Learnin'

I have learnt quite a few lessons this weekend.
1. Sweets give me headaches
2. Cats have abandonment issues too
3. You cannot fool your mother
4. Surprises are stressful
5. It's amazing what a few days away can do for you.

This weekend I decided to earn myself some extra daughter points and surprise Momma-O for mother's day by coming home. However due to the fact that I hadn't text her all week, she hadn't received any presents in the post that day (honestly), and Heather had installed the doorbell (!!!) she twigged! Heather had just convinced her I wasn't coming when I rang the doorbell. It was a surprise until that afternoon at least and she was chuffed so I count it as a success. Surprises are far too stressful though.
My cat hates me, because she was rudely KIDNAPPED 2 years ago and now she doesn't know who I am. So rude, she keeps giving me dirty looks as if I am invading her life. I wonder what East Coast train's policy is for cats on their trains, I'm very tempted to just steal her back.

Apart from that, there's nothing else to talk about.

I've become a little obsessed with home interiors, and I have fallen IN LOVE with this chair! It would be perfect to curl up on reading alone or for a cuddle with someone you love/maybe sort of love. It is a loveseat afterall.

Please feel free to buy this for me. I mean, what's almost £2000 between friends?
http://www.barkerandstonehouse.co.uk/furniture/Living-Room/Chairs/Philina/2-2142-66796/
Really... it's not a BIG deal if you buy it for me... Just sayin'...

More pretty items that I want to come, no doubt...

Kat out.

"I took my glasses off because everything's already blurry"

Ah the wise words of Miss Hannah Hart.
So, if you haven't seen me whoring the only nice picture of me in existence around my social media sites (see profile pictures on twitter, facebook, tumblr, this, and my recent dailybooth picture...) you may not know that I got new glasses. I was dreading them, but my god the compliments have been a little overwhelming. "you look amazing!" "you look a knockout" "how grown up and smart do you look in your profile picture?! Damn who's a sexy bitch" (personal favourite, thanks Brad!). I think it's just the picture, but it's nice to know they were worth the money, and that I actually have a hope in hell of learning to drive now!

Anyway aside from the glasses, my computer blowing up at work, and a very busy business trip there is nothing much to report. Something AMAZING is happening next week but it's a surprise so unless I've already told you what's happening, sorry!

I'd just like to say one thing though about, yep-you guessed it- Kony 2012. As we all know, when it comes to current affairs and world events most people these days can be pretty damn ignorant. You can be skeptical about how accurate, true, or reliable this movement is all you want, but it's still educating people who may not have taken the time to learn the extent of what goes on and what children are driven to. If more people know, if more people begin to care, then ultimately the world will slowly become a better place. I know it goes a lot deeper than all that, there are a lot of views, and a lot of questionable loose threads when it comes to Invisible Children; but this is still happening, so support the change for the better in some way shape or form. No one, adult or child deserves to be kidnapped, taken from their home, raped, corrupted, beaten, and everything else these rebel gangs do. Sit back for a second and try your best to imagine what that would be like, and then tell people they're idiots for watching the video and believing this man, and many more like him, need to be stopped. If you ask me, it's the best thing to have ever gone viral, though 'Friday' by Rebecca Black was a good time...

When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life.

This quote doesn't really apply to me as I have only ever been once but I loved it, and I love that quote... so here goes my exciting news...
I'm going to London on Monday!!!! Well, the office down there which is about 40 minutes out of London but I'm flying to Heathrow so it technically is London.
Luckily, after years of last minute packing I have learnt my lesson and started 3 days early. That doesn't mean, however that it is going productively as I have spent the evening on the phone, and then watching Glee and One Tree Hill. Little bit of an emotional wreck right now.
But yeah, so my first business trip WAAAAH! I was freaking out earlier in the week but realised I have to go whether I like it or not so I might as well look forward to it and now I am so excited! Mainly just to be on an airplane, not going to lie here!
So that's a wee update from my world. Look at me, not pouring my heart out into a blog. I'm learning!
I'm taking my pretentious wee netbook down with me so will try and do a proper blog when I am down there if I have time. But I have a long day tomorrow so for now I am going to sleep. First person to come help me figure out what to pack gets a half eaten easter egg (I lie, that bitch will be gone by the time you get here)

