Perhaps this move has provoked me to give up all things childish and finally grow up into a wiser, albeit a tad exhausted teenager because, after wasting precious moments on suffering from mini panic attacks over the state of my hair - which, at the oh-so-irritating time of the month, looks like it has been dunked into a deep fat fryer (hopefully not the Tefal model which appears to be the main attraction on the Ideal World shopping channel) - and generally giving into my self-obsessed tendencies, there is much more to life than clipping my Eiffel Tower-long toenails or being stuck in my own little bubble the whole time.
Since becoming the proud new tenants of a beautiful house in an even more pleasant village almost a fortnight ago, my list of positives about getting out of the labyrinth which was my former residence has grown quicker than the kittens' themselves, who are currently undergoing one of their many tiresome growth spurts. For example:
- Getting my very own en-suite has rapidly proved to be the most wonderful gift which money - or indeed the monthly rent - can buy, simply judging by the plastic cabinet which somehow stores all of my skincare/spot-fighting products. For ages, I was unable to reach into my aged beauty bag in search of my rarely used, yet essential bottle of dry shampoo, but now it gloriously resides next to my £60 hairbrush (the one of which has just begun the long, agonizing process of falling apart) and beloved heat-protectant spray, which is one of my most cherished childhood smells. And - just when you don't expect it to get better, I literally keep you on the edge of your seat - I no longer receive a telling off from The Parents if I dare to yell at the top of my lungs whenever LB half-heartedly threatens to 'mask his territory' in my en-suite which, before anyone gets a word in, is my territory. So, I have all but waved farewell to causing a commotion by gazing at the eye-blinding shininess of my locks in the main bathroom, but I now have a new problem on the agenda: the terrible two, Bart and Benny, have recently developed a habit of visiting the room whenever they wish, which has posed as a problem. Boys - regardless of their species or feline tendencies - always annoy you... just my luck!
- Talking of kittens, there has definitely been a dramatic improvement in Benny's temperament - and indeed his ever-growing confidence - since moving over a week ago which, bearing in mind that cats are typically creatures of habit (should I hang my head in shame for following a similar way of thinking?), has particularly taken me by surprise. But nonetheless I'm over the moon that Benny has gradually given up his timid ways in order to become confident and actually enjoy our company - whilst struggling to fall asleep last night, Benny entered my bedroom and leapt onto my duvet twice, which counts as proof of his endless progress towards letting go of his once-strong shyness! Benny appreciates the larger bedrooms and kitchen, where he usually spends most of his time sleeping or having a fishy bite to eat, and none of us bat an eyelid when we catch him in the middle of performing a mischievous act with his partner in crime, Bart (otherwise known as Barticles, as I prefer to call him). Now seven months old and a stature not far off from a fully-grown cat, Benny has walked miles away from his tough start in life - originally, he and Bart were classified as semi-feral due to being born outdoors, despite their mother supposedly being domesticated - which makes me burst with pride because it seemed impossible to sit next to him when we brought him home on a cold December day last year. Alas, Benny's journey towards unleashing his soft-as-butter side is reaching a point where we will hopefully be able to stroke him and cuddle him as often as we do with Bart, who laps attention like it's a full-time occupation! I'll know that all of our efforts will be worth it when Benny purrs for the first time, the glorious day of which ought to be coming soon.
- Unlike the nearby park in my former home, the play area within the heart of the village has not enforced the rather pathetic ban on teenagers sitting on the swings or going down the oh-so-slippery slide, which has given me something remotely entertaining to do whenever my brother kicks his football (undoubtedly purchased from his beloved Sports Direct store) in the main field. And, whether any other teenager has ever felt this way or not, I experience a lighter-than-air feeling of freedom when I sit on a swing which, within a kick of my feet, automatically takes me back to the care-free times of my childhood. Regardless of whether the local council looks down upon younger people by creating such stupid rules - many of which, if they choose to acknowledge it, are always broken behind their backs - nothing will ever stand in my way of embarking a ride to a place which can never be taken away from me: my inner child.
- For the fifth consecutive day in a row, not a single fat-coated chip or ready-prepared meal passed through my lips, which is a definite indicator of my life returning to normal. Sorry, but my days of appreciating fast-food as an occasional treat have all but died a significant death, and I've never felt happier about being freed from the tempting clutches of a McDonald's milkshake - let the nutrient-rich times carry on!
If my half-asleep mind could be bothered to awaken from a pre-lunchtime nap in order to supply more positives for my list, I would have added roughly another fifty or so reasons for my happiness here in the heart of the country. But, as today's title suggests, there is more to life than discussing council rules or indeed my battle against McCain chips - in recent weeks (whenever I've had an internet connection or a few decent CDs to play), music has become my refuge from battling stress, moving-related dilemmas and, at the worst of times, myself. Although the tracks featured below are not exactly the lullabies which you would play to sleeping babies, in my opinion I've been listening to more heavenly-sweet lullabies than usual because anything unrelated to my attention-consuming hassles were like the piece of heaven I struggled to find on this planet.
Random my choices may be - from classic soul to modern EDM, my musical tastes could be put on a par to an iPod shuffle at times - but I associate them with euphoria and the opportunity to break away from modern teenage life for a short while. Enjoy!
1. The Shapeshifters - Lola's Theme
2. Mantronix - Got to Have Your Love
3. Nirvana - Come As You Are
4. Lady Gaga - Alejandro
5.
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