joyce goes

BUZZING FOR THE OSCARS 2016

2016-02-28T17:26:00.000+00:00

It's finally Oscar Sunday (even though by the time we watch it it'll be Monday, but hey) and therefore my favorite day in February. While in other years we have gone all out in terms of food and Oscar Bingo, this year (and I blame this on my Uni peeps) it was all about the films and who is going to win. In a way this is obviously what it should be about, but this year we raised the stakes a little and created our own Oscar pool, with money and all. SO IT IS ON! I think I have never seen that many nominated films before the ceremony, hands down. I will list some of my favorites down below. Anyways, everyone in our group obviously wants to win and prove that we know what's going down in Hollywood and sometimes that ain't pretty. So let's all hope I will be the glorious winner of 20 quid (and therefore beat my teacher, who is also taking part) haha.

Meanwhile, we are obviously still very excited for the food opportunities.

I am OBSESSED with these popcorn cakes/balls- for tonight, I will make the slightly easier cake version on the left side. Loving the sweet and salty combination. You can find the recipe here.

If you also want to create your own last minute Oscar pool, here you go.

My favorite Oscar nominated films this year are:

Honestly, the first 40min of the film are pure WTF. But then this weirdo of a film just starts to grow on you (and this is coming from a strong disliker of action films haha)

I have been looking forward to this film for what felt like ages. Brie Larson so deserves that Oscar!

Just a great film and so impressive coming from a first time director!

Everyone (!!!!!!!!!) needs to see this film. I LOVE IT SO SO SO MUCH and I want it to have 2356 sequel babies.

A new header!

2016-02-21T00:19:00.000+00:00

We have a new header, ladies and gentlemen!

A very big shout out goes to my lovely friend Mona, who helped me when I struggled with photoshop ("you know you can edit pictures in Word, right?" hahah ♥).

I also changed the welcome image to your right and parts of the "about me" page.

Other than that,

have a great Sunday!

Business Card Inspiration

2016-02-19T10:00:00.000+00:00

In preparation for Cannes, I need to get some business card printed.

My Pinterest boards are proof that I am a freaking sucker for anything printed that's also pretty. Notebooks, postcards, wall prints and other use~~less~~ful things- you name it. However, I can't buy all these beautiful prints because I already have way too many for my one bedroom- and it's too expensive. So my compromise is my digital life: I LOVE changing my desktop and phone backgrounds a lot because I can always find prettier designs. Choosing the design for my business card (which you actually give to people, so even more important) is HARD! You have to think about what you like personally, but also what you think other people will think about it and what it says about you. Clearly, I like pretty things. But does my business-card-recipient care about that? I'm not a designer, so maybe not so much.

There are my absolute favorite designs I found on Zazzle. It's like business card heaven. So here are my favorite designs. Nothing more boring than plain business cards, am I right?

Don't even get me started on the format. You can have square ones, round edges and skinny ones. How do you even choose? I love when you play around with the profession- there are so many clever ones for marketers, designers, photographers.. or whatever really! Pinterest has amazing suggestions, if you are looking for some inspiration. I have embedded a widget to a board for business card inspo. Personally, I eventually went for the turqouise/golden design in the top right. Hopefully they will look just as amazing in real life!

Follow Joyce Goes's board Business Card LOVE on Pinterest.

If you want to make your own customised business cards from any of the designs above, just click down here. You can get 25% off business cards until the end of April with this code: BIZCARDEAL25.

My Likes
by Joyce D

Cannes Film Festival

2016-02-15T23:04:00.004+00:00

Today I thought I am gonna talk about THE MOST EXCITING THING that is going to happen this year (well, that I know of at least). Part of my course is a placement in Cannes during the super famous film festival. I remember having a slight heart attack when I read this on the course website, months before even applying. I mean, this is the most prestigious freaking film festival in the world and we are supposed to WORK there this year?

The devil is in the details I guess, because we don't just get assigned a company and off we go- we have to apply and get a placement ourselves. However, the uni provides us with an apartment and flights, so that makes everything much easier.

I cannot tell you HOW excited I am- every time I think about it it feels too absurd (it's not like we are gonna walk the red carpet next to Leo, but STILL!). I can't wait to be in the middle of it all, see how films are being sold and bought and hyped and destroyed. And because all of this is really exciting, my resolution is to film (or vlog, I guess) everything I can- and if it's not too embarrassing I guess I will share it here, haha.

So yeah- May will be one exciting month!

A week in London.

2016-01-31T19:32:00.002+00:00

As part of my MA in Film Distribution and Marketing we visited London for the week and met up with loads of different companies. Now you need to know two things before I move on:

1. If you want to work in film distribution/marketing in the UK, the only place to be is London.
2. I have been pretty much telling everyone how I don't want to move to London.

