Let's go to the Seaside...

 The past three years have proven to be perhaps the most difficult trio of my life- so far! University living did not come naturally to me and I will admit that I struggled the vast majority of the time with the academic requirements and travel. It felt alien to me, all this rush and living to a restricting schedule which didn't allow me to drift off in the way only a Pisces can (ie, totally adrift on their way to Lala Land!). 

Now however, I can!!

 To celebrate being signed off as a children's nurse, me and a friend packed our overnight bags and set off in search of Whitstable; a little seaside town in Kent that holds character by the bucket load! Funky little shops selling the most beautiful clothes, shoes, gifts, art and knick knacks. Bakeries that sing their wares of Belgium buns, gypsy tarts, deliciously stuffed pasties and bikini clad gingerbread's, as you wander along the quaint high street in search of other treasures to gaze longingly at. 

 One such shop was The Whiting Post which -as you can see- had the most amazing display of RICE home ware that I have ever seen... just look at all those colours! 

 Whitstable is also pretty well known for its Oyster festival, so it wasn't long before we stumbled upon a gigantic pile of oyster shells while blowing the cobwebs out along the sea front.

 Now, while I will admit that I'm not much of a fan of the Oyster delicacy I had to help myself to a couple of these for keepsakes, I plan to dot them around in my herb garden this year (as long as the goat doesn't help herself- again!).

 We decided to really treat ourselves accommodation wise for this little getaway. I had spotted the converted Fisherman Huts before when walking along the wooden walkway which runs parallel to the beach and had commented on how much I loved them.

 I booked Hut 11: two double beds, a tiny little kitchen and a snazzy bathroom. Perfect for me and my friend to relax in when we weren't off exploring the town and its many places to eat and drink.

 Snuggling down into this bed after a day of eating fish and chips, meandering along the sea front feeling the wind blow away all the 'uniness' of the past few years, and maybe a glass of rose (or two) was absolute bliss and waking up to the sound of gulls, the gentle lap of waves and the cheery calls of fisherman coming back to port made me so chilled and happy :)

 I plan to return to this quirky little place with my farmer in tow later on in the year, after harvest and a few months after I will have started as a fully qualified nurse in my new job (skweeeee!!). It was stunning and I really cannot recommend it enough if you fancy a little seaside getaway.

Slow and Happy Living

Before you read this post I'm going to ask you to do something really clique:

Take a deep breath in,

Look up from the screen 

and notice something.......

breath out.

 What did you notice? 

 I noticed that the train I'm on was clackiting past a meadow field. If I hadn't of told myself to do the above, I would have missed it. I wouldn't have thought 'oh, that's really colourful' or 'I'd like to walk there'. I would have missed out, I would have continued to tip tap on the keyboard while something really pretty passed me by with no recognition. 

Now answer me this: do you feel calmer?

 I do. Because I saw something outside of my immediate little world and that's refreshing. Its a relief to know something else exists and has a purpose outside of my life. I find that comforting somehow.

I've been doing this alot lately; taking stock of the wider world rather than shutting down and retreating into my hectic, unorganised land. I know why, its because I've come to the end of my degree and can afford to take a step back, loose my concentration and appreciate things which aren't essay or placement or exam orientated. 

 I have to admit, I am so happy to have come to the end of this journey. I have loved learning to be a nurse, I have found it incredibly rewarding, heartbreaking and enlightening. But it wasn't really within my comfort zone; I like home, not travelling up to London for 12 and a half hour shifts. I like to explore, not be cooped up inside in front of a computer writing an essay I do not understand. I like to spend time on my own listening to music, not surrounded by revision papers with pathophsiology and observation parameters.

 I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I feel free. I feel like I'm getting back to who I am and reconnecting with my surroundings.

 The point of this blog post is to raise awareness of the importance to take time to be slow in life. To stop rushing round, trying to get stuff done last minute and falling over your own jumbled thoughts. Just slow down- I'm not saying stop, because at the end of the day things need to be done and completed- and evaluate what you want to really do, not what you feel you should be doing.

 I've really embraced the idea of "slow living" since completing my degree, one because I now have the time to focus on it and two, because I've always been heading in that direction but my mind has never quite been in the right space to explore it fully. 

