With only a few weeks left of the year, it always seems fitting to reflect on the good, bad and the ugly of my past trip around the sun. 2016 has been a huge year in so many ways, and it's had it's share of ups and downs. To be fair, with so many changes in lifestyle and friends and circumstances, I already knew that the year was going to be a bit of a roller coaster (as much of a cliche as that is).

Although it's only fair to acknowledge the 'downs', in everything from current affairs, pop culture and just personally, I've made a huge effort this year to put a positive spin on everything. Fresh thinking has done a world of good for my mentality and general health. Everything, success or (traditional) failure, is a triumph. It is an experience and something that I can't change, so what's the point of letting it negatively affect my outlook or how I define my year?

All year I've kept a list of every little good and bad experience that I've had, and it's one of the best things I've done for myself. Being able to look at every obstacle and success and all the amazing experiences I've had generally this year has inspired me to expand the list next year.

A lot of my biggest achievements and best experiences this year have been milestones, like going to prom, leaving school (although admittedly, this was a little bittersweet), going abroad without my parents, meeting Jenna (can't say it's every day you meet your pen pal -if that's even the right word- from 1000000s of miles away), starting uni, travelling to London by myself (TWICE!!!!!), getting two jobs and passing my driving test.

Similarly as big; as of this year, I can now say it took me 3 attempts to pass my driving test, I got my tonsils out, and cried eating a yogurt because of it. I got hit by a bike on the day Trump became president. I failed my first exam (luckily it didn't count for anything). I had a bunch of interviews for jobs I didn't get. Not to mention all the times I've tripped over my own feet, dropped a huge barrel of fudge hot chocolate mix at work, and slipped running into a restaurant an hour late and grabbed a stranger's coat to steady myself. There are so many stories to tell off the back of these experiences, and in the long run, they help make me who I am and will be for the rest of my life.

Also, why would you focus on the negative aspects of those, when I could also go on about standing in the POURING rain at the top of the Arc de Triumphe without a jacket, and running through a giant ankle deep puddle in the middle of Disneyland Paris (much to the amusement of everyone who caught me trying to gallop around it and ended up just running through it). On the same trip, I ate a crepe under the Eiffel Tower and watched fireworks 4 nights in a row. THEN only a week later, I got to go snorkelling in some of the world's best beaches and coral reefs in Cuba - where I saw real wild barracudas, starfish and where we found a giant crab in our room one night. Our trip to Camaguey while we were there taught me how lucky I am to live in a country that allows us so many freedoms, but similarly broadened my views and knowledge of an entirely different country and culture.

These are only a sample of the amazing things that have happened this year, not including achievements in fitness/well being and a new positive outlook - which in themselves have been a huge success for me. 2016 has been amazing, and I feel so lucky to have met so many wonderful people and to have been given so many opportunities.

I'm beyond excited to make sure that the list of exciting things in 2017 only grows, both in success and inevitable failure. Here's to a new chapter! :-)

Love,
Lucy

Rain, wind, or shine, any trip to a Disney park is likely to be a magical one - and with Disneyland Paris not only being the closest park to Walt Disney's original Disneyland in California in terms of all the intricate and immersive details, but also being less than an hour from one of the most beautiful cities in the world, there is little not to love.
After having the most amazing trip to DLP recently, I compiled a list of tips for anyone thinking of, or looking forward to their own trip. These tips look to maximise the magic throughout your trip, whether you are travelling with a friend, with family or even on your lonesome.

For anyone who has never been to any Disney park before, regardless of location, there are a few things you need to know before you go;
1. Wear comfortable shoes, 90% of the day is spent on your feet.
2. The parks are expensive. There's no beating around the bush, from food to merchandise, Disney is expensive. Be prepared.
3. Make use of the Fast Pass system, I'll go into more detail below.
4. Buy a park hopper pass - there is much more to see when the day is split in two.


