Wednesday, 16 May 2012

Flashback! 

Okay so today I'm going to look back on 2011. How it was, what happened and towards the end of the year how my life changed forever.

January 2011 was well.. Interesting to say the least. For 6 weeks we had a gap year student and it just so turned out that we got on very well. Much to say when I had to say my good byes on the 13th of February I was very sad and cried a lot, more than you'd think for only meeting him late January. So that happened and we haven't seen each other since, such as life, this July will come.

March went by and nothing much interesting happened apart from my brother's birthday which he wasn't in our presence for as he is currently studying in Stirling university. April came and I became one step closer to being an adult. 17. Driving lessons started on the day of by birthday (3rd April) and I had a blast. Driving for the first time was weird and kinda scary. I didn't like the fact that there were cars coming towards me just a mere meter away because that was scary especially on corners! So driving started and I was happy, 2 lessons a week I should be passed in no time.. 2 months and 3 weeks later I passed my test with 1 minor booyah. I was beyond happy but was sad to be leaving behind a gorgeous red mini which also had black stripes and a black roof. What a hot car. Like seriously if I were a car (assuming I was not an inanimate object) I would totally fancy that car. Any way off my car fancies, my wonderful parents had bought be my beautiful ka, namely... Lola. She was indeed a show girl at some point in her life or had to have been because she is simply beautiful. 

So that's us up to June 2011. I had finished my AS levels by this point which were Music, Drama and Health and Social Care. Now I know, the first two match and the third one doesn't. Meh don't care just needed another subject so Health and Social Care it was, I'm not bashing the subject but one module of the coursework was horrific, I couldn't think of a worse topic than "Health, illness and disease" INCLUDING a really long questionnaire full of crap about how healthy people are, then immunization and then screening. ALL IN ONE MODULE. Sick. Anyway. July came and I didn't go on holiday but enjoyed my time in sunny Bangor as we got about 2 weeks of sun which was rather lovely. August came and so did my AS results, BCC. Meh was alright wasn't too impressed but hey ho got highest in the year for music way hey. That was the B btw. I also had myself a boyfriend until the day after my formal because well, he wasn't the best boyfriend lets just say. 

September, new school year and my last ever year to grace Glenlola with my presence. Awh. Well I have been there for 14 years of my life so it's a little bit sad! My last year in school has by far been the best. I've become close to people I wouldn't have thought I would ever be close to and I've come out of my shell a lot. October came and the preparations for the formal started, dresses, hair, make up, nails and tan. Yummy. Turns out someone had the same dress as me but that was alright we wore it differently. The formal was a fantastic night full of dancing and a failed rock the boat! Dinner was yummy and we got shouted at for going out in the middle of the starter to get a group photo taken. I spent most of the night with my friends rather than my boyfriend (at the time) as he was more interested in getting drunk and embarrassing himself in front of everyone so I left him to it. Day after the formal I broke up with him for various reasons and he didn't want to but I had to for my own well being. 

November came and I was happy.. ish. I had the weight of what had happened over the last two months on my shoulders afraid to tell anyone in case they thought I was lying. We were then joined in our church by 2 gap year students who were going to stay with us until the end of June (yay!). Namely Peter and Stephen the ultimate bromance. They are two of the best people I know and I'm happy to know them and have grown close to them both over the past 6 months. I was able to tell them what was weighing me down and they were able to listen give me advice and I met with a wonderful girl called Lauren (a friend of Stephen's) who had experienced a similar situation. She was fabulous in helping me get back on track with God and it was great to meet someone who didn't judge me and knew what I was going through and gave me sound advice. After this I was ready to get going, I was happy, recommitted and had no weights on my shoulders anymore! I started attending Informal Worship at my church again and oh my days is it the most amazing place to be, I feel so free and in the presence of God when I'm there and it's great to be able to worship freely with all your heart with people who are so encouraging and beautiful, inside and out!

So that brings us into 2012 which I will delve into briefly. Some point down the line I met a man called Neville. He's the leader of the gap year program Xplore (Stephen and Peter are with this) and was telling me about it and asking me if I would consider it. At first I was like no way I'm going to university it seemed like the safe option. After a while of asking me the same question I started praying about it, asking God if I should do it and according to Him I should so I was like right I'ma do it! So I said to my mum and dad and they both think it's stupid but I'm determined and praying that God will change their heart, they have a lot of people praying that so I'm sure it will happen. Neville has been a great support to me and I know he's there to talk to if I need him. Sound, sound man.

