the museum for modern art and the Van Gogh museum -, walked around the city pretty much the whole day, went to supercool restaurants and cafés and visited basically all the important places you should see when you get to Amsterdam for the first time. I really really really loved it.
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Also, I just have to mention that Dutch is such a cute language, oh my god. No is Nee there. Nee. How cute is that? And the architecture, it’s so charming. All the crooked windows, walls and houses, the cute bridges and holy moly, so many bikes. I’ve never seen so many bikes in one place. And I think that also shows the amazing mentality of the people there, because most of them use bikes or if they use cars, they are mostly e-cars. What a green city. Really.
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So yeah guys, there you go. Those were the four days in Amsterdam in a nutshell. I really enjoyed my stay there and I can’t wait to come back, preferably during ADE. I can quite understand Martijn for living there and not moving to LA or something, like all the big names in the music business. Good choice.
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But guys, have any of you ever had the chance to visit Amsterdam or ADE? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? And do you maybe have some tips for me what to do the next time I get there or which city I should visit next? Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment down below. And until then I hope you enjoyed this post and the pictures down below. I’m pretty sure that Amsterdam is one of the most photogenic cities I’ve ever been to, so please enjoy. And, as always, I wish you all an amazing week. Oh, and Happy Halloween. x
First of all, I wanna say sorry for the certain lack of posts the past two weeks. Somehow I didn’t feel like posting twice a week, mainly because my head was basically stuffed with other things. So, please let me give you a little update.
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Right now I’m sitting at home in my apartment in Vienna, listening to Tom Rosenthal and mainly thinking about my life. University in particular, as today was the first day of the new semester. We moved in here again last Friday and I’m feeling pretty happy to be back here again. Last week I wrote my first exam of this semester and next week I’m flying to Amsterdam with my friend for a short holiday trip and to see Martin Garrix at the Amsterdam Dance Event. And I can’t wait, seriously. God, I’m so excited.
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But apart from all that, university has basically been my main concern right now. And that brings me to this one special topic I want to talk about today. Which is goals. And no, I don’t mean relationship, friendship or boyfriend goals. I mean the basic life goals we all have and struggle with. And I know how you’re all feeling, because the future is scaring the hell out of me right now and also, at the same time, putting the biggest grin on my face.
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As some of you may know I’m planning to move to London to do my Master there. And this one stupid, little, idiotic thing called Brexit has basically put one huge stone in my way, which I’m trying to crawl over right now. So, in order to not have to pay like 20.000 € for university, I’m planning on finishing my Bachelor next summer. That would enable me to go to London next autumn, before the Brexit. Good plan so far, I know. But it will be hard. I know, I’m probably talking about daily hassles and small nothings here, but it seems like university doesn’t really want me to finish this early. But I will try my best anyway.
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So, this is a huge goal of mine. To try my absolute best, work hard and finish my Bachelor next summer to be able to go to London without any more difficulties. And that really, really means a lot to me. It’s like one of my biggest dreams to live and study in London.
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But you know, at some moments when I sit in front of my laptop and plan my semester and think about ways I could do more and better, I take a deep breath, relax and quickly think about all the goals in my life I have already achieved and all the dreams I made true. And I think that’s really something important to do. Because sometimes I talk to different people or look at young people with amazing careers and get the feeling that I’m basically a huge loser, but that’s not true. Not at all. Because I simply know that I have already achieved and done so many things I never thought I would do. And not even at this young age. I mean, I’m 21 years old, acing my Bachelor right now (yes, I do get good grades), already lived in Berlin on my own, wrote and published my own book and am working as a journalist since March this year. I mean, how crazy is that? And I’ve done, seen and achieved so much more. I really have to tell myself all those things over and over again every few times, just to remind myself to be proud of myself. And that’s so freaking important. To be proud of yourself and happy with who you are and what you’ve done and what you’re doing. You should all try it out, it will probably baffle you all, because you’ll notice something great – we are all amazing people, trying to do their best in this crazy thing we call our world. And that’s awesome.
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I know, I have huge ass goals on my list and crazy plans for my life, but sometimes it’s really nice to look back at my own life path. Because it really makes me happy. I know I’m literally the biggest perfectionist who always pushes herself, but you know what? I try my freaking best everyday and it’s pretty perfect the way it is right now. And I’m great the way I am. I wouldn’t change a thing. And I really hope that you guys think the same of yourself, because you should and you owe it to yourself. Treat yourself. And stop comparing your life with others. You are you, they are them and everyone can be struggling sometimes. You’re all doing amazing, please never forget that.
So yeah guys, that’s my little update and post about all the thoughts that have been swirling around my head for a long time and something I find is really important. I hope you enjoyed it and that it maybe made you think a little. Please don’t hesitate to leave your thoughts down below. And until then I wish you all an amazing week and, as always, thanks for reading. x
that lemon life 