For Disneyland Paris specifically, here are my top tips to make your Disneyland Paris trip practically perfect in every way;

1. PRIOR TO BOOKING  CHECK THE ATTRACTION CLOSURES AT THE TIME OF YOUR TRIP.
- By far the biggest mistake made from my trip a few weeks ago, was not reading the LIST of refurbishments. The closures included Rock 'N' Roller Coaster, Big Thunder Mountain, Star Tours, Dumbo, Peter Pan's Flight and tons more, including various shops, restaurants, and walk through attractions. Although these refurbishments are likely to continue into early 2017, they are likely to clear up over the course of next year as the park gears up to celebrate it's anniversary. Still, the amount of closed attractions was hugely disappointing, and we may not have booked had we read over them beforehand.



2. If staying in a Disney hotel, be sure to GET A MEAL PLAN.
- The standard, most basic meal plan (although above the basic hotel restricted one), allows you breakfast, a 'tea time treat', and dinner. Due to the prices inside the parks, and of the restaurants for dinner, the meal plan is by far the best option - especially as at certain times of year, offers become available for the plan.
- Breakfast is a buffet of continental options such as pastries, cereals, and an albeit limited range of fruits at your hotel. Your 'tea time treat' allows you a small drink and a mini ice cream from various places around the park. Dinner allows you a buffet style meal at either the Plaza Gardens or the Agrabah Cafe in the Disneyland park, and Restaurant des Stars in the Studios park.
- Various different kinds of meal plan exist, look into them and decide what one would be best for you and/or your party.


3. Make the most of BREAKFAST.
- If you have opted for a hotel breakfast, be sure to book for between 7-7.30am and BE THERE ON TIME. There is a huge difference in queue in only a matter of minutes after this time, and will hence delay your getting to the park.
- Despite the 'no picnic' signs in the parks, no one will stop you for bringing in your own food. Bring sandwich bags for your trip, and at breakfast, fill them with a few pastries to see you through until lunch.
- Similarly, stock up your bags with condiments like jam, butter and nutella. If you miss breakfast for any reason and decide to purchase a pastry in the park, none of these are likely to be available.


4. Make the most of your MAGIC HOURS.
- If you are staying at a Disney hotel, you will be given a pass at check in that allows you access to the park Magic Hours, where the Disneyland park opens to hotel guests at 8am, which is 2 hours before the public opening at 10am.
- Meet characters during this time. They usually send out more than they do during the day, and it wastes less ride-time during the day.
- Only a select few rides are open during the Magic Hours, so be sure to ask which ones before making a plan.


5. Arrive at the Studios park at least HALF AN HOUR BEFORE OPENING.- MAGIC HOURS DO NOT APPLY TO THE STUDIOS PARK. It is stated to open at 10am. However, as this park contains most of the rides with the longest wait, be sure to be there between 9 and 9.30am, in order to get close to the front of the crowd.
- The Studios park also has a habit of opening before the stated time to ease crowds, so the earlier you're there, the better.
- When you enter the park, head directly to Crush's Coaster. The line will become much longer later in the day, and for some reason, Fast Passes are unavailable.


6. Make the most of the FAST PASS SYSTEM.- As soon as you exit Crush's Coaster, head direct to Ratatouille, and get your Fast Pass. The line for Ratatouille (and even the queue to get a Fast Pass as soon as the park opens) can be seemingly miles long.
- While waiting for your Fast Pass, visit the attractions throughout the rest of the park. Personally, I didn't mind waiting in a long queue in between times (for example, the rides in Toy Story Land), because it meant you almost get two big rides in for the price of one wait.
- This can also be used in the Disneyland Park, but due to the closures and refurbishments, we didn't find it as necessary.


7. If a ride breaks down, WAIT IT OUT.
- Not only will the line diminish as people begin to leave, but if you wait long enough, a cast member will give you a special Fast Pass to use on the ride when it starts back up again later on in the day.

8. Pack for ALL WEATHERS.
- Unlike most other Disney parks, the weather is unpredictable.
- Everyday of our trip in early June, we had a taste of all weathers. We had hot. We had cold. We had sun. We had rain. We had wind. We had a thunderstorm.
- Pack sunglasses, layers, and a poncho. You'll thank me later.