The point of this week was to see all these people in different companies and jobs, from home entertainment to sales to exhibition, and ask them loads of questions. Some companies were studios such as 20th Century Fox or Universal, some were independent distributors such as Soda Pictures or Altitude. We also visited a lab that processes film and Pinewood Studios, where they are currently shooting the new Star Wars. To say this week was 'cool' is a huge understatement. It was AWESOME to see these influential people and hear them talk about their jobs. You pick up and learn things that you couldn't do by just googling the company.
And guess what? I think some of the confusion about life has been slightly lifted. I have a clearer idea about what job I want to go for. I mean, HOW GOOD IS THAT? (It is international sales, just fyi)
Also about what I said before, my aversion towards living in London has decreased. Slightly.
Baby steps here.

So after convincing myself that I want to try and work in Germany, I have now opened up a whole new can of worms. Working in the UK is back in the game. AAH!

Sailing in Croatia with Medsailors

2016-01-24T11:00:00.000+00:00

I have mentioned before that my friend and I went to Croatia last summer, as a graduation treat. I have heard of this kind of holiday from a girl that writes the blog The Londoner. The Yacht Week offers a week-long exploration of Croatia (and other countries) on a yacht, with other like minded people. Sun, clear waters, booze, parties, and generally a hell of a good time. You can book a whole yacht with your friends, or if you need some more people on your boat, you can find someone on specifically set up Facebook pages. We tried to do that for a little while, but we all know how facebook stalking and the assumptions you make about strangers can influence your thinking. We never found a perfect yacht crew and by that point, my friend suggested another company.
Medsailors.

They pretty much offer the same thing as the Yacht Week:

A week on a yacht, eight people on a yacht plus skipper, parties, wine tasting, amazing sunsets, etc...

Their prices are much more transparent than the ones from the Yacht Week, because with Medsailors, you can simply book a cabin or a bed. You do not need to fill a yacht with eight people. This was a great thing for us, because it was just me and my friend.

Route

We chose the Discovery route, which leaves from Split and goes back there at the end of the week. There is another route called Voyager, where there is more sailing involved. Here you leave from Split but end up in Dubrovnik.

Prices

The prices for the week include most of the basics:

Seven days’ accommodation on board your own yacht
Breakfast and lunch prepared fresh every day
No extra charges: bring your own drinks on board
Drinking water supplied by MedSailors
Learn how to sail with your qualified skipper
Hire your own yacht with friends or book as a solo traveller or couple
Paddleboards free of charge
Discounted day trips, scooter and car hire

Depending on the date, they range from £414 to £515. What is not included is the following:

£60pP for a pre departure tax (including petrol etc)
all the dinners you eat (mostly around 100kunas and upwards)
any kinds of snacks (and you want snacks, cause swimming makes you hungry!)
tip for the skipper
transportation to or from the departure port (you don't really leave from Split, but Trogir, a whole different part)

Depending on when you book, you start by paying a £100 deposit per person. The rest of the money is due around 6 weeks before the departure.

Other costs

I think I spent quite a lot of money on the whole trip. Denise and I arrived in Split a day before departure and had two more days in Split after we went off board (fun story: we were 100% sure that the trip ended on Saturday, but actually it already ended on Friday. Obviously we didn't book any accommodation for that haha). Medsailors recommends about 250-300kunas for each day as an allowance. I would say that is about right if you are modest in drinks and don't buy any souvenirs or other fun things. The places you visit are not really as cheap as the rest of Croatia can be. They are quite touristy and depending on your season, crowded. That didn't bother me though. A lot of the swimming spots we visite were secluded and super beautiful and because you were on a boat most of the time, it felt like a special take on Croatia that most of the tourists don't experience on the mainland/islands.

You also have to think about getting there and back. We took a super long bus from Munich to Split (14h, such fun) for about 70€. Flying is obviously much faster and nicer, and the airport of Split is connected well enough for you to get the places you need to. I would recommend staying in Trogir the night before you leave, because it is really convenient for going on board. Trogir is small but quite cute, so not that bad in general. I flew home with Germanwings, directly from Split to Hanover and it also cost about 70€. There are not that many routes available from that airport, so that is something to think about as well.

The boats

Living on a yacht for a week is cool, in theory. In reality it means that you have to get used to the weird bathroom system on board or train yourself only to go when you are on land. We did the latter, haha. You dock every day around afternoon/early evening time, and most nights you are staying in the marina, which means you can get on to land via a plank. Two nights we anchored in a bay and had to take a little motor boat to land.

The boat itself has a downstairs inside area with 4 bedrooms with either two bunkbeds or one bigger mattress. It also has two bathrooms with a toilet and a shower and a kitchen with a sitting area. Upstairs there is another sitting area and the deck where you can sunbathe. The size was just fine, although you do spend most of your time on deck and not downstairs. Walking around on deck is seriously not as fun as it looks like and most of the time I was scared of falling of, haha.

Seasickness?

Seasickness was a serious concern for me beforehand. I have been on a variety of boats and ships before and most of the time, I got seasick. I cannot stand the motions and it just messes with my tummy. THANK GOODNESS this didn't happen in Croatia. Almost all of the time the sea was veeeeery calm and it was all smooth sailing (haha). I did have these chewing gums against motion sickness with me and I took them whenever I was below deck. This is where is really hits you and it gets to your head. Weirdly it is fine when you are sleeping haha, but walking around below deck is horribly when you are moving.

