Summer 2014?

When I returned home from University at the start of June, I was excited to see my friends from home and have my mum's cooking again! It started off great. I was enjoying the amazing sun the UK was having and spending it with people who I'd missed so much from the past 9 months. I was starting to think it was going to be a great summer! I was spending evenings at the beach, meeting up with old friends and just having a great time in general.

Then there was quite a big chunk in the middle of the summer where I was left feeling unmotivated and lazy. A few of my best friends went away for quite a while, and although I had some fun times, I was ending up spending more time in the house than I wanted. I also had to resit an exam, which I was incredibly stressed about, and I still do not know the result! I may actually be a returning first year rather than going into my second year, but that's a whole different post on it's own.

It's coming towards the end of my summer now (a week and a half left to be exact) and the past few weeks have been great! I attended Reading Festival (there is a previous post where I go into more detail about it) and my friends that had been away are back! 

Whilst I will say that I have enjoyed the summer, it has definitely not been what it could have. I know everyone expects summer to be amazing and it is usually a massive let down, but mine started and is ending really great, it's just a shame about that chunk in the middle!

As I was thinking about all of this the other day, I started to plan next summer! I know it's early, but my thoughts soon took over and I was starting to already get excited for the summer of 2014! This time last year, I had no major plans for summer 2013, which meant I saved no money to really enjoy myself properly. Now, I'm planning early, which means I know what I want to save. I'm not a massive planner in advance, but it's exciting for me that the plans I have for next year are not only massively exciting, but I also know that I can afford them, and there is an insanely good chance that they will happen (although I do need to stick to my saving plan over the upcoming university year!). I've come to realise that you can't just expect great things to happen, you have to make them happen and that is exactly what I am doing!

Does anyone else feel the same about this Summer? Or are you also planning for next year?

Revelations

Over the past few weeks, I have been so stressed. Mostly about things regarding University and basically my life. I'm definitely not a worrier usually, so when I started to question things my mind went a bit nuts and I was in a bit of a down place for a couple of weeks. 

Last night a big revelation hit me: WHO CARES?!
Why does it matter that certain things don't go the way we want them to, or our expectations aren't reached. Sometimes when something you don't want to happen happens, it's the best thing that could have happened to you! All we can do is make the best of the situation. I had this revelation last night whilst sipping on a can of cold cider (therefore we can also take this as the idea that cider can solve a lot of problems). 

I've come to realise that there are a lot worse things I could be worrying about, and that really I am just grateful to be me and have the things I have. We get what we put into things. Yes, this post is a whole bunch of cliches thrown in together, but I do think that sometimes we need to think about these cliches and actually look at how accurate they are to our current lives.

If we all stopped worrying about little pointless things that are mostly out of our control, our lives would run a lot smoother and we would be in general happier.
It's also hit me that I am still young, and have many years to make mistakes and worry about more important things, so I need to enjoy not having those worries now.

This post isn't entertaining, but I felt like I needed to share this.

Reading Festival 2013

Yesterday I got back from an incredible weekend at Reading Festival. For those of you that didn't know, Reading Festival is a music fesitval held every year in, you guessed it, Reading! They are consistent in always having brilliant artists and an amazing atmosphere. This was my first time and I was so excited to go. Although I have been to a couple of festivals in the past, I'm not an overly experience festival go-er. This was this year's line-up:

I have to say it was one of the best weekends I've ever had. I absolutely love music, especially live music. I've been to a countless number of concerts so a weekend full of live music was just ideal for me. 

We got there on the Thursday evening and met a nice group of lads where we had pitched our tent. Soon enough the cans of cider were out and I was being handed shots of absinthe around a camp fire! Then before I knew it I was outside an oxygen bar! It was a pretty great first night. Then Friday came and the music kicked in! Here are just a few of my music highlights from Friday:

 Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams

They were one of my favourite bands when I was younger, so having the chance to see them live was great. They absolutely killed it and although the whole set was amazing, this song was one of my favourites!

Frank Turner - The Way I Tend To Be

I hadn't heard much of Frank Turner before aside from a few of his songs, but he really impressed me. He sounded great live, and this song was great to sing along to. Another song I love from his is Photosynthesis which is definitely worth a listen!

Kodaline - Brand New Day

Kodaline are a band I am absolutely loving at the moment and I was so happy to see them live. They sounded great and my friend and I managed to realise that they are all very attractive, which was a small added bonus.