9. DO NOT EXCHANGE CURRENCY within the Disney complex.
- Going with the same theme of Disney being very expensive, so is their exchange rate.
- The exchange rate is so poor it would be worth changing currency at the airport on your way, or taking a trip to Val D'Europe if you really need to grab cash.


10. DO NOT COMPARE DISNEYLAND PARIS TO OTHER DISNEY PARKS. (!!!!!!!)
- Countless times when I was little, I was told that "now that [I] had been to Disney World, Disneyland Paris would be a disappointment". Nevertheless, in 2008, I was taken to DLP and proved my mum and dad wrong, finding the same magic there as I found in Disney World.
- Do not go in with the attitude that you are going to be disappointed, or you probably will. - This park may be smaller, but the attention to detail is truly outstanding and immersive. It is a beautiful park in it's own right.
- This is a different park, and should be treated as such, and you will really see how magical the whole experience is.


Whether you take these tips on board or not, Disneyland Paris is always going to make a wonderful holiday. The parks and area itself are beautiful, the lines for rides are generally shorter, and for many people around Europe, it is all the magic of Disneyland/Disney World in the US only a couple hours flight away, and for people travelling from North America, it is that same magic you know and love, with a French twist. 

Having experienced a constant sore throat for roughly two years, it was finally decided, at long last, that something had to be done about it. What could be done, no one was exactly sure of - however, despite not actually having a proper case of tonsillitis before, it was decided the best "experiment" would be to get my tonsils out.

I'd never had any kind of surgery before, and I was nothing short of terrified. Despite not being particularly squeamish, the thought of even the smallest of needles is enough to make me feel ill, let alone the thought of having a part of my body taken out. Hospitals up until this point had always been strange and foreign to me, I hadn't even imagined myself in a hospital bed. This all sounds dramatic but that's how I was, I was terrified to the point where we called the doctor to postpone it and were lucky to get our original date back.

Throughout my recovery, I kept a detailed diary of everything I was feeling/eating/doing over the course of the week (the second week was fairly mild and not really interesting at all). Prior to having the surgery, I found reading the experiences of others both useful and hugely interesting, they meant I was prepared for the worst - and hopefully this diary will be of use to anyone getting their tonsils out in the future!

I am a 17 year old girl from the UK, and it's important to remember that everyone has a different experience, this is just a guide to mine personally.

DAY 1 - Monday 11th April, 2016
I arrived at the hospital at around 8am, and was whisked into my hospital gown/hair thing/awful hospital pants fairly quickly. Following a lot of questioning and paperwork, I was told to take a seat and just watch some TV and read old magazines until it was my turn. Around 45 minutes before my surgery, I was asked several of the same repeat questions, and put in a bed and was able to spend a while making myself cosy while watching everything around me and just listening to the chat between the nurses. At around 11.30am, I was wheeled off into the anaesthetists room, making nervous small talk all the way.
The surgery went completely fine, and by far the worst part of it was having my IV put in my hand. The anaesthetists couldn't have been lovelier, trying to distract me from the pain of the IV being inserted, and trying to calm me down, I watched my heart rate on the monitor, before feeling a weird tingling in my jaw and falling straight to sleep.
In the blink of an eye, I was awake again, but this time, I was crying, God knows why, I was mostly just uncomfortable and was told that coming off the anaesthetic can make you irrationally emotional. Even in the moment, I was pretty gutted that I didn't feel drunk from the anaesthetic, I was just sad.
At this point, the pain was roughly a 4/5 out of 10. I was perfectly manageable, but it was really strange. After telling the doctor that, he drifted off for a minute before returning was a syringe of what I can only assume was morphine, out of curiosity, I asked what it was while he put it through the IV, only to be met with "very strong".
I was then moved to the ward, where I felt pretty fine, just a little tired and dizzy. It only hurt a little bit more when the "very strong" medicine began to wear off, but I was given another pain killer as soon as that was mentioned - sadly, this was no where near as effective as the could-be morphine.
After the mandatory 6 hour wait in the ward, and demonstrating my ability to eat, drink and pee, I was allowed to go home. In the UK we are under the instruction to eat rough foods such as toast and crisps, whereas in America you are advised to eat soft foods, make sure to follow your doctor's advice, but throughout the week I found that a balance between the two worked best for me.
I still felt fine, just a little achy. Still, I hadn't eaten properly all day and was starving, and decided to get an ice cream and a tiny packet of chips from McDonald's. Eating them was completely fine, but I was terrified when I realised I couldn't taste, after discovering in my research that tonsillectomies can change your sense of change for as long as a year, not to worry though - it came back within the next week!
I managed to eat lots in the evening, although mostly soft things, I was able to eat strawberries and a little bit of apple pie. As tiredness kicked in, so did the ache in my throat/jaw, and I decided to call it a night.

