Thoroughly modern millennial

Author: Ria

  • 365 Days of Independence | 1 year living away from home

    365Life Lessons in independence:
    • It’s ok to be the ‘quiet one’ in the house.
    • Boys aren’t as gross as you think – either that or the ones I’ve ended up living with are an anomaly.
    • Cooking is hella therapeutic.
    • That being said there is no shame in ordering take out or getting a ready meal ’cause the thought of preparing food and w a i t i n g for it to cook sounds like torture.
    • Sometimes you just need to go ‘home’ to your family and just be looked after by your Mum.
    • Coming back home drunk means fellow means housemates are officially allowed to use this as collateral to take the piss for an additional week.
    • I have a magic touch when it comes to fixing most kitchen and bathroom appliance *flips hair*.
    • A treat constitutes buying the fancy tonic from M&S rather than Tesco’s own brand.
    • Passive aggressiveness with your housemates is inescapable, no matter how well you get on.
    • Letting agencies suck.
    • Council tax people on the other hand will not bite your head off when you’re confused.
    • Sometimes you need people to drag you out of your bedroom and actually be sociable.
    • Missing your alarm by one minute means missing your unofficial slot for the bathroom on the morning which causes a cataclysmic chain of events that will make your 10 minutes late for work.
    • Cleaning doesn’t even phase me anymore.
    • Being responsible for your own transport and not having a car ultimately means the phrase ‘sorry I’m running a little late’ will become commonplace.
    • Don’t try to buy a set of knives from Poundland and expect them to work (like my housemate) – that sounds more ominous than I planned it to.
    • I don’t think I’ll ever understand how I go through so many clothes in the space of one week.
    • Yes, you will go for drinks after work tonight…cause why the hell not.
    • Empty house sans housemates is the best. Sing-a-long dance parties to Taylor Swift and getting to take up the entire kitchen counter making dinner feels so luxurious.
    • The Great British Bake-Off bonds all like no other TV show.

    Just a few little things I’ve learnt since its officially been a year since I moved away from home for the first time and became an ‘independent woman’ (throw you hand up at meeee!…ahem). As you read this I’m actually moving onto yet another houseshare, which I have no doubt will throw up another set of learning curves (all girls as opposed to a mixed gender house…yikes!).

    So whilst I settle into this new place amuse me with your tales of woe/wonder over shared accommodation at Uni/out of Uni/with other halves. I could do with a giggle after moving boxes all day.

    Ria

  • Lifestyle | Musicals For Musical Haters

    One of the gripes I get from people who aren’t fans of musical theatre is that ‘It’s all jazz hands and sparkly lights and URGHH WHY ARE THEY ALL SO HAPPY’. Yes, some of the biggest musicals in the world fall into the jazz-hand-y all smiles and no sadness category or the Les Mis/Webber penned operatic affairs that win Oliviers and your grandparents probably consider classics. But don’t write of the musical genre just yet.

    I hold a strong personal belief that there’s a musical out there for anyone. So whether you’ve been haunted by the awful that was High School Musical, or are sick to death of hearing about how great Anne Hathaway was singing I Dreamed A Dream, gear up your excuses, cause I’m about to fire off some serious suggestions to turn you into a musical theatre convert…join us we have Schmakery’s cookies* ^_^

    hamilton

    (more…)

  • Writing | Experimenting With Form

    writing-form-notebook

    Around the time of said scrambling writing/blogging midlife crisis last year I had the sudden (very obvious) realisation.

    I don’t really write much else other than my ‘novel projects’.

    More often than not a writer’s life is defined by the single task of getting that golden book deal, but sometimes too much too much emphasis and pride is placed on finishing an entire work of prose when other forms of writing can be just as interesting too.
    Over the past few years I’ve been hellbent on finishing a novel. This singular goal has meant I’ve often shut out the idea of trying out other genres or types of writing in favour of completing this one thing (or in my case five things).

    The more and more I delve into the world of writing the more I’m further my love for other story formats, not just in terms of what I enjoy reading but in terms of what I want to write as well.

    I started with poetry last year, just on a whim, to see what would come out. The results were fun. They were shorter than prose but I found myself veering towards a narrative style – similar to the slam poetry I adore watching on Youtube. After flicking through literary magazines like Litro, Popshot and Mslexia and trying out creative writing prompts online I gave short stories a go. Again, like poetry it was fun, non-committal and more importantly was an exercise in creativity.
    Experimenting with form was never something I set out to do. It kinda of just happened. The technicalities of writing form was never something I paid attention to but it’s something that I definitely want to get to grips with over the next few months. Who knows maybe writing novels isn’t my thing. My thing might be haikus or essays or flash fiction or slam poetry. But I won’t find out what my thing is until I give it a go.

    Time to get experimenting.

    Fellow writers (and non-writers alike)! Let me know if you’re having similar struggles about stepping out of your writing comfort zone in the comments.

    p.s.You can follow some of my writing escapades on my Tumblr and on Medium.

    Ria