“Home is where the heart is”

This is a hard one to be honest, I completely agree with the above phrase but being a student I have two homes and my heart is in both places.

My family, dogs and Nan all live in Salisbury, so I love being there with them and Salisbury is such a nice place (most of the time anyway). My heart is definitely there; it’s the family home after all.

I’ve always considered moving back to Salisbury after University but it would all depend on what opportunities are around there and in Kingston. Who knows what could happen hey?

Classic Snapchat Screenshot

I’m sure I’ve mentioned before, I went to University in Kingston so I mainly live there now, and I love it. So I would have to say that my heart is in Kingston and it’s also home!

I wouldn’t change it for the world!!

G… is for goals

Goals are important, no matter how big or small they are. It’s good to have something to work towards. I think everyone has goals, even if they don’t really realise it.

I have my long-term goals, like my weight loss and finding the right job for me. I also have short-term goals, like planning a few trips and completing the couch to 5k challenge.

Some people prefer to be spontaneous but I find that doesn’t always work for me, and I’ll just end up sat around doing nothing if I don’t make plans.

My goals are really important in my day-to-day life, keeping me motivated and focusing on what it actually important. They play a big part in deciding where my future takes me. Read my previous post on the future here.

F…is for Future

This is something that I try to stay positive about, and trust me it isn’t always easy. Over the past year or so there have been a few unfortunate situations that have left my future undetermined. Not something I’m proud of but I wouldn’t be who I am now if they hadn’t occurred.

I have overcome all of the hurdles and I’m certainly ready to jump over the next one whether I go with plan A, B or C (yes I need all 3 plans!).

I admit it is tough when you aren’t sure of the career you want or what your next plan is. I’ve been there and there is no doubt I will be there again. Your future is a tough one but it is what you make it (Bursts into Hannah Montana song Life’s What You Make It).

It is true though, you could sit around all day watching TV and getting fat by living off of someone else. Or you could go out and do whatever it takes to get a job or even if you are at home, try and do something with your time. I know that I have done this at some points but it doesn’t help my future at all.

If I’m not studying or at work then I’m most likely doing something blog related but at least there’s something to show for it… it really helps having a hobby like this but I also now finally have one I can enjoy and share with others.

And I know that I can use it as part of my future, making it look that little bit brighter!

Life: the ‘reality vs. expectations’

Since I was about 15 or 16 I have had expectations of how my life would pan out, at the time I called it my 10 year plan. I always thought I would have graduated university by now, in some kind of accounting job and living in London. In 5 years time (by the time I’m 26) I wanted to have a husband and my first child.

I know, it’s completely crazy. I do realise now that these expectations are far from my reality. For a start I’m still in uni and I know that I don’t want a job in accounting. Of course, I would love to live in central London but with the rent prices crazy high and way out of my budget, it’s a good job I’m happy in Kingston!

When it comes to a husband and children, I’ve previously said that this is something that I will let happen on it’s own. I can’t expect something so big to happen when I’m not sure what the future holds yet!

Something that I’m learning more and more everyday is that I cannot look far into the future and expect so much to happen. So I am seeing the reality of certain things, and I am living in the present and focusing on what is important right now.

Sure you may think this is ridiculous but for me it is right and the way that I manage to keep myself motivated and keep going. Don’t get me wrong I am planning lots of adventures over the next few months and I finally get to start my travelling adventure! I also get to cross quite a few things off of my bucket list.

For me, this is how I’ve decided to live my life for the meantime, I get to do things that I really want to do and I’ve planned a few more things that I want to do should I get back into university (that’s a whole other story). Now that I’ve really found my creative side I want to take full advantage of it and use it to its full potential! I mean why not? I’ve finally found something that I really enjoy that I can do everyday for fun!

My point is, that at 21 I have realised that my expectations do not always fit into reality, which is absolutely fine by me! Life wouldn’t be any fun if we knew how it was going to end, right?

What are your expectations of life?

My Bible for 4 Weeks

Here are the "rules" me and my dad (and when I am cooking something new my mum will essentially be going by them too) are following for the next 4 weeks initially:

1. No wheat - which means no bread or pasta (always the biggest struggle) 

2. No fried food - kind of an obvious one

3. No alcohol out of nights out - I don't go out so often now as I often work late on the weekends making it relatively easy

4. Breakfast smoothies are a must - I'm going to try smoothie bowls!

My weekly plan (roughly)...

I've already found recipes for cauliflower rice (as I've previously blogged about) and "slutty no-carb pasta" (basically courgette pasta) from The Londoner blog which I cannot wait to try as virtually calorie-free alternatives to wheat. 

As well as plenty more recipes I'm going to give a go. I think I'll point out here that when I do try recipes and then blog about them, I will rarely make it the same way or keep the same ingredients as this is where I can be quite creative so I like to do things my own way!

I mean let's be realistic here

I'm going through a phase of wanting to try new things if you couldn't tell. Do any of you have any favourite healthy alternatives to share with me? Or even ways to make the next 4 weeks a bit easier?

This is going to be my first thought in the mornings.