Things I learned from books

Hi guys! How are you all? I'm a little stressed out because I have a couple of exams at school, but nevertheless, I'm doing good I suppose! 

Today's blogpost is going to be shorter than usual, but hopefully you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! As I am a big fan of reading, (although I haven't had time to do so in a while - oops), I thought that I would share two of my favourite books with you all, and the things that I learned from them in the process. Books are one of my favourite things about life, because so much meaning and thought can be placed into a few hundred pages that express so much passion and emotion, which never fails to facinate me! 

The first book that I am starting with is, 'All The Bright Places' - written by Jennifer Niven.
I read this book in the Summer of this year, and as a sufferer from mental illness, I felt this book really connected with me and therefore anchored my attention and emotions too. 
I learned that:

1) Sometimes bad decisions lead to meeting the right people. 

2) Spend time doing things that you enjoy, with the person you enjoy being with.

3) Don't dwell on the past, look forward to the future.

4) You mean a hell of a lot to someone, even if that is just one person.

5) Someone is always there that cares about you. Always.

6) There is always someone you can talk to. Always.
   
7) The world wouldn't be the same without you. You make a mark on this Earth.

8)  No one is perfect. We all have personal flaws, problems and insecurities.

9)  Be yourself. Don't change for anyone.

10) The right person will love you, for YOU.

11) Life will never go as planned, bad and unexpected things WILL happen.

12) Don't rush into things. Wait until it is the right time for you.

13) Don't let the outside influence change your view on someone.

14) Appreciate everyone that you have around you. You never know what will happen or when it will be too late. 

15) Don't wait on things, do what makes you happy in the present moment.

16) Take every opportunity.

I seeeeriously recommend this book to EVERYONE; it is SO good. This book carries so many messages that need to be seen by the whole world; just so everyone can understand that there is no perfect life or way of living, but if you live life to the best of your ability and enjoyment, that's all that matters. I'm not going to lie, I did cry at the end of this book, not to spoil anything - but I would advise you to carry some tissues just in case. (PS: the characters are VERY emotionally attachable, well, they were to me anyway.)

The second book that I am sharing is 'Paper Towns'; I had this book for about a year until I finally decided to read it, or should I say, became motivated to read it before the movie came out in cinema. I read this book during Spring of this year, I think, and it was a book that I really enjoyed! However, I recommend the book over the movie; in all honesty, I was quite disappointed by the movie, actually.  

  I learned that: 

 1) Friendships won't last forever.

2) Don't ever feel worthless because you care so much about someone; they probably care about you too. 

3) Life is an adventure, enjoy every single moment.

4) Take risks and opportunities.

5) Do things that make you feel excited for your whole life.

6) Share moments with people that you really want to be with.

7) Life will never be a smooth ride, there will be bumps and cracks.

8) Never let anyone discourage your ambitions.

9) You will never please everyone.

10) People will always be cruel and bitchy.

11) Do what the heart wants.

12) Never doubt your instinct.

13) You don't have to be popular for someone to notice or achknowledge your importance.

14) Life will never be the same without you.

15) Live in the present moment, don't live for your past or your future.

16) Don't live to please others, live to please yourself.  

Again, I really really reallllllllyyy would recommend reading this book, especially if you are a John Green fan! This book gave me so so much excitement whilst reading it and some things that are written in there, I really took to heart; hopefully, from the things I've learned, I will live by them and apply them to my life so that I can enjoy every living moment!

That's it for today! I hope that whatever I have written has inspired or helped someone out there, or even encouraged you to read these books! After reading these books and reflecting what I have learned from them has really opened my eyes, and also taught me things that I wouldn't have realised if I didn't write this post, so maybe you should try it to! 

See you all later!
Asia xox 

 
  

My Bucket List!

           

Hello everyone! I am back again with my second blogpost. Admittedly, yes, I started drafting this post the same day as my first, purely because I am just so excited to start writing online and achieving a 'blogger' mindset!

How are you all? I'm feeling okay, slightly bored because of the lack of homework I was given this week, but of course, it's typical of me to complain about not having something to keep my brain stimulating. However, I am currently listening to JB's new album, Purpose, which is -in my opinion- a collection of absolutely amazing and beautiful songs; but all that should be kept for another post.

