Jane Austen’s House!!

Just over a week ago I travelled down South to Alton for a week. It was to celebrate a friend’s birthday, it was such a lovely week! My favourite day has to be when we visited Jane Austen’s house. Naturally, as an English student it was must I visited her childhood house when I got the chance. Truth be told I have not read as many of Jane Austen novel’s as I would have liked to but I have faith my degree will soon change that.
It was such a lovely experience to visit the house Austen grew up in.  The house itself was quite lovely.  We got the chance to dress up too, which was a blast!  We didn’t take the visit all too serious, otherwise, I don’t think it would have been as enjoyable. On the day we visited there were quite a few tourists (including myself) we figured this would be because the day we visited was close the anniversary of Austen’s death. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a few of the other tourists were American.

Myself and Tiana

It was lovely to see the house kept well and museum like. The house is in Chawton if you ever feel inspired to visit, I understand it can be a required interest. The garden was my favourite part, so beautiful kept.

We also got to make little lavender bags and I tried writing with a quill. Much harder than I had anticipated. There was this notice board, which I regret not taking a picture of. People wrote little notes (like mine above) an attached it the board, it was so lovely to read and look at. 

I adored how walking into her house felt like I was walking back in time. Things looked and felt so different to the current society we live in.

There were lots of really cool things to look at and learn about, like the desk Jane Austen used to write at. I liked how spread across the site you would find different copies of her books that you were able to read if you wanted to.

It was just a really cool day, finished off with a pint and a burger in a pub across the road! If you want to check out more images and things from my trip down south follow me on my Instagram!

Jane Austen’s House!!

Wednesday, 25 July 2018

an opinion that will matter

When I was younger, a few years back, I came across a video online. It was a man speaking into a camera, and women would send him photographs of themselves and in these videos, he would respond to these photographs. Complimenting them and comparing their bodies to nature, I remember him once saying 'bountiful curves like blessed mountains'. My initial thought was, he is a nice guy and he is trying to make these women feel better about themselves, but as I think about it now the sad reality of it kicks in.

Those women were essentially sending themselves to a stranger for validation, they are putting their self-worth into the mouth of this man. But, what these women perhaps do not know is; any stranger, or even a person you know, can tell you you're beautiful, but it will never mean as much as you telling yourself you are beautiful.

The only person's opinion that will truly ever matter is your own. How many compliments have you received and actually accepted at face value? What you tell yourself in the mirror matters much more than any comment on a screen. You have spent your whole life with yourself, and if you like it or not you will continue to do so. So, love yourself now because you will save yourself some trouble in the future. Know your self-worth.

I wish those years back, I could read this. I wish young Lauren was as self-aware as I am now. She was naive  and so obsessed with other people accepting her, admittedly that is somewhat a little true today, but I like to think I've picked up a thing or two.

an opinion that will matter

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Your Muse

What if the moment that hurt us the most didn't happen? Would we living in consistent happiness or will fate have his way and tear us a part? Maybe in another life we were destined or maybe in another life we are better for not having met at all. I think about you, more than I care to admit. You're the one who got away, the person who can only trully hold my heart. I can't replace you with a million one night stands, I should have told you that I loved you when I had the chance, instead a blew it all away. How was I to know I had pushed you for one final last time? I have to face it now, I'm no longer your muse. We spent Summers chasing fireflies, telling our parents lies of our whereabouts. It was us against the world, hand in hand, on the road you and your guitar. The one that got away.

Your Muse

Saturday, 5 November 2016