The worst combination is obviously being hungover and below deck, so I don't even wanna mention that. Being hungover and on the upper deck is still horrible and gets you laughed at, but at least there is a fresh breeze. Jumping in the water is also a kind of cure for a hangover, let me tell ya. The sea is like a magical hangover cure.

Generally I wouldn't worry about being seasick. It's mostly smooth and more fun that anything else.

The people

Your crew is like your family. You eat and sleep together and if they are annoying, I can imagine that it can ruin a part of your trip. We were ridiculously lucky and ended up with six of the sweetest Australian boys, that gave us the best room on the boat, let us play our music if we wanted, and shared everything from shoes and sunscren to drinks with us. In the beginning, everyone had their own water bottle labelled with their name on it. By the end we all just drank from the same one, haha. It was great because everyone was respectful of each other and we became friends in no time. The skipper is supposed to be a helpful companion during that week, providing you with recommendations for restaurants and places to go etc. We did not really get that part because our skipper was brandnew to Medsailors and has never sailed that route before. It was annoying at times, but looking back on it, it doesn't change my feelings about the week.

The program

Medsailors has put together a great route that makes for a great week on board. Every evening there is an (optional) program, such as a dinner or a wine tasting or just a recommended bar with free shots (haha). I think we went to every dinner they organised and it was nice hanging out with the other Medsailor people. Especially the wine tasting on the second night is awesome, it takes place at a beautiful vineyard with fun donkeys and dogs- an unforgettable evening and a great night to bond with your new friends (see the picture above). My favorite day was the on in Vis. The island is absolutely beautiful and you are parked right in the middle of town. We rented scooters and a really old green VW Beatle. The island is really small so driving to the other side doesn't take that long. The road there is windy and very hilly. You make your way slowly up to the top of the hill and can see the bay and the water and it is just glorious. We drove back just when the sun was about to set and it was the most beautiful drive.

Booking & Safety

You book the whole trip online and can access your booking afterwards through their portal. The booking process was straightforward and when we called their customer service, they provided great service as well. Online you can add in your passenger details, as in your dietary requirements and emergency details etc. During the week there is a guest service manager with your flotilla, who you can always approach about anything. All the skippers generally know each other quite well, so it's like having a nice family for the week (although they do get very competitive when it comes to sailing).

Learning to sail

I was quite excited for learning how to sail. During the week the water was so smooth that we only put up the sail once, all other times we just had the motor on. The other things such as dropping the anchor and helping the skipper mostly were done by the boys. I know, girlpower etc, but the boys were really eager and I was a little scared of falling over board. Even walking over the plank was scary for me haha (especially when you are a little tipsy, oh lord).

I would recommend this trip to EVERYONE who likes the sea and a good time. Medsailors offers these trips in Croatia, Greece and Turkey. I definitely want to try the Greece route next time, or do the Croatia Voyager route. The best thing about this holiday is that it caters to all kinds of people. If you want to chill and just tan, you can do that. If you want to party every night, go ahead. If you go on a boat with your boyfriend/girlfriend, that is fine too. The Medsailors people try and match you with like-minded people, which is why you have to answer one or two questions when you book the trip. If I remember correctly it is something like "do you want to party a lot, a little or not at all" and your age group. So technically you cannot go wrong with this holiday- although I would recommend being between the age of 20-35, otherwise it would be a little weird. Maybe leave you parents at home for this one.

If you are not convinced, I have two more things to add:

1. YOU CAN SEE DOLPHINS (I spotted them about two or three times)

2. These pictures are not lying. I promise everything will be even more beautiful in reality.

If you are not convinced now I don't know what's wrong with you.

(all pictures from https://www.instagram.com/medsailors/)

USEFUL FOR LIVING ABROAD: #1 TransferWise

2016-01-20T11:00:00.000+00:00

This is the start of a series I wanna call 'Useful services for living abroad'.

Starting with TransferWise, which I unfortunately only discovered last year but pretty much changed the way I transfer money. FOR THE BETTER.

For the past four and a half years, I transferred money between Germany and the UK for at least once a month. During my semester abroad in Texas, I did the same between Germany and the US. Sooooo many times I was frustrated by the amount I received and the fees I had to pay.

For every SEPA transfer that came in from my German account, my Scottish Bank RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland) charges me 7 freaking quid. Everytime, no matter how small of large the sum of money. Additionally, the exchange rate was horrible and I felt sad everytime I had to make this transfer. Let's not talk about transferring money from the UK to Germany, because apparently that would at least cost £35 in fees. Ridiculous, to say the least.

For my MA here in Birmingham I pay quite a lot of tuition, something that I didn't have to pay in Scotland. So not only was I looking at transferring money each month but also transferring a lot of money. I did not want to lose money to a horrible exchange rate and started googling for alternatives. I stumbled upon TransferWise. This project has been backed up by Richard Branson and was developed by the founders of Skype. After more research I conidered them safe to use and went ahead and transferred some money from my German account to my UK one. It is not only super fast (2 days, maximum!) but also safe and transparent. I can see the fees they charge me (about 1 or 2€, depending on the amount) and the exchange rate. Instead of an annoying bank transfer, I can use a kind of direct debit (Sofortüberweisung for the Germans) and it works perfectly.

