17 Kilometres

   Today has been such an intense day, and both my body and my mind are exhausted. I've walked 6,5 kilometers, and biked 11, and my legs are pretty much spaghetti at this point. I mean, seventeen kilometres is actually quite a feat, especially considering I'm so out of shape. The extensive biking is due to Theo needing a new mouse for his computer, so we decided to bike to Raisio and back to get him one. We stopped at IKEA for some hotdogs, and it was actually really nice weather, though it turned out I had eaten too little, so I got a tiny bit nauseous, but as soon as I ate a little it went away!
   As for the mind part, I started my day at half past seven, going to chemistry class, and after that I completed some calculations for said class, and studied for tomorrows exam for a grand total of three hours. I've also made an important phone call today, and mailed my contract for my summer job.

   So yes, after being awake for fifteen hours going through everything from drinking free coffee at a mall, travelling 17 kilometres, studying for what became a total of almost seven hours, I'm insanely tired, and I think I have the right to be. I can honestly tell you that there's nothing I'm looking forward to as much as falling asleep.

The gorgeous sunset today!

Coffee and Chemistry

Today's outfit!

   Today has been an amazingly social day, I've spent two hours chatting and having a really nice salad (even though we had talked about just having coffee, because since I've been so busy today, this was also my lunch) with Sara and Lotta, and I later went to an exercise for chemistry, where we went through some of the things we've been learning how to calculate while I was sick, so it was really great for me to catch up on some of the things. Huge shoutout to Nicola, who helped walk me through the processes, and put up with me asking about a million questions about the math. I owe you!
   The rest of today will be spent studying for an exam in marine ecology, and watching the game that's on tonight. I'm actually looking forward to the game for once, I think it's one of the more leasure activities I'll have today, so I'm going to appreciate every single moment of just sitting on my butt and doing absolutely nothing productive for a couple of hours. It's been a while since I've done that.
   Sidenote, look at my shirt in this picture. It's 100% new, I wore it for the first time today, and I'm in love! I actually ordered from Wish, along with a bunch of other stuff, so as soon as the other things arrive, there will be a Wish haul coming up for you guys!

Positivity

   Today I have really pushed my limits. Quite a lot even, I did so many things I would never have been able to do just a year ago due to anxiety and the depression I had back then.
   I started my day at seven thirthy (which is already quite an accomplishment on it's own when you sleep as bad as I have the past few days) when I got up to go to school. Today we had something pretty special, which was birdwatching, one of the perks of studying biology. I'm actually taking this class with first year students and a couple of older ones, which was both nice, and a challenge for me, because it meant that I kinda had to talk to new people. And I did so well, and learned so many names! (Something that's not very easy for someone like me, definitely a sign of me becoming better).
   After that (we managed to see about 40 different kinds of birds, holy crap!), me and one of the other students, Petra had about half an hour before we had to attend an exam so we decided to go for coffee. The coffee was awful, but the company was a lot better. Again, more social interaction, go me!
   The exam passed and it was time to go home, but not before I quickly swung by one of the rooms in Biocity that is dedicated to students hanging out, and talked to two of my classmates for a minute. I don't really know them all that well, so that was also quite an accomplishment for me, and I was so proud of myself for doing that.
   And then, since I've been home, I've managed to study for two solid hours, cook dinner, and write this blogpost, while being a supportive girlfriend and watching the Liverpool game with my boyfriend.
   These may not seem like such extra-ordinary things to you. But for me, who oftentimes finds it draining to be around people (not because I don't like them, mind you), being around people for what actually became close to eight hours before going home, and then working the entire night afterwards, is quite the feat. I'm really taking this day as a sign that I'm actually getting better, that I can beat this, and that I'll be able to get well.

Sunshine

Vegan hot chocolate

   The weather has finally been nicer, and I've been feeling a bit better. I'm not fully well yet (I actually had a little bit of a fever yesterday evening), but the sun being out is definetly helping. So, to feel better, I've been spending as much time as possible outdoors, just enjoying the sunshine both yesterday and today.
   Yesterday, I went out for what was meant to be a short coffee with a new acquaintance, but we actually ended up talking for about four hours straight I had a vegan hot chocolate, which I also managed to spill all over myself (you know, why not embarass yourself right from the start, so you don't have to later, haha). I hadn't expected us to get along quite as good as we did, but that was a pleasant surprise, like always when you turn out to get along better with people you haven't really known before. We talked about everything, from family to gaming to politics and environmental issues, and I had a great time. We sat by the river for most of that time, looking at the seagulls and basking in the sunlight before going back home.

