Retail pawn

Warning: the following blog entry turned itself into some what of a rant on working in retail. There will be cussing, as there has been blood, sweat and tears, and a complete loss of freedom. But fear not, for they'll never have our souls; nope, they have that too… At least I have somewhere to blog about my feelings and shit, so take that retail industry head honcho butt plugs.

You know those moments when you question whether something is really happening, or perhaps it is all in your head. Do you have those? I have them frequently, even if I'm doing something simple like driving or peeing. I ask myself wait a minute, am I really here? Is it really me sitting on the toilet right now, oh shit! Am I peeing my pants in a public place? I don't feel wet, is wet an illusion, the chicken or the egg, are zombies cannibals on steroids… Questions like these constantly plague me, play on my anxiety, and have me questioning reality - occasionally, I mean I haven't lost my shit completely. I've always had an active imagination, but sometimes it worries me that I live there a little too much. Most of the time I love it though, and walk around with a stupid smile on my face that often causes my mum to ask what the hell are you thinking.

…about that time I made out with Ryan Gosling. That was definitely in my mind, not real, but 100% lusty and delicious all the same…

I'm never afraid to ask questions, if you don't know something just ask, it's better to be laughed at for asking than to pretend you know what the hell is going on, and being asked a question you can't bullshit your way through. Although, working in retail I've become quite the expert in bullshitting my way through conversations. I'm not entirely sure that is something I'm proud of or not, but I'm bloody good at it. Let it be known I don't apply this technique outside of work. I'm the champion of nodding my head in fierce agreement, smiling, and adding a totally at the end. And why not, if it makes someone feel better about themselves. I pride myself on not being an asshole about it though, I sure as hell wouldn't sell someone on something that looked epically shit on them, I want people to feel good about themselves.

One cold hard truth about the retail industry most us retail assistants are thinking, or have been thinking at one point or another in our years of duty, is that we don't particularly care for your life story. Although sometimes I (like others) do enjoy a good story, we mostly just don't give two shits. Especially when you lay down your negative energy on us, and your complaints, 'cause lord knows there is sweet fuck all I can do for you, and believe me as a fellow human being - I know, mind blown, we're just like you - we actually have our own shit to sieve through, don't make us take home yours as well.

I, as a shopper, actively attempt to not be an annoying little fucker, maybe this is because I've worked retail for so long, or perhaps I just have manners and a lack of self privilege. So why can you not reserve this attitude for me in return? I sure as shit won't bully someone over 'false advertising' as it's not their fault that their boss is a toss. Rhyming is fun. Have fun where you can, another rule of retail, or for life in general. Also, take any small win you can. End of year Christmas party - get drunk with your coworkers, just soak it up, and eat as much as you can too, if they allow doggy bags, bag up lunch for the next day. Yolo people, you're disposable anyway so don't lose sleep over the prospect of losing your job, just embrace your disposability. Once you accept that, you have nothing to lose.

Honestly, I actually enjoy my job for the most, there is just aspects that have me experiencing scary emotions and hostility, like wanting to punch someone direct in the face… these aspects generally take there toll this time of year. To work casual retail is to not bother to make plans, undoubtedly you will be called to work on that day if you do. It means truly treasuring a weekend, if you're lucky enough to get one. It is to go from a shitty 9 hour week in which you worry about survival to a 40 something hour week, but to only be told these hours as you go, so you know don't attempt to have a social life…

Am I complaining? well yeah, but that's only because people are assholes. Really mean mother fucking psychotic mentalists, and at this time of year, it's the worst. Merry fucking Christmas. Why do we do? The pay lovelies, it ain't half bad. Will I work Sundays and public holidays? Fuck yeah I will, make it rain, double time. There is also the hope - that we cling onto ever so dearly - that one day the flexibility will work, and we'll have time to do the things we really love, because trust me, we don't dream of selling crap to people that abuse and annoy us with petty bullshit for the rest of our goddamn lives. Nope. We're dreamers, dreaming every day of something bigger, or at least to have people hush, buy something, or get the fuck out.

Furthermore, next time anyone thinks about complaining about policy, quality control, and what is legal in any retail shop out there in the world, please take a moment to remember this one small detail, the poor asshole you're cutting loose at is just a pawn. Yep, a fucking retail pawn making the rich richer and getting no love for their hard work and you know, their soul. And don't even get me started on the state of car parking this time of year, it's just the cherry on top of the sickly sweet retail pie. And quite likely to be the final factor in me losing all sanity this festive season. Bring on 2015, a fresh canvas of possibilities. Or at the very least, no more Christmas nutter butter butt heads.

Merry Christmas everyone, key word, MERRY! I wish you all a fun time, and endless supplies of love.

Work life be like ^

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: I don't know about you guys, but I've always kind of wondered what I'll look like with a shaved head, as a result of this and - mostly - losing my pop (grandpa) to cancer recently I've signed up to the Leukaemia Foundations World's Greatest Shave. Come Sunday March 15th - the day after I play bridesmaid to my bride girl Liz - I'm having my lengthy locks shaved right off, much to the delight of a few other girlfriends that all want to be the one that has the honour of the buzz.
Find me on the Leukaemia Foundation page here:
https://secure.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/registrant/FundraisingPage.aspx?RegistrationID=562999#&panel1-3

Mamma Mia

No matter how different we all may be, there is one thing that keeps every individual connected, that is death. Death may signify the end of the road for one, but for those left behind it can be the beginning of a whole new outlook and appreciation for living. At least, I can only hope we all come to see it this way.

I flew in late a couple Thursdays past, back to Melbourne to celebrate the life of an adventurer; a motorbike riding bad ass who was not bad ass at all, but the kindest of men with nothing but love for his family and friends. A true gentleman in every sense of the word. Friday morning I hauled ass out of bed early to flip through mum's photo albums, let me tell you, my mum has a giant tub on wheels exploding with albums, some so old they may crumble in your hands. They had a certain smell that I can't get enough of, like a library. I took a big whiff, a whiff of history and endless memories. Nothing quite tells a story and memory like a photograph, and one photograph can tell a hundred stories depending on personal recollection. Trust me there's been several lets say 'discussions' in my family as to when and where events have occurred. In particular when it comes to my nan and pop, they sure had some fierce discussions in their time, both too stubborn to admit defeat; and why would they, they were right.

Going through the old photos I found my favourite, one I remembered from so many years past I couldn't tell you when, but I knew it existed. That sure is one of the beautiful things about our brains, the ability to store memories, some so old we simply don't remember - but something is triggered. Scent, touch, deja vu, and a simple knowing, our senses are incredible. The photo wasn't quite how I remembered, I was younger than I thought, 10.5 months opposed to 3 years, and it wasn't just us. But that's all I saw, just me sitting on pop's knee, smiling, as he gave me my first sip of beer. Cheeky bugger. Sadly on closer inspection the beer was Fosters, which just may explain my fear and distaste for beer for all those years… I'd like to add I've wised up since and have quite the appreciation for a brew (or two) nowadays.

After gathering a collection of photos, young and old, we were summoned to Nan's for a quick cuddle. The word quick used loosely. A couple hours later, many coffees poured, food prepped my bro and I slipped back home. This 'quick' visit left little time to get ready for the funeral, thankfully Azz (brother) placed all the photos together on my makeshift photo board, boom, teamwork got us there. I tacked the photos down whilst shoving a few spring rolls in my face, a cheeky mimosa to wash it down and we were out the door. The service was lovely, as perfect as it can be. A little Sinatra, a lot of passionate emotions, endless love and support, and of course no shortage of Kleenex. Coffee, tea, cake, then came the wake. A true celebration of the life of a gentleman, a family man. Cold brews, champagne popping - Pop had always asked what's the celebration, today it was all about him.

