Here is another superficial post. Or at least that's the plan for it at this point. I thought I would end 2014 / begin 2015 with a post of the things (I need a better word for this, my brain has definitely switched to holiday mode) I loved over 2014. This is going to be a very basic list of the things (still can't think of a better word) that I followed and loved throughout the year, keep in mind it will be quite superficial.


Blogging

Here's a pre-warning that this post is going to contain a ridiculous amount of photos but I love Tasmania and I want to share it with you guys.


First things first, I realise that it has been just over a week since I last posted. As the title suggests I have been in Tasmania for that past week and have had limited internet and to be perfectly honest I have just been enjoying spending time with my parents (LAME, I know, whatever) and I wanted to wait until I had come to the end of my Tasmanian exploration before I uploaded this post. My parents and I travel to Tasmania quite frequently, it's our little hidden paradise; the flight is about 2 and a half hours but when you arrive it feels like an entirely different country - so quaint and beautiful! This year we were going to spend a few weeks in Switzerland, Germany and Paris but unfortunately had to cancel those plans due to unforeseen circumstances, so at the last minute we decided to head off to Hobart, Tasmania for a week away. I am in love with how self-sufficient the entire island/state is; they produce their own cheese, wine, whiskey, cider, salmon, meats, etc. We arrived on December 21st and left December 29th. Enough rambling, I'll explain through photos. 

December 22nd: My favourite part about Tasmania is the local produce. The Ashgrove  Cheese Factory is a must see (however, it's a 3 hour drive from Hobart so we had to leave quite early and got home quite late - totally worth it though!)

December 24th: Bruny Island. Despite visiting the state numerous times we'd never taken the ferry over to Bruny Island. It's an absolutely incredible island - we took our car over on the ferry and drove around the entire island. They are incredibly self-sufficient over there; they make their own cheese, wine, whiskey and so much more.

December 24th: Bruny Island. I tried to be really "artsy" and "cool" by getting a photo of me walking away… it totally failed!

December 24th: Bruny Island. The water here is so crystal clear!

December 24th: Bruny Island. This photo was taken while sitting in the passenger seat of the car, driving about 10km an hour and sticking my camera out the window to try and get a shot of how clear the water is.

December 24th: Bruny Island. I'm on top of the world… Or on top of the rock.

December 24th: Bruny Island. This view though!

December 24th: Bruny Island Cheese Factory. The seating at this restaurant was just adorable. They should have bean bags and crate tables everywhere!

December 25th: I tried to convince my parents to veto Christmas this year. I just wasn't really getting into the Christmas spirit this year and I was totally okay with not doing presents or anything and just travelling around Tasmania more. The compromise was that they got my one present and we could have a picnic somewhere on Christmas day and to be honest it was probably one of the best Christmas' I've ever had.

December 25th: Like seriously, imagine this view for a picnic and add foods like prawns, quinoa salad, beetroot salad and loads of fruit - perfect right?

December 25th: Best dad in the world :-)

December 25th: Best mother in the world :-)

December 25th: A family Christmas selfie in essential right?

December 25th: We continued on the road after our picnic and found this beautiful little beach/cove. It was about 10 degrees (celsius) and I felt completely over dressed for the beach but it was just beautiful!

December 27th: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.

December 27th: Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Ahh, the serenity.

December 27th: The Salamanca Markets are an essential part of any Hobart trip.

December 27th: All of these ingredients are grown/produced locally and that impressed me way more than it probably should have!

December 27th: Salamanca Markets strawberries and ice-cream was definitely needed after walking around the stalls for 5 hours.

December 28th: On top of Mt. Wellington awaiting the arrival of the boats in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

December 28th: And the winner is… Wild Oats XI. It was an amazing vibe to be right on the finish line as Wild Oats XI crossed - after 2 days and 2 hours at sea the first thing that was brought onto the boat in the dock was beer and sea food.

December 28th: TASTE of Tasmania. TASTE is a yearly festival that happens this year from December 28th through January 3rd. It's a free entry festival (except on New Years Eve) where you try local cuisine and specialties and then you can purchase things to eat whilst you venture around the other stalls. They also have some other really cool things like an outdoor cinema for night time movies with bean bags and blankets, live shows and buskers and many other super cool and awesome things to enjoy. :-) See what I mean - the array of cider made choosing very difficult!!

December 28th: The colours weren't the only cool thing about these macarons, they tasted amazing as well!

December 28th: I decided to go for the turkish bread with 3 dips (spiced carrot, hummus and beetroot) with an apple cider for dinner - INCREDIBLE!

December 28th: This photo definitely does not do it justice but it shows the large amount of indoor food stalls and ridiculous amount of people there.

Thank you for sticking through until the end and I promise more posts in the New Year.