Today's blogpost was inspired by a website which I found whilst googling blogpost ideas, (how un-original of me). The idea suggested by the website was 'Share your dreams/goals publicly', but I am still so young and unsure of my hopes for the future that I couldn't possibly begin to plan or even imagine my career and dream life for what lies ahead, when right now, I could be living in the present moment and waiting for the right opportunity to make the decision for me. So, this leads me to what is ultimately planned for this blogpost, my bucket list of things to do before I die!  

1. Travel.
I have a very strong love for travelling and discovering new places; similarly to nature, I am so passionate about visiting different countries and becoming part of a new culture. Ever since I can remember, my absolute ambition has been to travel to New York during the Christmas/New Year period. I find something so wonderful about the festive period, and in my best expectations, New York filled with glimmering lights, towering buildings, delicate snow fall and rich decoration infuses my mind with beautiful imagery, that not only comforts my assumptions, but makes me feel merry and satisfied inside.

2. Skydive.
The thought of skydiving has been lingering around the back of my mind for a little over a few years now; I remember, I originally became inspired by a campaign poster that I saw around school. In Sixth Form, the students are offered an opportunity to visit Peru and help build or provide sufficient resources that will benefit innocent lives suffering from poverty,- however, the students must raise over £1000 to support their place on the visit, which leads to the sponsored skydive posters that I saw, hung on the walls of the school corridors. Following this, my motivation to skydive has grown stronger and I am induced by the impression of amazement and wonder when viewing the Earth from a bird's eye view perspective. Hopefully, one day I will gather enough courage to skydive, and for a good cause too! (such as raising money for charity, etc.)

3. Watch the Northern Lights.
Wow. I mean, need I say more? The Northern Lights are an absolute credit to mother nature; their vibrant, glowing, and beaming green and blue colours illuminate across the dark sky and emit awing radiation to the world below. Watching the Northern Lights is a must; my ultimate goal for the future would be to travel over to Kakslauttanen, Finland,
and gaze at the dazzling sky through the glass roof, whilst lying in bed, pointing at the lights and smiling with amazement alongside my future partner, who I will love, and that person will be the only person I want beside me in that very moment.

4. Be a successful woman.
It sounds very boring, I know, but in my eyes, not so much. Succession is not always evidence of 'making it in life' or 'being rich' or any other unrealistic expectation that society portrays onto us. In my opinion, being a successful woman is evidence of hard work; being a mother requires to be strong, independant and fearless, yet loving, caring and responsible. Taking on a job and a dominant role in the house in addition to being a mother demands these traits, but 10 times more. The actual goal for my future is to have a partner who loves me very much as I do them, children (preferably two), who are sweet yet annoying, a well-paid job - doing something that I enjoy and am passionate about, a comforting house - where my children and husband feel safe and are provided with love, shelter, nourishment and water, and lastly, enough money to financially support all my family's needs and treat them whenever I want to; this is my actual goal for the future, go big or go home I guess - that is succession to me. 

 
 5. Go Ghost Hunting.
Does this sound fun or what?! Although I am terrible at handling with the supernatural, scary movies, the dark and anything of that kind, this shouldn't sound appealing to me, but it does! I mean, wouldn't it be exciting to experience the presence of a ghost? Or even feel the presence of someone/something from an ethereal world? Yes! Some people are skeptical about this topic and have a wide range of different beliefs in what happens after you die, but I am all for afterlife! Although Scientific research opposes these ideas/suggestions, I think it would be a very thrilling 'in the moment' sensation, that sends shivers down your spine and raises goosebumps off your skin. After all, life is about experiencing different things, a trial and error process - you never know until you try; so why not give it a go, eh? The ideal location for me would either be in the woods on Halloween or somewhere with a stigma surrounding it...like Shambles!  