Back at nan's I took a moment to slip away. I sat on the lone splintered bench on the front porch, lit a cigar and sipped on champagne. I had been blank all week, angry at myself for not finding the words to speak at the funeral, or just say anything at all. Every thought flooded me as I sat alone, inhale, sip, my brain ticked. I sat smiling, looking at the clouds fluffy cushions in the blue sky. I'm not religious in the slightest, I can appreciate why people may need to believe, it's just not for me. But in that moment I liked the idea of heaven; Pops sitting at a bar with his best friends - both of which are no longer with us - they'd be smoking real cigars, drinking from steins, planning the next big trip. Smiling down at us suckers, still slugging away and working for the man, yep, working hard for the good life.

I stubbed the cigar against the bench and headed inside for a top up, after all it was a brilliant day to get full on food, booze and a whole lot of love. We will never stop missing our pop, but he sure as hell wouldn't miss the left overs… Mamma Mia that's a lot of hooch, but it sure tastes alright.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: Cancer is a cunt, one that will touch every one of us in one way or another. It can come on unexpected, and be utterly ruthless. There may not be much we can do to fight it, but if you're in a position to you may wish to donate towards research, if not please just look after yourselves, get yourself examined every once in a while… And most importantly, keep on living the good fucking life.

Why our twenties matter

As much as we convince ourselves we're adults as soon as we hit 21, we are in fact just children experiencing our first pay checks. Don't get me wrong, we had our jobs and new found responsibilities, but ultimately the majority of us hadn't really learnt anything, not yet.

I personally took my job very seriously; I would turn up to work no matter what. When I was so hungover I thought I may die OR if I was only 80% sure I was even sober, I was there. I even remember turning up when my first boyfriend shat on my heart, whatever man I've got a job to do. Even if I did spend the majority of my shift 'cleaning' aka crying in the back room. I was a responsible adult with my work ethic in check, and I'd be damned if I didn't get me my Sunday pay… So we had our shitty jobs, and we may have been living in a shoebox, but it was OUR shoebox. We gladly paid our rent and bills, we bought our own clothes, sipped on cheap wine that often came from a box (which consequently came with a free pillow) we had our friends over for Italian/Mexican/Thai - all of which sound fancy but are also thrifty - and we had our spare wine cask pillows for when they crashed on the floor. Oh yeah, we were adults! Mature as fuck.

Whatever we wanted in life we could have, reach out and take it, make it yours. Fight for it, work for it, deserve it. Our money is our own, we'll spend it on whatever makes us happy. From shouting our friends and family, even if we can't afford to, it makes us feel badass so we drop those bills, it's just money who cares. I can look after myself and my homies, boom, make it rain. Sometimes we buy new shoes and don't have the money to take them to dinner - or a new phone whatever your thing is we've all been there - who cares, our feet and legs look outstanding, and I know I'll always crack a smile when looking down at them from my bowl of two minute noodles, totally worth it. No one can judge us for these indulgences, we're entitled to them, it's a right of passage when you start earning your own money. In fact we can never truly be judged for anything in life, as only we have the right to judge ourselves. That's right, no one else is entitled to judge you and if they think they are than they have bigger problems on their hands - namely they have self issues - so be someone you can be proud of, there is no arrogance in that only self love.

Our twenties sure as hell are not our golden years, they may be the most dramatic, or feel the most liberating, but in the end it's only the beginning. We haven't even started yet. But lets not ride off the entire decade, because our twenties matter. They are the years that mould us, carve and shape us through trial and error, give us a sense of true identity. We're finally getting somewhere, we're realising who we truly are and want to be. We're becoming the individuals we've been waiting to become, young adults ready to leap into the next phase of living. We still don't know everything, but fuck it, who ever really does. We're putting ourselves out there, we're learning and that's ok - we don't have to know it all, but we know something and that's pretty grand. Instead of getting absorbed and caught up in our faults and where we may have gone wrong, we finally just embrace, learn our lesson, and carry the fuck on.

Looking back over my twenties I've really come to appreciate these years; the ups the downs, the drama, the freedom, the complete and utter chaos. These really are the greatest of even the worst times. We throw ourselves out there, we've experimented, we've laughed, we've cried, we've tried. We have lived our lives outside of routine and restrictions. We've made mistakes, done things we thought at the time were regrettable, but in actual fact they aren't really regrets, nope, looking back they were the lessons, the acts that we didn't realise at the time but they were shaping us, teaching us. Life isn't always easy, and you know what, thank god for that. What a tedious life it would be to play it safe and not break some bloody boundaries.

Your twenties are to be tested and treasured, they are some of the most important years, although - at the same time - the most irrelevant. Through experiences and mere observation we really do get away with murder (figuratively speaking of course) and that's the beauty of it, no drama is that big in the end, just character building and a further education to life. We're figuring out what we want or perhaps learning that maybe we don't want what we thought we did. Whatever happens and whatever may lie ahead, we're a step closer to taking it on. Guns blazing we're roaring to go, knowing that in the end these are the year to dream big. As for our thirties? Well, they'll be fierce! And our forties? Just fabulous. And from then on who knows? But one thing for sure is that we'll sure have some ripper stories.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: The above song felt like a necessary accompaniment to this blog entry. Icona Pop - I love it, listen to it loud and dance like no ones business. You're only as old as you feel you are and I plan on being fierce and fabulous forever, you should all join me.

The epic list.

I do - as does everyone - have big plans for all the things I want out of life, yet coincidently living tends to get in the way. I aim to blog more frequently, to have somewhere to store all the nonsense that floats about in my brain. Well I shouldn't say floats, floating is far too peaceful. In my mind its a wee bit more erratic than that. I've also had many dreams and aspirations for what path I want to take in life, in fact I'm the first to confess that maybe I have too many paths I want to follow, so many so that I often feel overwhelmed. And as my brain tornados about - often as I lay down to sleep I have to tell it to shut the fuck up (it never works, I can't outsmart that bastard) - I can never seem to focus on one thought, it's all in there, but I can't get a hold of just one to make any big decisions for what comes next. Honestly though, can we not have all the things?

My friend recently took a HUGE leap and quit his job, this is a big deal because it's something he has spoken about for the longest bloody time. I'm so proud of him for doing it, and I know it wouldn't have been easy as it's his fathers business. After he told me and we talked about all the awesome things he can do with his spare time - like sleeping - he mentioned writing a list, a list of all the things he has talked about doing that he has yet to have done. I told him he doesn't want that list, it's too fucking depressing. Because it is; who wants an epic list of everything they wanted to do and haven't done yet in their face? But then again, maybe we need the list. The list could be the shove that we need, the piece of paper that says "look here you fool, you may think you're living, but look at all this shit you've talked about but haven't got around to!!" the list may slap you in the face, but really, that's only the beginning of its power.

I'm not going to lie, I'm a pretty great procrastinator, dare I say a professional in the art of procrastination. I can always find something else to caught up in to avoid focussing on the task at hand, and it's not because I don't want to complete the task, I really do! I just struggle with completing the goals, as I can be scared for what comes next. It's ridiculous, but… I just finished painting my nails just now. You see what I mean. And blogging isn't even a big thing, there are so many things I want to do, so why stay focused on the one task. I know I know, to finish the thing. Oh Lordy Tara, make like Nike and just do it. I really need to push aside all fears of judgement and the always present concern that I can't do that, because why can't I? Other people have, why not me? Why not you too.

See how I just wrote a paragraph about procrastinating?