Fries!

   Today was also spent partly by the river, because Theo and I wanted to do something different for lunch, and decided to go to a little street corner grill. We often eat lunch at home, since we almost always have some left overs from the night before that needs to be finished, but I felt like changing things up a bit (and needed a break from studying for my next exam) and suggested we should go out for lunch. I had some delicious french fries. We decided to, now as well, sit next to the river and enjoy the sun. The lunch was amazing, except the fact that a bird crapped on my hat moments after we finished eating.
   I often kick myself for not spending enough time outdoors during sunny days, and I'm determined to change that, I'll even study outdoors if I have to to get some light. Hopefully the light and being out of the apartment will help me feel better, since this fever seems to keep strong no matter what I try.
   I hope you're enjoying the sunshine too!

The 5 Signs You Should Be A Blogger

Picture from chrislema.com

I've been a blogger on and off for about 6 years now, so it's safe to say I have a lot of experience when it comes to making blogs, writing posts and reading other people's work online. And with all that experience I think I'm qualified to tell you the signs that you should be a blogger, if you're not already. So if you identify with any of these following things, you should probably start a blog!

1. You've already thought about it   Chances are, if you've ever thought about blogging at any point in your life, you should probably try it. As you know, I'm always telling you to try new things, especially if you have the smallest bit of interest in it. Who knows, you might end up finding something that you really really like!
2. You have a lot of thoughts and ideas, and nowhere to put them   This is a classic sign that you should start a blog, because what could be better than sharing your ideas with the world, finding likeminded people who share your views and find your thoughts just as interesting as you do?
3. You already have a creative hobby   A blog is a perfect place and a great way to show your creative work, no matter if you're an artist, a writer or you produce music, if you want to put your work out into the world, a blog is a great way to start. You can share everything on a blog, and build a following of people who appreciate your work exactly like it is.
4. You're at a point in your life where you feel the need to express yourself   Another classic sign that you should start a blog. Expressing yourself through writing is something that can be very therapeutic for a lot of people, and can help you deal with everything you're going through right now. And if you share that online, you might be lucky enough to find people who have gone, or are going, through the same things as you are. Advice, comfort and solidarity are coming your way
5. You have many subjects you're passionate about   If you want to change something, big or small, a blog is a great place to start. You can be passionate about anything: the environment, mental health, or just a pothole in the road leading to your suburb. It can literally be anything, and putting your thoughts out into the world is the only way to start real change.

Remember that contrary to popular belief, you don't have to have a life where you meet famous people, travel the world or are a master of interior design to have a successful blog. This might sound way too Tumblr, but everyone is unique. The things you have, the things you do: no one does them exactly like you. Did you identify with any of these things? Then you should probably look into starting a blog!

New Dresses!

   Look at these adorable dresses! I just got them, but I already think I like the back one more (you know, like usual when it comes to my clothing, it's mostly black). The red one has a softer, more stretchy fabric, the black is less flexible. I actually have quite a few dresses already, but I fell instantly for these two and decided to order them anyway.
   I've actually never had a red dress before either, but I decided to go for something new. You have to switch and try something you haven't every once in a while to keep life (and in this case my wardrobe) interesting. I actually like it more than I expected, so it was a pleasant surprise to open the package. This also made one of my friends compare me to Marilyn Monroe, so it can't be anything but good, right?
   The black one's great too, lace isn't really my thing, especially when it comes to dresses, but I actually really enjoy it and think it's really cute. As I said, you have to switch it up sometimes, because it makes everything so much better.
   I'm also waiting on some stuff from wish, can't wait to see how that works out! I'll of course be posting pictures of me wearing all the things I've ordered as soon as it arrives, but you'll have to wait for that for quite a while still!

I Did It!

