“This Summer I Will…”|Dreams That Glitter

So last summer was the longest summer I’ve ever had after my GCSEs, we had about 10 weeks off I think! So of course as you do I planned that I wanted to do all kinds of exciting things and then the reality is that you just sit around at home watching TV series and soon the time goes past super quickly and I was back at school before I knew it!! But I just thought I’d comment on the list I posted around this time last year to see how much I actually achieved with all that extra time…

1. Get Fitter and Healthier
This one did actually happen! My mum is a fitness instructor so she teaches all kinds of group exercise classes and I went with her quite a lot last summer. I’ve started going on my own a bit more since then as well and I’ve been going with her this summer too, last week I managed 12 classes in 5 days!!

2. Improve Flexibility
I think I remember I did a bit of a stretching routine for a few weeks and then it went out the window. I do think I’m a bit more flexible from all the extra dance though.

3. Get a Job
Now this I did! Since my mum works at the leisure centre, they allowed me to do some receptionist training for a couple of weeks in the summer – I did about 40 hours voluntarily or something ridiculous. Come September there was some hours going though, so I applied for those, had an interview and got the job! So I’ve been working there ever since, not many hours and just at weekends and whatever cover I can squeeze in in between dance, but I quite enjoy it.

4. Go to London
I’m quite a frequent London traveler these days, I’m actually going tomorrow and Sunday! I’ve had a few really good days out in London even if they just involve wandering around aimlessly with my friends.

5. Learn Italian
I think this lasted a week. If that.

6. Read More
This may have happened last summer a bit, the only time I get to read now is on my super quiet Sunday evening shifts!

7. Summer Dance Intensive
I did a 3 day intensive at Hot House Dance last year, and there was another one in half term earlier this year which I really enjoyed; quite disappointed there isn’t one over the summer this year.

8. Pass Intermediate Foundation Ballet
This I definitely did do. I got a high merit! I’m currently awaiting my Intermediate results ahh!!

9. Go to a Blog Meet Up
This has sadly not happened yet!

10. Blog More Regularly
Ha. No comment needed really…

What goals do you have this summer and how likely are you to stick to them?

Mid-Week Musings |Dreams That Glitter

Good Afternoon! 

Today has been one of those days where it’s really hot so sitting in the sun would be lovely, but as soon as you go and sit in the garden it goes all cloudy as if it’s about to rain… so I decided to stop by here and write a post instead. My morning has consisted of three hours of solid physics revision for my exam tomorrow morning (then I never have to do science again, yay!) and then I went to a zumba class with my mum, and now here I am. 

I wanted to set myself some goals for the summer, since this is going to be the longest summer I’ve ever had. I finish my exams on Friday, so as of then I have until September and have just about zero plans, so here are some things I’d like to do and places I want to go: 

1. Get Fitter and Healthier

Last summer me and Maisie had a little fitness regime going on, so maybe the same thing can happen again this year and we can practice some more dance. Since my mum is a fitness instructor there’s no doubt that she’ll be dragging me along to as many classes as she possibly can over the next two/three months, so I guess that’ll get me in shape. I’ve also got a bit of a smoothie obsession going on since we got a blender, and they’re deliciously healthy! 

 

2. Improve Flexibility 

This goes along with the exercise, but I’d like to get into the habit of stretching every single day as this would really help my dancing too. 

3. Get a Job

My summer will be extremely boring otherwise! I don’t have the luxury of being able to ask my parents for money and being given it as and when I want it to go out and do things, so I need to get myself employed somewhere so I can earn my own money to go out and do things, I love going to London, but trains are not cheap. I also need money to pay for dance, why do I have such an expensive hobby?!

4. Go to London

That said, I’d love to go to London a few times over the next couple of months! I’ve got pretty good at travelling my way into and around London now and I think I’ve finally got the hang of using the underground. I have friends who live in London who I’d love to go and see and everything dance related that  I want to go to seems to be there too! I’m also going to West End Live at the end of the month, which I can’t wait for!

I miss these people!

 

5. Learn Italian 

After my experience taking GCSE Spanish (I reckon I’ll be lucky to scrape a C come results day) I didn’t think I’d be too keen to learn any more languages any time soon. However my friend introduced me to the app Memrise which has a wide variety of different language courses on it and I decided to take it upon myself to learn Italian because I think it’s a really nice sounding language, I really like how the words all seem to flow into each other. So I’m currently working my way through the ‘Basic Italian’ course, so hopefully if I don’t give up by the end of the week, I should be able to speak some by the end of the summer! 