Drench Yourself in Words Unspoken

Today, at work, I came out of the closet.
No, I am not a lesbian, though there is nothing wrong with that. I mean I came out in the sense that I told someone that I was a writer. I feel like I have a lot of nerve calling myself that right now, as all I have written since Uni is some very corny and badly written blogs. But it was oddly nice to show someone that there is in fact a lot more to me than the shy girl who sits behind the pillar, keeps her head down, and works her butt off.
It made me realise that it was about time that I cashed in on my (debatable) talents. Perhaps I made it a hobby? Instead of saying 'I'm doing nothing this weekend' I say 'the usual, writing, gym'ing, you know.' (all pretentiously...)

I also had a freak out today. I was having a look at one bedroom flats in certain cities in England, and the main question I was asking myself when looking at them was "should things get lonely, could I stay there alone?". I freaked out, how would I cope living alone in a new place with no close friends? Until I realised, it wouldn't be much different to life right now. Out of my large group of close friends there are a small handful left in Aberdeen, most of whom I rarely have the privilege of time to see anymore. Why should it be so terrifying to move away? If they're real friends I know I'll see them whenever possible and it'll go back to the way it was. I'm still on the fence of leaving, but I know that if certain things (read: people) hadn't happened last Spring I would have left in May. I have never wanted to stay in Aberdeen, not since I was 17 and choosing universities, and whilst I am so very very glad that I did in the end, I can't help but think it's time to jump.
I am still very young, and at risk of making an immature and misinformed decision, choosing passion over sense, so I would like to hear from you. Especially if you've moved away from what you know to a brand new place, knowing no one, what have been/were your experiences, how did you cope, was it hard, did it get worse or better? I'd really like to know. Answers on a postcard please. Or if you're not into snail mail pop it in the comments thingy, a facebook message, or even an email (shkat_1989@hotmail.com). Most of all I want to know what you think, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (please).

And with that I am going to stop procrastinating from doing other lifey type things and say peace out my beautiful people.

Come what May...

The average life is full of near misses and absolute hits. Of great love and small disasters. It's made up of banana milkshakes, loft insulation and random shoes. It's dead ordinary and truly, truly amazing. What you've got to realize is, it's all here, now. So breathe deep and swallow it whole. Because take it from me: life just whizzes by, and then, all of a sudden it's-

Tonight I was all ready to write out everything that has been on my mind since the start of 2012. I composed it all on my walk home from my dads, but when it came down to writing it I couldn't get the words to flow. So this is what I am going to write instead, and I hope it explains things almost as well as the cold harsh truth would. I guess sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper.

May 2011, when everyone was packing to move back home, handing in their last pieces of coursework, and saying their final goodbyes, I was happy with my decision to stay behind. I gave myself a year of living, working, and figuring things out. So far, the only thing I've done is work. I guess it depends on your definition of living, but I would say I have been surviving rather than truly living. 

Come May my lease is up in my flat and so is my year.And at that time I have a choice of two paths to take. To say I'm swaying towards one rather than the other would be a lie, I don't know what I am going to do. What I do know is that life is short, it's fantastic and exciting, but also terrifying, and dangerous, and there is so much pressure to do the right things, at the right moments. To spend it with the right people. What people don't tell you is how difficult it is figuring out what the right things are for you, and how that can take up a large amount of the short time you are given in itself. 

I wanted to spend the year figuring things out, and now that I am 9 months into my year and 3 months from my deadline all I have figured out is that I have no idea what I am doing once my 'Gap' year is over. A fact that should excite me is terrifying me daily. How will I pay my bills? How will I survive? Where will I live? And possibly the most perplexing question on my mind, where do I go from here?

I read an article about a girl who's brother died at 23, and so she made a list of everything she wanted to achieve by the time she was that age. Her optimism and positivity astounded me; I couldn't imagine ever being so hopeful or happy or upbeat should I lose my only sibling. Nevertheless, it inspired me to do something similar. My list is no where near as ambitious or as life changing as hers, but it might set me on the right track, maybe I'll figure something out in doing so. So, instead of sitting on my arse in bed nightly doing nothing but watching crappy reality TV and eating, here begins my 3 month plan. I am 23 in April, but my 'gap' year ends mid-May. If I have achieved at least half of these things by then, then I may be able to say that this year has been a success.

