Adventures: Minnamurra Rainforest

The other month I went to the Minnamurra Rainforest located in Budderoo National Park, which is around 20 minutes west of Kiama. It seems rather odd to have lived so close to it for all of my life but never actually visited. It was a great day walking around the forest (one of my favourite places) despite my realisation for how unfit I am... I think I stopped on more than half of the benches there for a sit-down and snack break but that was fine because I had more time to admire the view.

The Falls Walk is 4.2km return and the time suggested is 1-2 hours however I feel as though my walk was towards the longer end of the spectrum. The walking track grade is 2, meaning that 'no bushwalking experience is required, the track is a hardened/compacted surface that may have gentle hill sections and occasional steps'. Perfect for me! (Even though I still struggled, if I'm real with you).

I suggest packing water and food because there is nothing more I wanted to do when I reached the waterfall than sit down, relax, and eat. The waterfall really is worth the (hard work) walking, even though it isn't spectacularly gigantic or anything, it is still really nice. I'd love to go when it's raining one day because I think it would be incredible. I love the rain and I think the rainforest would look so beautiful and lush.

I am so glad I didn't bother straightening my hair or anything because it went frizzier than usual! It also got a bit chilly so I'd advise not to wear anything that will make you too warm or too cool. At some parts of the walk I wished I wore my jeans because my legs were freezing, but at other times I was glad to have worn my shorts because when you reach the hills you really start to warm up and break out a sweat. I also took my polaroid camera and sadly only one photo out of five developed. I'm not quite sure why; the lighting was on the correct dial but nevertheless I wasted a lot of films that day (and film is expensive) so if you're wanting to take photos when you go then don't just rely on your polaroid!

This post is a part of a new series, Adventures, where I will talk about places I've been to, what I did there and share photos. I'm looking forward to sharing more adventures with you! 

xxx

Thoughts

I have often thought about the desire for things we aren't born with. In our minds, we believe that there will always be someone smarter, prettier and funnier than we are. There are a thousand products available to alter our appearances and change the things we dislike about ourselves. I enjoy makeup, I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I don't use an awful lot of it partly because I have no clue what I'm doing, but mostly because I don't want to. We spend an abundance of our time fussing over our physical appearance and how we can change it to be more desirable.

For years, I disliked the curve of my nose and my 'Hermione hair', but now I've come to embrace it. My friends reassured me that I have a 'Disney princess nose' like Belle's (and we all know how much I love Disney). And Frizzy hair? I don't care. I was frequently told how 'lovely' my 'thick' brown hair is, and I would reply with something along the lines of "Well, if you'd like to trade hair then that's fine, have fun trying to tame the wild beast". I always I used to envy girls with perfectly straight hair. Nowadays I have learnt to love my crazy, whirly hair. I still have my hair straightened occasionally, yet I am loving the 'natural look'.

'Is that really what my hair looks like from the back?'

I have learnt to love my 'imperfections' because chances are other people don't see myself the way I do. Self-esteem is much like a roller-coaster. Some roller-coasters have their good moments and not so good moments. One day we can wake up feeling ~flawless~ and the next day feeling like utter shit. It's time for people to acknowledge and embrace the parts of themselves they are displeased with. A good friend once told me to make my weaknesses my strengths, so nobody could use them against me. In some ways, that expression could be applied to anything. There is no greater power than to love yourself; including the parts of yourself you hate.

We cannot let others validate us- because to validate something means to accept it and acknowledge its value- and at the end of the day, self-validation is what is most important. We must accept ourselves for who we are and not try to be something or someone we are not. The only comparisons we should make are of our inner-selves. Who I was yesterday, who am I today and who can I be tomorrow. If we compare ourselves to ourselves then we can strive to be the best people we can be.

  

Wearing: Topshop top, Dotti jeans, Mimco pouch

What are your thoughts on this topic? Comment in the box below.

xxx

Mood

"I sometimes think that people’s hearts are like deep wells. Nobody knows what’s at the bottom. All you can do is imagine by what comes floating to the surface every once in a while" -Haruki Murakami

The collage above is a collection of photos from my Pinterest, which you can follow here. 

