I often wonder

I often wonder what it is that makes people the way they are, what make them react in the way they do or look at things with a certain viewpoint. I've always been a big believer in astrology and personality traits that are a kin to that but obviously there's a bit more to it than simply saying “you were born in June therefore you must be carefree and prone to having a split personality.” I think the most important thing that makes anyone happy is their outlook on life and the vibe they give back to the universe. I truly believe that positive thinking brings about positive events; a positive person will see any situation with a sense of optimism and therefore make the most of it. Doesn’t this in turn mean that they will have a better life, merely because they perceive everything that happens to them as positive in some way or another?

I will give you an example…I was sat in a car on the way to the mountain house of the family I au pair for the other day and as I looked around at the beautiful view I thought... I'm such a lucky person, not only do I come from a fantastic home and have a wonderful relationship with most of my family, here I am; in Italy, working next door to a great friend and surrounded by beauty. It was shortly after this thinking that the car came to a stop and we saw police guarding the way by. There was a parade in motion as some famous skier had won a prestigious race and this was his home town. Now, it was around 9pm, it was minus ten outside and there was ice and snow everywhere... What to do?! The choices were clear... sit in the car and moan and sigh that the parade was setting us back from arriving in good time at our destination or embrace the sudden adventure and go and join in the festivities. Now I for one was game straight away to join in... What can I say, I am Peter Pan aren't I?! The adventure continued as the neighbouring family and cousins came to tap on the windows bearing flags and smiles to which we saw as cue to jump out of the car and follow the parade waving the flags and cheering as if we knew exactly what it was all about! It was definitely more fun than sitting in the car watching the fun and excitement go by that’s for sure!

Now I’m sure that many people in such a circumstance would have done the same but as we all returned to the car freezing cold and glad of the cars heating being kept on full pelt I couldn’t help but have a huge smile on my face. Yes I am lucky, not purely because of the circumstances I find myself in, with a roof over my head and a fantastic support system just a keyboard tap or phone call away;for that I will always be eternally grateful. I also appreciate how lucky I am because for the first time in my life I feel truly content and happy with how I am living my own life in this moment. Ok, so it’s not perfect, I live in someone else’s home and I don’t have the job of my dreams but who cares. I am happy with my hand right now and I’m sure when the next game starts I will be presented with an even stronger hand that will see me in a winning position. For now I am content and happy with the little things in life that make us smile. I know I will always be excited by the views of snow covered mountains and beautiful lakes like Lago di Garda just down the road. I also know that I will always be happy to see and speak with my friends and family from all around the world. That’s without the slight mention of the pure happiness I feel when listening to my favourite band or hearing the laughter of the children I look after when were having fun playing silly games and making up characters (a favourite being Mr Pirate Dragon; he lost an eye from the attack of a smelly foot) If that isn’t something to celebrate and feel fortunate and lucky for then really, I have no idea what is. 

Why I want to be Peter Pan

The other day I met a woman who knew a great deal about horoscopes and the first thing she said to me was that Gemini’s (aka Me) have a tendency to want to be Peter Pan. Now this was an amazing moment for me as this has always been something I whole heartedly vouch toward. I avoid decisions that may take me one step up the ladder to adulthood like the plague. I still believe I look like I’ve snook into my Mothers wardrobe to dress up when I try and wear “business attire” and I most definitely still really genuinely enjoy chocolate and pudding more than most “real food.” Though point one in my favour… I also eat all my vegetables!

When I was around 12 years old my plan was to be married by the age of 26 and I even dabbled with the possibility of having a child by the age of 27 as well! (This immediately changed when I realised that all babies do is poop, cry and eat) Everything seemed so far away then, being a grown up seemed exciting and I couldn’t wait to move away from home (no offence Mom), get a job (from the age of 5 I wanted to be a teacher) and get a husband (As long as he was Leonardo DiCaprio… hey a girl can dream!)… Then I started to grow up and I realised that my life plan needed a few tweeks, most notably, attention had to be paid to the ages in which I had set out to complete my young hearted ambitions. I’ll be 25 this year…. Yes really!.... If I were to stick to my childhood plan then that gives me a little over a year to get married and another on top to become pregnant!

Ummmmmm…………

No thanks! The mere thought of it quite honestly… freaks me out. For those of you that know me well, mostly the friends I have that insist on having a baby, you know how scary the thought of an actual human being living inside me is! Not to mention the horrors that will ensue when it’s actually an entire tiny human by its own right. I mean, I struggle to look after myself sometimes; mostly when hung-over or ill. How on earth would I be able to look after another actual human being? It’s bad enough looking after a fully grown man when he’s sneezed twice and claims he can’t possibly move. No I think I will leave that particular rite of passage for a much later date.

Don’t get me wrong, I like having a real job and living in the real world as an adult who earns her own money to by sensible things such as ukulele’s and pencil crayons… but sometimes it’s just so boring! I think the thing I miss most now that I am a “grown-up” is that childlike sense of fun and wonderment that is slyly replaced before your very eyes into “having to be responsible”. Don’t get me wrong, I love to organise, I can play the adult and I am very mature and sensible when I want to be and when it is needed. It’s just that… well… I don’t want to be all that often. I enjoy being what so many people dread to be called “young at heart” (we all know sometimes that is just a nicely veiled attempt for people to say grow the hell up and get on with your life) But I enjoy having no fashion sense what-so-ever and fully encourage my childlike method of dressing; which simply consists of putting on all my favourite clothes at once regardless of pattern or colour… and believe me, this has caused severe distress to my younger sister on more than one occasion. And yes... Batman PJ's ARE still acceptable when your almost 25... You DO stand corrected on this matter. And who’s to say that singing songs all the time, genuinely enjoying water fights and winning at snap are things to be ashamed of?

