Waves of Thoughts

Every year, at the beginning of each season, I create a bucket list filled with activities and goals for those particular months.

With the second to last month of the year just beginning, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share the one I created for this autumn. 

Burn fall scented candles

I think I have discovered a new passion of mine: candles. They create such a cozy feeling and make your room smell so so nice! I am in love with a fig and mulberry candle I recently bought.

Visit a pumpkin patch

One of the things that I have been wanting to do for the longest time! You can read about the whole experience and see some more beautiful pumpkin photos in my most recent post by clicking here.

The drink that screams 'autumn'. 

I have only tried it once: last year, during my trip to Paris. My friend decided to get one and I took a little sip out of it. Whilst I did not fancy it much then, I decided to give it another try this year. Needless to say that I loved it this time!

Time to appreciate the beautiful brown, orange and yellow tones.

Bake apples

One of my favourite autumnal treats. Click here to see the recipe I use, taught my by mother.



Thrift on chunky sweaters



Carve a jack-o-lantern


Drink hot cocoa


Stargaze

Cozy up bedroom



Dress up for Halloween

By now you all probably know that I am studying abroad, more specifically, in the UK. And it is sooo weird to think that precisely a year ago, I was in the process of finalizing my moving preparations. Because there are only a few days left before I leave again, I've been doing some introspection. So why don't we go back to the very beginning so that I can tell you all about the process of moving away from home, Portugal, to a new country, England?

It all started around November, with a very simple announcement in class: an agency that helps students continue their studies in the UK was having a fair in Leiria. Keep in mind that at this point I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. One of my plans was to go to med school and then specialize in psychiatry though. So, me and Bruno decided to attend, to see what they were proposing. And so we did. Many universities had their stands up with their super friendly representatives, with whom we managed to chat. We talked about courses and opportunities and realized that studying medicine in the UK was pretty much impossible since universities only accept students with averages of 19 and 20 (out of 20). We realized, nonetheless, that studying in another country was another option to be considered, even though it has always felt unrealistic and insane, to say the least.

We then made our first appointment with the agency and chatted via Skype a few times with our advisor. We also had a few in person, both alone and with family members. After loads of debating and arguing, my family finally gave up trying to convince me to stay and, on the 1st of January, we paid the fee to sign up. Still nevertheless, at this point, my only certainty was that I wanted to study abroad. 

The following months were super stressful since I had the pressure of deciding which course to study. I kept researching and researching and going back and forth but the one that always felt right was psychology. I therefore opted for a bachelor's degree in psychology and neuroscience, another related area that fascinates me.

Next, it was all about choosing unis. My advisor gave me a list of options with details concerning the city and rankings, amongst others. I opted for the one I am currently studying in, University of Essex, and East Anglia as a second choice.

The most boring part followed: documentation. I had to send them some papers such as mid-year grades and English diplomas, which enabled me to receive my conditional offers. This meant that, if I managed to achieve a certain average by the end of the academic year, I would be offered a place. Needless to say I did accomplish all of the requirements, having therefore obtained the awaited unconditional offer!

After this, the excitement just kept rising, and days went by super quickly. I applied to live on campus accommodation, made a passport (which of course, turned out awful), bought a huge suitcase, plane tickets and some more bits and bobs.

Finally, on the 1st of October of 2017, the dream became a reality. One year has passed, I couldn't be happier that I was allowed to have this incredible opportunity. I have experienced amazing things, made new friends and grew up both physically but especially mentally. But of course, this could not have been possible without my parents' support! Despite the distance, home still feels like home. But above all, following your dreams is what matters the most.

Hello hello there!

Ahh, Summer... Such a wonderful season filled with special moments and happiness. 'Salty Sunsets', a moodboard solely focused on this time of the year, is meant to spread good vibes and in turn, inspire you to adventure and enjoy yourself! Here is what I love the most about the season:

Waves                                          Sand in your feet                                         Smoothies  

                       Watermelon                                               Road trips             

Salty air                                         Foot bracelets                                             Tan lines          

What about you? Don't forget to comment bellow what fascinates you the most about summertime ♥
And for more inspiration, check my board on Pinterest 'Summer'.


* Photographs taken from pinterest, but edited by me

* For a more pleasant read, open up on your laptop

Portugal is currently being melted by a heat wave. And although I don't go to the beach when temperatures are insanely high, I do enjoy the seaside whenever UVs aren't too dangerous or the weather allows you to basically not die outside. As you probably already know, I live by the coast so there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy summertime by the sea. Therefore, I have decided to share what I bring with me in my beach bag and some essentials! 

First of all, I believe it is appropriate to specify which bag I use. As far as I remember, I have been using this pink one by Deeply. It is quite spacious and has a little pocket on the inside, perfect for storing smaller items.