Whilst I'm analysing my faults, I've realised just how much of an addictive personality I have. I mean I can give something up when I focus on it, and I won't even miss it, but I'll find something to replace whats lost. For example I didn't drink for a 24 days - lets not point out that I know the number of days - but I did rekindle my love for Ebay. I realise now after buying a whole new wardrobe of clothing that I may need to back off the Ebay. Although I do love having parcels delivered, I have quite the relationship with the post lady now. I've come to think of Ebay as another form of gambling though, you get a thrill out of the concept of beating someone, and you loose your cool and take it too far every once in a while. And to be frank, I can be an Ebay asshole. I get mad when someone outbids me, so I bid a little higher, hoping that they will have to pay more. How rude is that? And ridiculous. Damn Ebay bringing out the worst in me. The guilt, the shame… Don't judge me, I've confessed my sins.

Enough about procrastinating, and Ebay - you glorious bastard you! Today I'm finishing a blog, doing yoga, getting my fridge filled, getting my car fuelled, writing 1000 words, and removing everything from my watch list on Ebay. All before I go to work this afternoon. And I don't need a list, fuck the list, I'm just going to do it. WOO! I mean my nails are done, so I'm pretty much ready for anything the day can throw at me now. I'll be like BOOM, ombre nails. They're like little blue laser beams, shooting out of my fingers tips. Nothing can stop me now! Well maybe cat memes can stop me… but they won't, not this time. I'm taking charge, like a ninja on crack. Instead it's just me, highly caffeinated, and getting my mojo working.

And here's a mini-recap for my friends and family, aka the people that read my nonsense: My melbourne visit was busy, emotional and filled with love and the best company. I spent a lot of time in the hospital with my pop - who is slapping the negatives in the face by choosing to remain positive (hoorah - suck it cancer!) - I took my nan out to coffee and of course went to the vegan donut place, their jam donuts are out of control. Had a long overdue family lunch, Nicole is starting to show by the way - she's got a little girl brewing in there! We're all super stoked about it. Of course I snuggled the crap out of Charlie, that's a given. My little love bug.

In other news I broke my dry July with only a week to go, you see I figured it was more important to break that then it was to break tradition on the pint at the airport. Also lets face it, in my family we drink wine and tend to stress eat during the hard times. Well we may just drink wine through all the times… Oh! I hadn't had a good nights sleep for about a week, but after flying back to Adelaide on Sunday and working that day, I can say I finally got a full nights rest, and it was glorious. But not as glorious as those jam donuts, mum you're going to need to bring me one when you visit next week, one or five, whatever.

On a final note before I make like the Hulk and smash this day! They say nothing in life worth having should be easy, and they're right - whoever the hell they are - where would the fun, adventure and sense of self achievement be in that? Any small step is a step in the right direction. So don't put pressure on yourselves, but do take a leap every once in a while, it may just pay off or at the very least you'll have done something.

Big, huge, enormous, gargantuan love. Because love is the drug for me.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: I have to admit, I really do love a good list. Seeing it all written out in front of me, and of course ticking off those little boxes! Goddamn that is a satisfying motion. With a flick of the wrist, another goal bites the dust. Ohhhhh yeeaahhhh, suck my tick!! I will write the list of the undone, I want to see it now, I want it in my face. I think I'm finally ready to tick some serious boxes.

All the things…

It's been a whirlwind past month as I've plane hopped from Adelaide to Melbourne, Melbourne to Los Angeles (plus a stopover in NZ), insert numerous mini road trips and plenty of time wasted using the LA Metro, and then Los Angeles to Melbourne (there's that stopover again…) before the final leg Melbourne to Adelaide. And you know, straight back to work the next day. A lot has happened in between, so here's an obligatory recap.

Melbourne was charming as always. Seeing Charlie (my cat) warmed my heart and probably offended my family, because he is the apple of the pie - if the pie is indeed an apple one. Seeing my cousin get married was beautiful and a little surreal. We were best friends for the longest time and I remember him telling me all about this girl many moons ago, and here we are now in our late twenties - they have a house and have tied the knot. I guess we've grown up a little after all. Just a little. I barely survived my hangover post wedding, which I blame on a combination of things:

1. my vintage YSL heels that have zero grip
2. my eccentric dance moves
3. the Sambuca shot that finished me

I'd like to add on the last one that my brother missed his flight back to Adelaide because of that Sambuca shot. We have both decided to give up shots… well, Sambuca ones at least. Anyway, I still managed to haul ass out of bed and meet my lovely Liz for coffee and an afternoon of Bridesmaid dress shopping - cheers for driving Julie! It nearly killed me, but for Liz I could power through anything. Say what you like about me, but I'm a damn committed friend! We ended up purchasing the first and only dress we tried on after browsing around to be sure we weren't jumping the gun. It's a delicious dress and I cannot wait to stand in it next to Liz on her special day, I love that girl much much much lots. Lots. LOTS.

Besides a few quick coffee dates and some slapdash packing, I left Melbourne and made my way to LA. Whilst there I soaked up as much sun as possible, spent time with my lovely mates, owned the dance floor with new and old friends at the glorious wedding of the Gallagher's, spent most my budget on food (glorious food!) went on hikes, lay on beaches, got a mandatory tattoo addition, saw some ladies dance in their lace numbers - dirty 30 celebration - and did just a little shopping. Little by my standards.

The highlight of the trip was definitely dancing at Rob and Katt's wedding; it was such a beautiful location in Solvang - wine country California - if you ever have the opportunity to go don't hesitate. Everyone just came together regardless of whether they knew one another, we were all best friends for the evening. I like that environment because I'm very much the kind of person that loves everybody until I'm given good reason not to. Why have hate or a judgemental attitude. Love and acceptance is a far better mantra, that and 'one shall always dance big'. As in your arms can always stretch further, don't hold back. Bring it.

Back to Melbourne I travelled with the bitter sweet feeling that accompanies me after every trip, the not knowing when I'll see those left behind again and the excitement to go back to my loved ones at home. I was only in Melbourne a couple nights, I managed to see the grandparents, and a few others in the mad rush - the ones I HAVE TO! see regardless of time restraints. I even managed to fit in an Orthodontist appointment, and then I was back at the airport with mum in tow to fly to Adelaide. I slept well that night, which was good because I had to work all weekend. And here I am, back in Adelaide as I finish up this blog entry. It's taken a while to get on top of it, due to a constant flow of work and several pieces of both good and bad news to absorb regarding my family back in Melbourne.

I can finally announce that I will become an Aunty! My eldest brother and his wife are expecting their first little bean, meaning mum and dad will become grandparents! As in life the good and bad do tend to tango together, with the above news also came word that my pop (grandfather) has just been diagnosed with stage four cancer. My initial reaction surprised me, in that I didn't react at all. That may seem heartless to some but it is quite the surreal piece of information to receive, and we all process the negatives in our own ways.

Since my initial reaction - or lack there of - I've been on a wee roller coaster. I can't tell you how hard it is to be away from home and family during times like these. If you've ever lived away from home no doubt you can relate, you feel disconnected and this undoubtedly feeds the surrealism of the situation. Or maybe it's just a coping mechanism? To attempt to not feel, and busy yourself with the everyday stuff… I love my pop, he's the only one I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, making him endlessly special to me. It's scary to think how fragile life is; one day you're fine, the next week you're sick, come the following month you're diagnosed with cancer. It's a fickle game this life business, and we really mustn't take it for granted.

Here are some fun facts:
- I saw a Smaug plane. Air New Zealand, if you've ever wanted to ride a dragon.
- Cookies are an acceptable breakfast, as long as they're the soft gooey kind.
- I changed a saying in this blog from 'apple of my eye' to the (in my personal opinion) approved version 'apple of my pie'… mmm pie.
- Never attempt to eat sushi when you're hungover. Trust me on this.

