Thoughtful Thursday.

source

Things don't and won't always turn out as you expect or want them to. It's going to happen to everyone at some point and it's just the way life goes.

I have certainly had my fair share of disappointments, be those through my own bad judgements and decisions or from something which I thought was a great idea at the time but it turned out just not to be. 

I'll be the first person to stand up and say yes, I've been in awful relationships, I've made huge mistakes with regard to my post-16 education, and now on a degree course in something I thought I loved, although happy, I'm not as happy as I thought I was going to be, and have started wondering if my life is heading in a direction which is not going to be fulfilling and bring me happiness. 

As I sat in the university coffee bar this morning wondering what to blog about, my mum sent me a text, which prompted me to write this post - she is full of wisdom. 

Taking it out of the context of my own life, the message would read as follows: 

               Get some advice and do whatever it takes to find happiness. If it's a

               temporary blip, then ride the storm. But if not... then open some new 

               doors. Remember though, opportunities will not come to you, you have

               to go after them. It's note easy, but you have youth and ambition. You 

               just need more courage. 

Aside from making me shed a quiet tear into my caramel macchiato, hearing this made a huge difference to my mental approach to the situation. I managed to see how my problems looked within the bigger picture. What may have seemed like a huge waste of time, be it through an end-of-the-road relationship, or like me, years spent re-taking exams that you probably could have passed the first time if you'd have only got your butt into gear, is really only a tiny, tiny part of your life.

We all just need to have the courage to take steps toward making change.

   

A Fond Farewell to 2014

source

I'm sat at my laptop this afternoon, finishing off the last of the Christmas-period pastries that have been plaguing our fridge for the past week, and have been casting my thoughts back over the last year.
As with any year of my life thus far that I can ably recall, I've loved, lost, had some truly high moments and then the inevitable low moments, too. But 2014 really has been a special year.
I finally made it out of sixth-form with grades to be proud of, I gained a university place, I was able to cross a role off from my 'theatrical bucket list' by playing Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors earlier this year, and as cliché as it sounds, have made some wonderful friends through all of this.


But with any New Year, there always comes the resolutions - the often small changes that you'd like to make to your life having learned from the past three-hundred and sixty-five days. I thought here would be as good as any a place to share, with you, some of mine.

• Say YES more. Grasp with both hands every opportunity that this year sends my way. You never know how many doors may be opened by one simple, 'yes'.
• Stop biting my nails when I get stressed. Seriously Fran, it's a catch 22, you get stressed so bite your nails, then end up feeling even worse because you're now stressed and have not-so-fancy fingers!
• Blog more. In 2014, my posts have been very few and far between. Life gets busy and there always seems to be 'more important' things to do. However, when I actually do sit down to write, I love it. So, in a way, this resolution could be fall under the umbrella of 'do more of what you love'.

Whatever your own experiences of the last year may have been, I wish you all a wonderful 2015, and, as long as I stick to resolution number three, I shall be posting again very soon.

Wanderlust | Turkey 2014

 

 

 I love travelling. It opens up a whole spectrum of new opportunities. Seeing new places, meeting new people, experiencing new cultures and making new memories.
Earlier this month, my family and I took a well deserved break to Kalkan in Turkey and I thought it would be nice to share, with you, some of the photographs taken and the memories made.

 

We flew from Norwich to Dalaman, a four hour flight, only to be greeted the other end by a worrying lack of a transfer to our apartment. Several phone calls and 45 minutes later, we were rescued and were on our way.



One of those 'generic' aeroplane wing shots.
However, the contrast of the bright blue against the yellow
really appealed to me.

 

It was a blissful week, during which we spent days relaxing by the pool and days out, exploring the local area. Our apartment was quite high up on the hill centrally facing the bay, and the view was breath-taking, even if the walk up to it was a killer. If I saw that every morning when I woke up in England, getting out of bed would be so much easier!

The views from the apartment, be it night or day, really were stunning.



