Snippets of Adventures

Winter is finally upon us! And I cannot express enough how happy I am. 

Lately I have been watching a lot of short films and vlogs on youtube of people going on adventures and living these beautiful lives, surrounded by nature and quiet moments.  I found myself longing for a life like that and saying things like "when I get married I want my life to be like that", "that is my ideal lifestyle" or "I wish I could make things like that" etc., when my mum pointed out that in a way, my life is almost exactly like that already.  And she's right - I do make an effort to take joy in the small, quiet moments, I try and go on adventures as often as possible and I try to live as creatively as I can (while in the confines of studying for exams).  I guess this post is in conjunction (or almost in contradiction) to my previous post, as I am coming to realise that I am living a life that I am mostly content with and that things will change with time, and some times I won't be able to create or go on adventures as much as I would like to - but it's still something that happens and is a massive part of my life. No matter how busy I become. 

Yesterday (the second official day of winter), was one of those days - a day full of beautiful, emotion filled moments.  There were times where I had to stop and remind myself that "this is real life" and not some independent film about young adulthood or something of that sort. 

It started out with me having an urge to film something and to go somewhere away from the hustle an bustle of life (and study).  Thankfully, two wonderful, also adventure loving friends: Adam and Lesley agreed to come with me on this fleeting adventure idea.  So we drove up to the Gold Coast hinterlands, heading to Purling Brook Falls.  With ideas for a video in mind I became excited as we approached the park, when all of a sudden we were greeted with police tape and a crowd of confused adventure seekers.  After parking the car and asking around, we found out some very saddening news.  Because of the incident that had occurred, the falls (and the rest of the national park) were off limits, so we rugged up and decided to explore the surrounding area and have a picnic in an empty lot, near a running stream. 

We ate delicious  homemade sandwiches, took photos of each other, waded through long grass, laughed at geese noises in the distance, collected fallen leaves as keep-sakes and ran around in the sunshine to warm our bodies.  All of this excitement made me so, incredibly happy and Lesley, while giving me a hug in the sunshine remarked "you must be excited, your heart is beating super fast!". It made me realise that these beautiful moments truly do affect me and energise my entire body. 

This was just the start of what was beginning to be a beautiful day. From here, we drove away with no idea what adventure to pursue next (except the one of finding fuel for the car).  

After flipping a coin we decided to continue driving south until we hit the beach.  And thank goodness we ended up there! - because we got to experience one of the most beautiful sunsets and moon rises ever.  We stood together on the sand, in the cold wind, trying not to get out shoes wet and marvelling at the beauty the was stretched before us.  

Once the sunset colours dimmed and the moon brightened, we went on the hunt for food and ended up at a beautiful (and warm) pizzeria Justin Lane, where we filled our bellies with incredibly delicious zucchini and feta pizza and reminisced over everything that had happened. 

Meandering back to the car, we all felt that this was the perfect end to our unplanned, adventure filled day. 

It's funny how you can have a plan of how your day will turn out and some times this plan is exactly how the day will be, but other times it may be completely different. Better even. Yesterday was one of those days. 

Oh! Also, I made a short film of some of the beautiful moments we had during our adventure. I hope you enjoy it. 

Who are you becoming?

Here I am, sitting on my bed as my cool, silk pillow supports my back and caresses my neck.  My window is open, the fresh Autumn breeze tickles my checks as the fading light of the afternoon gently rests on the sheets - slowly becoming dimmer as the cold dusk beckons.  Dustin O'Halloran's compositions inspire my thoughts and I am reminded of the words I once read in an old Kinfolk: "as people get older, they realise that time is more valuable than money.  And finding more time to do absolutely nothing is perhaps exactly what we all need." (Nikaela Marie Peters).  

I sit here with the last of my assessment (of the term) looming and stress not far behind - I AM FOCUSED.  When is it due?  What needs to be done?  I am constantly thinking about the work that needs to be done and about the profession I am going to enter into once I finish my degree. Professionalism, work and worry about whether I will actually be able to cope in "the real world" possess my brain and take over my thoughts and consume my time.  There have been several moments during my time of study (over the past three and a bit years) where I feel like I have lost myself -  lost my creativity and lost the dreams I used to have.  Goals of becoming someone who lives in constant creativity.  I feel like now is one of those times.  I remember the days when I was excited to create, to create things without pressure and without fear.  Perhaps as I have gotten older and learnt the ways of life, its intricacies and hardships, I became cynical towards the expression of creating.  Or perhaps I have become fearful of the creative life I once dreamed of having. 

