New Blog Location

This is just a quick post to say that I have transferred this blog to a new location! It's now on madeleinehagan.com and the blog name has changed to The Salt Compass. I will post there now instead of here.

It will be the same type of posts, topics, and random ramblings that I have usually posted here. I've even added some of my older posts from this one to that one, as well as a new one this morning. Check it out if you haven't already!

Thanks,
Madeleine

What Is Love?

(Not my image. Completely Pinterest.)

I have to admit, sometimes the state of the hearts and minds around me in the world discourages me. A few weeks ago we were doing an exercise in our script writing class about themes. It was close to the deadline for our submission and we had to go around and summarize our project in one word, giving the overall theme of the story. The teacher said, "When people walk out of the building after seeing this what are they going to say it was about?"

As we went around the room answers came out like Mortality, Jealousy, Revenge, Happiness, but then one of them really made me think. One of my classmates said something like, "Okay. This is going to sound cheesy. But

Writing in Coffee Shops

I'm going to write a coffee shop tourist post today because I haven't written one of those in a while. This photo was taken in a new Costa location by Portsmouth and Southsea station. It's closer to my Tuesday morning lecture than the ones on Commercial Road, and I personally identify with Gilmore Girls at that time in the morning. Going to a coffee shop on a consistent basis for my lunch break in desperate need of coffee being the similarity I'm referring to.

I've gone consistently on Tuesdays for a few weeks now and I must say I'm a fan of the completely glass walls. I can see everyone walking by and if it's raining the raindrops stick to the glass and it actually makes me want to write.

Now this isn't to say that I write every time I'm there. Sometimes I get distracted by cute bags that look like they're from Accessorize and I have to resist the want to go shop. Other times someone will be walking by with their dog and

Weekend Trip To London

The Three Musketeers

When You Don't Know What To Write

If I am going to be perfectly honest I'd have to say that I drafted this blog post during one of my lectures this afternoon. Yes, I know I should have been taking notes, but it at least looked like I was. I sit towards the back and text my sister back in America or doodle song lyrics in my notebook. Don't worry I can still give a general outline of the lecture. But today I chose to spend the two-hour slot drafting a post on What To Do When You Don't Know What To Write (really long title I know so I shortened it later). I've been searching for ideas to use for my projects due in a few months time and not being able to think of any. I don't know where to start. I guess I just keep thinking that something will hit me, but it never does, which is incredibly frustrating when you're in the mood to write something. So I thought what's stopping me from writing anyway? I pulled out my notebook in that lecture and started putting anything and everything onto the page.

5 Airport Don’ts

(Not my image.)

Traveling can be an absolutely amazing experience or a terrible one, and a lot of that depends on the unspoken code of etiquette travelers do or don’t follow. Everyone is all too aware that some are seemingly oblivious to these courtesies. Not to be a downer here, but just thought I’d pose this as a challenge to many a traveler out there to avoid these traveling don’ts.

1. Don’t Cut Into Lines

This seems obvious but some people do it anyway. Everyone is aware of the fact that lines can get really long in airports, and no one wants to stand there any longer than they absolutely have to. Cutting into the middle of the line or even five people ahead isn’t going to save you much time in the long run and you’ll only succeed in angering the people behind you who, trust me, noticed.

Chocolate

So I might have a slight notebook addiction. I guess this could be assumed since I’m doing a Creative Writing degree, but I’m in my second year and I still haven’t taken my laptop to a lecture or seminar once. I always handwrite everything in a notebook first. I just really like the motion of writing everything by hand. Clicking away on a keyboard is fun and all but doesn’t compare to thick ink on fresh paper. 

Writing in that way is slower of course though and often distracting if I like the notebook too much. I like to leaf through the remaining blank pages and fold the covers

On A Rainy Morning...

(Not my image.)

It’s one of those rainy days. The good ones. Like the ones when I was younger where I would stay in my room and find my copy of Inkheart by Cornelia Funke to read for hours and hours. I’m not sure why, but it was always my rainy day go-to book. I think it was because of the way the book starts in the first chapter. With the rain on the window. I love it.

Today is a day much like so many of those were. But I’ve decided to write it down before I pick up my book again. Through raindrop speckled windows the street is a blurry watercolour and the grass a mossy green.

Don't Blink

(Not my image)

Time. Sometimes I wish it would pass faster than it does. Like when I miss people or places and can't wait to return to them. Or when I'm looking forward to something that will happen too far in advance, like moving into a new house later this fall. I just wish time would move quicker, so I can get to that point faster, see the people I miss now.