Summary;
Pain: 4.5/10
Tip: Bring a chap stick and a source of entertainment to the hospital, whatever they use to hold your mouth open can cause the corners of your lips to split, and in the 6 hour wait after surgery you can get awful bored!


DAY 2 - Tuesday 12th April, 2016I woke up only slightly worse than I had went to bed the night before, my voice was quiet but I was able to speak without TOO much pain. Prepared for actually feeling ok in the day(s) after surgery, I actually arranged to attend a training course at work, as I'd missed my induction on the Monday. Although given the option to delay training further in case it was too sore for me to come along, I knew it was all downhill from that point and just decided to go for it.
Aside from my throat feeling dry and scratchy, it was totally manageable and I ended up enjoying the training. Plus I got a free cold drink and lots of sympathy, which is always a plus ;)
As soon as I got home I had a shower, got into my jammies, took my painkillers and just lay down for the rest of the night.
It was on the Tuesday I discovered that I could eat toast (although painfully slowly), which pretty much provided the platform for my diet for the week.

Summary;
Pain: 6/10
Tip: Make the most of the first day or two after surgery, just don't exert yourself any, and don't fall into the false sense of security trap!


DAY 3 - Wednesday 13th April, 2016
The pain seriously kicked in on Wednesday. It was much worse and so much more uncomfortable, which left me nauseous for the most part of the day. I wasn't able to do anything apart from lie on the couch, keep taking my painkillers (ibuprofen and cocodamol) whenever due, and watch some films. On any other day I would take a couch/movie day over anything, but I would rather have ran a marathon than endured this.
Food was near impossible to eat, and water was just as bad (something no one tells you).
Around 9pm, the nausea took over, and I ended up throwing up pure bile and stomach acid because of the lack of food in my stomach. I honestly challenge anyone who thinks they have a high pain threshold to withstand stomach acid on two fresh holes in your throat. It wasn't pleasant.
I used an ice lolly to soothe my throat afterwards, but even that hurt, it was a nightmare.
My mum and dad got me a bucket to keep beside me in case I was sick again, which proved useful in carrying all my things around with me (phone, charger, water, socks, meds, hot water bottle, you name it) while walking around the house for the week.
It was also on Wednesday that I realised how bad my mouth tasted, no word of a lie, it tasted like rotting flesh. It was completely vile and in no way helped with the nausea. Water only ended up making the taste stronger. This part was easily one of the worst experiences of the whole recovery period.

Summary;
Pain: 8/10
Tip: Gum is a fantastic way of relieving pressure from the jaw, and in turn helps the throat (it also keeps it moist). Another benefit is that it masks the taste slightly, however, chewing gum while feeling sick and on an empty stomach is not a good mix.