Sunrise last Monday morning

The past few weeks have been incredibly stressful, so tonight I've been able to unwind and release all of my creative energy that hasn't been released earlier because of exams. I love being in my own bubble; listening to music and getting some feel-good vibes going. I created this playlist the other day and it has been on repeat since.

• Vera Blue- 'Breathe Life'
• Coldplay- 'Hymn For The Weekend'
• Halsey- 'Colours'
• The 1975- 'Love Me'
• Drake ft. Rihanna- 'Take Care'
• Alison Wonderland- 'Already Gone'
• Miley Cyrus- 'Adore You' (Cedric Gervais remix)
• Alessia Cara- 'Here'
• Flume ft. Kai- 'Never Be Like You'
• Disclosure ft. Lorde- 'Magnets'
• Ellie Goulding- 'All I Want'
• Purity Ring- 'Flood On The Floor'
• Haley Reinhart- 'Can't Help Falling In Love'
• Keane- 'Somewhere Only We Know'

The gum commercial featuring Reinhart's cover of Can't Help Falling in Love makes me cry every time I watch it. Elvis' original will forever be one of my all time favourite songs, yet Reinhart's rendition makes my heart swoon. 

xxx

Hello, March

Despite being officially autumn now in Australia, it still feels like summer with our scorching heat and lack of 'almost winter' vibes. As much as I like to swim and spend time cooling off in the water, I am ready for the colder months! Winter is honestly my favourite time of year because you can get warm easily (unlike in summer, where cooling down is difficult), you can wear jeans 24/7, make hot chocolate and not feel like your insides are dying, and fall asleep to the sound of the serene winter rain. And skiing! How I love being on the glistening white snow, feeling so peaceful and at ease. Just writing this makes me crave winter even more. There is also nothing better than spending a night at home, curled up with a good book and some hot food (preferably Mum's pasta bake). Winter is the ultimate comfort time for me, some regard it as depressing months due to the lack of sunshine and warmth, but hey- each to their own.

{Skiing at Blue Cow, Perisher last year}

It's been a while since I last posted (one month and two days to be precise) and I feel like I haven't been up to much other than studying for exams and occasionally hanging out with friends. February was a busy month! But most importantly, it was a month of self-growth. The amount of positivity I gained was indescribable. This sounds incredibly cliched, however, I do feel like my old self again. After months of feeling down and lousy, I've started to pick myself back up. The most important lesson I have learnt is to be loyal to yourself because the most important thing in your life is you. Friends and family are also so important, and as busy as life may seem we still need to spend time with the ones who love us most. Unfortunately, we aren't always rays of sunshine, but for the most part, we can try to be. Having a positive attitude and mindset is everything, so make things count.

{Flowers from my friend Nadine}

On the weekend, I went snorkelling for the first time at my local marine reserve and I had an absolutely amazing day. It's like a hidden gem of paradise, only 10 minutes out of town. The weather was perfect and I was so excited. After buying my $10 snorkelling mask from Kmart, I was ready to get under the sea and explore. After parking the car on the dirt track, we took the long way around- climbing down a hill of rocks but we eventually made it to the bottom of the bay. There weren't an abundance of fish but there were still some; and it was so incredible to be a part of their world (yes- The Little Mermaid is my life). I had been swimming with dolphins before at Sea World in QLD, yet this was entirely different. The clear blue water was beautiful, and it felt so relaxing and enjoyable to swim in the ocean. In all honesty, despite living on the coast my entire life, I couldn't tell you the last time I had gone swimming at the beach. It's like a crime, I know. Last Sunday was a new experience for me and it was one of the best things I have ever decided to do. Dealing with anxiety is a pain in the ass sometimes, but when you're able to let go of all of that- life can be enjoyable.
Hopefully, I can go back sometime soon; next time I will be sure to take my GoPro along!

{Polaroids of the bay, bae and me}

xxx

The Italian Diaries; Chapter Two

Rome 

The next stop on our Italian adventure was Rome. I have always been fascinated by Rome, especially after watching The Lizzie McGuire movie when I was younger. 

