My Highlights of 2016

This year has been a difficult one emotionally, physically and in general for the world but I've had some really great times and wanted to focus on my highlights so when I look back on my memories, I'll know that this year was a pretty special one.

March

A pretty cool event at the beginning of the year was going to my mum's high school reunion. She went to a private school in Toronto called Branksome Hall, which is a boarding school for girls from all over the world. The coolest thing about it was that it took place in the Canadian Embassy (Canada House) in Trafalgar Square, and inside it was incredible. I felt really lucky that my mum decided to take me as it was very posh and I might never have a chance to go there again.

                                            (Picture: Canadian Embassy in Trafalgar Square)


March 24th

I was lucky enough to go to some incredible gigs/concerts this year and I started the year on a high by getting to see my favourite band, Simple Plan, for the third time. They were incredible as always (I cried a little) and this definitely won't be the last time I see them. Literally every time I see them I get chills when the audience sings back to them.

                                                       (Picture: Simple Plan gig)


April

I got my mum (and dad) tickets to see Newton Faulkner for her birthday this year and it was pretty big for her. Newton was amazing, and so talented.

                                      (Picture: I didn't get a picture of the gig but he favourited my tweet)


April

I HANDED IN MY DISSERTATION. This is only a highlight because it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. (If anyone ever tells you dissertations aren't hard, don't listen to them.) I'm so proud of myself for completing it and getting a 2:1 in it. I don't care if people haven't done a dissertation but they definitely need to have a certain amount of sympathy that I've had to write one.

                                (Picture: Handing in my dissertation, with an immense amount of relief)



June 7th

I turned 21! Although I still look 12, it's nice to be officially in my 20's but also scary. I had a lovely party though (later on in June) and got to see some people that I hadn't seen for a very long time. I also got tickets to see Elton John!

                                                        (Picture: 21st party)


June 10th

I got to see Elton John in concert. This was literally one of the best moments of my life as he is one of my favourite singers. He sung my favourite songs of his and obviously he was incredible. I've waited years to see him as I wanted to see him in Brighton when I was 16 but because it clashed with my GCSEs I couldn't go. It was such a great night and I would love to see him again but if I can't at least I've had the opportunity.

                                                  (Picture: Elton John in concert)


July

To save money for holidays abroad, we went to Cornwall this summer. I haven't been for years but I loved it and we made it so much fun by going surfing, kayaking, coasteering, doing pottery and finding secret beaches. Part of me wanted to become a water sports instructor but the other part realised I cannot swim very well. We also went on a little Poldark tour and managed to find the house that's used as Poldark's house which is in a remote location on Bodmin Moor and we only managed to find it with the instructions of one of the owner's friends.

September 3rd

I went to see American Idiot which was amazing and I loved it! Getting to see Newton Faulkner in it was so good and I couldn't imagine it without him in it.

(Picture: American Idiot)

September 10th

This is probably my favourite moment of 2016. I got to see Billy Joel in concert at Wembley Stadium. He was so incredible and I was looking forward to this moment the whole year as he is one of my favourite singers. He sung my favourite song in the whole world, Vienna, and I am not ashamed to say I cried a lot. It was so magical and crazy to think how many people were there. I loved it and would love to see him again but if he didn't play Vienna again it would probably break my heart a little bit. But hearing my favourite song played live was definitely the highlight of my year.

                                            (Pictures: Billy Joel in concert)

October

I haven't acted for years (the last time being my A Level exam) and finally after five years I was able to act again in the premiere of 1066: Three Kings. I accidentally auditioned with a friend and the writer put me in the play and chose me for a large role. I was so nervous at having been offered such a large part but I managed to do it and am so proud of myself. It was such fun to be in and it was such a lovely cast.

                                                    (Picture: 1066: Three Kings)

October 24th

This is probably one of the main highlights of the year. I finally graduated with a 2:1 in English and Creative Writing! I am so proud of myself and for all I achieved and thankful for the good times at Uni (there were a lot of bad ones too), and I know I have come out of it a stronger person. I wanted to give up a lot of times but once I got to my third year I realised it was probably a bit stupid. I honestly never thought I would graduate or manage to get in all my work but I did and I'm proud of all the writing I have done while at Uni and thankful for all the friends I met. Also I don't mean to brag but I didn't fall down the stairs during my graduation.


November

This wasn't such a big event but I'm proud of myself for getting through my anxiety and going to Shropshire on my own to help my big cousin and help look after my little cousin. It was so lovely being with family and getting to know my cousin, Iris, more.