Life is precious you guys! Take the good with the bad, learn, grow and keep on living. Because in the end it's a fickle business and you never know what may lay ahead. And remember, it's better to regret doing something than it is to regret having not done at all. Besides it's not really a regret, it's but a lesson learnt. Tra-la-la!

Stay Awesome.
&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

While I was gone.

Alright guys, I may have gotten a wee bit carried away with my break after finishing the 30 day writing challenge. As a result I haven't actually blogged in one whole month and a week, or more simply 5 weeks (and 3 days technically). What an arse. Ive been busy though, I promise! I haven't just been googling cat memes, watching Girls (as in HBO TV - not me creeping) and dancing on my own… I mean I've done all of these things and they were glorious, but I've also been working a lot, fighting grime, and have had several visitors from Melbourne to entertain. So there is some good excuses in there when you think about it. Completely justified really. Don't even know why I'm bothering to defend myself.

Girls was amazing by the way, I smashed out all three seasons! Consider it a perk of not having friends in Adelaide, I mean who even needs to make new friends when there is so much catch up TV available. I kid, I kid! So my mum and dad came over to Adelaide for a week and a half, it was lovely to have them around again, but also kind of nice to say goodbye. That may sound harsh, but I knew I was seeing them again in a few weeks, and my budget had been blown on wining and dining. Mostly I was kind of tired, and to be perfectly honest I kind of missed being alone. I see them next week though, and I can't wait. My cousin is getting married to the girl he use to talk to me about when we were fresh out of High School, how adorable is that? It's also super convenient because all my dads side of the family will be in one place, meaning I'll see them all on one day.

I only have four full days in Melbourne before heading to LA for another wedding, which can be hard when all you want to do is relax with your time off work. I guess relaxing can get pretty boring though come to think of it, I like to keep busy, otherwise I struggle more so than usual to turn off my brain at night. Whilst in Melbourne - besides my cousins wedding - I have to make sure I see a collection of others (y'all know who you are) and very important it is that I go dress shopping with yet another bride to be (seriously, everyone is getting hitched) Obviously you don't just dress shop though, there's brunch, coffee and possibly a couple cocktails involved. It's important to make a day of these things. I also have to celebrate a wedding that I sadly couldn't attend, so yeah, another bloody wedding. Everything has something to do with a wedding. I guess we're at that age now. I think I may be single forever though. A lone wolf. Fighting grime.

After our parents visited last month, my bro and I had the house to ourselves for a whole week before my girls came over for shenanigans. As it turned out I didn't need that extra V boost (an aussie energy drink for those playing abroad) as I walked in the door after my Thursday night shift everyone had settled into the couch for the night. Those bastards. We did go out dancing on the Friday though, and by dancing I mean we started a dance floor at a couple venues where no one was dancing. I was in bed just before 3am Saturday and had work from 10-4. When I got home everyone was still in bed. Those bastards. It was lovely to have the girls take some time and spend the cash to come see me, it felt unbelievably good to have some girlfriends around, even if we did just lounge about eating and watching films. Their company makes me content.

I must say, it is getting pretty damn fresh up in this bitch. I'm fighting a cold at the moment, I'm usually pretty lucky in the sense that I don't get terribly sick, just a bunch of annoying symptoms that linger about like an uninvited bear at a picnic. Also, I thought I should mention my mum has found the 'stickers' on Facebook and she keeps sending me those giant obnoxious and slightly creepy smiley faces. I don't love it, but I'm pretty proud of her for discovering them. Oh! I took my longboard out the other week and I rode it with my legs! YEAH! Plus, I've been listening to Silverchair a lot today. That information may seem irrelevant, but if you give it a listen you'll realise that it's awesome and you'll shut your mouth.

Besides all of that useless information not much else has really happened other than general day to day life. You get up, you drink coffee, you shower, you work… In six days though, I'll be back home to Melbourne. I'm so excited and more than ready for it. I'll be amongst family and friends again! And five days after that I'll be back in Los Angeles (also amongst 'family' and friends) for… you guessed it, another wedding! Plus one of my girls is turning 30, I hear it's a dirty age, so we'll celebrate accordingly. Three short weeks after that I'll be back in Melbourne for a night or two, and then back to reality. Work and save, travel and spend. It's a pretty good gig.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: I hope my cat Charlie is reading to be squeezed so hard his eyeballs nearly pop out. I miss that little rascal of mine.

Challenge done & dusted.

Day 30: Highs & lows for the month.

Well let's see now, I really am the kind of person that struggles to remember what I did only yesterday, days kind of blur into each other. I can say for sure that someone else's low was a high for me, that being a lady quitting at my place of work, meaning I got a lot more hours - woo! No need to worry though she found a management position within another company, high for her. Life is funny like that, the lows can come with highs, and the highs with lows.
Life always keeps you guessing.

I've definitely had some highs this month, it was beyond lovely having my mum visit, and then my brother and his wife too. We had some great times at wineries, on the beach and even just staying in with each others company. All the family time was such a high for me given I've been a little lonely here. It's great that my brother is around all the time, he is a swell dude, but it would be nice to have a few girlfriends as I miss mine that are scattered about the globe dearly. Sometimes in life a girl just needs a girls company, because only a woman can understand… that said I wouldn't dare belittle the brilliance of a male's companionship! It's just different.

Back on the topic of highs and lows, I've got to say doing this 30 day writing challenge has been filled with many emotions - some high and some low. For instance I've felt at times during the challenge that I've had to force myself to write something, and I haven't had my heart in it, resulting in my own sanity being challenged as I re-read and criticise my half-assed efforts! But I guess that's the point, and that's what makes it a challenge. Overall I'm proud that I've stuck it out, but I'm not gonna lie to y'all, I am dying to only blog when I want to now. But I'm thankful that I've learnt blogging once a week is not impossible, in fact it's kind of easy in comparison.

In summary the month of March - like any month before and after it - was filled with numerous ups and downs, and that my lovely readers is just life! A freaking roller coaster. And I like it, because it keeps me on my toes. Like I've said before there is always down points in life, but we become stronger with each negative experience because we learn and grow. So really it's not all so bad, and those highs when they pop up - they are the freaking bliss! Thus making the ride so goddamn worth it.

Day 30 down, challenge complete.

Kisses Homies.
I look forward to blogging for you all whenever the hell I feel like it.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Work it baby!

Day 29: Goals for the next 30 days.

Basically all I need to focus on for the next thirty days is working my hiney off to save up some cash. I have two weddings in May, one back home in Melbourne and one in Los Angeles. So you know, that's a whole lotta moolah that must be available for lavish gifts and flights. Emphasis on the flights. So far I've booked the easy flight home (tick!), and I have the money in waiting for the big one (success!). So I've done pretty well considering rent and bills and all those expenses we have to deal with as adults. Yeah, that's right, I'm an adult. Kind of. Sort of. Maybe. According to my age at least...

All boring money stuff aside, my aim for the next month is to find a healthy balance between working, working out, saving - but still living - and of course taking time to write and practise banjo. Because although it's important to work in order to pay those pesky bills, it's even more important to find some you time to enjoy all the things you love in life. Otherwise, what's the damn point of it all.

Day 29 down, 1 to go!

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

I miss you, I miss you not.

Day 28: Something that you miss.