This video explains how you do the transfer. When you have made the transfer, you can track the progress of it and you also receive status updates via email if you like. I wish I had known about this service before, it would have saved me sooo much money. Actually really depressing to think about it. That's why I have made it my mission to share this with everyone who transfers money abroad.

If you like this service and might make us of it, sign up here: https://transferwise.com/

By signing up through this link you will receive a free first transfer (if it's under £$€3000). Signing up is obviously free. And for transparency, yes, for every three people that sign up through my link and make a transfer, I receive £100. But even if I didn't, I would still tell the whole world about it.

This is a company I have full faith in and I hope they will get much much bigger, so that eventually everyone will know about this.
Let me know if you have any questions :)

10 things you should know before moving to Edinburgh...

2016-01-17T11:00:00.000+00:00

If you (lucky bastard) are thinking about moving to Edinburgh, here is a list of things you should know and consider before doing so. But let me tell you, each negative aspect is outweighed by ten positive things.

1. Your uniform includes wellies and a rain coat (oh and you gotta get over your hair looking good)

2. You will have to try haggis. You will LOVE it, sooner or later.

3. The combination of wind and single glazed windows creates a beautiful symphony of draft. Get used to it.

4. Cancel all plans you have for August, because it is FRINGE TIME.

5. Shona at Benefit will give you the BEST eyebrows. Promise.

6. You gotta learn how to Ceilidh. Fear not, your best bet is a Friday night at the Ghillie Dhu.

7. Your friends and non friends will use you as a hotel because you simply live in the most beautiful city

8. Going to the Highlands is a must (in every season!) and they will make you weep.

9. Most greasy food places close before the clubs close. That is annoying, but there is always that corner shop on North Bridge that plays party music and sells samosas.

10. It is the most beautiful city of all and moving anywhere else will ruin your life.

Pre Weekend Mood Booster

2016-01-14T23:24:00.000+00:00

In this truly depressing week, where it seems like cancer is winning all fights, I think we can use some mood lifters.

Adele. It's like she never left. Love her English potty mouth.

I mean, no words.The lip synch battles on Jimmy Fallon have been great, but this show in Spike is just taking it all to another level. Not always better, but this is one is just.. out of this world.

And then here is his wife's comeback. I dislike her simply because I would much rather be his wife, but you gotta give it to her- that girl can dance.

The year that changed my life// BEING AN AU-PAIR

2016-01-10T16:09:00.001+00:00

Hach.
'MERICA.

Like so many others, I dreamt of going to America for a long time. I mean you see it in all the movies and how can you not fall in love with a country so diverse and beautiful?

I knew about the Au-Pair program from another friend of mine and it sounded like everything I ever wanted. I have babysitted since I was 14, I kinda liked children and am good with them (for some reason) and combining that with America sounded awesome. In the year I graduated from highschool I applied, got all the stuff together and waited for families... They always tell you that it's important to have a good gut feeling... And with most of the families I talked to, I was just nervous and I didn't feel... 'right'. It was quite late already and I was nervous that I wouldn't find a family! Scary.

And then one night I got an exciting email with a possible match, and then a call from that mother. I talked to her for about an hour and at the end, we matched. Haha! Just looking at the cute pictures she sent, I knew it was right. I WAS SO EXCITED!
From there, everything went really quickly. Getting all the documents, a visit to the embassy, packing and repacking and planning my good bye party (those are the best, for some reason). In July I was off, first to an orientation with other Au Pairs and then finally my host mom picked me up and we drove to upstate New York, where they lived (AND ME FROM NOW ON!).

The life of an Au-Pair is truly awesome IF

you like children
you accept that you live in another family' house and following their rules is key
you work hard
you have a little bit of luck

I honestly got really lucky with my host family. This doesn't mean that the family was perfect, but it was perfect for me. I bonded well with the kids, my host parents are generous and kind people and I adapted really quickly and well to the American lifestyle.
I had a great friend that lived close-ish (for American standards at least haha) and life was more fun with her. We pretty much did everything together and my kids loved her, so weekends and holidays we were like siamese twins.

Coming back to life as an Au Pair.
Getting paid weekly is great, and because I pretty much only went out on the weekends (too knackered during the week), I had sooo much money. haha. I mean you have no bills to pay, you have a room and food to eat at your house, so you can spend your money on ANYTHING YOU WANT. I bought an expensive camera, so many clothes and books and things, went out to eat so much, and of course- holidays. During the year you get a two week holiday if I remember correctly, so we went to Hawaii for 11 days. IT WAS AWESOME.

We came back from Hawaii with a tan and no money, but damn it was worth it. So we saved up again and after the year was over, our final travel month started. We planned a two week road trip through California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. AND IT WAS ALSO AWESOME.