Have an amazing New Years Eve, whatever you decided to do :-)

- Emma xo

So, here as a Year 12 leaver here in Queensland myself and thousands of other 2014 graduates have been counting down the days until we can finally receive our end of year grade. Grades were due to be released at 9am on Saturday the 20th of December but somehow were fast tracked and we were able to see them at midnight on the 20th. OPs are ranked from 1 (being the highest and almost impossible) to 25 and each course at university has an entry requirement of your OP rank. I received the OP I needed to get into my course however for the first time I just wasn't satisfied enough with the thought of going to university in Brisbane. It has taken me about 36 hours to realise exactly what it was that I needed to do to make myself content - apply to other universities interstate and overseas. I ended up applying to the University of Tasmania (Hobart campus) because I just find the city so beautiful and I always find myself somewhere new. I used to go to the city every year for the winter and spend weeks there with my family. Secondly, I applied for various universities in Canada and Germany. 

For me, 2014 has gone by ridiculously quickly. It has been a complete blur and I feel like I've missed half the year. Superficially I haven't grown a noticeable amount and if you didn't know who I truly was it wouldn't be clear that I've changed at all, but internally I feel as though I am an entirely different person. There have been very few times (maybe none) where I have felt like a new version of myself, where the things that I used to think were important or significant no longer matter, the outlook that I now have is a lot more mature and less self-centred and I have strived throughout the year (and will continue throughout 2015) to create a new identity (this isn't because I'm trying to hide from anything or anyone or because I didn't like who I used to be but more because I have realised I need to start growing up and begin figuring out who I would like to be).

Here is what I have learnt throughout 2014: 

1. It's okay to spend a lot of time trying to figure out who you are and what you want in life. And to be completely honest, you'll probably never completely figure out who you are and what you want. 
2. Don't expect to achieve goals without first putting in numerous amounts of effort. 
3. Never get too comfortable with the way your life is going. Life is about change, don't fight it. 
4. This kind of goes with #3. It's okay to have goals for the future but don't expect they will always happen. No one truly knows what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone five years from now. 
5. Time is limited. I briefly spoke about this in my recent review of The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom but over the past year I've learnt that you truly need to enjoy every moment that you have. Whether it be a good time or a bad one it is really important to live in that moment. 
6. I know I can't really comment on this because I am still only young but I've learnt that you are only young once and you truly need to savour these moments. I've realised I need to do things on my bucket list, travel, explore and do whatever I feel like doing (within reason) while I'm still young. I don't want to look back and regret not doing something 
7. Treat others how you would like to be treated. This is quite a simple one but many people (myself included) often forget about it. Take responsibility for yourself, your actions and your feelings and ensure they don't negatively affect others. 
8. Relationships are hard. This isn't just romantic relationships but friend and family relationships as well. It's important to stay in touch with the people you really care about and the people who really care about you. 
9. This is one that in the last few months has been really prevalent for me. Take every chance you get. Life is all about taking new chances and opportunities and not being afraid to take risks and try something new. 
10. Be comfortable in your own skin. Whatever your gender, sexuality, skin colour or beliefs be comfortable with who you are. Don't try to "conform" to pathetic societal expectations. 
11. Make mistakes. You don't learn anything new but not making mistakes - grow, learn, make mistakes. 
12. Maturity is not measured by age but by the way you handle what life throws at you. 
13. Standing up for myself. I've learnt to start saying "no" and not following what all of my friends/peers want me to do. 
14. A sense of humour is important. Being able to laugh at yourself and enjoy the funny moments is a highly important part of anyone's day. 
15. Recently I've realised the important difference between self confidence and arrogance. A confident person can absorb and consider criticism while an arrogant person thinks they are above it. This is a very important distinction. 
16. You will never be able to know everything but that should never stop you from trying.

Another, and the final, of the "writing prompts" for a while. I don't know about you but I really like these because they enable me to get a little more personal with things that some people don't find extremely important when talking to someone but I find very intriguing. This questionnaire I found especially intriguing as it's not just questions but words and the memories attached to them. Enough blah. 


What's something you were afraid of as a child? 