But there are also cases when I want time to slow down, like being on break for instance.

Currently

Currently I'm...

Reading:

• Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

• Next on my list will be Nameless by Lili St. Crow

• Previously on my list was I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Because It Was Wednesday

So I'd been back home in North Carolina for a few days when I finally did it. The idea of colouring my hair had been in the back of my mind for maybe a few years now and that fact had started to bug me a little. Why couldn't I just do it? 

Traveling: The Day Of

Here are a few quick tips I've gathered from my own traveling adventures, these in particular make my day of traveling go as easily as possible:

1. Get up on time.

Of all the days to hit 'snooze' and go right back to sleep, this certainly is not one of them. When your alarm (which should definitely have been set the night before) goes off, get up. It's as simple (and yes sometimes very difficult) as that. My flight out of London for going home over Christmas break last year happened to be at 12:00pm. Meaning I at latest had to get to the airport at 10am, and there was a 3 hour travel time to get there. When my alarm went off at 5:30am it seemed like I was getting up way too early, but I needed every bit of time that gave me to get out the door and if I had hit snooze even once my morning would have been a lot more stressful. 

Traveling: 3 Prep Tips

After traveling very recently to come back home for spring break, I thought I would list my top 3 tips concerning international travel preparation. This runs parallel to the post I did recently about packing specifically. I will follow this with tips for the actual day of traveling, but there will be more in this one since the day of actual travel goes a lot easier when all of these have been done in advance. (Please keep in mind that this is particularly international travel.)

Traveling: 3 Packing Tips

(Not my image.)

Due to traveling quite a bit lately, I can now list a few things that have helped make that process go a lot smoother. Here are a few tips when it comes to packing:

1. Basics first.

Before you start going through clothes, accessories, gadgets, and miscellaneous items that you'll want to bring you should first find the critical items. These are the things you either won't get very far without or are the absolute most important things to bring. 

For me these are: Passport, phone (and charger!), keys, & wallet. 

Even if all else were somehow to be forgotten or misplaced, if I have those four things I can get where I need to go. Decide what these are for you and put them all where you will not forget them.

A Few Writing Tips: 1, 2, & 3

While I definitely don't have a step by step process for this writing business, I do know that certain things definitely help and I don't mind sharing.

1. Be comfortable.

Try to get to a favourite place or maybe bring something that helps you relax. For me, it's wrapping a blanket around me until I'm a burrito and having a hot cup of coffee or tea nearby. This will make me not want to get up any time soon, giving me the chance to write more.

Color: Strawberry, Raspberry & Cranberry

Today was a 'Berry' day in terms of color on the side of the spectrum that makes up pretty shades of pink and red. This is specifically referring to what I happened to be wearing and/or accessories I got, and I didn't realize they were all so similar until later. 

Now I should put this into perspective a bit. First I would say I'm normally not a pink person at all, and if I make an exception it's because it is a faint shade like a pastel pink. If I had to pick a side with the colors, blues and purples would win every time. But today everything was bright, bold, and berry. 

Secondly, I had just turned in four different assignments after a weekend of crazy work to get them turned in on time, so the stress for all that was finally gone.  

And third, it was sunny for the first time after days of rain and the wind died down a little, allowing the air to be almost warm enough to go outside without a coat. So I believe it was this combination of things that sparked such an out of the ordinary mood, where I transferred over to the red and pink side of the color world.

Strawberry:

I have pinkish red converse that also happen to be sparkly, and today they were the obvious choice. I really should wear them more often. I have no clue why I don't. They're just fun and glitter is always a good idea.

Sweetened Hues - by Design Seeds

Raspberry:

I managed to buy a nail polish on impulse that was almost fully red but not quite, still fitting into the pink category a little. It reminded me of raspberries in general almost immediately, which I always connect with the summer season. So then I wanted it to be summer and almost bought some ice cream on impulse as well, but I figured that'd be a bit much. Too many spontaneous purchases can be not the greatest of ideas. However I did settle for a smoothie a bit later in the afternoon. Shhh. Don't tell.

Cranberry:

This was today's winning lipstick shade. My favorite shade. I've actually tried to get into the habit of automatically putting some on before I leave for my classes, just because I can. So yes, I personally am a fan of combining lipstick with the converse look. It just works for Berry days, and well, most others too. 

Now add in a black leather jacket, black jeans, and sunglasses. Yes. It was just an "I'm secretly ruling the world" type day.