  6. Play Messy Twister.
As challenging as Twister is on its own, imagine it with paint all over! Messy Twister is the perfect game to play if you're up for a little more than just a challenge or gathering with a bunch of your friends! Classic games can never go a miss in social situations and often lighten the mood; Messy Twister takes that to another level - just make sure to wear old clothes! This is on my bucket list because I love physically interacting with people and exchanging coordination skills; I'm sure everyone can deduce that the usage of hand-held smart devices is increasing, but a lot of these people are unaware of the consequences, only until it's too late! Smart phones are the biggest impact in today's society that lead to the damage of mental health and increase risks of developing illnesses such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Smart phones and social networking sites claim that their ambition is to 'connect people together', however it is doing quite the opposite; more and more people are beginning to lock themselves away from the real, tangible world and instead, comparing themselves to an unrealistic, 'perfect' world that the media portray onto us. It's time to make a change in society, but we are society, so first, we need to change ourselves. Instead of sitting on your phone for an hour after school or work; talk to someone, play a board game, go over someone's house, visit your relatives, do some homework, join a local club of your interest - BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD!

7. Walk the Great Wall of China.
As stunning as the Chinese culture is, walking the Great Wall of China would be outstanding! I find nature and the outdoors very fascinating and therefore, walking the Great Wall would be an amazing combination to make! As I am passionate about travelling the world, China would definitley be included as one of the main stops for me to take (not to mention Australia, New Zealand, The U.S, and South America). I am a very realistic person and strive to make the best out of every opportunity that I get, no matter what or where; my senses are an important factor in my life because they enable me to see and appreciate things like the outdoors, and thus The Great Wall would be a pleasurely experience to walk and see before my own eyes, in alternative to images on a screen, (plus, the view would be great!).

8. Go Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef.
I am the type of person that would gaze in awe at vibrant colours and beautiful scenery; although I have witnessed the coral reefs in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt, I don't think anything could quite compare with the large area of coral reefs that stretch round the coast of Queensland, Austraila - the size of the reefs cover roughly the same area as Italy! This destination would be the first stop I take on my travels around the world, because unfortunately, the reefs are beginning to bleach and die off due to global warming and pollution in the sea, and therefore, will only live for another decade or so. It's a big shame that with the increase of human population, the extinction of species around the world increases too; nature is the most beautiful and pure thing we have on this Earth,and I think that the human race feel too superior to care about the needs of other living organisms, which is very sad, indeed. 

9. See Pompeii.
If you don't know, Pompeii is an ancient city in Italy that became destroyed, but also preserved in thick ash and pumice from Mount Vesuvius when it erupted in 79AD; the eruption was extremelly great and buried Pompeii in 4-6m of ash. Pompeii was then discovered after a few thousand years and was investigated, as preservations from people and objects were examined and stored in mueseum's. Pompeii was then further opened as a tourist attraction where people can walk through the city and experience the terror of the people who lived there. Pompeii has been a tourist destination for over 250 years and has 2.5 millions visitors every year. I really want to visit Pompeii because I find it amazing how the lives of the people were preserved, and their very actions are shown by the fossils that were left there, these fossils suggest how the people felt and the destruction that was occuring to their city. I believe that it would be a fantastic experience to see and feel, and also that it would be something I would enjoy! 

 









10. Go to a drive-in movie.
Call me a hopeless romantic, tell me I'm too ambitious and old-fashioned or whatever else, I don't care. By all means, everyone can agree on the same level that this scenario would be pretty cute. A drive-in movie, just like the one you see on TV! (although I don't watch a lot of telly hehe). However, for this to work, I would require a partner - unless I go by myself or have a 'mate-date', as some people may call it. Although they're not as common as they used to be in the 1900's, I'm giving an educated guess that there must be a drive-in cinema somewhere, even if that means I have to fly over to America or somewhat similar. There is a part in life which we will all endure that requires our own ambition to get somewhere or achieve something, instead of waiting on opportunities to arrive at your door - don't be frightened of asking or wanting to fulfil your dreams; don't think me typical when I say this, but seriously, life is way too short. Life is way too short to wait upon things and hide away from what you really want to do, just do it! There will never be a point in life when you impress everyone or receive everyone's approval, so just move on. Life is for you to impress and reward yourself, don't give that opportunity to others when they already have their own.