Of course, if you're toasting under the sun, you need to protect your skin! I have always used the ones by Yves Rocher on my body and I have started using an Eucerin one on my face. However, I have recently heard that some sunscreens contain chemicals that damage coral reefs so I am in the hunt for one that doesn't.

I used to use a bright blue towel from Decathlon, but last year I switched to a tapestry. I made this change due to the size, which means that I manage to fit completely in it and therefore (sort of) avoid 
(unpleasant) sand.

• Phone + headphones

Hello hello there!

Last Friday (12-07-2018) I went to my first festival ever so it is obvious that I want to share my thoughts, opinions and overall experience! 

Me, my brother Tiago and my boyfriend Bruno went to Nos Alive, one of the best and most well known festivals internationally. I will have to admit that this is a totally unplanned post because I was never intending on attending it (even though I have always wanted to). So you can imagine my surprise and excitement when my dad gave me the tickets a few days before the festival!


The Festival 

We arrived in Algés around 2:10 pm but only managed to enter the festival at 3 pm. We went to most of the stands: for instance ONU, Instax and Gulbenkian Institute of Science. As far as goodies are concerned, I got a canvas bag, loads of polaroids and I almost won a ticket to Comic Con!







What was in my bag

• Tickets
• ID, debit card and some money
• Food: sandwiches, cookies, protein bar, banana
• Empty water bottle (without the lid because you cannot close bottles at festivals)
• Phone and portable charger 

What I wore




What concerts I saw

• Miguel Araújo

• Bryan Ferry

• Nine Inch Nails

• Snow Patrol

• Arctic Monkeys 

The performance I was the most excited about. Not only did they not disappoint, but they surpassed all of my expectations. Seeing everyone singing and enjoying themselves was incredible. And of course, I adored Alex Turner's class and attitude. I will definitely see them again in the future!



Final thoughts


It was honestly a great first experience! The only downside was that by the end of the night we were all super tired and our feet were hurting. Nonetheless, the festival was incredibly organised and I would totally recommend it as it had so much to offer, for every taste and personality.

You can see more pictures of the festival in my 'Nos Alive 2018' Instagram highlight. 

One last note: from now on, posts will be published at 6 pm instead of 4 pm (GMT). 
As always, I hope you enjoyed this post and I will see you next week.
Irene xx

Sooo, I am writing this while I am still 18. I am turning nineteen in precisely 45 minutes, at 20:47. I have been thinking all day about so many things. I have always celebrated my birthday and treated it as a very special day. And it feels so weird that I am this physically far away from people that are always present on this day. And, as my new closest friends were out of town this weekend, today was a very calm day - basically a detox from all the studying I have been doing. 

I woke up quite early considering I went to bed after midnight (which is quite unusual for me). I took a shower, ate my regular breakfast and filled in some balloons, just to make my room slightly more festive. My boyfriend, Bruno, came by and we basically just spent the rest of the morning and the beginning of the afternoon baking and decorating cupcakes (like pro bakers, with icing and sprinkles), watching a marathon of Dc House and magically sticking balloons to the wall (the secret is static cling :p). We used to play volleyball and, as we were missing it, this week we bought a volleyball ball. So, after being all day at home on a sunny and warm spring day, we went outside and played for a while. Now, we're getting ready to go out to have dinner and I am starving because Bruno takes longer than a bride on her wedding day (#relationshipgoals am I right?).

LAST THOUGHTS:
Today, the day I am uploading this post, is the 6th, which means I am nineteen now! Last night I was really craving a pizza but ended up opting for a vegetarian lasagna and LET ME TELL YA: it was the tastiest and best looking lasagna I have ever eaten! Of course, we had to side it with another episode of Dc House (I am sure you can tell my addiction by now eheh).


I just wanted to make this quick post to mark a very special day and to thank everyone that, despite the distance, has remembered it. Also, I want to thank those that have been following my journey and supporting it, it truly means a lot to me ♥
Lastly, I wanted to inform you that I am taking a break from blogging and I am reducing my Instagram content for the following weeks, just to be able to completely focus on my exams. If you are also stressing with exam season, make sure you read my last post for some useful tips on how to cope with it.

I will see you soon,
Irene xx

I cannot recall the last time I decided to set up yearly goals. However, this year I felt the need for a 'challenge' and guidelines to follow in order to keep myself motivated. I started by writing down just a few things I really wanted to work on and just kept adding more whenever they appeared on my mind. I wrote them in a way that would allow me to complete them all - can you spot how I achieved this??

These are my 2018 Resolutions:

HAVE MORE SELF RESPECT