The apartment even came with a feline friend!
(He let himself in whenever he felt like it)

Turkish food is delicious and not in short supply, with hundreds of restaurants lining the streets of Kalkan. I dined on a variety of dishes during the week, from traditional Turkish kebabs, to casseroles, to Mediterranean vegetable tarts. The mezze platters at the start of each meal made it for me though, with bread, hummus, olives, tzatziki and a variety of other delicious things, depending on the restaurant of choice. The Turkish waiters are also extraordinarily friendly and often rather cheeky (and did I mention gorgeous?). One even fashioned me a rose out of a tomato skin - and who said romance was dead? 

Check out the size of this bread.

 

Who said romance was dead?

 Of the days out that we took, one of my favourites had to be a jeep safari to Saklikent gorge. It was also whilst down this gorge that I was called by my sixth-form college about a change to one of my a-level grades, so it will always have fond memories for me! Stopping off at Lycian ruins on the way (They had an amphitheatre. I am a sucker amphitheatres.), we arrived at the gorge and settled down in the most picturesque restaurant by the river. Little jetties protruded out into the river, with a table in the centre and cushions all around. Hammocks hung precariously over the water, and it was the most serene location I have ever eaten in.
The gorge itself was, excuse the pun, gorgeous, although the water was freezing! It was in this freezing water that we tubed. Given a rubber ring, a paddle, and a life jacket, we braved the cold and the rapids to get to the bottom of the fast, winding river.

 



The Lycian ruins at Xanthos



Lunch by the river



Such a tranquil setting to eat in

The water was extremely fast and extremely cold!

 I would also highly suggest a trip to a Turkish bath, though make sure it is reputable (I met a lady at the airport who caught an eye infection from a substandard one). It was a very relaxing experience, and you come away from it feeling like every inch of dirt, dust and dead skin has been scrubbed from your body. It is also recommended that you take a Turkish bath at the start of your holiday as the exfoliation increases the depth and intensity of your tan - bonus!

I'll leave you with a few more photos and a 10/10 recommendation for Kalkan. I would not hesitate in going back.

Our apartment came with an infinity pool which my brother is doing a great job of modelling in this photo



Customary legs and lilo picture

View of Kalkan as it comes into view from the main road

Kalkan harbour



Many boat trips around the nearby islands leave the Kalkan harbour each day

Trip Back In Time | 1940s

This post is a bit of a 'throwback' to last year, but I wasn't blogging then so I'm sure you'll be able to forgive me.

I was in a production, last November, of a show called 'Happy as a Sandbag', which is in essence a collection of songs and sketches from World War Two. Although irrelevant to the nature of the post, it was also the show in which I was lucky enough to sing a duet of 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square', one of my favourite songs from the era, with one of my very best friends.
Of course, along with a World War Two based show comes the copious amounts of beautiful 1930/40s costumes. Along with photos taken during a dress rehearsal, I've also got a few promotional photos that we took at a local museum which I will share with you. The blue/green dress with the lace collar (which I'm pictured wearing above) was definitely my favourite, but the other paler floral dress (which I affectionately named 'the dinner-lady dress') was an original Laura Ashley.

Perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of the 1940s look was tying the headscarf which I wore during a factory-based scene. There seems to be a real technique to the bundling of the hair and knotting of the scarf - a technique which I only managed to properly grasp on the last night of the show - darn!

The costumes are definitely one of the most interesting things about acting. There really were moments, particularly during poignant air raid sirens and heart-wrenching songs, when the costumes truly help you to feel like that evacuee, running to the safety of an air-raid shelter, or the grief-stricken woman, lamenting the loss of a loved one through song. I guess it's like being able to time travel, try on beautiful clothes from your favourite past eras (of which the second world war is one of mine), but still be safe in the knowledge that once the curtain closes, you can return to your computer to blog about the experience, rather than facing the hardship and uncertainty of war.

'Happy' with our 'Sandbag'

Paul and I singing 'A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Sqaure'

 

Factory Workers (Dancing to 'Thing-Ummy-Bob') - Note the headscarves.

 

The 'Dinner Lady Dress' complete with snood. Posing backstage with my friend Nathan.

 

I'm all for the return of seamed stockings and cotton gloves - who's with me?!