LONDON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In 36 hours I'll be on an aeroplane again. I'll be taking myself on a long-haul flight to Blighty!

That's right, England, the place where around  3/4 of my childhood took place. I can't wait to see family and friends that I have not seen for eons.

Wahey!



However, my mother has disseminated an awful flu to the entire family.  

I plan to get rid of it before I venture out into the cold. Really bad to change climates from tropical to icy. There's a risk of pneumonia, you know.

After being subjected to many weird teas and a cocktail of cough medicines, I do feel a little better; however I'm still wearing a fleece blanket as a toga in 30ºC heat. Not really a sign of optimum health, I assure you.

On the first night of the flu, I was cold and hot at the same time, shivering and too dizzy to get out of bed. I had hallucinations of Paul McCartney making a song with Kanye West. Wait... that actually happened.

I imagined that my dog turned into a centaur.

I further had weird cough syrup-induced dreams of me marrying someone who might be reading this. With that in mind, I'd rather not say for fear of professional status slipping and mental wellbeing being compromised. 

Let's just say it was a corporate wedding.


  However some good things have happened over the past week. I sat for six hours and got my hair braided, and I'm sure I've lost round about half a stone through being so sick I can only eat cucumber sandwiches and ginger ale.

I did, however, manage to make and ingest some baked rosemary potatoes for supper.
Every cloud...

Tuna and Chickpea Pasta Salad

One of My New Year's Resolutions is to make more packed lunches. Not only are they cheaper per serving, but they are often more nutritious and less calorific since you would be aware of what's actually going into your tuck.

Here is one packed lunch recipe I've loved for the past week or so:

 Tuna and Chickpea Pasta Salad

Makes 2 Servings

Ingredients

3 Cloves of Garlic
2 Cups of Pasta (I've been using the tri-colour spiral pasta but you can use what ever type you like)
1 Bell Pepper 
1/2  of an onion
1 cup of canned chickpeas
1 tin of tuna
Salt and Pepper

Directions

1. Boil pasta in 2 1/4 cups of salted water. This should take around 10 minutes

2. Whilst the pasta is boiling, finely dice your bell pepper, onion, and garlic (you may also grate the onion and use a garlic crusher if you don't want the texture and want an even distribution of flavour).

3. Drain the pasta once finished.

4. Add your tuna, peas, and seasoning to the pasta and combine thoroughly.

5. Season with salt and pepper

That's it! It is easy, below 500 calories, and very yummy!

New Year, New Me.. and all that jazz

I know. I've been missing for a while.... Miss me? If you don't I do not blame you.



Since I last posted I've been through the wringer with finals (I've only gotten three of my grades so far (I'm dying to receive the rest), had a lovely bubbly Christmas with my family and returned to good ol' Antiguan sun, seas, and sand.

Last year I am happy to say I completed my New Year's Resolution to be more confident and outgoing. The people I've met over the past year, I'm sure, wouldn't see the difference but family and friends have. I've ventured out of my makeup comfort zone to add new shades and styles (next, I shall make a resolution to declutter and spend less time browsing Sephora's website), I've found a "fashion" I'm comfortable with and I've made new friends along the way.

I've had a great experience on Tremr.com (hyperlinked image in the sidebar) and met great writers who inspire me to really explore the discipline. 

If a year ago I had told myself that I was going to be doing a writing internship I would've laughed at myself and returned to my miserable internships at banks and businesses. 

In 2014, I believe I finally found myself. I found my style, defined my likes and dislikes, and dare to say, found the adult I want to be (when I finally grow up of course).

Instead of controlling my life with an iron fist and trying to predict the world, I've finally calmed down and started to just take the opportunities thrown at me and go a long with whatever life throws my way.

2015 is going to be a great year. I'll travel a lot more ( more on that to come), be reunited with old friends, and be sure to make some new ones. I'll document it all here.

Happy New Year!

xx

-Anna