As someone who has travelled a fair amount, I would be lying if I didn't say that I missed all those experiences I had on the way. That said though I take solace in knowing there will be plenty more adventures to be had, so I can't really get caught up craving the past. Linked to the travels comes meeting a lot of wicked amazing people, some of whom have become so precious and close to me that I miss them tremendously whilst I'm back home. That goes the other way too, I miss my family and friends whilst I'm abroad. You can't win! Thank god for Skype.

Then naturally - like anyone else that has lost someone - you can't help but think about loved ones that have passed from time to time. And of course you miss them, it's a given to miss those lost. But for me it's become more of a missing of the memories, so I make sure to reflect on my time with someone I lost from time to time, and I can only smile at this stage in my life. It certainly wasn't always as easy as that! But time heals and you slowly figure out that there is nothing you can do but remember the good times.

Don't laugh you guys, but one of the things I miss the absolute most, and when I say most I mean everyday I note his lack of presence, is my cat Charlie. I miss him so much since moving interstate, this may make me sound like a crazy cat lady, but I love my Charlie an obscene amount. I miss rubbing his face in mine, and wearing him like a scarf. Charlie's love is endless, never overbearing, and he knows when I need a cuddle. It's hard not having him curl up in my knee nook every night, you grow accustom to such behaviour and routine.

Sigh… I'll stop typing now, before it gets weird.

It all comes down to this guy.
My little Prince.

Day 28 down, 2 days to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

99 problems.

Day 27: A problem that you have had.

Impossible for me to not be singing Jay Z right now...

Let's see, problems. Sure I've had problems, but I've never really had a huge problem that I've got hung up on. Other than when I was looking for work, but I stayed positive and it was okay in the end. Also when someone I love has a problem, that hits me, but you know, not technically my problem to blog about. I guess occasionally I suffer from your superficial day to day problems, I'm out of milk… problem. All my stockings have runs in them… problem. You see what I'm getting at. None of these things are even problems at all, just have toast and shave your bloody legs.

Nothing much gets me down, and when it does I talk it out. Then the problem is off my chest, and life can go back to being hassle free. I find staying positive and not seeing problems as problems makes for a pretty good lifestyle too. And when you do have a problem, vocalise it, keep your shit together (or at least pretend to!) and just keep on keeping on. It'll sort itself out eventually, and if not? There is always the hard liquor poison of your choice. Because as soon as you drink your problems away you wake up hungover and you realise that things could always be worse.

These are pretty funny.
Find the rest here:
http://www.fastcocreate.com/1683399/all-of-jay-z-s-99-problems-illustrated

Day 27 down, 3 to go.

The end is so close I can smell it.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: Just in case you were worried, I'd like to point out that I don't actually think that drinking is the answer to all problems.
Lesson: let's not ever take me too seriously you guys. Unless I say for realz. Then you know I'm business.

You had me at waffle fries (& tasty pies)

Day 26: What kind of person attracts you?

Aesthetics aside I'm drawn to those of a creative nature; there is nothing more intriguing than imagination, and to me that is the sexiest quality to discover in someone. Let's be honest a moment, although it all comes down to what a person is like on the inside, of course physical attraction plays a large part. You have to be somewhat attracted to someone's appearance in order to initiate a little something something. I know in the past I've found someone attractive only to change my mind the minute I discovered what kind of a person they were mentally, I've also had attraction blossom into full force due to having a conversation with someone that I hadn't even considered sexually. It's a weird thing this attraction business.

I wouldn't say I had a particular look I go for in a person, although my girlfriends would beg to differ! I swore I didn't fancy blondes, but that has since become a falsity. I never saw myself into long haired guys, but now I can't get enough of it. I've always been fond of a beard or moustache. I've never been able to handle a lot of body hair. I've enjoyed every colour eyes, and I find a nice smile killer! Especially when it breaks into the eyes and causes those little happy wrinkles. I'm quite scared of tall people, but I'd prefer to be with someone taller than me…

All visually pleasing aspects aside, I'm mostly just drawn to ridiculous conversation, uncontrollable laughter, and to the sort of people that don't take themselves too seriously. Not to say a healthy dose of maturity isn't on the menu! In the end though, I just want to endlessly converse with someone about everything and nothing in particular. But even more important still, I want to enjoy the silence.

Just incase you were wondering...

Day 26 down, 4 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Daddy Cool.

Day 25: Someone who fascinates you and why.

I could easily name plenty of people who fascinate me, some of which for delightful reasons, and some for sheer ridiculousness. But to choose one person who has consistently fascinated me for the longest time I would have to say my dad. AHA! You never saw that coming mum. I bet you were kicking back reading this thinking 'here we go, she's going to talk about how amazing I am again' and you would be right, you are amazing - I could go on about my love and admiration for my mother for a long long time - however this time round, it's dad's turn.

For you to best relate to how fascinating my dad is, think of Bill Murray and you will know exactly what I mean. You only have to sit down with the guy over a few cheeky brews and ask a simple question about his childhood and you'd be in for the longest night of giggles and entertainment. I've told him frequently that we need to sit down with a recording device and a few pints so I can get what I need to write up his memoirs.

My dad's stories wouldn't be much without the input of his three cheeky brothers, all characters in their own rights, as his poor lone sister knows all too well. Together they've built underground tunnels - packing the excess dirt between neighbours fences until they bowed, ran a 'casino' of sorts out of the backyard bungalow, convinced each other they're superman (resulting in plenty of hospital trips), and assisted their father in burying old junk in the backyard. I won't get further into story telling just now, I've got to save it for the biography after all! But there is also the tale of how my dad managed to woo my mum, a whole other novel on it's own. Let's just say he's a lucky boy, and she thought she knew better. But no one can resist the Dartnell charm.

Overall my dad will never cease to amaze me, and as much as the guy can drive me crazy at times, when it comes down to it he is bloody brilliant. Not to mention one cheeky bugger that has never quite grown up!

Young at heart forever.
Mum & dad.

Some dad's tell dad jokes, mine tells endless stories that are so good they're almost unbelievable. And to be fair I wouldn't believe them myself, if it weren't for the scars.

Love you daddy-o (you too mum)
Stay cool and stay off the golf course.

Day 25 down, 5 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Don't you (forget about me).

Day 24: Your favourite movie, and what it's about.

Who the hell can choose one favourite movie? Seriously, anyone?

Okay so as discussed with one of my lovely girlfriends on Skype yesterday, this question needs to be broken down into favourite films depending on moods. When I'm hungover I enjoy all day gore films, especially b-grade horror. I love it. Some of my favourite gore is Eli Roth's Hostel films, deliciously terrifying. Or the Grindhouse films, a perfect amount of gore and giggles. Natural Born Killers is killer (hey hey) Any Tarantino film makes me happy, but my personal favourite (this is hard!) is True Romance or maybe Reservoir Dogs. I use to answer that question Dusk till Dawn. That was the solo time I've had Clooney fever, and hotdog he looked good.

BUT THEN! There are the times when all I need is any and all Wes Anderson films. And of course times in which I need a little non-love-love movies, insert 500 Days of Summer - pure genius - Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist, and Electrick Children which blew my mind. What a concept and a journey. AND THEN!! The funny movies that you can watch a billion times over: CLUELESS! Whip It, Pineapple Express, Scott Pilgrim vs the World, Zoolander, Shaun of the Dead, Road Trip, Superbad, Mean Girls, Mallrats (Kevin Smith is a boss), The Big Lebowski… to name a few. Special mention to the book to film adaptions that are amazing on both sides of the spectrums: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Beach, Perks of Being a Wallflower, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, Fight Club... And to the classics that will never get old: Some Like it Hot, Deliverance, The Blues Brothers, A Fish Called Wanda, and who the hell doesn't love every John Hughes 80's classic! John Bender's fist pump at the end of The Breakfast Club kills me every time.