 I'm never going to be able to pull of the minimalistic lifestyle, because I love things too much. You know the stuff I mean: kick knack's, pointless but pretty objects, sentimental items- the list is endless. I don't find clutter distracting or messy, I find it interesting and a source of nostalgia to be surrounded by these things. But I like to think that just because I am unable and unwilling to live the minimalistic lifestyle, it doesn't stop me appreciating slow living.

 If this sounds like a way of life you may enjoy, then I suggest checking out the Let it Be podcast. I listen to this when I'm doing housework, going for a walk or run, feeling contemplative or just fancy being enlightened to be more aware of the parts of my life I take for granted.

 Let me know if this is something you'd be interested in hearing more about, or indeed its something you think you'd like to incorporate into your life.

Liebster Blog Award!

 Blogging is something that allows me to divert creative energy into a community of open minded and accepting people. It brings me happiness to read other peoples blogs and escape into their world as I read the lines of unique writing styles, drift into absolutely stunning photography and dance to the beat of somebody else's drum. I started blogging because I felt I had something to contribute, because Romney Marsh farm life is pretty unique and beautiful and is something I believe should be shared and enjoyed by people from far flung places. Overall, I blog for others to enjoy and it's so wonderful to hear from people who do!

 Kay from Deep in the Cornish Countryside has nominated me for the Liebster Blog award, something which- if I'm honest- I had no idea existed until she enlightened me! So I was walking round for most of the day like a puffed up pigeon when I had that little ping! from my phone alerting me to her comment on my blog. I'm really am very grateful Kay, and everybody go have a nosey at her wonderful posts if you haven't already :)
  

 So how does it work? 
Glad you asked ;) here are the 'rules':

1- Say Ta to the person who nominated you and pop a link to their blog in your post
2- Copy and paste the snazzy Liebster award sticker to your post
3- Answer the questions you were asked by your lovely blogger friend
4- Nominate 5 other bloggers that you love to follow
5- Create 10 new questions for these bloggers (this took me flippin' ages!)
6- Notify the bloggers you've nominated

So here are Kay's 10 Questions to me:

1-What is your favourite meal?

 For a long time it was the full on Sunday Roast- chicken to be exact. Roasties done with Marmite, gravy made from the meat juices and a cheeky broccoli cheese if I was feeling really adventurous. However that all changed when I took a trip to Venice with my Mum a few years ago. I had THE pizza: proper Italian Pizza! It was nearly the size of the table the base was that thin. The sauce could have been made by the tomato gods themselves and the cheese was like nothing I have ever tasted. I am converted! If I hadn't have fallen head over heels for my farmer I think I would have hunted down an Italian chef and cast a love spell on them ;)

2-What has been your best ever bargain buy?

 It's got to be this beauty:

 

 I got this off ebay for a friend's wedding a couple of years ago for- now you may want to sit down- £20!!!!! Amazing?!? It was originally used for a vintage photo shoot and was no longer required, so I have no idea if there is another like it as it doesn't have a label. The material is really good quality and the best thing about it? It's got pockets, proper pockets that I can fit my phone and money in. I am still chuffed to bits with this buy and its the piece of clothing that never fails to make me feel wonderful when I wear it!

3-What are your top 3 favourite films?

Jurassic Park (the first one) because I'm a massive dinosaur nerd. 
Miss Potter because its just a wonderful, wonderful portrayal of a very talented lady
The Great Escape because, well: Steve McQueen ;)

4-If you could invite 3 people for dinner, either living or dead, who would it be?

Number one would be Enid Blyton because she had such a massive impact on my childhood; I was obsessed with the Famous Five adventures and always pretended I was part of the gang. She influenced me to see beyond the computer games and mobile phones that were slowly taking over my generation, instead I took myself off on my bike to the sea side (a 24 mile bike ride- at just 12 years old my mother was not impressed with that one!) or dissapeared off for hours at a time to play in the woods. Enid, would you mind bringing the Ginger Beer please?
Number two would be good ol' Flo (Florence Nightingale) because I'm a nurse and how she revolutionised nursing practice is something to be greatly admired and remembered by all who continue her hard work in nursing. Flo would make sure we all washed our hands the proper way before we tucked into our feast!
Number three would be Miss Emma Watson, because (now don't flee) I am a feminist. How and why I am happy to share in another blog post, but ultimately its because there is still gender inequality on both sides in this age and that's not really something I'm comfortable with. Emma spoke very passionately regarding the HeforShe campaign concerning gender inequality in our time- go watch :)

5-What was the last book you read?