One of my largest fears, is the fear of losing my imagination, thus losing my ability to create. At times, I know that I can feel this happening. I am afraid. I don't want that to be who I become.  

So, in an effort to bring back my 'old self', I am going to write a list of goals of who I want to be and stick it somewhere where I can see it, where I will be reminded every day of what I wish to achieve. 

- I want to be someone who creates without fear.

- to to be someone who is eager to learn - from university, from books, from others experiences. 

- to be someone who isn't afraid to ask questions.  

- someone who writes to evoke emotion and beautiful imageries. 

- I want to be someone who takes times for others, to reconnect with people and to be completely present when spending time with people. 

- someone who tends to a garden and has a house full of greenery, to take time to appreciate life and the beauty of it all. 

- someone who is affected and truly moved by the music they hear, to soak it in and let it fill every part of my body. To know what music feels like.

- I want to be someone who appreciates the importance of time - to remember that we have no control over it, that it is precious, and that we will never know when our time is 'up'.

Who are you becoming? Who do you want to be?  

There is no better time start, than now. 

☼

Irrational Fears and Conscious Decisions.

It is strange, going about your daily business when you are suddenly struck with the realisation that you are afraid of something completely irrational.  Recently I realised that I have several strange and clearly irrational fears - yet I can't help it (they make me so anxious). 

So here are my top four irrational fears depicted through pictures and words. 

1. Taxidermy animals. 

I don't know what it is, but going to museums make me crazy nervous. My main fear in this area is of taxidermy animals, but can also extend to mannequins in museum like set-ups. 

2. Aquariums.

This was recently brought up again when I went to a plant and aquarium shop. I don't know what it is, but having those tanks full of fish, towering around me makes me feel on edge. 

I know it's silly. 

3. Puffy eyes. 

This is a recent one, but I have become somewhat afraid of getting something in my eyes and having them puff up so much that I can't see. 

4. The dark. 

I feel like this is a somewhat common one, but I am afraid of the dark. I guess it's less of a fear of the dark, but what may be in the dark. Thankfully this fear has become less intense as I have gotten older and is something I am working on. 

I know, I know. I am odd and probably a little crazy, but I think it's good to remember that we all experience things differently and have different ways of viewing moments and situations - something I am trying to be more conscious of.  Because you never know what someone is going through, perhaps they have severe anxiety, maybe they are dealing with lots of stuff at home, perhaps they are absolutely terrified of spiders or have problems with trusting people.  What i'm trying to get at, is that we should be mindful of others and be respectful of where people are at, even when it's hard to understand.  

Oh! And remember, that going to the museum isn't everyone's idea of a 'fun day'. 

☼

My (late) Mid-Week Refreshment Update.

Mid-week (well a day late) and I am still on a creative roll! 

Day 1 consisted of blog writing, cooking, reading Kinfolk and altering one of my Nana's old summer dresses (I am seriously so flopping happy with it!).

Day 2 was mainly filled with book reading and daydreaming (what I am considering part of my restorative process).

Day 3 was a brilliant day. Myself, Lesley and Adam went on a spontaneous road trip to the absolutely beautiful Kondalilla Falls in Montville. The day was incredibly perfect (well my kind of perfect) -  rain, fog and a glorious cool breeze. I adore all of these elements and have to say that they constitute my ideal/perfect weather/day. 

We made our way to Maleny, where we stopped to enjoy a brisk picnic in the clouds and fog.  The moment we stepped out of the car we were blasted with wind and rain. After laying down a rug we sat and enjoyed the treats we had bought for the picnic... this soon became like a game as we battled the wind and rain to quickly eat our snacks (while they were still in tact and not completely soggy).  After our short break we continued on to what we thought was Kondalilla National Park, although ended up getting a bit lost (thanks google maps... NOT).  But eventually, we found it!