DAY 4 - Thursday 14th April, 2016Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, it did, it was much worse. For about two seconds, I was fine, the worst was seemingly over, however, at the end of those two seconds (after gathering strength to actually peel my duvet back and get out of bed), I felt very suddenly dizzy and faint.
I carried myself to the bathroom as fast as I could walk while steady, and took my place beside the toilet in case any sickness came back. At this point, the room was spinning, and I was sweating through my jammies. Why did no one warn me about this? Was it normal? In the long run it caused no harm, and I wasn't even sick in the moment - so if this ever happens, or happened during your recovery, it is no reason to worry.
Putting it down to the pain killers being too strong for me, I just folded up a towel to use as a pillow on the bathroom floor. I lay there for about an hour, allowing myself to become less sweaty and disorientated, and decided that actually my day would be best spent in bed.
When I found any source of strength or energy again, I decided to make myself a piece of toast (which took me 20 minutes to eat) and then brushed my teeth to get rid of my awful smelling breath (didn't get rid of the awful taste much to my disappointment).
I gave up on chewing gum, because I was again afraid of nausea, and in the way of getting rid of the awful taste in my mouth, I just decided that a packet of tic tacs would do the trick.
The pain (mostly ear ache and general throat discomfort) was pretty unbearable all day, to the point where I decided I would put on a film I knew well (in this case it was Toy Story 2 and the original Cinderella) and just listen to them with my eyes closed because I was too tired to keep them open, and the pain prevented any sleep.
At long last, I fell asleep for around an hour, and woke up feeling a lot better and decided to attempt the journey downstairs to grab another piece of toast,
Feeling better was short lived, and I was in tears again about 10pm before taking the strong painkillers again and going to bed.

Summary;Pain: 9/10
Tip: Sleep and rest are the best cure, if you can't do it, don't do it. Just rest.


Day 5 - Friday 15th April, 2016THE WORST WAS OVER.
I woke up and felt pretty fine until I went downstairs, where I was met with unbearable earache which made me teary again. I tried to make myself a cold banana and ice cream milk shake for breakfast, but just accepted I was going to have to accept that regardless of what I ate, it would taste like shit. Hoping I drunk enough to line my stomach, I took my painkillers.
With the use of a hot water bottle over my ears, the pain eased off and for the most part of the afternoon, I felt ok again. I watched a film, and for the first time since surgery I decided to try a 'proper' hot meal, if you can call a tiny bowl of Heinz spaghetti a hot meal. It was surprisingly easy to eat, but again, tasted bland,
The ear ache returned around an hour on either side of dinner, which I just used a fresh hot water bottle and pain killers for.
For the first time all week, I was able to set up and focus on my laptop screen, meaning I could finally start doing school work and online training etc.
On Friday I was also able to drink a lot more water, which helped a lot but brought back the vile rotting flesh taste back, stronger than ever.

Summary;
Pain: 8/10 at worst, for the most part of the day it was around a 6-7
Tip: Ear ache can be ridiculously sore and hard to get rid of, a hot water bottle is your best shot in my experience!


Day 6 - Saturday 16th April, 2016I woke up with sore ears, and with the same awful taste in my mouth and it was at this point I completely gave up. My solution was just not to talk, and using a hot water bottle to help with the ear ache (for the first time, it was predominately my left ear - I realised this had to do with the size of the scabs on my tonsil beds).
I battled through a yogurt purely so I could take ibuprofen, and luckily got much better as the day went on, I watched some things and went on my laptop again.
My mum (and the doctor) had been encouraging me to eat "rough" foods, but I was still terrified. I decided that I was feeling good enough, and would try to eat a bit of chicken. Which was easily the worst mistake I had made all week.
Although I struggled, I managed to finish it - and that's when the pain got intense. My ears SCREAMED and my whole mouth (jaw, tongue, tonsil beds) ached as if they'd been shot. The result of this was tears and a fresh hot water bottle, and as many pain killers as I was allowed. Sadly the whole ordeal ruined what had been the best day of recovery so far.
Once the pain subsided, I was fine, I managed to have a bit of ice cream and a tiny bit of chocolate cake and watched Les Miserables while mouthing along to all my favourite parts.
I had a bath, took more pain killers (a considerable amount of time after my last dose) and went to sleep feeling better than I had all week,

Summary;
Pain: 9/10 for the worst part after dinner, rest of the day was between 5-6
Tip: Baths are great during recovery because the heat and steam softens the tonsil beds, easing the pain, they also help you relax and get a better sleep if you've been lacking it.