   Ladies and Gentlemen: I did it! I finally, after looking for one for about three months, landed a summer job! And I'm quite pleased with it too, it's close to home, a place I know well, and somewhere I think I might fit in quite well: Neste, so if you want to see me, swing by (I'm joking, please don't, it's my place of work for three months). I'll be getting my contract by mail soon, and I can't wait to start. I've never worked in costumer service before, so that'll be an interesting experience. I've heard both good and bad things about that type of work, but I choose to believe in the positive ones. I'm so excited, it's been so long since I've had an actual job (me usually being very busy with tons of other things). I also called both my parents today and told them, they were so happy for me!
   I will probably miss the usual wasting my summer by lazying around, but this is so much better. The work experience alone is something I'm really looking forward to, let's fill my resumé with more things! Also, it's really rewarding to finally land something after applying for what feels like a thousand positions (but are really around 30-40 maybe) all spring. Just goes to show that trying really pays off in the end, so if you're working on something that seems hopeless right now, don't give up, because it might actually work out!
   In other news: Theo's aunt and her husband came over for coffee today since they were in our litte corner of the world today. We don't have much family over (because mostly everyone lives up north from us by a few hundred kilometers), so it was a nice change of pace. I got the opportunity to chat about history and relating topics, and that's always nice! Also, some new dresses that I ordered got delivered today (pictures will be up later, sometime) and I'm so excited to go get them. I wrote an exam today too, which could've gone pretty well.
   Today has been ridiculously positive, good things keep happening. But for now, I'm off to go pick up those mentioned dresses!

Better

An old picture from my last visit home

   Hi guys!
   I'm still on bedrest, but I wanted to tell you that I'm actually getting better. I can now use my eye almost as normal (it still needs drops, and it's a bit swollen, but it's getting there), and it no longer burns when I have my curtains open. My fever is also going down, I've barely had any in the past few days. I do still get random headaches and I get dizzy when I stand up for more than ten minutes, so I'm definetly not well yet. But the important thing right now is that I start to see improvement, which I definetly am!
   My eyesight is also almost back to normal (finally!) and I can read without having to blink every other second to keep my sight clear. I also don't have as sore muscles as before, when my fever was higher, so I'm feeling great compared to last weekend. However, I did sleep like half of yesterday away, so as I said before: better but not great.
   In other news, my parents-in-law have been staying with us during the weekend, it's all gone well. Otherwise, not much is new. I'm planning for my summer, and really looking forward to some warmth and sunshine.

I'm Sick Again, and not the Regular Kind

   So here's a little update. I'm still sick, and not the kind I usually am (you know, a little fever here and there), but this time it's getting serious. My highest fever has been 39.2, which is insane for me since my normal is around 36.5, I have frequent headaches... This has been going on for a week now, so I decided to call the doctor, they will be calling me back soon.
   I also have a pinguecula (if you don't know what that is, it's a small bump on your eye that can be caused by basically everything; allergies, sunlight, being too dry, dust getting stuck in your eye... You name it), which has caused my eye to become irritated, and now I can't see anything with my right eye. So, I have my worse eye left (for those of you who don't know, I usually wear glasses because of a permanent issue), which means I can't really see anything properly. My vision is clear for a few seconds right after I blink, but after that, I can only see shapes.

   But don't worry, the pinguela is completely harmless, and it should be gone within a few days according to my doctor, and my vision should be back to normal soon, as soon as I keep my eye clean and take the proper precausions, like turning on night mode on everything with a screen and drink a lot of liquids. (You have no idea how long this is taking to write, I have to stop every couple of words and blink intensely before continuing, so please excuse me if there are spelling errors in this post, I'll correct them when my vision is back to normal). So yes, don't worry about me or my eye: it will be back to normal before the week is done, and I'm pretty sure it's already been at it's worst. Also, if you've seen me in the past few days, don't worry about that either because it's not contagious.
   But until my vision clears up and my fever goes down, I won't be able to do a lot. I'm going a bit crazy about just sitting on the couch, doing nothing all day, but that's the way it needs to be right now. So there won't be a lot of blog posts coming up, and there won't be a new video today either, because I can't do that right now. I will be back on schedule as soon as possible, I can promise you that much. But for now, this is goodbye for me. I'll update you guys whenever I can, as soon as I can. I hope you're having a better week than I am!

March Bloopers & Extras

   Here are the extras for March! I hope you enjoy them.

