Hi guys!

Goodness, December has been a big one! This month has been a lot more hectic than I had expected it to be, but I've managed to fit in a whole heap of fun as well. Here's a little peek at what I've been up to for the final chapter of 2018.

What's In My Carry-On?

         

Hi guys!

Let's be real, the process of traveling can be a stressful and tiresome experience at times. However, I'm a strong believer that a thoughtfully but minimally packed carry-on bag can make a huge difference to your comfort through any long haul flight and airport wait. For today's post I thought I'd take you through what I packed in my carry-on for my latest trip to New Zealand, that kept me both comfortable and stylish through a looong day of travel.

Onwards and Upwards

Hi guys!

I'm back with some very exciting news... I passed my final medical school exams!
If I'm honest I can't quite believe it's all over. It's been a long, hard five years and I don't think I ever believed that I could actually do it, but here I am. I now have only one year of placement to go until I'm officially Dr Reid, how crazy!

My Exam Prep Essentials & Mini Haul

AKA a list of things that aren't at all essential but make me feel a little bit better about spending my whole day at a desk with my hands covered in whiteboard marker stains!

32/40 | A Goodreads Update

Hi guys!
Considering I'm now well over halfway through my reading goal for the year, I thought it was about time I updated you on what I've been reading and loving over the last few months.

Exploring Tongariro National Park | New Zealand Adventures

Hi guys!
Today's post is a very, very overdue feature on my trip to Tongariro National Park in the North Island of New Zealand. Tongariro is a place that always has a special place in my heart, as my family have been there many times over the years and always have the most wonderful time. Tongariro is also home to several Lord Of The Rings filming locations, which is another exciting aspect to explore! This trip was extra special as I got to introduce my boyfriend to the national park and all it's beauty for the first time.

5 Things I've Achieved So Far This Year

Hi guys!

Much to my consistent surprise, this year just seems to keep flying on by and we are now well over the halfway mark of 2018!

2018 has been by far the hardest of my degree so far, and I've been dealing with a lot of frustration over not feeling like I know enough or am making enough progress, with a good dose of imposter syndrome thrown in as well. I think a lot of us sometimes focus so much on where we want to be and what we haven't achieved, that we forget to press pause for a second and take some time to realise what we actually have achieved.

August Goals

Hi guys!
I know we're already 10 days into August, but I'm feeling pretty refreshed and motivated after my two weeks of holiday, so I  thought I'd share a few of my goals for the next few weeks. I've struggled a lot this year with setting my goals a bit too high and feeling deflated when I never reach them, so this month I'm trying really hard to start smaller and slowly build up some productive habits in my life.

Monthly Moments | July

Hi guys!

Just like that yet another month has come and gone, and I'm left at a loss where all my time is disappearing to! When looking back on the month of July, I initially didn't think that I had been up to much except studying, but after a look at my photos it seems that I have been pretty busy after all. There's been reunions with old friends and a trip to the other end of the county, among other things, so here's a little glimpse of what I've been up to during the last month.

My Top 10 Thrifting Tips

Hi guys! If there's one thing I feel like I'm pretty good at in life, it's thrift shopping. I have a mix of really good luck and a whole lotta dedication that means I almost never leave a thrift shop empty handed.

How I Maximize My Weekends

Hi guys!

Recently, I've come to the realisation that I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with weekends. How could one hate weekends, I hear you ask?! I think it has a lot to do with the fact that as a uni student, I'm at placement without much free time throughout most of the week. Although I do enjoy the long days and practical experience that comes with it, it does have the less positive side effect that I always have a big list of study and work to catch up on by the time Saturday rolls around.

A Week In The Life Of A Medical Student | Surgery Rotation

Hi guys!
For this rotation, I decided to do a Week In My Life for my very first week of the rotation. I thought it would show a good idea of how dysfunctional the med student life can be sometimes, and I wasn't wrong! I spent the week with the Plastic Surgery Team, so I'll take you through what I got up to.

Everything $2 Thrift Haul

          

Hey guys!

I can't tell you how excited I am for today's post! Once a year in my area, one of our biggest local thrift shops does a huge sale where each item is only $2. My housemate and I went last year and both did pretty well out of it, so I've been excitedly waiting for months until it came around again. This year I took both my housemate and my Mum along, which worked out really well, as we're all slightly different sizes and could offer things to each other if they weren't our own size.

Shipwrecks & Seagulls | Adelaide Adventures

Hi guys!

During my last uni break (which already feels like a lifetime ago!) I took a trip to Adelaide to visit my partner's family. We spent a happy few days exploring beaches and cute little towns, eating lots of yummy food and laughing a lot. It was so lovely to spend some more time with my 'second family', and we got up to lots of adventures that I thought I'd share today.