                                                   (Picture: My cousin, Iris, at ballet)

December 

My last favourite moment of the year was going to see Kate Tempest performing her album 'Let Them Eat Chaos'. She's so talented and the fact that she's a writer inspires me even more. She really makes you think about the world and I would recommend her to everyone.

Overall I've had a pretty good year and looking back through my photos reminded me of some of the times I had forgotten. In terms of gigs and concerts it was definitely the best year I've had, and I'm really grateful for all of the memories. I hope 2017 is slightly better though, as I could do with a job.

Thanks for reading,
Jessie
xxx

Overactive and Underactive Thyroid

I've been thinking of doing this blog post for ages now, just to make people more aware as they themselves could be suffering from an underactive (hypothyroidism) or overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). It also may help friends of those going through it. I'm in the very exciting position of having suffered from both of these, so I feel I know a bit about both of them. So this is the personal journey I've had with both of them over the last three years:

Overactive Thyroid
I must have had an overactive thyroid for quite a while before I found out but never realised as I'd been suffering with the symptoms for ages (although in comparison with underactive symptoms, these are nowhere near as bad). Not all of the symptoms I've had are listed online but my mum thought there was something wrong with my thyroid as my granny had had an overactive thyroid when she was younger, and I suffered from anxiety, was a bit irritable, needed to wee a lot, had a lot of energy and couldn't keep still even though I was tired. She realised there was definitely something wrong when I came home from the last day of Sixth Form and was so tired I went straight to sleep without eating dinner (and if I miss dinner there is definitely something wrong). My previous doctor had thought my mum was a hypochondriac but my new doctor agreed to do a thyroid blood test (something my mum had to ASK for. If she hadn't asked him, nobody would have tested me for it). My mum's instincts about my thyroid were clearly right when the night after the blood test, my doctor phoned and said my thyroid was so overactive that I had to come in immediately first thing in the morning and if I felt worse overnight to go to A&E. My parents were obviously really worried but I didn't really feel any different to how I had been feeling so I didn't go to A&E. The doctor put me on carbimazole and I had a lot of the side effects such as nausea which lasted for ages. I was on a pretty high dosage in order to make me go underactive. (If you are on carbimazole there is also the slight possibility of having a thyroid storm, which means you have to go to A&E straight away, but luckily I didn't have one).

Underactive Thyroid
 To test my thyroid levels, I would have a blood test every so often (can't remember the exact amount of time between them) but I'd started university so I was living in halls. As I'd never been underactive before I didn't realise that I was becoming underactive. One of the side effects of an overactive thyroid is unexplained weight loss. Unfortunately I didn't really lose much weight. When I went underactive I put on a little bit of weight, although not much compared to how much others can put on, but basically I just thought I'd been eating a little too much at uni because I was a bit chubbier than normal. Whereas for an overactive thyroid, I'd had a few of the symptoms, for underactive I have pretty much every symptom listed online. Dry skin, being sensitive to the cold (I get really cold when others seem to be fine), the weight gain and muscle aches (struggling to walk without feeling pain) and being very slow in both mind and body. My two personal favourite symptoms are depression and tiredness. I felt so down during my first year of uni that there were times I literally thought there was no point to life and couldn't talk to anyone about it but I didn't think that was my thyroid. The tiredness was so bad that I missed lectures because I literally couldn't get out of bed. Although I still had slight anxiety about things, most of the time I didn't really care. When the blood test revealed I was underactive, the doctor put me on levothyroxine (can't remember the dosage) in order to bring my thyroid levels to normal. This was a method the doctor called block and replace which could have made my throid stable.

Overactive Thyroid again!
At one point over this three years (I can't remember what exactly happened) but there was a miscommunication between my doctor and the hospital, meaning my treatment got messed up and the block and replace had to be restarted. As a result I was on carbimazole for longer than I was supposed to be on it. My thyroid went normal for about a year so I was really lucky for a while but then inevitably it went overactive again about a year ago. Unfortunately this time I couldn't stay on carbimazole as I'd already been on it for too long. So this time I had to have radioactive iodine, which would make sure I wouldn't go overactive again as it would basically kill off the thyroid, with a very strong possibility that I would be underactive. Although the underactive symptoms are much worse, staying overactive is much more dangerous. I was obviously terrified about the treatment but it had to happen.