6. Read More

The only thing I’ve really properly read over the last however many months is ELLE magazine. While that’s actually more intellectual than one might first think, I’d quite like to get back into reading more proper books. I have a few John Green books to catch up on, and I’m currently half way through City of Glass by Cassandra Clare, Wicked and The Hobbit (yes, all three at once – that’s how I roll).I have a GoodReads account and I think I set myself the target of 25 books by the end of the year, so the summer is a good opportunity for me to get on top of that target. The next installment of Chris Colfer’s The Land of Stories is out in a few weeks too, so that should get me started, I can’t wait to read it! (I also can’t believe it’s almost been a whole year – on the 16th – since I went to his book signing and met him, time flies!)

7. Summer Dance Intensive 

It’s only really in the past couple of years that I’ve started to think about dance more seriously, but I’d really love to do a Summer Intensive, whether it be two days or a week. I don’t quite know if I’ll be able to afford one or whether I’ve left it too late,  but I’m keeping my eyes peeled.

8. Pass Intermediate Foundation Ballet

I’m doing my Intermediate Foundation exam on either the 21st or 22nd July, which is rather soon and I’ll probably start freaking out soon. I’ve been doing the class for about 3 years so I know the syllabus well, but since it is a vocational exam you have to have quite a high standard of technique to come out with a respectable mark. I’m hoping I can get a Merit (I think a Distinction would be a little too hopeful) because it’s an expensive exam and I want to do the best I can with it to make it worthwhile doing!  

9. Go to a Blog Meet Up

My friend Maisie of High Street Spy is in the process of organising a blogger meet up, which I can’t wait for because I’ve never been to anything blogger wise before and I think it’ll be fun! Maybe see some of you there! 

10. Blog More Regularly

Of course! Notice I haven’t put any specifics on this, haha… Ideally I’d like to fit in at least two posts a week, maybe I’ll even start having set days that I’ll publish posts on…who knows? I think a brainstorming session is in order. 

So, these are some of my plans/expectations for the summer… I’m not going away anywhere this year unfortunately so I’m going to have to make the most of the British weather and think creatively about things to do! 

Lauren x

Why are people so afraid?|Dreams That Glitter

 So it’s past midnight and this might not make much sense when I read it back tomorrow or whenever, but I’m going to go ahead and post it anyway. It’s just something that’s been on my mind for a while now. I don’t even know if anyone still reads this blog but hey ho.

Why are people so afraid of what they want? Afraid to go out and get something they’ve been wanting for such a long time, afraid to chase their dreams? Even if they have everything they need to achieve what they want, and are perfectly capable of it, they let the opportunity pass by because they’re afraid. Of what though? 

Self doubt is a big reason. I’m included in this, I’ll admit. I don’t always have faith in myself and I know it’s silly because I tell other people they should believe in themselves more all the time, yet I can’t do that myself. Not all the time anyway. Why is that so difficult? Who knows? I think pressure from family or friends comes into it sometimes, but mainly pressure from society. Pressure to succeed. Pressure to do well from start to finish, but sometimes it’s just not as easy as that.

It takes time to get what you want, and it takes a lot of hard work. But in the right mind set and making sure you’re well equipped for what it is that you want to achieve whether it be anything from loosing weight to getting the career you want, anyone can do whatever they want with their lives. 

There’s too much pressure – on teenagers in particular – to be ‘perfect’. Have a perfect body, a flawless complexion or be in line with the latest fashion trends, but is that what’s really important in life? Are people that are ‘lucky’ enough to have all those things really, truly happy? Probably not. Because it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

If you have a goal with what you want in life, then go and chase it, and do anything and everything you can to make it happen. Because with the right positivity you can do it. You can get there. You don’t have to be like your mum, your dad, anyone else in your family, or your friend. You don’t have to be like your idol, or any celebrity you see on tv or in magazines. You are you. You are your own person. And if there’s something you want to do with your life, then you deserve it. A friend once told me ‘If people aren’t laughing at your dreams, then they aren’t big enough.’ 

❤