Hello beautiful person!


At the beginning of the year I made a huge post about the goals I set myself for the year 2017.
Now, after two months, I'd like to give a first review on how things are going, what has changed, what works for me and what doesn't.

So, without further ado - let's get started!


1. Be more organized.
I would say that I absolutely nailed that! I think that never in my life I have been as organized as I am at the moment. I think a huge improvement for me was starting the bullet journal. I've got everything in this one book (meaning that I am very dependent on it), have my daily to-do lists and just feel like I have a good overview. I can't really describe it... But I so much prefer it to the normal calendars!
Generally studying-vise I got a lot better and can say that I have studied almost every day in January! And I already feel more prepared for school.
What an achievement. Nailed the organization part. I only hope, it'll last!


2. Work out regularly. 
Generally I would say that I have achieved that goal... I only had one full week of not working out (don't even know why, let's just say I was ~busy~) which threw me out of the schedule. But apart from that week I worked out quite a lot and also got the motivation to do some workouts at home. (I still prefer the gym, but sometimes I really can't go and for running it was too cold)


3. Read about 30 minutes a day. 
To be honest: I did not manage to do that every day. I did however read a lot more especially in the evenings to calm down and managed to get through three books this month, so I have improved but I am not quite there yet (and I don't know if I will this year tbh).

4. Journal more often.
Journaling will for ever be something I am having struggles with. I am highkey motivated but then in the evenings I am too lazy and then I don't want to skip a day.. yea.. I did write in my diary (compared to last year) quite a lot, but right now I am stuck because of that very reason I just mentioned. So all I need to do is persuade myself to just do it so I can continue normally. But generally speaking: I think that is going all right.

5. Upload regularly. 
Long story short: Worked for the blog, did not work for my channel. I only uploaded two vids in January when I wanted to upload four.. so I am still working on that.

6. Practice the piano more often.
At the beginning of the month I really did not touch my piano that often. But the last two weeks I did make an effort and tried to improve every day and I did see a huge development from the beginning of the month compared to the end. And I so enjoy it! I don't know why I didn't use to do this more often. I started to re-discover my love for the piano.

7. Try yoga.
I did. Not every morning. But very often and I love it. It calms me down, it makes me more flexible, it shows me how far I can go with my body and it grounds me. I feel like I am developing a new relationship with my body, as cheesy as it sounds. My body just feels different and I move differently and my breathing has changed. And when I did yoga in the morning my whole day was just different. But in a good way. In the best way.

8. Be happier, appreciate the little things and make myself a priority.
I bought myself tulips. I made lovely food. I focused on the good and enjoyed every sunbeam. I made an effort with my outfits and lit candles while studying. I tried my best to really appreciate these little things and be present with my attention. I have not had one bad day and I had moments of pure happiness. So yes, I did achieve that goal.

9. Go outside more often.
Semi good. I deffo could be going outside more often, like seriously. But I used more opportunities to enjoy the sun or fresh air, like for example having breakfast on my balcony!

10. Drink more water.
In January I really pushed myself to drink 2 or 3 liters of water a day, but I feel that it is getting less and I honestly feel different when I only drink a liter or even less. My skin was better and I felt more active but now I've gone back to before.. well, it got worse again. So I'll try in March to go back to the 2/3 liters of water intake.

11. Meet friends more often.
I SO nailed that! I have been on more parties than ever, am out every week end and, even though I had a major argument with one of my friends, I do actually feel closer to them. Maybe it is just me, because I feel like I am putting more effort into the friendship... Well, either way, AMAZING! :D


I think these are the most important "resolutions" I can review. I hope you enjoyed and that I you might have found inspiration to either get back on track with yours or even set some up. (I know it is March.. still, you can always be ambitious and goals!)

After three days of pure rain and storm the sun decided to show.












It really feels like spring. And I am loving it.

Hello people.

Today I want to talk about something very important, yet very underestimated: Self-Care.

Especially since my days are jam-packed and I feel like I am drowning in work, I often felt the need to shut the world off for a while and just care about myself for a while.