Radioactive Iodine
I stayed on the carbimazole until I was normal and then I had to have radioactive iodine in July 2016. Luckily I had finished university. I went to an appointment first at Brighton hospital where they had to inject me with a tiny dosage of radioactive iodine (as part of my thyroid condition I have extremely low blood pressure and they ALWAYS struggle to take my blood during blood tests so I had to have like five injections). I then had to have a scan which I wasn't prepared for as I get claustrophobic but I managed to get through it. Then a week later I went back and took the radioiodine which was in the form of a pill which I swallowed. After taking it I couldn't be near people, and had to avoid interaction for three weeks. Luckily I have my own flat but I was very lonely and missed my family and friends. The only side effects I had were a really bad stomach ache which lasted the whole time and headaches and a couple of nose bleeds, but after that my thyroid was normal and I could go about life normally.

Underactive thyroid again.
So in September/October 2016, I started having a few underactive symptoms but didn't really realise. I put on a little bit of weight (which I put down to having been stuck inside my flat for three weeks and not exercising much). I was acting in a show and was freezing backstage whereas everyone else seemed to be fine, and was really tired. I managed to keep on going until after the show but that's when I began to feel down, like I didn't know what to do with my life anymore (not helped by finishing uni and not knowing what to do next). I had no motivation and avoided a lot of social interactions. I'm on levothyroxine again and it is helping, slowly. I feel better emotionally than I did the last time I was underactive, especially as I know there's a reason for it now and I can talk to people about it, although I still feel down. I'm still struggling to find motivation to go to the gym, see people but when I am doing those things it's fine. I feel like I've been hiding how I'm feeling for the past couple of months and I am struggling but it's getting better on the medication. Currently I'm trying to find the dose which is going to work but then once I'm on the right dose it should be fine. I will lose a bit of weight and find motivation and won't have any of the side effects. I'll have to be on levothyroxine for life but it will make me better and on the plus side, I get any medication free for life.

Most people don't know what an underactive or overactive thyroid is but a lot of people (both male and female) suffer from it without knowing. The symptoms are common such as anxiety and depression and if you suffer from any of the other symptoms (irritability, mood swings, hyperactivity, difficulty sleeping, tiredness, sensitivity to the heat or the cold, muscle weakness, needing the toilet more often than usual, thirst, itchiness, unexplained weight gain or weight loss, constipation, dry skin, loss of libido, irregular or heavy periods), I would recommend asking for a blood test to check your thyroid function as most doctors don't check for it automatically.



Thanks for reading,
Jessie xxx

The Christmas Tag

As it's the first of December, I thought I'd get in the Christmas spirit by doing a Christmas tag!

1. What are your favourite Christmas movies?
Over December I try to watch all the Christmas films I own (Elf, The Grinch, The Bear, The Snowman, Home Alone), but my ultimate top two Christmas films are A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. Everyone has their personal favourite version of A Christmas Carol and mine is the version starring George C. Scott as it's so creepy but it's also one of the more traditional versions. It's a Wonderful Life is probably one of the best films ever made. No matter how sad I'm feeling, it always makes me appreciate life and it's so romantic and cute.

2. Do you open your presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning?
I literally never open any presents on Christmas Eve and usually I only open my stocking on Christmas morning. We often wait until later in the day to open other presents as we like to spread it out more and wait until family are at our house.

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas memory?
I used to love Christmas' spent at my Grandma's house or later at my Uncle's house with all the family (aunt, uncles, cousins, etc.) but my favourite Christmas was when my other grandparents came up to join them so I got to spend Christmas with my whole close family. Playing games on Christmas day with my family was also one of my favourite moments because my Grandma was so bad at playing them that we just spent the whole time laughing.

4. Favourite festive food?
ALL OF IT. In particular Terry's Chocolate Orange, Christmas dinner, and my dad makes an amazing chocolate truffle torte (Delia Smith's recipe).

5. Favourite Christmas gift?
The best Christmas gift I've ever received were my ice skates. I wanted them for years and in Christmas 2014, my mum put an ice skates tree decoration on the tree with a note telling me that my ice skates were hiding behind the tree. I literally love them so much and if I could wear them all the time, I would. Last Christmas I got tickets to see Billy Joel which was also one of my favourite gifts.

6. Favourite Christmas scent?
I love the smell of Christmas trees but another favourite scent is the spray, 'Winter', from The White Company which smells of cinnamon, clove and orange. It's quite pricey but I've had it for two years, sprayed sooo much of it and there is literally almost a full bottle left so it is definitely good value for money.

7. Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?
Every Christmas Eve my dad makes loads of homemade food (sausage rolls, mushroom vol-au-vents) and we'll sit with the fire on and watch A Christmas Carol and It's a Wonderful Life. We also play games and watch whatever's on TV.