 A Year of Marvellous Ways..... again. Seriously this book is amazing. It encompasses so many things that I love: Cornwall, magical realism, old time love.... I wrote a review of it a while ago because I enjoyed it that much. You can have a looksy here if you like!

6-You are stuck in a well and the cast of the last television programme you watched are coming to rescue you ..... who will be hauling you out? (Mine would be the cast of Gardeners World, I watched an episode I recorded a while back last night before bed lol)

 So I'm not much of a TV watcher, I like YouTube and reading mostly. I suppose the last thing I actually watched was the Downton Abbey Christmas special. I'm quite liking the idea of the cast hauling me up out of a well- I wonder if Lady Mary would mind me trying on a few of her dresses?!

7-Marmite .... Love it or Hate it?

 As I mentioned in my first answer, I do like a good dollop on my roast potatoes. So I'm a lover (sorry).

8-If you could have a super-power, what would it be?

 This is a real nursey answer, but it would be to make people feel better. Whether that be emotionally or physically. I just want to make people happy and comfortable with life because then everything else will just fall into place.

9-What did you have for breakfast this morning?

 Er, I'm not sure this is a very good portrayal of my diet but it was a Dairy Milk chocolate bar! Only because my farmer had been to the pub the night before and brought it back for me as a treat but I was already snoozing in bed. Normally I have overnight oats in a Muller light yoghurt. It makes me feel better knowing I went for a 5k run after I had the chocolate bar!

10-What is the one thing that makes you think of Summer

So, its an accumulation of three things, but all normally done at the same time (cheater alert!!). Bare feet, dusty tractor driving and harem trousers. Bare feet because your lucky if you catch me with anything at all on my feet during summer. Dusty tractor driving because that's inevitably where I end up for a few days of the hottest days, either turning hay or carting massive trailers of bales back to the farm. Harem trousers because I just find them so comfortable, I always make sure that I buy Thailand makes because I know they will be beautifully thin and floaty- perfect for hot, sunny days (spent in tractors)!

 So there you go, those are my questions answered- Thank you again Kay, I really enjoyed coming up with answers for these!

Here are my nominees:

1- Charlotte at The Tea Drinking English Rose. A fellow Kentish blogger and wonderful new Mama, her posts take me to pastel paradise!

2- Alex at On Serpentine Shores. A Cornish blogger who never fails to inspire me to live life a little more simply and find love in everyday life.

3- Sarah at The Salty Sea Blog. Yet another Cornish Blogger who I feel is very similar to me in that her feet aren't meant to be attatched to this little place we call the 'real world'!

4- Hannah at Hannah Witton. A Youtuber who I have been sunsribed to for years, she makes video's concerning sexual health, feminism and other important/contraversial topics. She inspired me to be more opened minded and accepting of how others view the world and where they see themselves in it.

5- Rachael at Vintage Folly. Again, somebody else I've been following for years. A wonderful lady who inspires me in so many things from day to day. I also want half her wardrobe, some seriously cute dresses over there!

And here are my 10 questions for you:

1- Favourite flower and why

2- A scent that makes you happy

3- If you could be any mythical creature, which would you be?

4- Your proudest moment to date

5- Your favourite window- this could be because of the view, location, shape, colour- whatever!

6- The last time you really laughed

7- What's the best: sunrise, midday, sunset or moon?

8- What's your best joke?

9- Can you touch your toes without bending your knees? (I just want to make you get up and try really!)

10- If you could walk anywhere, from any time where would it be?

 So there you go! I apologise if my nominee's have already been nominated before- I'm still pretty new to this blogging thing and am trying to find my way about- I really enjoy all of your blogs and wanted to highlight them for others to enjoy!

Have fun :)