Day 7 - Sunday 17th April, 2016
Woke up around 10 with the worst ear ache I'd had all week, it took over my whole head and felt like every part of my face and brain were throbbing. For the first time I would give the pain a 10/10, and decided to go against my policy of no cocodamol before bed time - I would have taken anything to get rid of it. The medicine knocked me out and I didn't wake up until around 12.30pm, but I felt so much better.
As soon as I surfaced and went downstairs, the pain came back. It was no where near as bad as the first bout, but sore enough, and talking was so much harder than usual.
In an attempt to eat a yogurt, purely so I could take some painkillers, I ended up stopping two mouthfuls in, in more pain than was justifiable when eating a yogurt, and the result was me curled up in a ball in tears - yet again.
I hadn't accepted it yet, but I would soon find out that eating was the trigger for completely unbearable ear ache, no matter what I was eating.
As soon as I felt well enough after my painkillers, I jumped in the shower hoping to at least feel slightly cleaner, but simply standing at this point was uncomfortable. The minute I got out |I was back under my blanket with a hot water bottle and fresh jammies.
I managed to eat a slice of toast, and had several pieces of gum and tic tacs in the 6 hours before dinner - which was yet again, Heinz spaghetti.
The only difference? The pain after swallowing. It was as if I had taken a step down from a couple of days ago, swallowing itself at this point was fine, but it was followed by the most unbearable pain across both ears, and my jaw and tongue,
It all subsided eventually, and I felt fine for the rest of the night.

Summary;
Pain: 8/10 for ear ache, everything else was just a 5/10
Tip: As much as you probably won't/can't be bothered, a shower will do you well. Not to mention that you're family and friends will be thankful too.



I didn't document the second week of recovery because most days were the same, not horrendous, but very achey. My tongue hurt more than anything, which I put down to the bruises you get when the thing is put into your mouth to prop it open.
I was only able to do things in 2 hour blocks (per day), so don't plan anything particularly long for the second week, and be wary of catching even the common cold, Recovery is EXHAUSTING, and it's hard to explain just how tiring. I was asleep for a large part of the second week just simply because my body was working away at recovering.

I hope that this diary will be helpful for anyone curious about what recovery is like, and I'm always open to questions about it in case I forgot to mention something or your want to know more!

For so many years, and of all the songs I've heard over the course of my time at school, one lyric in particular (from Letter to Me by Brad Paisley) has stuck with me, and stands as the best piece of advice and reassurance I think I've ever been given;
"And I'd end up saying 'have no fear
These are no where near the best days of your life."
In the song, Brad Paisley sings to his 17 year old self who is struggling his way through school, giving him the advice and words that he wished he had received at that age, on everything from love to driving. In doing this, he provides him the assurance that no matter what people say, he has so many better days to come.

We've all heard it at one point or another, and probably on more than one occasion. Letting the words "I hate school" fall out of your mouth only to be met with a parent or carer informing you of what you've already been told at least a 1000 times before, "hold on to your school days, you don't know it yet but they are the best days of your life."

As I am fast approaching my final weeks of high school, I finally understand why so many people believe this. I can finally see through the rose tinted glasses my mum and dad have been wearing for years, and I understand where they're coming from when they tell me it. School provides a safety net; there is always someone to look out for you, whether that's in the form of a teacher or a solid group of friends, there are no 'real' commitments, and the amount of work involved is something that is too often trivialised. Even now, I can look at the year below me and think that they don't have it as bad as me, because I have to think about the future and what I'm doing and where I'm going, when the reality is, they have it SO much harder than me. Something I should be aware of, seen as I lived through the stress of having to ace the exams my future almost entirely depended on.

I can already see myself reminiscing about going to the canteen at break and lunch, about all the old teachers I had, about silly things like gum under tables and drawings in French dictionaries. Even things like the wet toilet roll that was thrown onto the ceiling of the girls toilets years ago which got stuck to the point that it remains there today, people setting other people's hair on fire with Bunsen burners, and all the other stupidly funny things that happened over the years. I finally understand why my mum and dad always explained that I am living the best days of my life.