The drive from Gualdo to Rome felt shorter than the initial drive from Rome to Gualdo; and in no time we had arrived. As they say, all roads lead to Rome!

Driving past the Colosseum on our way to the hotel was such a wonderful experience, yet it felt so surreal. Our hotel was in a central location which made it very easy to get to places by walking. I'm not really a big walker, I am rather lazy sometimes however in saying that I do like walking around and exploring places I haven't been before. So after arriving at the hotel and leaving our luggage, we went for a wander around the eternal city.

Our first stop was the Colosseum for a proper tourist visit before dinner.

The next day was our walking tour of Rome, and we walked from about 9am until 5:30pm when we reached our hotel. Our walking tour was probably the most exercise I have ever done in one day, which was good considering all of the food I consumed...
Highlights included the Roman Forum, Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain (though it was covered up because of construction) and the Spanish Steps.
It felt so incredible to walk around in Rome because all of the ancient ruins are fascinating, and I find it so interesting how Ancient Rome has been preserved (to some extents) and integrated into the more modern architecture of the city.

Not seeing the Trevi Fountain was one of the most disappointing experiences of my life so far, as it was number one on my 'to see' list. I decided to drown my sorrows at the nearest gelateria, yet this lead to more disappointment because the (first one) I went to was terrible. There are three gelaterias next to the Trevi Fountain and I went to all of them- and I was disappointed each time.
Towards the end of our walking tour of Rome, we went to Giolitti. This gelato changed my life. It was hands down one of the best gelatos I have ever tasted- raspberry and caramelized fig.
One of my travel tips would be don't go to cheap gelato places in touristy areas because they aren't as good as the ones that are a little bit hidden. It really shows how sometimes bad things come your way but better things come your way later.

On one of our days in Rome we visited the Vatican and saw the Pope's address in Vatican City. Wandering around the Vatican was mesmerising because all of the architecture and art is simply fascinating. The Sistine Chapel was a major highlight- seeing the works of Michelangelo. Unfortunately they don't allow photography in the chapel so I don't have any photos to share of that, so you will all have to visit the chapel yourselfs!
On our way to Vatican City we stopped for some pizza and I had potato pizza for the first time which was such a new yet good experience. Two of my favourite things combined = heaven.

Eating dinner in Rome was fairly bland because we went to the same restaurant every night (as it was a part of our travel package) and the food wasn't spectacular. Luckily the food in Florence made up for this, including our own pasta making course which I will share with you in next Sunday's chapter!

Where are your favourite travel destinations? Share with me in the comments below! 

xxx

La vita é bella

This charm I got for Christmas is the famous Italian saying; life is beautiful.
Sometimes despite how wrong everything may seem and how nothing is going your way, life is truly beautiful. As cheesy as it sounds, it does take experiencing the worst thunderstorms for one to fully appreciate the rainbow afterwards.

For a while I have felt like I am walking in and out of a thunderstorm with only a slight glimpse of a rainbow, but I believe that my rainbow will appear in full.
No matter how troubled or complicated our lives may seem, I believe that some things do happen for a reason. Overcoming the most challenging obstacles life has thrown at you will make you stronger and more resilient, and it will be worth it in the end.
Surrounding yourself with positive people is so important and I am grateful for my friends and family every day.

I'm going to find a chain to link it on so I can wear it as a necklace; as a constant reminder for the need of positivity in my life.

I am so lucky to live Australia as it is such a gorgeous country. The opportunities available to me are endless, and one day I would like to help those struggling in other countries have the same opportunities for education, health and wellbeing as I have.
Last night my mother made pavlova, and I had to share it with you all because she did such a fantastic job (as always) and it tasted as good as it looked.

Happy Australia Day! 

xxx

Sydney Snapshots

On Friday 22nd January, my friends and I caught the train up to Sydney and explored the Queen Victoria Building & Pitt Street Mall.

Here are some snapshots of my day
xxx

{Lunch at Chat Thai}

{Dress at H&M}

{Ladurée macaroons}

{The Ladurée macaroons I purchased}

{Lush bath bombs}

{Lush face masks}

What have you been up to lately? Talk to me in the comments below! 

xxx