I’ve been meaning to blog for ages but somehow there was always something else that got my attention. So with the news yesterday of Sigur Rós’ new album Kveikur coming out on the 18th of June I thought it was the perfect opportunity to blog about my weekend in London two weeks ago (only two weeks? – it seems longer and yet shorter).

I can’t exactly remember whether I blogged about this before or not but in July of 2012 I spent two mornings sitting at a computer refreshing maniacally to get my paws on tickets for Sigur Rós’ London gig. They were coming to Belgium a week or so before but by then I would be here in Cardiff so Julie and I devised a plan to go to the gig on Friday and then spend the weekend in London together. Sometimes we just have good ideas.

Love the old-school lettering. Finally!!

After my last class that Friday  I ran off to the train station, little red suitcase trailing behind me. Of course I had plenty of time before the train left, I was just a bit anxious not to miss it. A couple of minutes of delay on the train but that was fine, a quick underground ride later I was reunited with my best friend. Hugs but then rushing off to Brixton.

We assumed that the pre-program would start at 7.30 so we would be just in time for the actual show. Of course we were wrong and we were there quite early. We found the perfect spot right behind the sound tech guys. A special mention to the lovely security guy there who we asked if we could put our coats/bags on the divide so we could lean there without having to worry for our stuff. He was lovely so we offered him a digestive biscuit (our dinner due to lack of time – classy as always) which he politely declined.

Great sound and I could just see Jónsi next to a light-up Christmas tree.

Finally the music started. Moving, exciting, ridiculously awesome. Words are just not enough really to describe how much I enjoyed finally seeing and hearing Sigur Rós live. The energy and excitement in the venue was palpable. A bit of a chatty audience at times but the sound guys were rather very outspoken about that (yes, giggles ensued when they actually told a couple people standing next to us and talking loudly during a quiet song to “shut up!”).

Fljótavík made me cry. Not the song I expected it from but I’ve never before been so happy about crying.

I can’t wait for the new album. Their new single Brennistein sounded amazing that Friday and I’m very curious to see what else they have up their sleeve. The gig at Wembley Arena in November will probably not happen for me as it’s on a Thursday but I’m not despairing yet. There will be more music playing. Endless and buzzing.

Somewhere in December John Green announced he would be doing a tour of the UK & Ireland and I just bought two tickets right then and there. Luckily for me the lovely Amber wanted to go with me so on the third of February we set off for London bright and early. It takes only two hours to travel from Cardiff to London so the time passed really quickly.

We arrived at Cadogan Hall well in time, got our tickets from the box office and then joined the by then rather long line of people to get into the foyer. The reason the line was there was because every person attending the event got a pre-signed paperback copy of The Fault in Our Stars which was included in the ticket price. Can we say awesome?

Once we were seated the hall quickly filled up with awesome people of all kinds of ages. Most people were in the 16-21 age bracket but we also saw some more mature booklovers in the audience. I have to say that Cadogan Hall is such a nice venue, not too big but with still a pretty large capacity (900 people I think).

For the next hour we listened as John talked about his journey to TFIOS, we smiled and tried to sing along with Hank’s songs and nearly died laughing at the segment with Maureen Johnson asking the brothers audience questions.

Afterwards John and Hank were signing books and as I wanted to get my hardcover copy of TFIOS signed as well as my copy of An Abundance of Katherines, we got into the ENORMOUS line. We were the last people of the balcony to get into the line – after about half an hour of staying in our seats as the line wrapped itself around the balcony. The line moved quicker than I anticipated but even then it was fun to just chat with Amber. You could feel the buzzing all around the auditorium.

No, I did not freak out at John Green. The picture looks like I did but I did not – Amber can attest to that. I did give him some Belgian chocolate and he seemed genuinely taken aback by it. Kind and funny he took some time to chat as Hank tried to keep up with his signing speed. Drawing hanklerfish takes a bit more time than just signing I guess.

Once we got our books signed we were famished. The event had started at noon and by then it was nearly 3 pm. We sped off to Trafalgar Square to indulge in a burger at Byron Haymarket. Pictures were taken, good bloggers as we are, and I nearly inhaled their namesake Byron burger. Delicious. I think we may have found a new favourite. I’ll definitely be visiting again next time I’m in London.

The train ride back to Cardiff whizzed by and too soon I had to wave Amber goodbye and go back home. At least I have my TFIOS-tour shirt and a poster for my walls. I never said I wasn’t a bit of a fangirl.

However that doesn’t mean that Valentine’s day isn’t fun. Quite to the contrary. To me it’s a celebration of whatever and whomever you hold dear. So today I’ll be spreading the love here in my flat with my super-awesome flatmates and at college (which is, to be honest, also filled with quite ridiculously awesome people).