There are several different ways I've done that during the last couple of days, so I am going to present them to you:

1. Pamper.
Might seem like an obvious one, but I want to include it anyway because I never really saw the importance of it until like two weeks ago.
When I pamper I first remove all of my make up, cleanse my face and then put a mask on.
While that is on I like to brush my teeth or paint my nails. If you're a bath kind of person you could take one now, but I am really not about that bath-life. I usually shower to wash my mask of and then properly clean my body, with shaving, conditioner and sometimes a body scrub.
After showering I moisturize my body and face.
Afterwards I always feel like a new human, fresh and pure and ready to face anything.

2. Turn off electronic devises. 


I found that I often get stressed by social media or generally anything on my phone or laptop. And if it is just to receive an unwanted text which makes me not wanting to open whatsapp. (I know we've all been there, don't lie to me)
With social media you are available for people 24/7. Which can be good but it can also be the worst thing ever if you had a stressful day anyway and the least thing you want to do is to answer 20 unread messages on your phone. Or even get involved in any kind of argument due to misapprehension (again, we've all been there.)
SO I decided that I would sometimes go on a "digital detox" (kinda) in which I just turn off laptop and phone. I found it so relaxing to not check my phone every 5 seconds or have the guilty feeling of neglecting friends.
This actually leads me onto my next point:

3. Do stuff that doesn't require electronic devices.
Because after having turned off phones et cetera you still want to do something. So here are the things I most enjoy doing without my phone:
- read a book. 

calms the mind and carries you away into a different world (if you are sick of your current one at that moment). Grab a cup of tea and a blanket and have some cozy reading time.
- practice an instrument. 

For me it is the piano. And I actually often forget to practice the piano, so this is a positive side effect. Just the feeling of growth and improvement I get when I finally nail something I failed so many times at is so addictive. And if you don't play an instrument: Learn one! Like the ukulele! You can buy cheap ones on amazon and there are so many tutorials on YouTube that even I can now kind of play it.
- talk to a friend or a family member. Socializing always helps me to clear my mind. Especially if I am having a particularly stressy day it helps me to just talk about it.
- write in a diary. 

I often feel like my days are so filled with bad and good stuff and I want to remember everything I do and be able to have the memory available in a few years. DIARIES. Honestly, the best thing you can do to make you feel better now and to give yourself loads of enjoyment later. And if it is just a page a week writing about how you felt or about something that upset you, it will make a difference and relax you.
- exercise. Obvious one. Exercise is always good. As you read on the internet all the time: "Exercise is therapy".
- go outside. 

Fresh air plus moving your body a little equals inner peace. You didn't know? Try it!

4. Sleep. 



Enough sleep is always mandatory for me to have a good day in general. If I had less than 6/7 hours of sleep my day is instantly 20% worse.
So I try my hardest to go to bed early and get my 8 hours of sleep. It re-energizes my body and I know that the next day will be better. (Another lovely aspect: You escape your the stress for a while and are just completely calm.)


So these are the things I like to do after a particularly stressful day that calm me down to regain my energy.
I hope that I helped some of you, especially since exam season is coming again and for me it is time to study for my a levels. kill me. 

Please tell me your advice in the comments so we can learn from one another.

Hey people.

Yesterday was my first day of school after the winter holidays.
And in every lesson our teachers greeted us like so:

Hello class! Happy New Year! Especially for you! This will be exciting. Like, this is the year!  I hope you'll have a successful year. This year will decide over your future! Who knows what you'll be doing today in a year. Hopefully you do. 
Your last year in school, that is indeed exciting. When are your A-Levels? OH, in two months already, well, I hope y'all have started studying already? No? Well that's not good..
Anyway, let's talk about all the things you have to know for your A-Levels because it will definitely be important somehow. 

Like, THANK YOU, I am already stressed out but that you for adding to that.

In English class we even had to form groups and talk about our future and we literally called our group "Team Existential Crisis".. that says it all.


