italia.

I am amazingly lucky to have been brought up by parents who earnt enough to be able to take their family on holidays every year. I have been to Italy twice before, once to Florence and Pisa, and once to Tuscany. I do remember being in awe of Florence's beauty, but I was only 10 years old - not quite old enough to really absorb and appreciate the atmosphere, history and culture of the place.


While I was at school (again, hugely grateful to my parents for spending their money to send me to a private school), I learnt Latin, and chose to continue it all the way up to A2 level. I loved the language, and still continue to relish in finding English words which I don't know but can decipher simply from my knowledge of Latin. I also really enjoyed the history involved in the subject, and I still find it exciting that we have links to people who lived and loved and worked hundreds of years ago. Rome was the centre of the Roman empire in those days, and is a key city which has shaped the development of Europe and most probably the rest of the world. When I was studying Latin, I also read some of Pliny the Younger's letters about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of nearby Pompei. So, Rome and Pompei are two places which I very much want to visit!


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I am now 22 years old, and am half way through my medical training. I haven't had the combination of enough money and time in order to have a holiday (one where I can really explore) since I started my degree. But I feel that now is the time...


My grandparents love Italy, and really understand that I would like to have some time there to see the places which I have read about; explore the language of Italian which is quite close to Latin (but obviously can actually be used in the modern day!); immerse myself in the country's art and culture; and scoff loads of proper Italian pastas and pizzas!


So, after months of speculating whether to go, when to go, and who to go with, I have decided to go it alone and spend 10 days travelling around Italy this April. So far my plan is to fly into Pisa, and work my way down through the country through Florence, Siena, Rome, Naples and Pompei.

I can't describe how excited I am! 

christmas morning cranberry muffins.

On Christmas morning this year my dad and I got up early and made some muffins together to have for breakfast while we all opened our presents. I rarely have time like this with my dad, so it was a real highlight! Also, the muffins were amazing - bonus! And they would be equally good at any other time of year, so here's the recipe...

Ingredients:

1 cup cranberries

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

small pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 egg, beaten

1/2 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

75g butter, melted & slightly cooled

Method:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.

1. Chop cranberries and sprinkle with half the sugar. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl mix together remaining sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and spices.

3. In a separate bowl mix together egg, orange zest, orange juice and butter.

4. Make a well in dry ingredients and add the wet mixture, gradually combining ingredients to make a wet dough.

5. Fold in chopped cranberries.

6. Spoon batter into muffin pans (preferably silicone) and bake for 15-20 minutes. 

7. Enjoy with a dollop of mascarpone.

Sorted.

lights on.

Yesterday I reactivated my interest in my deviantART account, made a nice new password for myself and dived into a little Aladdin's cave of things I had written and explored a couple of years ago.


I found a poem that I wrote in which the last couple of lines sort of sums up how I'm feeling at the moment:


Lights on - 
now discover yourself within.


It was liberating, and almost exhilarating, to find tokens of my self-expression from previous years, and to realise that it is okay for me to access that again, and to celebrate it whole-heartedly!


My sense of self is growing by the day.


Usually when I come home from university, I shy away from catching up with old friends from school, and as a result end up feeling quite lonely. But this year, I have been brave and had two consecutive evenings of seeing people whom I hadn't seen in a couple of years. It was actually really comforting to see them and hear about what other people have been doing since they left school. I was also relieved to find that quite a lot of people are still at university as well, so it isn't just me!


Sometimes the thought of spending another 2 and a half years at university studying medicine does bog me down, but then I remember that I do really enjoy what I'm doing, and also that studying medicine doesn't mean I have to ignore or forget the other things in life that I enjoy. My grandad said to me yesterday, "University is all about the width of your experiences, not just focusing on a few fine details." He also told me that I really do have to sing. And he's right. I'm going to toot my horn and say that I have a really wonderful voice, and I must use it, otherwise it would be a massive waste. 


Needless to say, I will probably spend most of day dancing around my parents kitchen and singing at the top of my voice to my SING SING SING playlist on spotify! My idea of a perfect Christmas Eve...

homemade presents.

For the past few weeks, my body has been on overdrive and has done very well at fending off all colds that have loomed! However, I have now copped for the "relaxation cold" and have spent most of the day wrapped in my scarf.

I didn't really want to just sit in bed as that always makes me feel worse, so I thought I'd make some of my final Christmas presents ready for this Sunday.

I have tried to do homemade presents as much as possible this year (gone a bit mad really!), partly for financial reasons, and partly because I wanted to make things which were really personalised to each of my family members. I deliberated quite a lot about what to make my sister, and then found some ideas for some nice lanterns... so today that's what I've made!

The aim is for them to be hanging lanterns that she can put a little light inside and put around her room. Result! 

I have wrapped my other homemade gifts, but I shall photograph them when they have been opened and blog them. Almost all of the ideas/instructions were found on the internet, so it might just be useful if anyone wants to have a go at making them! I found the instructions for the lanterns here.

And now... a cup of tea! 

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change.

Over the past few months, my body and my mind have been going through some significant and sometimes difficult changes. I know that really I am in a constant state of change, but some things have felt much more noticeable recently. Often we feel like we must always be moving forward, but it has become apparent to me that I have lost certain parts of my character that I had years ago, and so I must move backward a little way to find those traits once again. And so begins this journey... of self-discovery, self-understanding, and self-praise to some extent. There is some building to be done. 

It is coming to the end of 2011, and naturally at this time of year I turn to my family for some home comforts. Although Christmas can be a stressful time for families, for me it always offers solace. Today I went shopping for a real tree for the first time in my life, and this evening my mum, dad and I decorated it with a wonderful mixture of new and old trinkets...

Obviously, when I see pretty things, I just have to take photos of them! That's another thing which I have laid to one side a lot lately, and I'm realising that I can't blame it on "being busy" forever. Photography is something which I love, and I should really celebrate that, and continue to express myself through it. So if you are reading this, prepare yourself for lots more photos!

In general, I am embarking on a road of creativity, and of growth of my soul and mind. I invite you to walk along it with me if you will, and also share your own creativity and growth. 

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