And just allow yourself to love and be loved.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.

So I figured that some kind of catch-up post would be perfect for today.

In the past month I’ve:

Moved to Cardiff. We spent about eleven hours in the car which was less boring/annoying than I had feared. Music and re-reading The Fault in Our Stars helped. A lot.

It was so nice to spend a couple of days with my mum and my brother here in Cardiff. I showed them around town (the parts of it that I already knew), we visited the National Welsh Museum and Cardiff Castle, I took them to College and we had some nice meals in town.

Met up with Amber. We had talked about it once I knew I had gotten a place at the College but I wasn’t sure if we would be able to make it. Once I knew when I would be moving we started making plans and turned out she could come visit on my first Saturday here, the first full day I would be on my own in Cardiff. We had tapas at Las Iguanas with some happy hour cocktails and loads of talking. I guess we call that finding a part of your tribe.

Last weekend we travelled to London for a literary foodie day. But I’ll definitely blog about this later, it deserves its own blog post.

Started my MA. Exciting, exhilarating, exhausting, demanding and basically fantastic. From my lovely – seriously lovely – and non-egotistical classmates to the ridiculously great tutors and just the general kind and genuine atmosphere at College. Words can hardly describe how grateful I am for being here.

Tomorrow we’re on week six already and we’re halfway through the spring term. We’ve already had our first masterclass (week 3), finished our first acting project (improv with the fierce MamAnita) and have used more straws for singing practice than for drinks in the past five years. On to more!

I hope you all had a great first month of 2013.

I have a feeling you’ll be a very good friend of mine. Especially because I truly and honestly believe Paulo Coelho when he talks about wanting things.

“And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.”
- Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and rang in the new year in style. I had a busy time with day trips to Ghent and Disneyland, celebrating the start of 2013 with my bestie and of course moving to Cardiff. I start class tomorrow and I cannot wait. After all, the universe seems to be on my side these days.

Time for some serious world domination.

Things I am counting down to:

• Christmas
• Visits from super-mega-awesome friends
• Going ice skating with Sofie (as per our yearly tradition)
• New Year’s Eve with Julie
• Goodbye dinner with my two best friends right before I leave for Cardiff
• Moving to Cardiff
• Meeting up with Amber
• Starting my MA

Now I know I’ve posted about this song last year (I think), or maybe two years ago but I still love it. If you want a different song, do check one post before last because Onesie Time is awesome and you can buy the song on iTunes to support MADTrust!

There is just one quote I want to share with you all. And I know it might seem like a drop of water in a desert but it is true. Just a little thing that might just help me believe in the world a little bit more today.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ To this day, especially in times of ‘disaster,’ I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world.” — Fred Rogers

It’s all I have been listening to today. Yes. It is that catchy. And now I want a onesie. Maybe. (okay, I totally do).

I can’t believe it has been seven months already, it feels so much shorter. In exactly a month I will have moved here and I’ll have a couple of days to settle in before classes start on the 7th of January. Excited does not really cover it.

Right now I’m back here with a purpose. I’ll be back at the lovely (seriously, it is gorgeous) building below for an audition. I’m hoping to obtain one of the scholarships that the college offers.

So this afternoon I’ll be singing my little heart out and in about three hours from now it will be all over and I’ll be biting my nails for the results. Not that I have any nails to bite really but that is not the point.

Oh and can I just say how amazingly supportive my friends and family have been for this whole enterprise? Every single one of them is delighted for me that I get the chance to attend what has turned out be to my dream school. If that does not say awesome then what does?

Have a lovely start to the week! With love and some vicks vapo-rub thrown in for good measure.

Oh and yeah: being thankful and grateful for what you have.

What am I grateful for you ask? And even if you did not ask I’m telling you anyways (because I love lists and bullet points).

This year I am grateful for:

• Life. Being alive is such a cool and awesome thing. So much to do, so much to see.
• Health. Being able to walk and talk and dance and shake and work and sing. The list goes on of all these things I can do because I’m healthy.
• People. Being all alone is a bit of a bummer. People make everything better. Especially if these are your friends and family.
• Dreams. Aiming for the stars. Things that keep you going, give you a goal in life, a purpose perhaps. Dreams are amazing and weird and keep you going.
• Words. From novels and blogs to conversations. Language connects us to people (see, awesome meets awesome to create even more awesome).

Have a lovely Thanksgiving!

PS: I had just posted this and checked bloglovin’ and guess who else used this image to blog about Thanksgiving? The awesome Lisa from The Dame. I guess brilliant minds and stuff… Go read her post here and say hello!