So here goes, Katharine Sophia's road to 'figuring things out':

1. Complete a TEFL course. It is something I have wanted to do for a while now, and so long as I get my ass into gear organising my ILA I can get it free whilst I live in Scotland.
2. Submit a story or three to writing magazines, papers, and various other publications. I am happiest when I am writing, and I know it is something I will always be passionate about. But lately my efforts have been non existent and I seem to just be waiting for something that won't happen unless I make it happen.
3. Health. This is a big one. I am out of shape in more ways than one and that is something which has been going on for far too long now and I'm getting to the point where I know if I don't do something now I never will.
4. Learn to drive. I got lessons for my 21st birthday and never cashed them in, mainly because I needed to get new glasses (which I of course put off). But I need to learn, even if I can't afford a car, it's a skill I want to have. Plus, I miss learning things.
5. Save £1000. I need some sort of savings behind me, my scholarship ended up going on living after I quit my job in 4th year and it would be nice to have something in the bank for emergencies. This is going to be difficult, as I am notorious for being awful with money, but it's a necessity. 
6. Do something for charity. I have been wanting to do a fundraiser for the Butterfly Cancer Trust for ages but haven't been able to settle on an idea for it. It's not a charity for butterflies with cancer, just to be clear, it's for thyroid cancer, as many of you will know is a cause which is close to my heart.

Everything else is a little grey right now, but it's a start. And it's a start that I need.

As for May, god only knows what will happen. But I think we can all agree that 22 is far far too young to be worrying like this and it's time to start living and stop merely surviving.

Peace out lovelies.

So long 2011...

I get very reflective at this time of year, but I'm not gonna go overboard on the sentiment in this blog. I think my blog is cheesy enough.

In all honesty though, it's been an amazing year. Through the Edward Wright days, graduating, summer adventures, starting Cocoa, starting at Nexen, and everything else in between it's been brilliant. It's nice to look back on a year and for once only have good things to say about it.
So to all you lovely folk who came into my life in 2011, thanks for making it a year to remember, and to all you lovelies who were there already here's to another year of being amazingly fabulous together. But most importantly, let's raise a glass and toast ourselves for everything we've achieved and done these past 365 days. Aren't we incredible?

Here's to 2012, I'm SO excited to see what's next.
So happy new year to all of you, hope you all have a lovely night and you stay safe :)

Love you all lots.
For the last time this year...
Peace out,
Kat xxx

Duvets and Disney

I am having a much needed day off today. I'm on antibiotics and have had a really bad reaction to them, so I genuinely needed it, but I also genuinely wanted it. I'm lying on the sofa with my duvet and National Treasure on in the background, after watching Jeremy Kyle and going to the doctors. Good stuff :)

What can I say? It's been a topsy turvy few weeks. I quit my other job because it all just got too much for me, I won't go into detail but I haven't been myself for a while now and needed to make a change. Gonna miss seeing the Cocoa-ians every week though :(

Exciting news however is that I am going home for 2 whole weeks at Christmas :D Being ill always makes me think of home. When we were kids mum would always set up camp for us in the living room, and instead of sleeping in our beds we'd sleep in the living room and watch films all day. If we were really ill we'd get a bell. She really is an brilliant mother, I can't wait to see her and Heather, I genuinely think I may cry at the station next month!

So yeah, in other news it looks like my decision has been made in regards to me staying in Aberdeen, in that I'm not. BUT I'm only leaving after my lease IF my contract hasn't been extended again past March and I have a job lined up somewhere else. I'm enjoying my job right now but know it won't be forever, but I do know that I'm not good at being unemployed!

Anyway, right now life is just planning and shopping. Too many birthdays at this time of year! If I could get a print of this then that's Heather's birthday present sorted!

If you don't understand then you need Miranda in your life. That's all. Words to live by people.

Another pointless blog, sorry guys.