Geez sorry you guys, I got carried away for a moment there. But honestly there are just too many great films out there, and I haven't even began to serve those worthy justice! But if I was to delve into it we would be here for days, weeks, months and even years! Well definitely an epic couple of hours. Especially if I'm suppose to tell you what my favourite films are about, that's ridiculous, just go see them - it's the best solution - or hit up imdb. Ultimately I love so many films, and I'm a terribly indecisive person, so how could I possibly name just one? So I'm not going to do it, it's stressing me out!!!! Can you name one? Recommendations welcomed, just none of that chick flick business.

End rant.

Fist pump!

Day 24 down, 6 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Why, hello there good looking.

Day 23: Pictures of five famous guys you find attractive.

Too easy, here are the first five that came to my head without any thought. All predominately actors, yet possess many creative talents to boot. Without further ado! In no particular preference order, I've just taken the liberty of alphabetising for convenience...

1. Rory Culkin

What's not to love about all the Culkin brothers...
Especially Rory, due to the glorious hair.

2. James Franco

Seriously, this dudes eyes even smile.

3. Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Ever since I first saw 3rd Rock from the Sun back in the 90's
JGL kills it.

4. Matthew Gray Gubler

Real men wear dinosaur sweaters.

5. Elijah Wood
Circa '97 The Good Son - my first crush! And in recent times.

Mmm... how delightfully pervy.

And for all my viewers that prefer to ogle females, for your enjoyment here are five famous women that are unfairly attractive both physically and mentally.

1. Drew Barrymore

My favourite female actress of all time ever & forever.

2. Kat Dennings

Hilarious, sassy & has an amazing bod.
Envy.

3. Anna Kendrick

The girl next door that you want to marry your brother.

4. Mila Kunis

Mila Kunis.
Enough said.

5. Natalie Portman

Amazingly talented and incredibly beautiful.
Even with a shaved head.

I hope you enjoyed the collection.
Another day bites the dust, now there's only 1 week to go!

Day 23 down, 7 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Growing pains.

Day 22: How have you changed in the past two years?

The last two years of my life have been some of the most challenging and exciting years to date. Living abroad, falling in love for the first time, dealing with heartbreak, rekindling my love for myself, making snappy decisions to move interstate... A lot can happen in two years, in fact a hell of a lot can happen! But some things do stay the same, I'm still me, just a slightly more knowledgeable version of myself. I've grown more mentally (and undoubtably more mental), and I swear to god my feet have got bigger too! But that's kind of irrelevant. I've seen and learnt a little something something through meeting interesting characters, talking to new and old people, and experiencing new adventures. It's been pretty great.

Honestly I feel like I have really grown into myself as both an individual and a woman over these past couple years. I'm continuing to become more aware of my abilities and strengths, and of course my flaws; in which I strive to improve where possible and embrace where not. Overall I am mostly just learning more and more everyday who I am, and I've become increasingly confident within myself, which is a lovely change. I think in life we'll always continue developing into the person we're both meant to be and strive to be. You just tend to recognise your personal path as time carries on, and choose to do with it what you will. Be who you want to be. If someone was to ask me this same question in two years time I'll probably repeat a similar speech! There is always room for growth, and that's the beauty of life really.

Day 22 down, 8 days to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Twice as nice.

Unfortunately I did bad the other day and didn't have a free moment to blog. As a result I now have to make up for it with a double blog. That's right people, double super happy fun times!

Day 20: How important do you think education is?

The importance of an education should never be downplayed. That's not to say that those who go to school and university are smarter than those who don't, you live and you learn in life. I feel as human beings we should want to know more, no matter what our interests, there is always an opportunity to further ones knowledge if you dare to indulge. Whether you're a book guy, a class girl, or you forever watch the National Geographic channel, there is always potential to learn. And we need to learn, as the more you know the more you can contribute to the world. Smarts is not all books and mathematics, it's listening and taking on the words of others. If there is no room for further education and knowledge, how are we to continue growing as individuals? Education is the poo. So take a big whiff.

...Sorry guys, but sometimes in life one must quote Bring It On...

Day 20 down, 10 to go.

Day 21: One of your favourite TV shows.

This question should be a lot easier than it is, but I don't know that I could pick a lone television program that is my favourite. Like most girls I still replay and re-watch Sex & the City periodically, because I need to. But that doesn't necessarily make it my favourite, it sure comes close though. I have a running love hate relationship with TV, but these particular programs I find to be consistently good: American Horror Story, 2 Broke Girls, and Friends (especially now that I'm older). The first two of which I watch religiously. Oh sweet Kat Dennings, you sassy bit.

A special mention has to be made to Ren & Stimpy, Happy Tree Friends (this one could be argued as controversial coming from a vegan, haha) and Daria. Obviously there is a lot of great TV out there these days and I could sit here rattling off all the shows I love, and those that I wish I had the time to watch - Breaking Bad and Girls in particular are two programs I am dying to view! But I'm okay with mine being lazy at this present moment, I need pizza.

Does anyone out there have any fabulous program recommendation that it's absolutely vital for me to view before I die?

Day 21 down, 9 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Cheeky rabbit.

Day 18: Your beliefs.

I feel like I already answered this question when I did day 4: views on religion, so I'm not too sure what I can say without sounding like a broken record. That said I don't want to ride off the question completely, so here's a few random beliefs for you.

I believe there is nothing sexier than imagination.
I believe Robyn knows.
I believe self-expression is fierce.
I believe you're wonderful just as you are, so why the hell be anything else.

Obviously - like the rest of the world - I have a lot more personal beliefs I could babble on about, but let's face it no one has the free time on their hands to bother reading that. And I can't be bothered typing it! After all I have precious little time till I need to leave for work, and Kitty, Daisy & Lewis are playing. It's time to dance.

Day 18 down, 12 to go.

...I'm going to be a bit cheeky here and give you day 19 in advance. It may be cheating but I've been so good so far, so I'm okay with it! The reason being that my eldest brother and his wife are flying in tonight, and we're going to be on a winery tour from the early pickup time of 8am until most likely around 6pm by the time we get dropped home. And then I have to be a good host and feed them dinner and all, so you know, it's a hard life but someones gotta do it...

Day 19: Your fears.

Funny enough I covered my biggest fear on day 6 in my 30 useless pieces of information blog. Why do I keep ruining this challenge for myself?! I'm coming off as lazy, which you know sometimes it's nice to be a little lazy. Just a little though, otherwise you get out of your mind bored just sitting there. I must warn you, my fears other than jellyfish and seaweed go a little deeper, so I hope you can handle it and you don't drown. See what I did there?

Seriously though, I have what I'm sure is perfectly normal and common fears, that being the fear of not succeeding and finding happiness. Whether that be happiness in my relationships or happiness in my career. Whatever it is, I fear unhappiness and having any regrets. Regrets would be horrible. I also fear not achieving my life desires and dreams. I would be happy enough having just tried you know, at least attempted and fought for them. But I still can't help but fear way down the track looking back and feeling unfulfilled. That honestly scares the shit out of me.

Day 19 down, 11 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

High times.

Day 17: Your highs and lows of the past year.

I was talking to a friend this morning about how much a year can change everything. Possibilities and adventure can be potentially endless if you open yourself up to them. To the point, this past year flew by for me and I well and truly rode the emotional roller-coaster for longer than I cared for. Several people I love were having a rough year, illness, mentality, coming to terms with growth and separation. It was the kind of stuff that everyone will go through in one way or another at one (or several) points in their life. But having three people affected was quite heavy as I am extremely emotionally invested in my friends and family. As a result last year was filled with highs and a depressing amount of lows, and I was exhausted by the end of it.