8. What tops your tree?
Just a star usually. I'm more excited about the other decorations than the top of the tree.

9. As a kid what was the one (crazy, wild, extravagant) gift you always asked for but never received?
I don't think there was one. I obviously asked for my ice skates for years but finally got them. I suppose an expensive gift that I don't expect to get any time soon but would really love is a real telescope to look at the stars but there isn't anything too crazy.

10. What's the best part about Christmas for you?
I just love everything about Christmas. Now I'm older I genuinely love giving gifts to other people, but I love the whole festive atmosphere, the songs, the food, the decorations, the films, family and getting to spend time with the people I love. Also stockings. I love stockings.

Thanks for reading!
Jessie xxx

How to Survive the First Year of Uni

My best friend is starting her first year of Uni in September and I thought this would be the perfect time to write a blog post with tips that I picked up along the way (having just finished my degree). Hopefully this can help anyone else starting Uni this year who's worried about suffering with homesickness or just wants general advice!

1. You are very, very likely to be homesick and that's okay. Unless you have no emotions or hate being at home for whatever reason, there is a very good chance that you'll miss home. Even though it always seems impossible to cope with at first, it will get easier and there are lots of ways of coping with homesickness. Of course Skype is a massive lifesaver, as is FaceTime and, of course, phone calls. It will never feel exactly like you're at home but it will help you feel close with family and friends and even pets. There's just something comforting about knowing that however tough your day has been, you can talk to your friends and family in some way. It also helps to remember that most other people are in the same boat, although they might not want to admit it.

2. Take some home comforts for when you feel homesick or sad. Something like a blanket or a toy that you love can help to make you feel happier, but also photographs of your friends/family, cushions, a couple of films you love, books you own, etc. I also took a couple of personal items to look at when I was sad, such as a message from a friend telling me to be confident and cushions that my friends had given me. Although, maybe refrain from taking anything too precious that you wouldn't want people touching or removing from your room.

3. Enjoy buying new things for your new room. As well as taking stuff you already have, there is something so exciting about buying new things to make your room feel like your own. It's the one part of the Halls of Residence that is yours so pick up some things that will make it feel special to you.

(Above image: my messy bedroom in Halls).

4. Invite friends/family to visit you and enjoy discovering new places together. My best friend visited me in first year and we walked through the city I was living in, and we discovered a pub together. It felt like 'our' pub and every time I walked past it I'd remember going with my best friend and it would instantly make me smile. This will also probably make it easier to find new places that maybe your Uni friends didn't want to go to or you were too nervous to try on your own, which is a nice way to explore your new city/town.

5. Following on from the previous point, don't be afraid to explore by yourself. I don't mean just walking around. I mean eating in places by yourself, finding some beautiful places to sit and think, and finding places to show other people. It might seem nerve-wracking at first, but everyone needs alone time sometimes and it's often better to get outside than to stay stuck indoors.

6. Leave some snacks in your room. If you're the type of person who would feel nervous walking into a kitchen full of people you don't know then this applies to you. Or if you're too ill to leave your room then you're going to want something to eat within easy reach. I also had some water bottles in my room just in case I got thirsty in the middle of the night to save myself the walk.

7. Try and keep up an exercise regime. Or at least try to walk a lot. I honestly didn't believe anyone when they said I'd gain weight at Uni, but without a gym to go to and a large supply of food with nobody telling me to stop eating and with all the drinking (and drunk eating), I gained a bit of weight. It's inevitable but doing a few sit ups in the morning might make you feel slightly healthier.

8. Don't take your best cutlery. Everybody will steal it. It just happens. One day you'll have a full set of cutlery and the next you'll have just one teaspoon. Also try and have at least 2 of everything because people will probably use your things.

9. Make sure you join a society. I wish I'd stuck with a society and continued going but personal circumstances got in the way. When I do a PGCE I will definitely be joining a society at a new Uni. You might be shy but there is always time to try something new and to meet some people who are interested in the same things as you.

10. Put yourself out there as much as possible. Go to as many events in Freshers week as you possibly can. Even if the people you know don't want to go, you deserve to go to what you enjoy. If you have to go alone, you might meet some new people. Try and experience all the events. Go to events around your city/town. Talk to everyone in your lectures. Don't just stick to the same group. There are so many people who would love to know you, just know how special you are and try to make friends with people who appreciate your worth, and remember it's never too late to make new friends and talk to a different group of people.