I think that'll about do it for now... It's a long blog and clearly more than I thought has happened in 2011. So 2012 should be double fun! :)

Next blog will bring antics of the big EIGHTEEN. See you then ;)

Charlotte :3 

Tuesday, 15 May 2012

Well... That went well didn't it?

"That was a bit of a fail Charlotte."

Yes self I am well aware I started a blog and didn't continue with it. New year and all that jazz. May... new year.. Screw it! It's 2012 and this year has got to be the biggest one of my life. Lemmi list you a few wee events:
  • My cousin had a beautiful baby boy called Tyler John.
  • London, January 2012.
  • Turned 18 woo!
  • Got close with God, learning to follow what He wants me to do.
  • Decision to take a gap year rather than do Music at university dangerous I know.
  • Learning to be my own person. Stick up for what I know is right and what's wrong.
  • Met and become close to some of the most amazing people.
  • A2 exams... Still to come.    
So that's so far. First 5 months of 2012 have already been eventful. Good but bad at the same time. Being your own person and sticking up for what you believe in is hard sometimes but hey I'm just being obedient to what God wants me to do. Yeah that's right. I'm a Christian and proud. Can be quite loud about it too. Never again will I be quiet about my faith. Jesus saved me. Boom! How couldn't you love Him?! 

Next one will be about 2011, don't worry I'll stay in the present after that one ;)

Love and Hugs,

Charlotte :3  

Wednesday, 6 July 2011

ZUMBA

Since I joined the gym and get free EVERYTHING I decided to try out one of the classes and that so happened to be Zumba. I know it seems very extravagant for a 1st class but it was super fun! I didn't think it would be so fun and the classes aren't full of pros but people just like me who have only started and believe me you sweat like I don't know what so I advise:

- Hair up

- No make up

- Loose comfortable clothing

- A drink

Zumba is a fun workout designed to work the whole body through dance and in my class' case laughing! It's a mix of Latin dances to Latin music... totally fun and easy to follow if you have a good instructor! My Zumba class was an hour long and it generally consists of about 5 dances in one class some longer than others and some a bit shorter, this doesn't include warm up or cool down.

More on Zumba: http://www.zumba.com/

Love & Hugs,

Charlotte xXo

Monday, 4 July 2011

First fit blog :)

Well I guess this is how I'm going to start out on this... I'm going to talk about my summer of "getting fit." I honestly am not in this to loose weight because I'm 94lbs and 5ft 2 and reasonably healthy but it's my diet and combo of exercise that need work and here seems to be a good place to document it :)

So today I headed to the gym at 15:30 with my friend - we went into the changing rooms, put our stuff away and headed out to the gym area. Now when you walk into a gym you see the typical gym people and today was particularly busy... you have the posers (which are my favorite), these guys look in the mirror as they are lifting weights or doing pull ups which I cannot do so I admire them for their incredibly gorgeous arms. You then find that older woman who has more strength than you and knows it, then you have the boxers who like to scare everyone by punching the punchbag very hard and make noises while doing it then proceed to go lift some weights and grunt. Then there's people like me - laugh at the ridiculousness of these people, look very unattractive while working out but feel we have actually done something to earn a bit of chocolate! After all of this and the spin machine tells my my heart is going to explode (it was only at 180bpm when my highest is meant to be 200bpm) I felt I had a good work out and headed home at 16:30. I suppose you may be interested at what I do so here's a list:

- Treadmill 15 mins (Fast paced walk for 1st 2 mins the after that 2 mins running 1 min walking until time is up)

- Step machine 5 mins (Feel like upping this next time to about 10 mins as I quite like it!)

- Rowing machine 2000m (about 12 mins whole body workout, it's amazing!!)

- Stretch out for about 7 mins (to reduce pain tomorrow!)

- Spin machine 7 mins (this is when your heart apparently explodes)

I take about 2 - 3 mins break between exercises and after the treadmill you get this odd sensation you are gliding! WEIRD. I find I become very shaky after my workout but this is probably because I have some weird energy thing going on so I have to eat something with high sugar content to stop the shaking. I also drink lucozade sport (obviously non fizzy) during the workout and between and I find that helps to keep me going, eating wise - well I've been getting up at like 12:30 so I've been having a brunch of bacon with maple syrup and sometimes with scrambled egg if I'm feeling particularly hungry and I have a biscuit before my workout :)

So hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it,

Love and Hugs

Charlotte xXo