Monthly Moments | May

Hi guys!
Hasn't May just flown by? This month has definitely been my busiest so far this year, I've only had one weekend semi-free in the last four weeks. Between several weekend surgery shifts and two camping trips away, I have to admit I'm feeling pretty exhausted! I am pretty pleased that I've been getting out and about so much though, and I'm definitely looking forward to a weekend completely off coming up soon. Here's a little look at my May highlights.

5 Ways to Read More Books When You're Busy AF

Hi guys!
I'll be the first to admit that as good as your intentions are, reading books regularly is so hard to fit in when the rest of your life is crazy busy! When I'm stressed and have a to-do list as long as my arm, managing to read a book is generally right at the bottom of my list.

Windin Falls Hike

         

Hi guys!
A month or two back we finally took a trip to the (in)famous Windin Falls, and I'll tell you now, it did not disappoint! For a relatively short and easy hike, it was such a gorgeous view and spot to swim, and I would thoroughly recommend it.

A Week In The Life Of A Medical Student: Psych Rotation

Hi guys! My last 'Week In The Life' post went down pretty well, so I thought I'd make it a series for this year, highlighting what I get up to in a typical week on each of my different rotations. Unfortunately I can't properly tell you a lot of the interesting and funny stories I have from this rotation, as it would verge on breaking confidentiality. However, I absolutely loved my term in Psych, getting to talk to so many people and hear their story! I'm actually seriously considering it as a future career now which is pretty exciting! So let's get into a week in my life on my Psych rotation.

April In Review

Hi guys!
I actually wasn't planning on doing a review type post this month, but I've been hit with a blast of motivation and oops, here we are! So here's a little recap of what I got up to this month.

Book Review: The Atomic Weight Of Love

Hi guys!
So, I have a confession to make. A couple of weeks ago I decided that groceries were not going to be my priority that week (who needs to eat, right?!) and instead purchased myself five new books. They were on a pretty good sale, but still five books at once was a bit of a splurge for me! The Atomic Weight Of Love was one of the books I purchased, and I've just finished it. I felt like I had to write a review of it because it really gave me some feelings!

March Goals: How Did I Go?

Hey guys!

If you're looking for someone who's totally kicking goals at life to inspire you into being more productive....maaaybe click away now! How many of my March goals did I achieve? Um, none. Zilch. Nada.
So what happened?

Liebster Award 2018

         

Hi guys! Isn't it lovely how life works? I haven't heard anything about this award for quite a while now, and suddenly I'm nominated for it twice within a week! Needless to say I feel very honoured to be doing this award again, and I'm so excited to share the love by nominating some of my favourite bloggers! This award is such a lovely way to support each other and discover new blogs-so let's get into it!

Monthly Moments | February

Hi guys!
My February was one of adventures, study and family fun; so here's some snapshots of what I've been up to!

March Goals

                            

Hi guys!

At the risk of sounding like the biggest cliche in the world...HOW IS IT MARCH ALREADY?! This genuinely feels like the fastest a month has passed my by in such a long time, and I'm not sure whether to be pleased or terrified!

A Week In The Life of a Medical Student

Hi guys! I have to confess, I'm such a nosy person and I absolutely love hearing what other people get up to in their everyday life, so I love reading these types of posts! I've been planning on writing my own version for quite a while now and I finally found the time, so I'd love to hear what you think! This is what a week in my life as a 5th year medical student in Australia looked like!

Monthly Moments | January

Hey guys! January has been the craziest month! It feels like I've managed to squeeze so much into the last few weeks, which is a really great feeling. Here's a little peek into what I've been up to!

Twenty One

Hi guys! 

Would you guess what! I'm finally 21! I've been very lucky to have basically a whole week of fun, so I thought I'd share a few snaps from the celebrations. 

Hiking the Pouakai Crossing | New Zealand Adventures

Hi guys!

Favourite Books of 2017

Hey guys!
I officially did it! I finished my Goodreads Challenge of reading 50 books in 2017 with just three days to spare. I really loved keeping track of what I read during the year, and I will definitely be doing it again in 2018. I love that I can now look back on all the books I've read and what I thought of them. I tend to read so much and so quickly that I forget the titles of half the books I read, so this is a really nice way of keeping track of it!

2017 In Review

I saw in 2017 with a cup of tea from the couch in our little cottage in Corbridge, England, before running outside in the rain to look up at the fireworks crackling through the sky. Nothing exciting, to be sure, but there was a certain cosy comfort in it.