However, from the very beginning, I swore that despite whatever I may think in the long run, I will never tell my own children, or anyone else going through their own high school experience, that those are the 'best days' of their lives. Quite frankly, I have been miserable for a good 90% of my high school career, and I refuse to forget the suffering I went through while at school. There was absolutely no good in the paranoia I felt (and still feel) on the bus and walking between classes everyday. There's nothing good about how fat my blazer makes me look and feel. There is nothing good in feeling too shy or scared to talk to people you actually consider friends. School is a dark place, and to forget that does not do justice to the misery I've felt over the years.

In school you can often feel trapped, the school year lasts for the majority of the year, and all your free time is laden with homework, projects and revision for tests and exams. It is not an option to not take your problems home with you, seen as you are set the task of just fixing it at home daily. I am aware that this is something that is faced for the majority of your working life, but that doesn't lessen the fact that this is your first experience of such a heavy workload - which on top of it, comes from up to 8 different subjects, most of which don't even interest you at all. Personally, the workload wasn't too big an issue, I enjoyed being able to sit down and let myself come consumed by studying (for me this meant good music and sweeties - every cloud has a silver lining). Unfortunately, most people are unable to say the same. There are a lot of young people today forced and pressured to meet expectations that are much higher than they are capable of achieving, which in too many cases can lead to anxiety and other stress induced illnesses. 

I am aware now, more so than ever, that my opinions on school will change over time. That I'll look back and sadly think about the funnier side of it all - and likely I'll long to return. In those memories, the good points will outweigh the bad ones, but in reality that just wasn't how it was.

No one benefits from the belief that your high school days are the best ones of your life. Not only does it fill those being told with dread about how miserable the rest of their life will be if they are feeling miserable in that moment, but it puts down the life of those making the statement and everything they have achieved in the time since their own school days, which in most cases includes exactly what Brad Paisley sings about in Letter To Me - getting married and having kids of their own.
 
I am in no way putting down any of the amazing experiences and blessings that school has given me personally, including trips to places like Belgium, London and Barcelona, and all the friendships I've made over the years - I'm SO grateful that I've had all that, but it doesn't mask the uglier side of school.

Not everyone has the same experiences, and although some may even realise that they are living the 'best days' of their life right there and then, some may also be genuinely experiencing their worst, and to tell them otherwise, in most cases, doesn't help anyone.

                             

I always try to find and listen to as much music as possible, and this month more so than ever, I have found so much noteworthy music that I thought I would make a list of my top 5 favourite artists/albums/songs I've found or re-discovered this month;

1. Chris Stapleton

By far my favourite discovery of this month was Chris Stapleton's entire discography. Everything he has ever wrote, recorded and performed. There are literally no words to describe how amazing he his. In only the past two weeks I've managed to fully immerse myself in Traveller to the point where I've pretty much learnt it off by heart. My dad, who I wouldn't consider someone who is easily impressed, even referred to the album as 'something special' - it is treasure, filled with lyrical gold and timeless soul. This is an album I can see myself listening to for the rest of my life.
To top it off, I only just discovered that he wrote Drink A Beer (sung by Luke Bryan), another piece of music I will carry with me forever. I could honestly gush over him forever so I'll round this off with a quick summary of my favourite songs by him;
Tennessee Whiskey - Easily my favourite song off the album. Despite not originally being written by or for him, he sings the words with so much soul it makes my heart melt. This is very quickly earning it's spot amongst my favourite songs of all time.
Traveller - The title track of the album was the first I heard from Chris, and what initially drew me to listen to the album. I don't even have the words to describe why and how much I love it, all I'll say is this; listen to it.
Other honourable mentions include Fire Away, Parachute and Nobody To Blame.