The new plan of action for my life is this. Stay young forever, age backwards and convince people I am actually the real life Benjamin Button and become the “Cool Aunt” that pumps the kids with treats and fun before handing them back over to their respective parents to vomit and cry. Yes, that sounds most excellent! Mix in an awesome guitar playing, long haired Pearl Jam fan to keep me company and I think I'm set for the good life!

You Know You Live In Italia When...

I have seen a few lists of this variety recently and I believe that my recent move back to Italia in a hope to make this wonderful country a permanent home gives me the right to create one all of my own. Let’s forget for a second that I am really struggling to remember the language (though I have the grammatical sussed!)

Enjoy!

1. You go into the kitchen with wet hair and everyone assumes you are just looking for a hairdryer  because you couldn’t possibly be thinking about just leaving your hair to air dry!
2. You get strange looks when you take off your shoes, even if you are in the house. 
3. Dinner time is a special occasion lasting up to or sometimes over an hour, everyday… where everything comes on separate plates and by the end of the meal you forgot what you started eating one hour ago. 
4. Having cake for breakfast is perfectly acceptable! 
5. You MUST remember to wrap up in a jumper, scarf, gloves, hat, coat, thick socks and of course outdoor shoes before even contemplating stepping outside for a second when its cold. 
6. If you don’t want a snack every other hour you must be sick and very genuine and urgent concern is paid.
7. Sleeping in past 9am is seen as well and truly alien. 
8. Being unsure about your religion is really dangerous territory (I don’t think I’m going to elaborate on that one!) 
9. The logic of being able to buy a bus ticket…. Heaven forbid! …on the bus! Is just insane… obviously you must find a tobaccoria and purchase said biglietti from said shop. 
10. You will realise that people will not understand your Italian (no matter how excellent) without appropriate and expected hand gestures. 
11. You begin to only drink coffee much in the way you would drink shots at a bar on your birthday. Down in one and ready for another!
12. Going shopping, for anything, is a full on ordeal involving several different shops for things you would find all under one convenient roof in other countries.
13. A push bike is once again an accepted and widely used method of transport (I especially enjoy this one)
14. You are automatically aware of what times it is appropriate to eat. For example: Eating Dinner before 7pm is pure madness! Not to mention trying to find an open restaurants for lunch after 1.30pm.. Good Luck!

The A Word

Astrology; that wishy washy science that most people look upon with a smirk,tutting under their breath when people show their personal belief in “such nonsense.” Yes, yes, I know… how can 10,0000 people have the same kind of day just because they were born in the same month and therefore fit into the same “star sign” as each other. It seems impossible but when you really think about it… why couldn’t it be the complete truth!? The secrets of human psychology and understanding the people around us is all there written in the stars.

So this is what I learnt about myself from an online natal chart. (This takes into consideration not just what date you were born but also what time and in what part of the world) Yes, again I hear your mocking disbelief from here but read away and then tell me I’m crazy for believing, those of you that know me will know that this is truly and scarily accurate to my life!

Here is the short version:

• She is an opportunist.
• She can express herself easily and learns quickly.
• She is welcoming and gentle.
• She likes travel and intellectual work.
• She has a changeable and diffuse nature.
• She wastes energy by doing too many things.
• She lacks persistence in achieving set goals.
• She is imaginative with sharp insights.
• She is impressionable, with an abundant imagination.
• She is gentle, warm, humorous and artistic.
• She has troubles caused by too much sentimentality, worries, problems, unhealthy imagination and nervousness.
• She has issues with authority.
• She likes to be in charge and organise everything.
• She doesn’t like to be told what to do.
• She wants to be successful but is scared of being successful.
• She lets every little fault or set back greatly effect her.
• She doesn’t like to be alone, likes to be around people to have deep and meaningful conversations.
• She is easily bored and very easily distracted.
• She is restless and finds it hard to focus.
• She is sensitive to others so always comes across as friendly.
• She is frank, honest, full of vigor and ambition.
• She is strong-willed and powerful at work.
• She is a little hard on herself but, above all, on others whose capacity for action is not as great.
• She has changeable moods, a reserved character, is stubborn and lacks assurance.
• She is serious, patient, honest, hard-working and orderly.
• Her judgment is good and she thinks things over.
• She pursues her objectives to the bitter end, usually knowing when to choose the right moment.
• She is upright and respects the law.
• She knows what's going on at a glance.
• She thirsts after knowledge, and is a good organizer.
• She is very independent, likes her freedom of action and is a non-conformist.
• She is very agreeable company and is always in demand.
• She is shy, delicate but proud, bold and lively
• She is discerning, wise and sensible.
• She has will-power and ambition, and likes to have her own way.
• She would make a good teacher
• She is likely to travel with risk and adventure.
• She has sincere and life-long friendships. The family comes first, however.
• She will have a few problems with authority or someone in charge.

I highly recommend going to see what this natal chart has to say about YOU! Check it out: HERE