From the car park we organised our stuff, making sure we left our spare/dry clothes behind and then trekked in the rain to the Falls.   

With the sound of the water falls crashing and the rain splashing on the ground, we entered the open area with the swimming hole. I had never seen it like this before - the water was so high up and flowing faster than I had ever seen it before, the trees were rich with colour and the sky was filled with low, fast moving cloud. It was a truly beautiful sight. 

We spent a couple of hours relaxing, swimming and enjoying the view and the rain before getting dry and heading back to the car. From there we drove to the centre of town, where we ended up at same restaurant that we happened upon a year ago (which also happened to be a very rainy day). 

It felt right. The three of us sat in that same restaurant, getting warm and dry, and filling our bellies with delicious food. 

All in all it was such a glorious day and I am so glad that it happend. 

#myhandinstrangersgardens

A day like this makes me excited for winter! 

This was the perfect way to spend my last wednesday before going back to University next week. 

Which brings us to today. 

Day 4 was spent mostly looking out the window, enjoying the rain and the breeze. 

But was also spent editing the footage I took yesterday and made it into a film! Yayayay. 

So, here it is! 

Creating, Rearranging and Restoring: my week of refreshment

Here I am, sitting in my dark, cool room (a little snuffly, as I am getting over the flu) feeling overwhelming refreshed. It's like when you are going on a hike to a swimming hole - the hike is excruciatingly difficult, the heat from the sun is beating down on your skin, droplets of sweat form on your brow and the desire to arrive at the swimming hole deepens. But then you arrive and jump into the water - it is tremendously refreshing and you forget all of the struggle and pain you experienced leading up to this moment. 

This is exactly how my year has felt so far (well at least the bit where I feel like i've been hiking for days and not yet reached my desired destination). - Lately I have been feeling tiresome of looking for a job and not succeeding, feeling like I should create something and then not, because I can't think of anything to do/not wanting to force it (i've been going through a bit of a creative drought) and wanting to go on adventures but haven't, due to my laziness and commitment to being a top member of the 'Stay at Home Club'.  But I think the time has come for a season refreshment - a refreshment of hope, a refreshment of faith, a refreshment of creativity and a refreshment of adventure. 

This past month I feel like I have gained a new excitement for life - I have been checking my phone less, logging on to Flickr less (as I would usually look at other's work for hours upon hours and convince myself that I was gaining "inspiration"... loljks I was procrastinating life), I have been cherishing time with friends more, driving with the windows down and letting the fresh air fill my lungs, taking time to look at the sky and appreciating the vast majesty of it all and am trying to do more creative things while I have a few weeks left of freedom before university starts. 

So, I am declaring this week a week of creating, rearranging and restoring! 

This week I am going to do as much as I can to appreciate life in it's fullest and take advantage of the time I have (rather than lay in my bed and watch vlogs and read other's blogs) AND, I am going to bring you with me. So strap yourself in and get ready for a week of potential excitement! 

My Poetic Account of Introversion.

Hello, my name is Genevieve and I am secretly an introvert - or so I thought, until recently. For years I had people telling me how I always seemed excited and in primary school teachers would regularly tell my parents how talkative I was (I think I was just happy all the time and didn't know how to hold it in).  This was a regular thing for people to comment on through out my primary and early high school years. Recently I have noticed that when I get super excited I cannot contain myself and will generally make an outward expression to that excitement.  Every now and then, I get these outward bursts of energy where I will say or write a lot (and can't hold back), will jump around or make frantic hand movements, or I will just make some squeaky noise of excitement.  

It is something that has become quite apparent to me lately - this outward expression of excitement. It's like my insides can't contain my excitement, so I have to physically do something to 'ease' the build up.  I try and make a conscious effort to not be so outward with my excitement (as I feel it's a tad overwhelming sometimes - especially in writing), although I am not always so successful and my excitement leaks out any way. But along with this realisation, I also became aware of my 'introverted-ness'.  I don't know what it is. Maybe I came to the realisation of how seemingly insignificant each individual life is, in the 'grand scheme of things', or maybe I watched too many "realistic" movies (where many are about true heartbreak, despair and loss), or have spent far too long in my room by myself, mulling over life. Whatever it is, I almost feel like a switch was flicked and I became aware of my surroundings and how crowded they sometimes felt. 