As weird, and sort of disturbing when I think back on it, as it is the only thing I was truly afraid of as a child was being alone. Whether that be left alone as a child in a shopping centre or alone as an adult. I was a strange child. 
What's an embarrassing moment that happened to you? 
Surprisingly I can't think of any super extremely memories. Maybe I didn't have any. Or maybe I've completely blocked them from my mind. The only one that I can really think of it when I was around 7 or 8, I was sitting in class and I was far too embarrassed to put my hand up and tell my teacher anything in front of my entire class. (Keep in my I was very, VERY shy.) All of a sudden I just remember feeling quite sick and instead of being a normal child and telling my teacher or running out of the classroom I just vomited in the classroom onto the floor. Which, in turn, forced the kid next to me to vomit as well. Sorry to my teacher. 
Who was your best childhood friend and your relationship with this person now. 
I had two best friends as a child, Jayda and Bree (Brianna). Luckily, these two girls are still my best friends. In fact, Jayda and I have flown all around the country together and have planned a few trips overseas for the next year and Bree and I have also planned a few trips. The other day Jayda and I realised we have been friends for 16 years!!! And Bree and I have been friends for 13! I consider myself incredibly lucky to have these two in my life. 
What's your earliest memory? 
I have a shocking memory. I can't remember what I did a week ago. But, I think my earliest memory is from when I was around 3; I remember being at a playground. As a child in a playground normally you would just associate with anyone there and you would become instant friends. Nope, not Emma. I was the shy child who when someone would come up and say hi I just ran and found my parents. So on this particular day I just remember constantly running away from kids who were trying to be my friends so much to the point that I told my mum I was tired from running and wanted to go home. It's obvious that I've never been athletic or social. 

WHAT MEMORIES ARE BROUGHT BY THE FOLLOWING SMELLS:
Cut grass 
Being on the oval in primary school with my friends at lunchtimes just talking to each other, connecting tamagotchi's and skipping. 
Sunscreen
Countless Christmas days (yes, Christmas is in Summer in Australia) at the beach with constant reapplications of sunscreen to make sure no one got burnt so we could all still have fun at the beach on Boxing Day (day after Christmas). 
Cinnamon
This is a recent memory actually. In  January 2014 I went to America and spent time with a host family, it was Winter so my host mum was constantly cooking foods with cinnamon in them and it was just heaven. That and countless trips to Cinnabon for amazing cinnamon goodness. 
Pencil Erasers
Back before I got my "pen licence" in Grade 4 when we had to use pencils. I don't know why but my grade was quite obsessed with cutting up erasers and throwing them at each other which would cause this very strong scent of pencil eraser. 
Orange Peel 
My mum always started cooking Christmas goodies about a month out from Christmas to make sure  we were really in the Christmas spirit. This meant countless choc orange slices having your hands smell like orange for hours after peeling them. 

I promise a normal post coming soon.

- Emma xo

Despite my public persona I'm actually quite an introverted person. I am happiest when I am by myself, in nature and absorbing my surroundings. Things like sitting at the beach, taking a walk along the boardwalk or sitting at the top of a mountain is when I'm the happiest. 
What's something you're good at? What makes you good at it? 
The only thing that I can think of that I have minor talent toward is writing. Again, not to a set task but just letting my mind and hand work together and create something on paper. Writing on a laptop is very difficult for me because I get far too distracted so I much prefer good old pen and paper. I think because of my persistence, perseverance and need to make everything perfect it enables me to be a good writer. 
What are your views on religion? 
I don't really have a view on religion. This doesn't mean that I am against religion, or people who believe in a certain religion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and if those opinions are going to hurt anybody should be kept to themselves. I don't go around publicly telling people about my religion however I do not shun or judge anyone based on their personal beliefs or religion. Personally, I am agnostic. The dictionary definition of that means that I am a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God. To me it means that I have no religious beliefs. It means that I cannot explain how we came onto this Earth, who put us here, what our purpose is or why we are here. It does not mean that I don't believe in the entity of God. And that's it, I believe in the unknown. 
What are your most prized possessions? 
This may sound superficial but hear me out. My most prized possessions would have to be my laptop and a debating medal I won this year. My laptop because it has every single photo of me as a child, my family, my parents, my friends on it and without it I would be completely lost. Along with photos, it has the manuscript of my novel, other pieces I have written and other various important documents. As for my debating medal, it may not mean a lot to other people but for me it does. It shows the hard work, determination and team work put in over the past two years. It shows that when you put your mind to something it truly can be achieved. It shows that over the past year some of my closest friends and I have been able to achieve what we thought would be the impossible. And finally, it shows that our coach, who started the competition, can achieve anything. She, along with a couple of other people, wanted to bring a competition to our local area and with their determination it became a reality. 
What is something someone else has that you envy? Describe it and your feelings about it. 
Brains. I only dream that I could have the brains of some of the people I know. They are the most smart and successful individuals who achieve great things. 
What is a book, movie, song, or television programme that has influenced you and how? 
The most influential book I've read recently was The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom. I did a very brief review a few weeks back but it is just a book that completely sticks in the back of your mind and reminds you everyday to not take time for granted. 
What is a mistake people often make about you? 
I often get mistaken for a very confident person. Honestly, I have very minimal confidence. I'm a shy, introverted person until you get to know me and until then I will not open up at all. I was always taught growing up to fake confidence until you gain confidence and I guess I just haven't gained that confidence yet.
What's you favourite season. Why? 
I absolutely adore Winter. Being able to snuggle up in a cosy blanket with fluffy socks and a cup of hot chocolate while watching romantic comedies and reading endless amounts of books is my favourite thing. 
Describe your dream job, man/woman and house
I would love to be a writer one day. Although it would be extremely hard work I would love to be able to prove to myself that I could do it. My dream man… Someone who is thoughtful, smart, funny and kind; all of those "cliche" requirements. As for a dream house, I would love to live on the outskirts of a major of a major city. Nothing huge but enough rooms for guests, a library and a writing room would be greatly appreciated. 
How would you like your life to be when you're older? 
I know it sounds extremely cliche and boring but as long as I'm happy and the people around me are happy I honestly don't mind. 
What would be the guest list at your dream party? 
It would be a very small party of myself, Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, Emma Stone, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper and Ginnifer Goodwin :) 
What magic power would you like to have? How would you use it? 
The power to speed read - how incredible would what be!
What's a country you'd like to visit? 