2. HalseyHaving listened to Colors on repeat for about 3 months, back in October my friend and I jumped at the chance of getting tickets for Halsey's Glasgow show. Through a stroke of luck, we managed to get tickets and naturally, as I end up doing with literally any concert, I didn't actually start properly listening and frantically learning the setlist until a few weeks before the gig. Because of this, I've spent the whole month listening to Badlands as much as I had time for, to the extent where I felt as though I had assigned myself homework every night. It wasn't until the night of the concert a couple of weeks ago that I fully discovered everything I had been missing in all those months I had put off properly listening to the album. It is beautiful, all the songs connect so smoothly and her voice is so beautifully unique. Halsey is a born performer, and you don't truly understand that until you see her on stage. The visuals involved added a whole new dimension to the songs and left me wanted to relive the entire concert the second I left the venue. (The only criticism I would have of that concert was that there was very little audience interaction, but that's beside the point). If anyone is looking for something slightly different, or just new and fresh to listen to, I would 100% recommend this album.
My favourite songs off Badlands (that I discovered this month in particular) include Roman Holiday, Castle, Strange Love and Haunting. 

3. Storyteller by Carrie UnderwoodI fell in love with this album the second I listened to it after getting it for Christmas, which isn't a surprise really, considering how much I loved Carrie's last album Blown Away. When I realised how sad I was that I didn't have tickets to see her when she comes to Glasgow as part of Country 2 Country in March, I tried to avoid the album for the second half of January and the first few weeks of this month. That was until I refreshed Ticketmaster again, and by sheer chance and the ultimate stroke of luck, I managed to find tickets. After months of trying to find tickets from any source at all, at any vaguely affordable price, I finally found them through the most reliable source available and at face value. I've been on cloud 9 ever since and Storyteller has been playing practically non-stop since that moment. The album is perfect for anything and everything, I've painted to this album, walked my dog to this album, drove around listening to this album and exercised along to this album at the gym. It has been the ultimate soundtrack to 2016 so far and I am BEYOND excited to see her at C2C!My recent favourites off this album have been Dirty Laundry, Church Bells and Choctaw County Affair. (another honourable mention and one that isn't on this album is Undo It which is obviously one of her greatest hits, but I hadn't properly listened to it until this month and I love it SO MUCH)

4. Little RichardAfter watching a documentary on the history of R&B and hearing so many songs that I know and love, I caught Little Richard's name and binged on all his greatest hits immediately after. Although I had heard the majority of his hits before, this was the first time I had appreciated them as an entire unit of work. The rhythm is infectious and just makes you want to dance, his music is music for a good mood. The discovery of Little Richard's music also led to a new appreciation for all kinds of 50/60's R&B, including Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin and James Brown. If anyone is ever needs an immediate pick-me-up, this is what I would turn them to.
Honourable mentions; Tutti Frutti, Good Golly Miss Molly, The Girl Can't Help It and Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On.

5. Work Song by HozierI've loved Hozier's album for around a year now, and I still find it as wonderful as I did the first 100 times I listened to it, but it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I understood the hype about Work Song. It's actually the first time I can say that a spotify advert ever actually influenced my music choices. The song has every element of Hozier that I fell in love with to begin with and I'm astounded I got this far without genuinely listening to it and it just sounds so dark and wonderful. It's hard to explain why I love it so much at 2am.

I would 200% recommend every song on this list to anyone, and I'm actually sad there are so many good songs that I didn't have enough words to describe my love for and these include;
Fine by Kacey Musgraves, Are You Sure which is also by Kacey Musgraves, Sister Suffragette from the Mary Poppins soundtrack and Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (a re-discovery).

Love,
Lucy x

I've always wanted a blog, but for whatever reason (mostly laziness), I've put it off for too long.
Finally, here I am, battling the same fear that haunts me in every new venture - where to begin.
So, how about an introduction?

Hello! My name is Lucy Coates, I am 17 years old, and I am in love with Disney, tic tacs and my iPod. I eat nutella from the jar and in most situations, I struggle to find the right words to say.

This blog is a way to share thoughts, ideas and dreams that I have in greater depth than I can by any other means. I also want to be able to share fun and sometimes silly little recipes and DIY ideas, and review everything from books to concerts. And as I set out on a year filled with so many scary and exciting changes and challenges, I want to be able to document even the little things.

I'm already fully prepared to regret whatever my first post is, so if the future me is reading this; I'm so sorry - but no matter what you wrote, you were always going to feel embarrassed.

Love,
Lucy x