so it says hello, but really it's four days away till the end of what has simply been an extremely exhausting month. i, for one, am relieved.

for the first time in the five years i've been here, save the first couple of months because obviously, i've never missed my family more. every time i hear them on the phone it feels like i'll never see them again. rationally, i know that's not true, but i also know i'm not not crazy. there are so many things i wanted and still want to say, & i've had whole conversations in my head, but sometimes these things are really better off where they are

also, it feels like i've been given (or gave myself, whichever) some quiet time these couple months. some were unbidden lol dissociation and recently it feels like the fog's only just lifted, but very slightly and only on certain days. i can't quite explain it, though i think all this downtime has forced me to learn & accept things about myself i always suspected but never quite probed, and to date i'm still not sure how i feel about it all.



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01 JANUARY

but y'all if they're right what they say & the first month sets up the year then i'm fucked. i've had more unforgiving months but jan was downright unsentimental. but also, not unpleasant, & i don't know what that says about me or my romanticising hindsight.

IN OTHER NEWS,


i kEPT THE MASCOT

it's a droid & we called him mike lol.

most of my summer was taken up by the monash industry team initiative. sounds cool........ IF you have a great project offsite ;_; but i had such an absolute bore to bleed over for the better part of 3 months! though i must say, things did pick up considerably near the end. all in all, can't say i particularly enjoyed it because hahahahaha no, BUT it was a very interesting experience.

also it is well into semester now & all loose ends have been tied, and i still don't understand how law fits in anywhere in anything.


02 FEBRUARY

✲ 14/02 ✲ VALENTINE'S

he brought me to the circus!!!!


terrible quality photo but the lighting wasn't very good, also front camera ( ´_` )

maybe i'm old now & my sense of adventure has mellowed tremendously, but i was so scared during the globe of death or whatever it was called!!! like what the fuck i know they're professionals, but you couldn't pay me enough to stand in the middle of that cage with 3 motorcycles in motion more like watch me olly off into the sunset jfc

also i got arrowed by the clown -___- which i did not really appreciate, but i was wearing a very nice dress so i thought everyone else were winners.

rounded off the day w a trip to the hot springs & then my favourite home cooked meal. happy times (´ᴗ`-)♡




✲ 19/02 ✲ PHILLIP ISLAND

day trip to phillip island! where i also had the loveliest surprise before the penguin parade ♡



lunch was at this small café we zomato'd, & it had a rating of over 4.5...! it certainly didn't disappoint, if only for the turkish bread alone! i can't remember the other option i had, maybe it was bagels? and i don't think i would've regretted that anyway but mama the bread, the b r e a d get me a man who cooks like that for me (♡ᴗ♡)




briggs represent!

12 years later & i finally get myself a matching necklace for my earrings!!! which i actually wore to the island in my excitement so ofc i earned myself very suspicious looks from the shop lady, which i rightfully deserve i'm sorry. i'm far more amused by the fact that all these years, & phillip island is still peddling the same damn things!!? down to the exact design & all!!! minus the price, but now i'm so curious to how much my earrings were back then?



l crew!
r meet the new penguin in my life, his name is mawson & he wears knits!




✲ 24/02 ✲ SAFARI PARTY


gettin' my jungle on & photobombing are what i do best ( ´▽` )

borrowed the top off G bec i'm a loser who doesn't own any animal print things, save for underwear lol but it's not like that's going-out appropriate?!



T made these gorgeous insta-boards, & it really was a pity that we only remembered them when it was dark.

left a little early (right after this photo, actually) bec the music wasn't really to my tastes, & at this ripe old age i'm getting to i very much prefer kicking back in bed with a cuddle buddy & a cheesy movie ♡



03 MARCH

✲ 30/3–01/4 ✲ 2D2N R&R
took some time off during the mid-sem & went on a solo trip to the dandenong ranges for a couple nights (๑´ᴗ`๑)

photos are somewhere where i cbf to retrieve, but i did get myself some quality accom & recharge! felt SO good to be able to splurge on comfort AND still keep within budget for the month, A+ #adulting right there thanks. at the beginning, kinda worried that people were gonna be judgey, but i think i like the idea of dating myself a little more.



first night shenanigans ( ´▽` )

these were after dinner so my lippie has faded somewhat. took myself out to skyhigh, & in true style i travelled in a limo! kindly booked for by the lodge owners!!! CAN I SAY, that is service!? also the driver was the absolute sweetest, such a gentleman.

allowed myself a glass of moscato even though i reeeeeeeaaally shouldn't have, & the salmon was the best i've had in a long, long time.

THEN i got pestered about my non-existent snapchat account which i'd stupidly agreed to make. so i complied, after the longest most agonising hours of settling on a username, but i did & LOOK—


BEHOLD! MY FIRST & ONLY SNAPCHAT ✩✩ #gorgeous


the next morning
got up early, though not as early as i'd originally planned, & drove down to the 1000 steps. about time!!! went on the kokoda memorial walk like i'd decided on after lots of googling the night before, but let me tell you— i wish i could say it was a walk in the park (hehehe) bec of my tahan experience, but i must not tell lies. plus tahan was years ago, &'m about as far from my prime as i can get...!

anyway story time— at one point there was a father & son duo in front of me who were asking every single person coming down how far it was to the top, because there comes a point when you start to question the decisions you make, & the responses were all the same 'Not far now'

fuCkING LIES

the most truthful answer was the kind soul who said 'You're literally ten seconds away the top's right there' & it was truthful bec you could see it. fyi, that's what i think of when someone says 'not far now', so all those people who lieD TO OUR FACES you can all buRN IN HELL



before-&-afters! i realise my face matches my jumper AND the ground (# ¬_¬)

i took off my jumper before the climb thinking i wouldn't need it, but then i had to put it back on halfway through. you do work up some sweat going up, but it was also a very cold crisp morning. would def go back again, but i can't imagine going back there now though!

either way, that's one item off my bucket list (￣^￣)


& bec my life is boring that is all. looking back now though, lovely march was very kind. i am thankful and that is all i need to say.


kiss me all night don't ever let me go,
i'll never be the same if we ever meet again.