United Kingdom

All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players

Movies, Flicks, Films... a powerful drug that takes our conscience to another world, where we can be whoever we dare. The hero, the villain, the damsel in distress. For a split second, we escape reality and are thrust into someone else's shoes taking us on a journey of emotions. There's nothing like losing yourself to a good movie (especially starring Johnny Depp) and for 90minutes, just letting go.

I recently signed up for an online movie subscription (before you think it, I can't illegally download movies, thus, yes I actually pay for them) so I've been exploring the never ending web of movies. I am a hopeless romantic and romantic comedies/dramas have consumed most of my time, leaving me heartbroken and longing for my prince charming. I've also been catching up on my Breaking Bad which is getting more intense by the episode.

I absolutely love snuggling up in a warm bed with friends and watching a good movie. Have some sneaky chocolate, some laughs and tears together whilst our imaginations are cut loose from reality.

My recent movie binge has led me to contemplate what sort of movie my life would be, if some stranger sat down for 90 minutes and watched my reality. Of course it would be a romantic comedy with some tears thrown in there too, but where would the climax be? What's the big problem I have to overcome? Who's my Hugh Grant and who's my Colin Firth (gotta love Bridget Jones' Diary right?) Don't worry, I'm not completely insane, just very interested as to what my role in life is to play as Shakespeare would say. I definitely believe in making your own happiness/luck/chances/opportunities but also that everything in life happens for a reason, that any set backs are just preparing you for something more amazing.

The scene of my London life would be over in a split second, somehow encompassing a 7 month adventure... but I know I have many more to come.
Some parts of my movie would be wildly hilarious; from the wild nights out and in, being broke and elements. Some would be cute and sweet; the moments I've shared with friends and family. And some would be an adventure/thriller... who knows what's ever going to happen in a big city like London.

I look forward to sharing my 90 minutes with someone special one day, but until then, I'll keep creating my wild adventures striving for an Oscar or a Golden Globe.

I just wonder what the director of my film has planned for me.

xxxA

There's nothing quite cooler than saying that the first place you ever lived in, was London.
Sure... I always imagined this experience to be amazing, but nothing really could prepare me for how incredible my time here would be.

Words really do not do me justice when I say I live with incredible people.
There's 10 of us in our big old house, all here for the same reason, to explore another country, culture and lifestyle.
We're like one big Australian, featuring a Brazilian, family... we all look out for eachother, care about eachother and understand each other.
Some of the best nights i've had with my new family have been spent in our lounge room, playing jenga or poker, chatting, drinking and eating away and there's really nothing better.

I've been living in East London for 3 weeks now and it feels like months. I really do love it but it's really easy to fall into a pattern or routine, where everything becomes mediocre or boring, but sometimes you just have to take a big step back and say to yourself "wow, I'm in London!" And what better way to do that than over a nice cup of coffee.

Last week my dear friend Jadell arrived in London and after a trek and a half to Heathrow, we were reunited. I was absolutely exhausted after a week of work and early starts but we didn't waste a second of exploring London. I thought I would just hit her with London right from the word go, going to Westminster and seeing Big Ben, the House of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye. There was actually sunshine that day, I just wore a tee and jeans (omg) and we strolled along the river. We decided to take advantage of this warmth and we grabbed an iced coffee from starbucks and sat in a nearby park. It was so lovely to have a nice coffee with a familiar face and unwind in the sunshine.

Thank goodness I've discovered a few cute little cafes in my area in which i have spent many hours with friends, more like family, opening up about everything. So firstly, there's a cafe "Horizon" down the main street, which has really cheap coffee and absolutely gorgeous cakes, with a nice outdoor area to take advantage of any rare sunshine that dares to show its face.
Secondly, there's a NZ cafe in the Westfield close to our home which is great after a tedious shopping experience to unwind. I must admit, despite it being in a hustling and bustling shopping centre, it's really quite peaceful. This is a personal favourite purely because of the quality of coffee produced and I always seem to be with different people.
And thirdly, Costa Coffee which is down the main street aswell. I tend to steer clear from the chain coffee shops like Starbucks and Costa Coffee but sometimes it's just good to know you're going to get a good coffee.
I've had some great moments with my housemates sipping coffee, especially with my gals, Nicole, Charline (das her ) and Jess.
I absolutely adore the girls I live with. We get along so well and they really are like sisters to me. But more on our girly chats later.

I must admit, I really do miss having coffee at home with my family in our coffee shop, in our seat with my regular, but it really is incredible to discover new places, with new people and explore all that the experience of coffee really has to offer.