Insert high! Thankfully I took a trip late last year to Los Angeles to catch up with friends before meeting up with one of my favourite people in New York for a three week adventure. I won't go into that as I've blogged it in the past, but I will say that I needed that trip and I was so thankful for it. Although I did have a few emotional moments during it, I mostly just let loose and left all my troubles behind so to say. My mind was clear and it was a brilliant end to the year. Coming home I was refreshed and ready to be there for my loved ones again if and when they needed me. It was safe to say though, that all of us were ready to welcome a new year and a fresh start. On a positive note 2014 has been kind of brilliant so far.

In summary, life is full of little ups and downs. And even though the low times may feel endless when your amongst them, I guarantee those highs will swing by again and make it all worth it. You just have to stay strong and have the shoulders and ears of some good people, and together you'll be capable of getting through anything. Also it never hurts to laugh, a laugh is a smile that bursts. It's also therapeutic when you feel helpless, and for when you feel as though you're going batshit crazy. In the end we're all just after a little happiness, because life is nothing without those high times.

Day 17 down, 13 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Kinda sorta maybe.

Day 16: Your views on mainstream music.

Growing up in my household there was a diverse range of music to be experienced and enjoyed as my dad and older brothers are all enthusiasts. As a result I've grown up listening to the classics from ACDC to Zeppelin, which I am very thankful for my father having blast through the speakers over my 27 years causing my hearing to suffer, of course a worthy sacrifice. There were a lot of musical phases that came with both my brothers influence as well. Metal, Indie, Alternative, the list goes on. I also went through quite the punk phase in high school, all on my own. One thing for sure, I will be forever thankful for my both my brother's input on my musical playlists over the years, they've opened my ears to many glorious sounds.

Oh my god. I remember looking up to my eldest brother with his than long rock & roll hair. He was in a metal band, aka: he used to scream into a microphone with friends, and I just thought he was the coolest. I embarrassingly took to an old oversized white t-shirt I stole from him once with a sharpie and wrote KORN on it to impress him. I lived in that makeshift band tee for longer than I care to admit. My brother had me convinced it was cool as we swung our heads around aggressively...

To this day some of my favourite musicians to sing along to are still Tom Petty, The Cars, Eurythmics, Elvis, and of course The Beatles. And although Bowie will forever be my god, Alex Turner is definitely on that pedestal with him. Arctic Monkeys are my favourite band and I really feel like I have grown with them since first hearing the album Whatever People Say I am, That's What I'm Not. They are so delicious. As for mainstream music, it's out there and of course some of it is good and some of it is complete utter shit; it all depends on your preferences and taste. Just because I love Roy Orbison does not mean I can't love Miley Cyrus. I was pleasantly surprised by her album and I think she did a great job. Will I be listening to it in ten years time? Probably not.

I tend to go through moments were I think that music has become a little disposable and it's kind of depressing. I hope you don't read that wrong way, but it just seems as though there is a lot of music getting pumped out so quick and I worry there isn't enough love been put into the production. It seems easy (so to say) to release an album that the masses will listen to today, but goddamn it it sure ain't easy to make that record that people will still be playing decades down the track. That said I imagine myself still busting moves to JT and Lady GaGa well into my 80's, ain't no metal hip going to stop me.

Day 16 down, 14 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Postscript: technically I got this entry in on day 17 as it's half past midnight here, but as I haven't gone to bed yet I think that it's still kind of day 16. And that it is perfectly acceptable to the challenge. Goodnight lovelies, pleasant Bowie filled dreams.

Stumbling tumblring tweets.

Day 15: What are your favourite Tumblr accounts?

To be honest I'm still trying to figure out how this whole Tumblr business works, as with Stumble Upon and Twitter... It was a mere fortnight ago that I discovered what hashtags do, I'm still not convinced I know what the point of it all is? Hashtags make me nervous and I'd rather just deal in hash-browns personally. Anyway here's a wee list of nine different Tumblr accounts I follow who post several pleasing tidbits, listed in no particular order:

1. http://gublernation.tumblr.com to feed my Gubler crush.
2. http://funnyordie.tumblr.com for when I want to laugh until it hurts.
3. http://hellogiggles.tumblr.com for everything girl-necessary.
4. http://the-final-sentence.tumblr.com because it's amazing.
5. http://bookshelfporn.com for when I need to see something sexy.
6. http://maximumstoked.tumblr.com because the comics are max awesome. duh.
7. http://freepeople.tumblr.com for a boho-hippy fashion fix.
8. http://www.humansofnewyork.com for people watching.
9. http://catscatscatss.com this one is self explanatory.

In case you weren't aware I do have a Tumblr myself. If you have absolutely nothing at all better to do? Feel free to check it out via the tab labelled 'tumblr' above this blog entry. I'd promise you that you won't regret it, but some people just aren't into cats... weirdos.

Day 15 down, 15 to go.
That's right people, we're half way there!

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Tango with the Wolf Man, Salsa with the shark.

Day 14: Your earliest memory.

I don't know if you've noticed the trend here or not? But I have serious mental issues. More to the point, I constantly struggle to remember past events that exceed the more recent years of my life. Not to say I forget everything, it just takes me a moment or twenty billion to reminisce. Or even just to decipher what was in fact real or what just happened in my own mind. So I could dig back and wrack my brain for my earliest memory to share, or I could tell you my earliest memory of today.

My earliest memory today was the dream I was having before waking up confused and a little impressed by my own imagination. I couldn't tell you whether mine being impressed was in a good way or a creeped out way, impressed nonetheless. You see I was dreaming that I was wrestling a shark that kept jumping out of the water hell bent on eating me - lord knows what his problem was. And you know how it is in dream world, you never do the practical and run the hell away from a shark by moving inland. Nah, that would be boring. So there I was wrestling shark and what knot, and I sure gave a good go of it! I wrestled that bitch to the ocean floor, I grabbed his tail fin and swung him around over my head, which honestly isn't too far fetched given everything is weightless in water. By the end of it the shark swam away and climbed up onto a little sand dune defeated, and whilst doing so he turned into Zach Galifianakis.

I wonder what those cheesy dream decoder books would have to say about that? Anyway you guys, I'll leave you with that tale. Because quite frankly it's got to be more interesting then me waffling on about my earliest memory way back when. I was a happy kid, a real dreamer, I just didn't dream about Zach Galifianakis then... which is probably for the best. Maybe one time - if you're lucky - I'll tell you about my James Franco dream in which he was the Wolf Man. Alternatively you could all try drinking some late night chocolate soy milk yourselves and seeing if he pays you a little visit.

Goodnight lovely dreamers.
May the force be with you.

Chuck Norris.

Day 14 down, 16 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Concrete jungle dreamer.

Day 13: Somewhere you would like to move or visit.

As I've previously mentioned I have a massive desire to study abroad, my number one choice destination being New York City.

I've been lucky enough over the years to visit New York a handful of times; focusing on the touristy bits when I went with my parents, a combination of tourism and partying with my brother, and most recent soaking up Greenpoint (Brooklyn) and the East Village with my bestie by renting apartments through air bnb - superb & thrifty alternative to hotels. I hands down loved the whole 'living like a local' experience - as per usual - rather than rushing about like a madman ticking off sights and must sees. Not that the Statue of Liberty wasn't cool, or the view from the Empire was anything but EPIC. I'd personally just rather get a kalamata baguette from the farmers market and sit and people watch in Central Park, which is kind of touristy come to think of it...