There are so many more highlights from Friday, but I don't want to bore you with too many! 

Saturday was just as good, if not better than Friday! Although I was starting to show small signs of wear and tear (bad throat, stiff legs etc) that still did not stop me from dancing until my feet like they would fall off! Some highlights were:

Imagine Dragons - Radioactive

This is another band I'm loving at the moment. This song was absolutely incredible live. The whole audience erupted and the atmosphere was indescribable. The video really does not do it justice. 

Chase & Status - Count On Me

I absolutely love Chase & Status, especially on a night out! This song wasn't my favourite but it was the best one I could find. Their whole set had the audience going insane, and the vibe was great. 

Another highlight was of course Eminem. Sadly there are no videos as he refused for the footage to be televised - a rule he has for some reason. He isn't an artist I love, apart from his most iconic songs, but he owned the stage. I wouldn't have paid to see just him, but so glad I took the opportunity to see him.

Sunday's highlights:

Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light It Up)

I loved Fall Out Boy when I was younger, and still do love them. This song was amazing live, and they are definitely one of the best bands I've seen live. Once again, the video does not do it justice. 

Biffy Clyro - Mountains

There are honestly no words to describe this. I'm a big Biffy Clyro fan, and this was their closing song and it was just incredible. This is one of my favourite songs by them and when this came on I was totally lost in the moment. 

There are so many more bands/songs I could mention, but you can check out more for yourself on YouTube or the BBC Radio 1 website if you want to.

I would recommend this festival, or any others to anyone. They are a fantastic experience. 

HOWEVER, if you are a complainer, don't bother! You will not shower, you will be forced to use horrendous smelling toilets with no toilet paper, you will be hungover (if you are a drinker), you will be dirty/muddy and you WILL have beer/cider/piss land on you. You will also likely be crushed in the crowds and will need a couple of days to recover afterwards. If you are not prepared for all of that and more (your feet will hurt - a lot) then I would say that it is not for you. 

It was one of the best experiences of my life to date, although I write this whilst sporting a bad cold/cough, covered in bruises and feeling very tired and worse for wear! It was all 100% worth it though and I would do it all again a hundred times over. I am already saving for my ticket for next year. If you went, or have been to festivals in the past, or any others this Summer, please leave a comment (or tweet me @BlitheTalks) telling me about it! I'd love to hear your stories. 

Flirting: What NOT To Do!

I don't pride myself on my ability to flirt. In fact, I would never usually approach someone I liked the look of, or 'make a move' on a guy. However, sometimes when under the influence of a few drinks this can change slightly.

I was on a night out with friends a few weeks ago, and may have had one too many cocktails. I was in a club when the photographer caught my eye, and me being a bit of a mess decided to approach him. I'm not the best flirter when I'm sober, but when under the influence it can just be one big cringing mess. I started off by asking if he had a girlfriend and he replied 'no', and then I followed by asking him his age and then telling him mine. The next thing I said is a bit of a blur, but he replied with saying that he had to get back to work, so it obviously didn't impress him. The night didn't end there. I then decided it would be appropriate to approach one of the bar staff, and tell him about my interest in the photographer. This proceeded with having an excellent chat about University and life with a lovely man serving jager bombs, and then he had me write down my name and number for the photographer. I also gave my number to a lovely woman who informed me that she would make sure that he text me. Needless to say I never received a call/text from said photographer, but I don't blame him. I became the type of person I usually avoid on nights out. If a man came up to me and did what I did, I most certainly wouldn't have saved their number in my phone!! Also, due to drinking a lot and it being the middle of summer, I was most likely sporting sweaty forehead, frizzy hair, smudged make-up and possibly a bit of dribble!

I have seen the same photographer every time I have been to the same club since, which usually results in awkward eye contact and avoiding him. Sadly, it is one of my favourite places to go on a night out, so the awkwardness will have to continue. Luckily, I'm only home from the Summer and then I go back to University, so at least I won't have to see him for another nine months!

So basically, when you see somebody you want to approach, do not start with asking if they have a girl/boyfriend and being so 'in your face' with the fact that you fancy them. Looking back, I should have played it a little 'cooler'. Also then, do not hand your number to some of the other staff for a last glimmer of hope. Doing said things results in you waking up feeling a bit stupid because you were rejected and cringing at your actions from the night before. I think I'll save the flirting for sober days from now on!