Saying good bye to my family after almost 13 months was the saddest thing, but I think it only hit me when I was back in Germany. Reverse culture shock is a bitch, let me tell you. Even now it still happens to me, and it is a slap in the face and messes with your brain. It really makes you aware of how much you have changed and how people around you ..well, haven't.

Looking back, I think of my life divided in two parts. Before and after the Au-Pair year. I mean, I was a normal teenager before: my life consisted of school and friends, going out, living life in a small German town, having a boyfriend... I always knew I wanted to go to university one day, I clearly remember that. And AMERICA.

When this dream finally came true, I realised how much more there was to the world. I met so many amazing people during that year and made so many memories that I will treasure forever. Exploring other countries makes you so aware of all the differences to your home country. Many times I thought (for the first time I think) that I am really lucky to have grown up in Germany. Other times I would see something and think- why do we not this the same way? It clearly works so well.

The reason why my life is the way it is now is this Au Pair year. It was a real turning point in my life and I am forever thankful for this. I am so lucky that I was able to do this and all the things that came after this. Even though there are many Au Pairs that do not enjoy their experience, for a variety of reasons, I would still recommend this program. It teaches you independence and an intercultural competence that is the key to being a more aware and responsible person. AND IT IS A HELL OF A FUN YEAR!

How I got into a UK university

2016-01-03T11:00:00.000+00:00

I cannot believe that I started this blog when I got into university. Let's go back to that point. I technically took a second gap year after my Au Pair year, cause I was still confused about life and everything. I did apply to universities that year but the courses I got into were just not right and I did not want to study something random and not like it. It was quite a horrible year, all I wanted was to be back in America, and not be stuck at home with my parents. Back then, someone was urging me to just do another course that is similar...like culture or whatnot- so I wouldn't end up with a gap on my resumee.
Utter bullshit, let me tell you. Until now, no one has EVER looked at my CV and asked me what I have done that year. And I would rather have a little work experience than a dropped uni course on there. So just don't listen to anyone, if your gut tells you something else. Most of the time, you know what's good for you. And I am not a quitter. I probably would have complete that degree while hating it. And that what not have gotten me anywhere.

Just like every other person, I wanted to do something "with media". Getting into university in Germany seemed ridiculously complicated if you didn't graduate top of the class in high school. Then I looked in to studying film but that was either in film schools in Bavaria or impossible to get into grade-wise. Meeeeh!

Eventually I got into the idea of studying abroad. First I was obsessed with Ireland, but then the application process seemed random and complicated and then I found that the UK has an actually straightforward process. It's called UCAS and has pros and cons. What I LOVE about it is that the unis don't just look into your grades but at your motivational letter. This gives people a chance that really wanna do something but don't have the most amazing grades. The cons is that you can only apply to 5 unis, so you have to pick them carefully. I eventually applied to four English unis and one Scottish one. Can you guess which one accepted me?

Not gonna lie, the English unis all rejected me. I think the research I did on those unis was not the best. Honestly, I had no idea what kind of unis I applied to. I am so so glad that they did reject me though, because studying in Scotland is pretty much free and in England you have to pay a bijillion pounds a year. Biig factor that I somehow forgot to include in my thoughts?

As you see, I got incredibly lucky with my application. I obviously did some things right but then some of them were not good enough. (I just wish I could have found a blog where someone told me what to do- haha)

This was my weird journey to university and I always tell people that it was fate that I ended up in Scotland. Random thing- when I was about 15 I bought a travel guide for Scotland. My friend asked me if I was planning to go to Scotland anytime soon, and I just said 'one day'- The travel bug only really hit me after my Au Pair year, but even though I wasn't specifically thinking that I wanted to move to Scotland. It was more a case of "I hate Germany and feel so out of place" and "I need to study in English cause I cannot deal with German". I consider myself really lucky that everything worked out the way it did, and my years in Scotland were just the best.

xxx

Recap of 2015

2015-12-31T16:01:00.000+00:00

Ahhh 2015. You know that feeling when you already know that a year is going to be special? For the past 4 years I knew that this was gonna be the year I graduate from university. I knew that I also had to make a decision about what to do after I graduate. Scary! If this year wasn't about making big changes, I don't know what year was!

So let's see:

I wrote my dissertation!
I graduated from University
I got accepted into my dream master programme at BCU
Spent the most amazing week on a yacht in Croatia
I worked at the Fringe, this time as a supervisor
Moved to Birmingham

THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE

That day, all I wanted to do was cry of happiness. The ceremony was beautiful, the Scottish weather was at its freaking BEST, all my people, THE ATMOSPHERE- this day was the reason I wanted to study in Scotland. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.

THE HOLIDAY

Croatia man! For one week we were island hopping and loving life on a yacht with six Aussies (who could easily be in a boyband, I mean look at them!). Truly the most beautiful, peaceful and fun week I have ever (?!) had.

THE MOVE

Now the move to Birmingham is a big part of this year. Not the happiest time and definately not the easiest. I miss Scotland all the time and I didn't think it was gonna be this hard to get used to another city on the same island. However, what ultimately counts is that I am studying my dream MA, which was the best decision, and I don't regret moving here.