There is tons more that I would love to add to this list, but reading that would probably bore you all!
 Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it, and how exciting it would be to achieve these things in my lifetime! It would be a pleasure to have inspired anyone out there to aim for their goals in life, so I hope I have!
Thank you all for reading, 

See you all later!
Asia xox  

PS: Please check out my poll on the right hand side, near to the 'About Me' stuff. 
 

Introduction

                           

How much does a polar bear weigh? Enough to break the ice.

Hello and welcome to my blog! My name is Asia Grabowski, and the first sentence of this blog post probably leaves you to infer that I'm very cheesy and bad with introductions.

I'm 14 years old, I don't know if that's classed as young for a blogger or not? Nevertheless, I have been dreaming of setting up my own blog for quite a while now because I always feel like there's a message I could send out to the world; hopefully to make a change? Although having a small voice surrounded by shouting of global issues and political injustice, I am in aspiration of growing in confidence and finally having a say, or at least sharing my thoughts with people on the Internet, who hopefully relate to my views or can learn from my own personal experiences. 

I'm often known to blabble on and on about nothing, so cutting to the chase, I figured it would be more beneficial for you to learn more about me, rather than listening to me talking about my ambitions for the future, some of which people may think are too courageous of me being at such a young age. 

My name, Asia Grabowski, originates from the Polish language. I was born and raised in the North East of England by my two wonderful Polish parents, whom I cohabit with along with my older stepsister. I am a regular attendant of a local gymnastics club which I joined in the summer of this year; although I had previously been a gymnast when I was younger, my love and passion for dance and gymnastics did not die with my commitment, however, the years following my resign from gymnastics were spent thoroughly as I joined comprehensive school and became part of the netball and athletics team, alongside a theatre group outside of school. 

For the majority of my lifetime so far, I have been a very active child as a result of being an extremely competitive person and striving for the best - no matter what the circumstance. This particular trait has both positive and negative effects on my daily life; academically, I am blooming rapidly like a blossom tree during spring. Since surviving the first round of the GCSE course in Year 9, I have gained a lot of knowledge in all of my subjects and am currently achieving above my target grades for the end of Key Stage 4, although only being at the beginning of Year 10. Without a doubt, I know this is a very good thing as it broadens the pathways for my future, however, being a competitive person and constantly aiming for greatness results in my perfectionism and having an extremely confusing, emotional and sensitive personality, as I am obsessed with fitting in and having social approval.
This causes quite a problem for me as I struggle to make my own decisions, since I am only concerned about the outside views and influences. Even so, this too, is something that I am currently working on so that I can stand independently and not be affected by other people's opinions, as it is impossible to impress everyone that you meet. 

I am also a strong admirer for the natural world; my passion for natural imagery and appreciating the outdoors has grown massively and is still continuing to grow with each passing day. There is always something about beautiful scenery that leaves me in awe, and I document this on my instagram page with the occasional 'selfie', as I am not a particularly photogenic person. I guess I am beginning to recgonise the full worth of being fortunate enough to live in an environment where I am safe and surrounded by people who I love and also love me back. My admiration for nature also pairs with my endeavour to live the best life I possibly can, a life full of excitement and thrill; experiencing and taking every single opportunity that meets my path. I want adrenaline rushing in my blood through every living moment, I want to feel excited and be excited, ready to take on anything that life throws at me. I want to make a mark on this Earth, a mark to be rememebered or be an inspiration to someone out there, because the marks left by humans are too often scars.
  Before I end my first blog post, I will leave some smaller facts/ information  about myself below:

My hobbies include: reading, dancing, gymnastics, homework (lmao), procrastinating, instagramming and cooking.

My favourite author: John Green and Harlan Coben.
My favourite book: Looking for Alaska or Will Grayson Will Grayson or All The Bright Places.
My favourite subjects: Biology, Chemistry, English and Media Studies.
My favourite colour: Purple.
My favourite film: Omg, there's so many but 'Sleepover' can never go a miss.
My favourite season: Autumn. Always.
My favourite shop: Topshop.
My favourite food: Bananas (but they have to be spotty). 


I guess this is the end! Thank you for reading or visiting my blog today!

Bye for now!
Asia xox