Over the years, I have mastered the skill of complimenting and encouraging strangers (and now I can't help it, I just love giving compliments), (sheepishly) asking strangers at parties if they would like their photo taken (when hired for parties/weddings), and have found it generally easy to strike up a conversation with someone who I am sitting next to on a train or someone I am being served by at a cash register. But every now an then I feel my true introverted self take over and I become timid, like a small mouse hiding in the corner, hoping not to be caught. 

It is that moment when everything seems to slow down, you can feel your emotions tuck themselves away and you have this sense as if you need to hide.  You start to become completely aware of your surroundings, as if you are an audience member at the theatre - the scene is stretched out before you and you start picking up on every tiny detail, every flaw, every movement, every eye watching you in the moment. Your voice quietens to a hush, your body becomes physically smaller. It is as if your retracting body can somehow hide within itself - as if you will then be out of the way (away from the seemingly huge crowd surrounding you). 

You become a shell - the fragment of your self that is left visible. What is there to do next? 

... This is almost exactly what happened to me today. I was out shopping with my parents and grandma. It was a beautiful, crisp day and I was happy to be with my family. Then came the moment where I had to make a decision (which seems silly, but it was a decision I wanted to make carefully). I don't know what it was, whether I felt pressured, like I didn't want to disappoint anyone, or I felt out of my element and a little overwhelmed, but it happened.  I quietly said "thank you" to the lady helping us and stepped outside the store. To my surprised, I started to cry. I felt so embarrassed for crying, but I didn't know what else to do. It was as if crying was my body's automatic response. What I was most surprised about, was that nothing of this sort had ever happened to me before. I am not one for shutting down when making decisions (although I do find decision making hard) and am certainly not one for crying in public (i'm not one to show many of the sadder emotions to others). 

This was the most publicly introverted I had been. 

So, I am here letting you know that I am definitely more introverted than I sometimes let on and I am okay with that. Being an introvert isn't a bad thing - it just means that you're more likely to sit back and observe while others take the reins. Being introverted means that you take in more of your surroundings, you are happy to sit quietly and notice the small things that others moving quickly may not.  

The act of being introverted is almost poetic. Almost romantic - although it should not be romanticised.  

Being who you truly are and being happy in that, is one of the most poetic, romantic, beautiful things of all. 

☼

Easy Peasy 10 Step Pesto Pasta with Chicken.

Hello there! Here is my first instalment of 'To Make' - I will have your lunch or dinner sorted! 

Pesto Pasta with Chicken Recipe: 

(makes 4 large servings)

Ingredients: 

- Pasta (you can use the pasta of your choice and as much as you want - I used a whole, small bag of Penne pasta)

- 2 Chicken breasts 

- 1 whole tomato, or about 12 of cherry tomatoes, halved 

- Salt and pepper to season

For Pesto: 

- 2 cups of fresh basil 

- 1/2 cup grated parmesan 

- 1/2 cup virgin olive oil 

- 1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts 

- 3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method: 

1. Gather all of the ingredients and have everything measured out to make the whole process easier. 

2. First, you need to boil some water. While this is happening, cut the chicken into smaller bite sized pieces. 

3. Get out a large and a medium saucepan. Fill the saucepans with boiling water.

4. Put the cut up chicken into the medium saucepan and the pasta into the large saucepan and bring to the boil. 

While this is cooking, you can make the pesto - 

5. Peel and mince garlic

6. Combine the basil and pine nuts in a bender. Slightly blend together (in a pulsing manner). Then, add the cheese and garlic and blend again. 

7. Scrape the sides of the mixture to the bottom of the blender and blend again - slowly adding the oil to the mixture. Once combined, add salt and pepper to taste. 

8. Cut up tomatoes and put to the side.

9. Check both the pasta and chicken are cooked, then drain the water and put in a large bowl. 

10. Combine the pasta, chicken, tomatoes and pesto together and mix together until satisfied. 

And hey presto (or should I say pesto... haha). 

It's that Easy Peasy. 

ENJOY! 

☼