And now 2016- I think this is scarier than all the years before. I am going to be done with my MA, and actually starting the real life in the real world. Where people have jobs and stuff. BLURGH!

Happy new year guys!

Hello, it's me. (+reader survey!)

2015-12-14T20:11:00.001+00:00

Well here we are, I am back! I never intended to take a break but I guess it just happened. After my last post I flew to Edinburgh and worked at the Edinburgh Fringe as a box office supervisor. You might remember that I worked there for the past two years as an assistant and this year I actually had my own team. It was the funnest year of Fringe so far- I had the loveliest people on my team, my co-supervsisor was a friend from last year, and all the staff in our venue was amazing. Very little sleep, so much socialising and having fun, I kinda wish it never ended.

my amazing Fringe team

My real adventure started after the Fringe though. In September, I moved down to Birmingham in England. My friend and flatmate from Edinburgh moved down there with me and after weeks of homelessness, we moved in to a typical English house. We now live there with five other people and we finally have double-gazed windows (for non UK peepz- this is a big deal)!

I started my MA in Film Distribution and Marketing at Birmingham City University and I am really happy with it. After learning about the course about two years ago, I was obssessed with getting my MA and to think that it's finally here is insane. And now we already broke off for Christmas. Time just flies by! The program includes a visit to the Cannes Film Festival in May (or should I say placement, we actually get to work there!) and a three month internship in the summer while we write our dissertation. I am so excited for those two things, finally some real experience in the film industry!

my Uni in Birmingham

Now enough talking about the past, I want to talk about what is going to happen to this lovely online space. For this, I would love to hear your opinion! I have inserted a little survey below, and I would be ever so grateful if you could leave some answers. None of them are required, so you can only answer the ones you like (or only leave a comment at the last one). All answers are anonymous, so don't worry about admitting your secretest secrets. Other than that I want to start this blog properly in the New Year. Personally I want to write a few column-like posts and a few "opinion"-pieces. My general aim for the blog hasn't changed though. I always wanted to write this blog for people that want to do similar things- live abroad, travel, study in the UK etc... to give advice and show people how life is like in the UK (or wherever). And that is still where I am heading I think. SO yes, enough chitchat.

Create your own user feedback survey

Thanks for reading,thanks for sticking with me... and bring on the new year!

post holiday blues

2015-08-01T19:41:00.000+01:00

the crew

I wanted to write a whole post about our week on the yacht, but I don't think I can - yet. It has only been about a week that I am back and the carefree holiday time already seems ages away. The idea that -about one and a half weeks ago- my life consisted of nothing but salt water and laughter is so strange to me.
I was completely and utterly in love with life that week- I forgot about every worry I ever had, completely ignored my emails and the prospect of living in bloody cold England really soon.
The only thing I worried about in the morning was finding a toilet that was not on a boat (the boat toilet was smelly and gross, and we only used it in emergencies haha).
The skipper would serve breakfast every morning, and often we would have it surrounded by the most beautiful crystal clear water, which also meant we could jump right in after to swim with little blue fish. With wind in your hair, salt on your skin and the sun in your face we would sail to the next island. If you wanted it badly enough, dolphins would come up for air close to the boat. The first few hours of sailing actually had me speechless, that's how blissful it was. Being on the boat every day has a certain magic to it- every song sounds better and every beer tastes better than in real life.

The evenings might even be my favorite (what am I saying, every time was my favorite)- it would cool down just a little bit, so you could still have dinner outside. All our dinners that week were so good- seafood so fresh, meat so good and wine so tasty you just don't want to stop.
At night, we sometimes lay on deck to star gaze. The shooting stars were so impressive they give you goose bumps while you lie there next to your new best friends.

These memories are so precious to me but painful at the same time.

We had such a good time with these boys, and the fact that they live in Australia is reason enough for a daily heartbreak. Add this to the lack of sunshine and yachts in Edinburgh... ..there is nothing more you need for a real and painful post holiday blues.

GRADUATION

2015-07-30T17:17:00.000+01:00

GRADUATION

Oh my, I guess I took a proper summer break here.

Let's catch up then- At the end of June, I moved out of my flat in Edinburgh (horrible and sad) and flew home. I spent some time at home (during the heat wave, yay!), which was actually really nice and felt more relaxed than usual. In July, I flew back to Edinburgh with my mum and my sister and GRADUATED! I loved the whole day but also felt like crying most of the time (happy tears of course). Seeing everyone together, taking fun pictures in the glorious sunshine, drinking champagne and eating strawberry tarts... best day ever.

I am glued to my screen...

2015-06-14T13:26:00.002+01:00

Edinburgh just experienced a major heat wave that lasted maybe 4 days. Now that's over, temperatures are back to normal (a summery 12 degrees) and everyone is back inside.

The good ol' internet is my best friend again. Here is what got me glued to my screen this week.

I am sure every already knows Emma and Elsie from A Beautiful Mess, and are probably the most successful bloggers around. One of them is moving to Nashville and recently bought a house there and this video shows Elsie giving a tour of it. Maybe it's because I am currently putting my life in boxes and getting rid of all the pretty things in the flat, but I just got so excited for a new flat/house (and also to see what Elsie is gonna do with that space)!