There really is just something about New York City though. The Big Apple, the city that never sleeps, Gotham City, the concrete jungle where dreams are made... Oh, okay I'll stop. In all seriousness, from the way people move with the city to how you could walk in any which direction and find something to keep yourself occupied. New York is one of the greatest places in the world. Refreshingly diverse, not to mention vibrant and inspiring. I knew straight away as I settled into our all-too-temporary East Village studio, if I was to live and study abroad anywhere in the whole world, New York was it.

Someone actually proposed to his girlfriend whilst we were sat here.
Cheesy but brilliant.

Day 13 down, 17 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Bang Bang.

Day 12: Bullet your whole day.

-Threw the doona off to force myself out of bed
-Went to the bathroom to wash my face
(I also peed, but let's leave the bathroom talk out of this)
-Put on the coffee machine, made coffee
-Sat down at laptop, checked the inter web, drank coffee
-Got sad when coffee was finished
-Started typing out this blog
-Thought about how much I want to Skype numerous people
-Looked in coffee mug to confirm it really was empty
-Got up and turned on the grill
(our toaster doesn't fit any bread or crumpet in it)
-Reluctantly rinsed coffee mug
-Took vitamins
-Put crumpets under grill
-Sat down, waited for crumpets
-Got up and rotated crumpets
-Grabbed yoga mat
-Sat down to wait for crumpets
-Smelt burnt crumpet
-Spread extra peanut butter & Vegemite to mask burntness on crumpets
-Ate crumpets
-Got clothes ready for work
-Had a shower, dried, got dressed
-Drove to work
-Remembered I didn't do yoga, got sad, but figured I'd done it the past 2 days so whatever
-Worked (I won't dot point that, it's retail - y'all know the drill)
-Got off work, drove to the grocery store
-Bought groceries...
-Drove home, took off pants & unpacked groceries
-Shoved a heaps of crisps in my mouth as I was starved
-Contemplated doing yoga, ate more crisps
-Poured a Gin and Limonada
-Sat down to update blog and chill
-Put on pyjamas
(I made the executive decision to stay in as I had a headache all arvo)
-Welcomed my brother home and had him order pizza (TGIF y'all)
-Finished drink (priorities) took out trash, washed dishes
-Drove around the corner to pick up pizza
-Came home, made another drink, ate pizza whilst watching AFL
-Finished eating, moved to my room
-Started watching Freaks & Geeks whilst enjoying my Gin and Limonada
-Realised that I hadn't really lived up until now... and continued to watch Freaks & Geeks all evening.
-I called it. I'm writing in the rest of the bullet points before they happen so I can post this bitch and get back to my stories.
-Brushed my teeth, washed my face, blah blah blah
-Slept all snug like a bug in a rug

FREAKS AND GEEKS!!!!!

I hope this was truly riveting for you all.

Day 12 down, 18 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Shuffle Shimmy Shazam.

Day 11: Put your iPod on shuffle & list the first 10 songs that play.

Thank god I own an iPod, could have been awkward...

1. Pnau - Again
2. Korn - Twist
3. CocoRosie - Miracle
4. Sha-na-na - Blue Moon
5. Kasabian - Switchblade Smiles
6. Queens of the Stone Age - Another Love Song
7. Ben Lee - American Television
8. Pearl Jam - Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town (epic title)
9. Pink Floyd - Speak To Me
10. Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness

It took me a few minutes to figure out how to actually put my iPod on shuffle, but I got there in the end, and the results made for a fun mashup. My favourite was Sha-na-na of course, Grease was full of epic tracks. I was fearing the 10 songs would include Ke$ha, Miley Cyrus, The Vengaboys & such... not that I have those on my iPod *cough* I think I'll leave my iPod on shuffle until I have to go to work now, I'm enjoying it. Here's song 11 in video form because it didn't make the cut.

Day 11 down, 19 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.

Love & kisses.

Day 10: Discuss your first love and first kiss.

My first love and my first kiss happened in what feels like two separate lifetimes. My very first kiss takes me back to fourth grade and my birthday party (around my 9th). It was with my kind of boyfriend as far as 9-year-old relationships go, in the predictable cut the cake scenario, you know if the knife comes out dirty you have to kiss the closest boy or girl. Matt and I had only held hands up until then, and to be honest holding hands was kind of a big deal! Needless to say when we pecked each other on the lips we both got giggly and red faced as all my girlfriends of the time pulled Oh.My.God faces and laughed liked it was the craziest thing they had ever seen. Mum has a photo of the moment somewhere actually, one girlfriends expression is absolute gold, I'll have to try and dig it up when I'm back in Melbourne. Anyway that 'relationship' didn't stand the test of time, I called it off, probably because it was moving way too fast and kissing boys was disgusting. Matt now goes by the name 360 and apparently is a big deal in the Aussie rap scene.

Moving on to what some may argue is my first 'real' kiss, you know the first one with tongue and saliva and all that magical stuff. It was such a sham, and I was terrified to kiss anyone again for the next couple years; seriously you only need ask my boyfriend of a few weeks in year 9, I was scarred by that experience. He was an Eminem wannabe - don't laugh that was the thing at the time - and basically it was really wet, and not in a good way. It was as though he was spitting in my mouth and he thought it was sexy, it was anything but, but how was I to know the difference? Horrible, just horrible. I was sure I'd die a virgin after that incident. As it turned out my second french kiss was delightful after I made him wait all those weeks for a smooch. Kissing has definitely gained its appeal over the years, it's one of the best things in the world when it's done right. It can even be that good that you forget about the dreaded pash-rash and severely chapped lips.

When it comes to discussing my first love it isn't quite so simple as there is two particular loves, one being the real deal and the other being a blissful ignorance. My first boyfriend was everything I could have asked for in an introduction to a semi-adult relationship, we were happy and had loads of fun together. Everything was a laugh and we never once had a fight or argument. I thought it was love at the time, looking back I know it wasn't real love, but instead the perfect balance of lust and friendship. To this day I'm still happy with that relationship, even though it got a little messy emotionally that one time and we did the breakup makeup dance a couple times over. I haven't had an official boyfriend so to say since that one and only, but I've dated some great guys that would have made wonderful boyfriends no doubt if our timing had been better. The funny thing about meeting someone (seemingly) perfect is that that's not always enough, timing can be an absolute bitch.

My first and only real love to date was the most imperfect perfect guy, and I still have a great amount of love for him now, and it wouldn't surprise me if I always do - he was my first true love after all. I really hope that we remain friends forever, because I could never get bored of his imagination nor would I tire of our brains hanging out. He's just an awesome dude, and I have all the time in the world for an individual like him. He is also the reason I wrote the very first paragraph of the novella I've been in and out of working on, so you know I can't not be grateful for that, I'm proud of what I've produced there - even if it's taking me a lifetime to finish it! Cheers dude :)

Over all I wish every guy I've ever dated and known the best of luck in finding that right person, and I hope that that old bitch timing doesn't shit allover your parade. You were all wonderful in your own way and you deserve to feel firework inducing happiness. Even that slobber gangster that I frenched with in year 7 - I still convulse when I think of that - even that guy deserves a little loving, I'm sure he meant well... I wish I could have told you that my first kiss and love made me weak at the knees, and fireworks exploded in the heavens, and we shared a milkshake with straws, and we roller-skated hand in hand, and it was epic! But unfortunately it wasn't a fairytale. But that's okay because I will have that one day, and in the meantime I'll roam free and continue to meet wonderful folk along the way. And one day I'm sure I'll have some cheesy arse fairytale love to sing about, inducing involuntary projectile vomit. How romantic.

Day 10 down, 20 to go.

&.the.bohemian.girl.xx.