A Vegan Dinner

   Recently I've been gaining interest in vegan foods (I bought more almond milk today, it's delicious!), and I'm seriously thinking about bringing them into our regular dishes, so I decided to make something vegan for dinner. Since I couldn't find a good, fully vegan recipe for a nice bean pot, I decided to make one up. I've improvised when it comes to food before, so why not do it again?
   So I threw some lentils, a bit of carrot, beans and some other things into a pot, and started cooking. And after a while of bioling and some careful use of spices, this bean pot turned out rather delicious. To go with it, I simply made rice, with a dash of curry for added flavor and color, and I would honestly deem this a success.
   I've never really thought about going vegan for a longer period of time (but as you know it's on my bucketlist to make it one week with Theo, and one month in general), but I see why people do it. The health benefits are great, the food is tasty, and it's even said to give you better skin. That's pretty amazing, isn't it? No, this dinner hasn't magically changed my mind and now I'm going to become a full fledged vegan overnight. Also, the people who tell you that vegan food can't taste awesome, they're liars.
   I think everyone should try new things every once in a while, if they feel the need/want to. However, I'm not going to push my newfound interest in vegan foods on you, because that would just be a crap move on my part. You all know I hate pushy people and being made to do things against my will, so why would I do the same to you?
   But if you really are interested in vegan food, you should try it, because I feel every single one of your interest should be explored, life is meant to be lived and all that. Even if it's something as simple as buying almond milk every once in a while, or adding trying a vegan food to your to do- list for the week. Because really, I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.
   In other news, a quick little sidenote before I sign off for today: we're currently taking care of the final touches on our trip to Tallinn next month. How exiting is that?! I haven't decided on the vlogging thing yet, maybe I will, maybe I won't. Do you think I should vlog, would you find it interesting to watch? Comment below. But vlogging aside, I'm really exited to travel a little bit, other than going back and forth between our apartment and my parent's house. I'll keep you updated!
   Also, we're getting an overnight guest this weekend, what an exciting personal challenge for me! If you've followed my blog more closely, you should know that I'm not used to overnight guests, and that it makes me very uncomfortable. But since I know him before, and I'm trying to grow as a person, I think one night should be completely fine.
   That was actually two sidenotes, not one. But hey, at least they were kinda short. Now, I'll sign off, and focus on the trip again. Have a great evening!

The Apartment I Almost Had

   Here's another storytime, this time about the apartment I almost got! Some of you might remember this story from wayyy back, because I actually wrote a blogpost about it, but I hope you enjoy the video anyway. Also, remember to subscribe to my channel by clicking this link!

Back To Åbo

I've acted as a jungle gym for the cats

   I'm feeling better today. My nose is still runny af, but my headache is not as bad as yesterday, and my head feels clearer, meaning there's a video coming up or you guys today! I haven't been able to edit/render/post during the weekend, since I've either been busy catching up with people or my head's been exploding.
   Today is also the day I go back to Åbo, but this time I'm only staying for two months before I get to come back here for summer break. I feel a bit sad about going back, I'll miss my family, but as my mom told me today, at least I'm going back to something that makes me happy, something I'm passionate about.
   Despite being sick the entire weekend, I managed to have a pretty good time while I was home, even though I slept a lot. Yesterday I went for a small walk in the forest (not too far though, did not want to tire myself out) and I realize I really miss the quiet that it provides. The noises of the city are not really as peaceful as the sounds of the forest, birds chirping and cars honking are really not the same.
   We also played a very passionate game of Alias. There's never more yelling in this house than when we play Alias, and I actually managed to win, yay! I actually really like the game, and I think I'm pretty good at it.

I won, wohoo!

   I'm not looking forward to the train ride. I don't like travelling when I'm sick, it kind of takes away the pleasure of travelling. But since I'm better today, maybe I'll be okay. I'm thinking about editing on the train actually, to have it done by the time I get back to Åbo.
   Of course, I'm also looking forward to seeing Theo again, because we haven't really been able to spend time with just eachother the past four days, something we both value and that makes both of us happier and feel more at ease. I've also missed sleeping in my own bed, though I have a bed here too, it's really not the same. The one in the apartment is more comfortable, and what's more: it's actually mine.
   However, I'm really happy about the fact that I'll get to come back for summer. I've missed being here.

I'm Sick, But It's Still Great

   Surprise, surprise, the moment I got home I caught a cold, and now it's kept me up coughing for the entire night. However, despite the runny nose and the cough, I'm actually feeling pretty okay. I have headaches that seem to come and go without reason, but I've actually been able to focus and study this morning (almost three hours of chemistry, go me!) and I'm considering going outside for a while. Sitting indoors all day won't help me feel better, it will probably only make things worse. And, the weather is amazingly beautiful, so I could even get some pretty nice pictures out of it.
   Other than that, I'm having a great time. I've seen friends, hung out with my family, cuddled all the cats, and slept more in these two nights than I have in the past week. Despite me still having to work, I really needed this. I always feel rejuvinated when I go visit my parents, I don't know why. Let's just hope this cold gives in soon, because I have an exciting (and as usual, really busy) week coming up!
   But don't you worry, I'm drinking my orange juice, everything will be fine as soon as the coughing stops, because it's becoming a real annoyance, keeping me up and making my throat itch like crazy.
   I hope you're avoiding the sniffles!