This just came to Netflix. I am not as excited as I was last year about season 2, but still- a really good show.

Aaaah Netflix again. Sense8 is created by the Matrix-brothers and even though I am not necessarily a massive fan of their work, so far I think this show is just incredible. It took me a few episodes to really get into it and Max Riemelt's presence definitely helped with that (even though I still dislike the way they deal with other languages and just pretend everyone in the world magically speaks English). I really like most of the characters and some parts of the dialogue are so smart that I have to stop the show and just process what they just said. Summer is always a bit of a slump in terms of shows so I am happy I have a lot more hours of this show ahead of me.

One line a day...

2015-06-12T20:17:00.001+01:00

On my birthday, I bought myself this little book. It's like a diary, but every day you only write a few lines (or one line, see the title, haha). The book has room for five years, so I thought it might be cool to start now and finish when I am thirty (or maybe not a good idea, even writing this makes me anxious). I still have some sort of hope that 30 will be this magical age with job and maybe some savings, but who knows. This book will certainly be documenting that weird journey.

BIRTHDAY shenanigans #3

2015-06-10T12:00:00.000+01:00

Last but not least, the final part of my birthday- the parteeeey. I made dinner, we had drinks and continued drinking and eventually went to a club. The flat looks pathetic at the moment, most of our stuff is gone or in boxes and everything just looks really plain. So sad!

all of the peeepzzz

unwrapping all the boxes that Julia gave me

BIRTHDAY shenanigans #2

2015-06-09T11:00:00.000+01:00

Part 2 of my birthday is afternoon tea.
In the UK afternoon tea is a thing you do on special occasions. It includes tea, small sandwiches, cakes and biscuits, crumpets or scones and other sweet things. Usually served on a tiered stand and looking super cute and NOMMY.

I never had afternoon tea here in Edinburgh, so I thought my birthday was a good excuse to go. I was being cheap (usually it's about 15quid pp) and bought a Groupon for 2 which also includes Pimms (I am obsessed at the moment).

We went to Cafe Grande in Bruntsfield and the waitress was SO sweet, she realised it was my birthday and brought a little brownie with a candle over.

the sweet stuff

nommi salmon sandwiches!

Pimms (and Julia)

BIRTHDAY shenanigans #1

2015-06-07T16:43:00.004+01:00

I guess I am officially 25 now.
So let's see what happened on my birthday. Obviously, we had to start with breakfast. Not just any, but a really naughty one at The Pantry in Stockbridge. I highly recommend it, the food is super good.

one friend

two friends :D

ma nommy breakfast

ain't no breakfast without Haggis!

beautiful part of town

super cute tea cups

and then someone brought this over! WHAT?! haha

LIFE- turning 25 and so on

2015-06-02T18:01:00.000+01:00

flatmates doesn't cover it

I had this post drafted for a few days now and the first draft of this post was actually really depressing, haha. So I never posted it and I feel now is a better time to write this.

What's my life like now then? Well.

Let's start around two weeks back. Me and my flatmates were sorting through three years of stuff, getting rid of last years Halloween decorations, figuring out how to get all of that stuff home and other places. URGH! Moving is not that easy, people. Every time you turn, there is another pile that needs packing.

After all of that, they left me. Both of them have completely moved out, their rooms are all empty except for mine. Our flat contract runs until the end of June, so that's how long I am staying here. Aaaalll by myself. With nothing to do but pack and clean. Blurgh.

Fast forward to now, after some really boring days, a friend of mine came over and is staying with me. Life is fuuun again! We had some really good days, nice food, fun times with friends, and just hanging in Edinburgh.

It is also my birthday on Thursday, which I am looking forward to (I think). I have never celebrated my birthday in Edinburgh before, because it always falls in to the uni-free summer time and while I always loved my summer birthday, now it is simply annoying. So here we go, last year in Edinburgh, first birthday. I think about six of my friends are here haha, so it'll be a small party but hopefully a fun one.

I already bought my birthday outfit (one for the day and one for the night), so I am all set for the day. I also feel I have treated myself to a million unofficial birthday treats already (I love buying 'gifts' for myself haha) but whatever, you only turn 25 once.

Yes that's right, the big scary mid-twenty crisis age. For this occasion I read all of these articles about things you need to know when you are 25 and bucket lists kind of things... they are frrrreaky.

I have known for a while now that I will finish my undergrad when I am 25 and that I probably won't have a car, or savings, or my own flat .. or anything 'grown up'. And I am so fine with that. No one know what that means anyway- being a grown up.

I think what's scary for me is that this seems like a cut off day for many things. I need to pay for my own health insurance, a lot of funding and discounts stop when you turn 25 ...aaah, I don't feel like I am ready for that! In that respect, I am glad for my MA course. I hope that this is my niche, my thing, my career. If not, then... mh I don't know. I guess we have to see.

AND to end this weird stream of consciousness, another picture of my flat babes.

