Moving Out | "Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands."

So this is it, this is the year that I'm moving out. Expect another post on this when I've moved and I'm settled in... It's exciting, but God damn, it's terrifying. I've never lived away from home for more than 2 weeks before and this time it's for good. I currently live in Bristol, a big city with everything I could possible want or need on my doorstep. I've spent 21 years in the same place, people coming and going out of my life and it's finally time for me to move on. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss this part of the country so much. It's all I've ever known. Starting completely from scratch in an area I don't really know, but I'm just excited for this adventure to begin.

Bristol. My home.

With my boyfriend being in the Royal Air Force, I will be packing my life away and moving half way up the country. It's a crazy thought being so far away from my family, my friends and my job, but it's something I need to do. People keep asking me if it's a good idea to leave everything behind, but if I don't do it now while I'm young, when will I do it? We get comfortable in one place and never go and experience other things. For a long time, I've been starved of inspiration and motivation to do the things I usually love and I'm really hoping this change will ignite my fire again. 

Luckily for me, we will be moving up to Lincolnshire which is where Danny grew up and his family still live, so I'm not completely unfamiliar with that territory and it won't feel completely alien to me. Lincolnshire is such a beautiful area and it's SO flat. Hills are pretty much my arch enemy, so this is a great factor for me. If you ever get to go to Lincoln in your life, there is a Cathedral (see below) which is so stunning you would be a fool not to visit it. The only problem is that it's basically at the top of the biggest hill I've ever seen, accurately named 'Steep Hill'. 

Lincoln Cathedral, Lincolnshire.

Friends come and go, but family are for life. This is something I need to remember as I'm so nervous about drifting away from my family. Even though I might not see them everyday, or speak to them when I want to, I know that they will always be there. It's always going to be hard to just pack up and leave when you're so familiar with this routine but there has to be a time where you think about what is best for yourself. As much as I'm nervous about this new chapter of my life, I am so ready for it, and when I say ready, I mean that half my life is already packed away in boxes. I even have a whole box just for candles alone (I really love candles...). I will definitely miss Bristol and everything I've come to know here, but it's time for me to move on.

The view from my room/Lots of boxes already...


I'm hoping that in this change, I can find myself. 
I'm ready for you, adventure. Come at me.

Have any of you moved out? How did you find that experience? If you have any tips, leave them in the comments!

2014 Resolutions | "There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self."

It's almost the end of January, so I'm aware this is a bit late, but better late than never right?
Every year I tell myself I'm going to make a new years resolution and stick to it. Every year I'll get to the third week of January and those resolutions are a thing of the past. I love having the start of a new year as motivation to better myself and this year I am more determined than ever to achieve my goals.

Firstly, Lose weight.

This is my main goal for this year. I don't care if it takes me 12 months, or 3 months. I want to feel more comfortable in myself and with my body. I want to be able to wear gorgeous clothes and not feel like a complete monster in them. I would be more than happy with a size 10.
I'm making changes to my lifestyle, and although they might not be completely concrete at the moment, I'm really happy with the progress I'm making. Losing a few pounds in these last few weeks has already made a difference in how I feel, which is great! I can't wait to be able to be proud to stand in a full length picture, rather than feel like I have to hide behind other people.
If you have any tips, feel free to share them.

Be more positive. 

Anyone that knows me knows I'm not exactly the most positive of people and I'm really trying to change that. I'm trying my hardest to see the sunshine in rainy situations. It's amazing how just ignoring the negative feelings can make me feel so free from this cage I've kept myself in for so long.
I've stopped regretting things that I've done or being upset about situations out of my control, started believing that it all happens for a reason and getting on with it. The past is the past and we can't change what has happened, only grow from it.
2014 is going to hold so many amazing experiences for me, and I'm really excited to see where it takes me.

Save as much money as humanly possible.

This year I'm finally flying the nest and moving in with my boyfriend (hurrah!). It feels like such a long time coming and there are no words to explain how excited I am. It's a completely new experience for me and I have no idea what what to expect but the mystery just makes it all so much more exciting. We've already been looking at houses online and I've gotten a bit ahead of myself saving lots of furniture and accessories to my favourites. Oops. Luckily where we are looking at buying, house prices aren't horrendous, because money saving isn't the easiest when your job doesn't pay that much per week/month.

Do something for charity.

I don't do enough for charity at all. Apart from posting about wanting people to become organ donors (you really should join, if you haven't already). I really haven't done anything and I feel awful about it. My pub throw out so much food daily, and it really bothers me that it can't go to the homeless so I'd love to do something for those less fortunate than I am. It doesn't matter how big or small what I do is, I just want to help. In my bid to get fit and healthy, I would aim to eventually do a charity run and get sponsored to it. It won't be this year, but never the less, I should (really should) probably start training soon...

So, these are my resolutions. Do you have any? How are you getting on with them?