11. Try and do a bit of work. Loads of people don't work much and just seem to finish assignments on the day it's due, particularly in first year. Of course, a large part of first year is partying and usually the results don't count, but first year is a practise for the later years, and to see which grade you're currently at, so wasting it entirely is a bit pointless.

12. Take some icebreakers. Bring a drinking game or a board game, or anything that everyone can enjoy together. This will help you make friends with people you live with, people who live near you and anyone else you want to join in.

13. Bring earplugs. Trust me, when you have an exam at 9 o'clock the next day and everyone is drunk, you're going to want those earplugs. Everyone is really loud at Uni, and you can hear everything.

14. Be prepared for being ill. You will get Freshers Flu. It will always get you. You might even get it twice. Bring paracetamol, Berocca, tissues, anything to help you through the flu. This is inevitable and you cannot escape it once everyone else is ill.

15. Take some family recipes. My dad wrote out the recipes for some of my favourite meals so I could cook them at Uni, and it was almost as good as eating it at home. Almost.

16. Have fun! Uni is a time to reinvent yourself, and to enjoy yourself somewhere new. Have as much fun as possible and try and make the best of it. There will be good and bad times as there are everywhere but own it and make it what you want it to be. Have the best time!

Thanks for reading,
Jessie xxx

30 Facts About Me

Most people who read this probably won't know me so I thought I'd start with some facts about me:

1. I'm 20 but I look nowhere near my age. I once got ID'd for a 12 rated film.

2. I'm an only child which is pretty lonely but I love my cat and I'm lucky that I'm so close to my parents.

3. I live alone in my Grandad's second flat which is really cute and I'm so thankful that he lets me live there. As I'm his only grandchild I'm incredibly lucky that the flat will be mine in the future which will help me with buying future properties.

4. I HATE spiders.

5. I have a phobia of throwing up. I can't throw up by myself and before it happens, I panic, shake and cry.

6. My aim for life is to own a house with a library and jacuzzi bath with cats and dogs.

7. I'm so close to my family and friends and they are the most important things to me.

8. I love acting.

9. I love music and going to gigs. Some of the gigs I've been to are: Simple Plan, Avril Lavigne, Coldplay, Scouting for Girls, Newton Faulkner, Ivyrise, The Hoosiers, The Proclaimers and Jessie J.

10. My favourite food is pancakes with lemon and sugar.

11. I have an obsession with filming locations... which resulted in my mum and I travelling to PEI in Canada and me crying a lot when I realised that the apparent 'filming locations' were not real. Despite this, if I'm in an area where films I love have been filmed, I will still try to find filming locations.

12. I used to live in Luton until I moved to Hastings when I was six/seven.

13. I used to see the best in everyone and trust everyone but I find it much more difficult now.

14. I'm really emotional. I cry a lot

15. I can be awkward and shy until you get to know me and then I never shut up.

16. I would do anything to make others happy, usually at the expense of myself.

17. I get so excited for Christmas. I love buying presents for my family and making them cry with thoughtful gifts.

18. I like playing games.

19. I own all the Carry On films.

20. Helena Bonham Carter is my favourite actor in the world.

21. I cry at The Fox and the Hound every single time.

22. I don't mind spending time by myself. I think it's so important to have alone time.

23. I'm actually trying to exercise again and go to the gym most days.

24. Toronto is my favourite city in the world and The Spaghetti Factory is my favourite restaurant there. (Free soup or salad and free bread with garlic butter and the mains are all pasta!)

25. My favourite restaurant in Hastings is Fagins Diner and I have the same meal every single time I go there.

26. I always embarrass myself and have a lot of embarrassing and funny stories.

27. I'm quite clumsy.

28. I've been to New York, Canada, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Wales and Scotland.

29. I still can't drive and have already had three driving instructors... I'm going to try and learn to drive this year.

30. I'm still not entirely sure what I want to do with my life.

First post!

Hi I'm Jessie and I've decided to start writing a blog. I've finished university and I'm currently planning to have two years writing, travelling and just living. I haven't really got a plan but I'll hopefully travel to Paris, Italy and Canada and I'll be looking for a job to fund my travels. Obviously if I love what I'm doing I'll continue it and extend my gap years. I'm half Canadian and I live in England but would love to live in either Paris or Canada in the future.

Here I am on my last trip to Canada, PEI, looking incredibly short.

This blog will probably be mostly a collection of random posts but also hopefully a travel blog and a platform for my writing.

Thanks for reading,

Jessie xxx