Getting into new things: Podcasts

2015-05-26T11:00:00.000+01:00

A while ago I finally got on the podcast train. My flatmate listens to them regularly and even in class we have been discussing them, so there is no escaping now. I really wanted to see what the fuss was about, but I was also a bit indifferent to them. Storytelling via simple audio has never really interested me that much, and on the bus I often listen to music or just play around on my phone. But there is one thing that really becomes so much less boring- walking somewhere. Yes, you might look a little weird just staring into oblivion, being in your own bubble while walking around town, but listening to an exciting podcast gets you places really fast haha. I find walking to the gym really annoying, so this really helps with that.

So here are a few of my current listening choices.

Serial

Serial has been so popular and seriously hyped, but for a reason. Sarah Koenig has a really nice voice (so important for these things) and tells the story in a great way. and has been my favorite podcast so far.She retells and explores the case of Hae Min Lee's murder in 1999. Adnan Syed, her ex boyfriend, has been in jail ever since being charged with first-degree murder. He claims and has done so for the past 15 years, so Koenig explores both the evidence and also Adnan's side of things. I don't wanna tell more, just go ahead and check it out!

Stuff Mom Never Told You

The next podcast is completely different. It's called 'Stuff Mom Never Told You'. Hosts Caroline and Cristen explore topical things surrounding gender roles, feminism and other issues. I like the two hosts, their podcasts are flawless, they never trip over their tongues or talk over each other. Their ideas are inspiring and their topics are quite fun. I really enjoyed their podcast about the word bitch, character crushes and Taylor Swift. You can listen to it here: x

Criminal

After I finished Serial, I was looking for something just as good. I stumbled upon this and I am still not sure what this podcast really is about, but I like it. The Internet describes it as 'Stories of people who’ve done wrong, been wronged, or gotten caught somewhere in the middle.' Some of them are not so interesting, but some of them are quite good. For example, there was an episode about animal trials: There was a time when animals were being given trials, whenever they did something illegal. The idea of a pig being charged with murder still makes me giggle, and that episode convinced me that 'Criminal' was definitely worth listening to.

If you already know Serial, then you should go and check out 'Undisclosed'. It explores the case of Adnan Syed even more and this time it is attorneys who are doing it. I love it, it is different than Serial but still pretty good in it's own way. It's weird how you can get so interested in a kind of hopeless murder investigation...Anyways, check it out!

If you want to listen to these podcasts, you can either listen to them on the websites, if you have an Iphone you can download them through the iTunes store, and I listen to them via the app 'Podcast Addict'.

YouTube catch up

2015-05-24T19:45:00.000+01:00

In these past weeks, I have watched all five seasons of Pretty Little Liars. Now I have to wait 9 days for the next season to start and I am not looking forward to waiting a whole week for the next episode. Urgh. In the meanwhile, I am exploring all the fun things that YouTube has to offer and that I have missed during my PLL binge watching (cause I seriously did nothing else).

Here are my favorites:

Everyone has probably already seen this, but I just can't get over how funny the editing is. I love it.

I mean really anything out of this series (guys acting like...) is hilarious and so awkward cause its true. There, I said it.

I know this film came out ages ago, but it really was bad (sorry Channing) and these honest trailers just nail it. Also I finally understand the plot, thanks to this video.

Aaaah I love the original and this cover is amazing too.

Croatia dreaming

2015-05-20T20:22:00.000+01:00

Aw summer. I have mentioned a few months ago that my friend and I are gonna go to Croatia this summer and spend a week on a yacht. Excited doesn't cover it, and I can't stop looking at cute summer clothes and fun things to take with me. Also we need waterproof everything, nice towels, boat shoes and all of that stuff. Ah!

Anyway, here are some things I already bought on Ebay- you gotta love it all those bargains! How beautiful is this two piece? I love the porcelain look!

two piece x, sunglasses x, tattoos x

I cannot wait to be tanned and feel the sun on my skin. Scotland really makes you forget what real summer feels like.

Why I am excited to move to Birmingham

2015-05-12T16:28:00.000+01:00

Now that I got in to BCU and will actually seriously move to Birmingham in the fall, it is terrifying to think about all the things I need to do. Figure out storage over the summer, finding a new flat (!!!!!!), getting all my stuff there, settling down once again. Every new place obviously also has its perks, and here are some about Birmingham. First of all, the train to London only takes about two hours, so that is really exciting! Seeing some of my English friends on a more regular basis is something I really look forward to.

A big part is obviously discovering fun new restaurants, bars and pubs. Buzzfeed is a surprisingly good guide for new and exciting things, such as 18 Cocktails Every Brummie Must Try, 19 Birmingham Brunches You Must Try Before You Die and this one about street food.

How yummy does all of this look? I wanna eat everything.right.meow.

And as much as I will be missing the Highlands and the beautiful Scottish landscape, there are other pretty places in the UK. Birmingham is not really that close to a coast, but not too far away from beautiful Welsh beaches.

And one of my favorite areas that is quite close to Birmingham is the Cotswolds. I mean, look at this! Cannot wait to go and see this for myself.

How beautiful is this?

So yes, I am also a little excited to move there.