But jokes aside.
It is very scary to think of everything that way.
The last year in which I'll go to school.
The year I am writing my A-Levels in.
The year I am moving out.
The year my whole life will change.

...How is that not scary to some people?
I do have plans for my future, like, many plans. I want to go to England in September. I want to study to become a teacher for English and Music. I want to travel a lot. I want to meet a lot of people and be happy.
But that is the point. What if all of this does not make me happy?

What if I am in England (IF I manage to find a job and a room eventually) and miss home and just feel like I don't fit in and don't find my place.
What if I start studying and notice that I am really hating it or that I am not good enough or that teaching is just not the thing I want to do the rest of my life?
What if..?

source: tumblr

My future, and I am talking like very close future, consists of a lot of "What if's..." and a lot of challenges.
But, as my English teacher said today, challenges always have a small connotation of fear and anxiety. Because you have to possibility to fail the challenge. And depending on what kind of person you are, you focus more or less on the bad outcome of the upcoming challenge.

Weird, isn't it?
Because thinking: "Oh, I might not like teaching." doesn't get me any further, it does the opposite, it makes me step away and reconsider for the hundredth time, just to be where I was before I started panicking.

Where do I go from here? 
Well, as simple as it sounds, it is very true: My future is completely in my hands and depends on my decisions. That is partially the scary part, but also the exciting and, in a way, encouraging part.
If I don't get up off my ass and start to properly look for jobs and rooms in Brighton - I can't go.
If I don't inform myself about different carriers and paths I could take instead of teaching I can't compare and might not be able to do what I really want to do.

I have the power to completely design my life the way I want it to be.
And I want to use it.
If that means to study for my A-Level exams even though I absolutely hate biology (lol) I need to do it. For my education, my exams, my job, my life.
Sounds simple. Doing it isn't so much, but I'll try and stick to it.


What about you? 
Have you already finished school?
Are you also currently where I am, deciding what your future will look like?
Or do you still have many many years to go?

I am actually curious, please tell me in the comments!

Hello folks.

Last year I made a post about why I think New Years Resolutions are useless. This year I still agree with myself and everything I said in that post. The following "goals" certainly aren't things that come out of nowhere and are definitely achievable, since I started working on (almost) all of these things already in the previous year. These are goals I want to achieve during the year and make a new habit of mine. ~enjoy~

1. Be more organized.
This one, I feel like, is an obvious one. As I mentioned multiple times already I am going to take my A-Levels this year and even though I do perform quite good at the moment in school I know I am not up to my full potential.
To be more organized I already started a studyblr tumblr blog, which you can find here: https://studybllrr.tumblr.com/. On there I want to keep you updated with my school stuff, my progress and my bullet journal which I started for 2017. I really like the idea of bullet journals and since my calendar'll end with 2016 I already prepared all of January in the journal. I might do a full blog post just about it.





2. Work out regularly.
I work out quite a lot. But then sometimes I don't go for a run or in the gym for like two weeks. I want to change that by having a real schedule which I can't just ignore. Working out is not only good for my body but also for my mind. So if I had a busy day at school it would actually help me to go to the gym, even though I might be two hours later at home.

3. Read about 30 minutes a day.
Reading has always been huge and important for me. But during the last couple of years I noticed that the amount of books I got through during a year dropped strongly. During holidays I always find loads of time for loads of books but as soon as I am home I just forget it. And I want to change that by setting myself the goal to read a little bit a day.



4. Journal more often. 
At the beginning of 2016 I started a diary in which I wrote quite regularly until about April. Then it just stopped. Now at the end I am actually sad I couldn't keep it up. I want to improve and at the end of the year have a full journal filled with happy and not so happy days from the last year.

5. Upload regularly. This goal does include my YouTube channel and this blog. I noticed that sometimes I have weeks in which I upload on this blog like four times a week and then for months nothing. Same with the YouTube channel. So I'll try and get a schedule in it.