2014 was a huge year - the end of schooling. I know this post may be slightly premature but I am just too excited for what the next year will bring so I've decided to upload this now in early December. I was privileged to spend this year with people who made me extremely happy and feel blessed to have them in my life. This post is going to be a little different, photos with captions explaining the year that is 2014 through my eyes. A picture paints a thousand they say. 

JANUARY: Starting off 2014 with fireworks at Disneyland, Anaheim. This was the most magical night!! 17 hours spent at Disneyland over New Years Eve is something I recommend everyone experiences.

JANUARY: I don't think I've ever been better described - Madam Tussauds, Los Angeles

JANUARY: The greatest people you will ever meet (Sally and Ethan) - Seattle, Washington

JANUARY: San Francisco

MARCH: Mia's 17th Birthday with Abi

MARCH: Happy Birthday Mia!!

APRIL: Kuala Lumper, Malaysia with Anemice :-)

APRIL: Another amazing experience. Malaysia was such an eyeopening experience and I am grateful for the opportunity to spend a week in Malaysia and will never forget it.

MAY: Year 12 Formal with my parents. This was another one of those greats nights.  A night where it started becoming real that I was in my final year of high school. A lot of incredible memories created that night.

MAY: I remember we were all thinking that we were really cool when this moment was taken - we weren't wrong. Haha :-)

MAY: And then came the formal after party.

JULY: We finally went to a concert together!!! Lorde was absolutely fantastic but it wasn't such a great idea going to a concert the night before school started back for the term but ah, whatever. (Also, I finally gained the courage to cut 8 inches of my hair off!)

JULY: Our final sports carnival. As always, I didn't participate in the sporting activities but I was all ready to dress up!

JULY: A group of us decided starting a basketball team would be a good idea - we called ourselves the Wildcats. That's a tad embarrassing.

AUGUST: My birthday dinner :-)

AUGUST: Ah, FROZEN. It was our Book Week assembly and we decided to dress up as Elsa and Anna.

SEPTEMBER: Sasha and I decided that a picnic was the best way to pretend the QCS tests never happened.

OCTOBER: Halloween party! (Again, I finally gained the courage to cut off more of my hair - this is addicting!)

NOVEMBER: Finally, Graduation dinner came around.

NOVEMBER: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

NOVEMBER: Universal Studios, Singapore

DECEMBER: Since graduating I've been really into wearing red lipstick - it makes me feel like a grown up. Also, I've started a sort of New Years Resolution early… to take more polaroids. When I was in Singapore the polaroid film was ridiculously cheap so I crazy stockpiled and I've planned to use them by taking at least 4 polaroids a week to create memories of my life.

As it draws to the end of 2014 I've found myself beginning to write a list of all the things I aspire to achieve in the upcoming year. Aside from this, I've also had numerous conversations with friends regarding where we see ourselves in a years time and it has really got me thinking - where will I be this time next year? Of course, we all have hopes and dreams for our future but sometimes life has other plans. No way did I think a year ago I would be where I am today. I was adamant I was going to study law at university, I was (surprisingly) quite a shy and conserved person and I was no where near as mature (yes, when I need to be, I can be mature) as I am now. I had no idea a year ago that the person I was would be almost obliterated and a "new" Emma would have emerged; I thank the amazing and wonderful opportunities I have been given over 2014 for this much needed change.

As for where I see myself in one years time? I hope to have completed my first year of a four year university course in Secondary Education, majoring in English and minoring in Geography. I hope to have crossed smaller things off my list like camping with friends (can you believe I've never been camping before?? Lame, I know!), a little more travelling overseas and to be happy. I've written about it before, this year hasn't been the best for me and there have definitely been times where I haven't been happy, I just hope that in 12 months time I am truly happy with where I am and who I have become. Also, I hope that blog a lot more. I've been really happy with myself the past week or so blogging very regularly that I hope it continues and it just turns into habit for me to open up my laptop and begin a new post every couple of days.

Bring on 2015! 

- Emma xo