6. Practice the piano more often. 
Just because I love playing the piano and I'd love to be able to do more things. And also because I think my piano teacher soon will rip my head of :D

7. Try Yoga.
"Try new things" and stuff. I found this YouTube channel called "Yoga with Adrienne" and twice I tried her programs out and really enjoyed it.



8. Be happier. 

9. Make myself a priority.

10. Go outside more often.
Just to enjoy natures beauty and get fresh air. I'll also try and hit the 10.000 steps goal every day. During school that is no problem but in the holidays I often just stay inside and don't move very much.



11. Turn off electronic devices more often. 
During 2016 I often did weekends with digital detoxes and I found it so refreshing and felt a lot free-er. I want to continue doing that, but even more often. Generally I spend a lot of time on the phone and the laptop.

12. Maintain a regular sleeping schedule. 
Again, during the holidays that is no problem at all. But especially during exam seasons I get only five to six hours of sleep for four or five weeks, making me not only moody but also not very present. The days fly by and I am so tired that I become an absent-minded mess.

13. Drink more water. 
I definitely improved with the water intake and drink at least 1 liter a day. But I want to push myself and drink even more. I set myself the goal to drink like 1.5 up to 2 liters a day. (or more if possible)

14. Enjoy the little things in life. Ties in with many other goals.

15. Meet friends more often. DON'T just say "Sorry, I am busy" or come up with a lousy excuse. I need to just push myself, leave the house and hang out with my friends because we always have loads of fun and make great memories.

16. Be less stressed. 
It will be a stressful year. I know that. But I don't need to push myself into the stress even deeper by overthinking and exaggerating.



So that is it!
My full list of things I want to improve. And I say "improved" very consciously, because I feel like on each of these subjects I worked on already in 2016. But now in 2017 I don't want to lose focus and yet again make myself aware of what I already achieved and what I can improve.

Do you have goals for 2017? Tell me in the comments, I am actually very curious.

Dear Diary.

The last two or three weeks the weather had been miserable so today, I was delighted when I woke up to a bright blue sky and the sun rising.



My alarm woke me up at 7.30 am. After spending some time in my bed listening to music and being on my phone, I got up, changed in comfy clothes and prepared for my morning yoga session.



I followed the video by the YouTube channel "Yoga with Adriene". It was a morning yoga video and it really calmed me and made me focused for the day. After these 30 minutes I went downstairs and made myself some breakfast. I used the mango I bought a few days ago and it tasted perfect! Sweet and with a good consistency. I also drank a green smoothie (which I bought and not made myself) and drank about half a liter of water.



While preparing and eating that I listened to Frank Sinatra on Spotify and it heavily lifted my mood. For some reason I was so happy in that moment and soaked everything up.

Still with Mr Sinatra in the background I went back upstairs in my room and tidied everything up. Like proper deep cleaned my room. Put all my school stuff away, hoovered, dusted and "puffed up" my duvets on the balcony.



I also improved my bullet journal by redesigning my layout.
Then my mum came home and I drank tea while she had her breakfast. We decided to go to Hanover, the capital and biggest city of lower saxony, and take a walk around the maschsee lake. So I got ready, grabbed my camera and we set of.






At about 4 pm we were home again and since we were literally shivering we made a little soup with vegetables and loads of spices.
Then we made proper lunch/dinner with potatoes with rosemary, agli oli, baguette, peppers, courgette and carrots. While the veggies were baking in the oven I played the piano. Again, Frank Sinatra (still had the songs from the morning stuck in my head) and Panic! At The Disco.

Then I sat down and read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix which I got for Christmas.

Now I'm watching a 2016 year review comedy thing and soon I'll go to bed because tomorrow will be a long and exciting day. New Years Eve... another year has passed.

Today was extremely lovely! The weather was amazing, I made music, I read, I was outside for a very long time, ate good and healthy food and was genuinely happy. That is the most important thing. I was happy, laughing, smiling for no reason and enjoying the little things.

I wish myself more days like today.

Hello people.

Music is a huge part of my life. I think half of my days I spent either listening to music or making music myself. And the other half I spend in school and am asleep. And I am not exaggerating when I am saying this, this is literally how it is. While I am writing this I am listening to Micheal Jackson. During breaks I like to go to the piano room and play a bit. I sing like 24/7.

So as music really is a big part of my life I thought it would only be appropriate to talk about it a bit more on my blog. Starting off with my favorite songs at the moment.
I might make this a regular thing.. not sure..

Anyway, let's go!




Pretty. Odd. - Panic! At The Disco
You might be wondering: But Paula this is not a song! but let me explain.
This whole album is so relaxing to listen to and the songs are beautiful and dOn't get me started on the lyrics. As I had to study a lot during the last weeks that was my go to album to play in the background. I had it on repeat for hours and hours so it is only fair for it to be the number one on this list. Seriously, if you have never listened to this album because you heard shit like "it's not proper panic stuff" then do the following: LISTEN TO IT RIGHT NOW!
Pretty. Odd. is actually the first album I ever bought of Panic! because I heard the song When the day met the night. I instantly fell in love and bought it. A few weeks later I owned every single record, so Pretty. Odd. basically started my obsession with Panic!.
And if you have never heard of Panic! At The Disco then do the following: LISTEN TO IT RIGHT. NOW! I have to say that is one of the best bands I know, Brendon Urie is seriously the best vocalist I know of (and pretty handsome as well).
Genre: I think Pretty. Odd. is kind of Rock, Pop, Indie, Beatles inspired genre. You can't really specify, the songs are quite varied.

Movin' Out - Billy Joel
I only recently discovered the song. Yes, I know, shame on me. But I heard it in the background of a video on YouTube and searched the comments for the name of the song and luckily somebody had mentioned it. I started listening to it on repeat and play it on the piano (much to the annoyance of my parents because you gotta hit these chords). My father then gave my all of his Billy Joel records and I started listen to then on my way to school.
I love the bass line and the rather odd combination of chords. Also the change of mood.. I don't know how to describe it properly, there is just a lot happening in that song but somehow it all fits together.
Genre: rock

Warned You - Good morning
I don't exactly know what I love about this song so much. It has the 80/90 inspired guitar in the background, that might be one reason for me. But, you know, that song is just chill. I love listening to it while laying in bed, writing or just thinking. It is perfect background music: Again, the bass line is very interesting. The lyrics aren't strong though.
Genre: Honestly, no idea.

Sickly Sweet Holidays - Dallon Weekes
An unknown christmas song which I adore so much. Dallon Weekes is Panic! At The Discos bassist and he also makes music himself and in his band The Brobecks. It makes christmas rockesque, the lyrics are very cute and.. honest you might say. I just love it. As Dallon Weekes is a bassist, the bass is very present in the song, which is such a great turn, because usually the bass is too quiet in my opinion. Just listen to it if you are getting sick of the oh so lovely Mariah Carrey or Micheal Bublé. Another great thing about this song: Dallon is singing so lovely! And he made all of the song himself and recorded it at home? Like what? I think the drums did someone else, but despite that... How amazing is that?! So, please listen to it, it is on YouTube and Spotify.
Genre: Rock

Mean 'Ol Moon - Dallon Weekes Cover
This is a cover of the v beautiful song "Mean 'Ol Moon" by Amanda Seyfried. She sang the song for the movie Ted 2 which I am not a fan of by THIS SONG IS BEAUTIFUL. Amanda Seyfried did an amazing job but Dallon Weekes did an even better job and I love his quick cover of it. The link to the video is here, it is only available on YouTube (I think..?) Anyways, it is wonderful and Dallon sings it perfectly. I already talked about Dallon a lot so I'll keep it simple this time.
Genre: Jazzy cabaret old kind of music?


Soooo here we go, a list of the songs I listened to during the last few weeks. This is definitely not representative for my taste in music, but you get an idea. I think I will update you on my favorite songs every once in a while, but this is it for today.