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Hi guys!

As promised, here is my first video for my blog! I hope you guys enjoy it, and let me know if you'd like me to post more in the future. It's just a general update about what's happening, so everyone knows where I'm at, at the moment. So without further adieu...



Let me know what you think!

Justine
xo

Life through rose-tinted lenses...

Hi guys!

So, guess what came early last week? I'll give you a clue...

If you said my camera, you'd be right! Obviously this photo was taken using my webcam, as it's pretty impossible to take photos of a camera using the camera itself. I haven't had much of a chance to go crazy taking pictures yet, although my new profile picture was taken using it!

I've been working almost non-stop at both of my jobs, plus there's been revision happening for my French and Spanish exams in between, so I've had almost no free time recently. It has been breaking my heart a little bit though, because as the weather has been so nice I've wanted nothing more than to go outside with my camera and get a bit snap-happy! Hopefully though, as my main French exam is now out the way, I'll have a spare couple of hours to run around in the sunshine.

(When it comes back, as the weather has now taken a turn for the worst. Typical...)

However, in other exciting news, I've decided that with my new camera I'm going to start a vlog, so expect my first post for that soon! I've already had one attempt, but after failing miserably at that one (both whilst filming and at editing), I figured I'd give it another go before I publish anything to cyberspace. So keep an eye out for Justine in the Wide World, coming to a Youtube channel near you soon...

Justine
xo

Money. money, money!

Excitement on the Australia front! After receiving my student loan on Monday, I purchased my ticket to go from London Heathrow to Townsville, Australia this summer! Leaving on the 16th of June (the day before my brother's birthday - sorry, Rob!), and returning on the 21st of August, that means 2 months of amazing Australian awesomeness! (Notice the alliteration? (; )

The only thing I'm having trouble wrapping my head round is the time differences... I leave the UK at 9.30pm on Sunday, but land in Oz at 2.15pm on Tuesday, even though the total travel time is only 31.5 hours. For example, when I fly from London to Dubai (the first stop), it's 6 hours on the plane, but I land at 7.20am, 10 hours later. Bizarre.

Also, in other news, my shiny new Panasonic Lumix G3 camera is winging its way towards me as we speak, so expect a post soon expounding on how fantastic it is! It's an early 21st birthday gift from my lovely maternal grandparents, so much love and gratefulness to them for funding my bombardment of pictures that is sure to follow! Plus, on the subject of thanking people, thanks to my amazing aunt and stupendous paternal grandparents for both helping to fund my flight to Oz, it was definitely appreciated! 

(On a side note, I don't think I've ever spent that much money that quickly - £1300 for a flight and a camera in 40 minutes!)

Finally, I've sent of my signed registration form for Grenoble, so I should hear back from them soon and be applying for accommodation pretty sharpish after. :)

Justine

xo

p.s Sorry for the overuse of alliteration and adjectives in this one!

So I guess I'm not insane

Another update so soon after the last one! Everything is happening all at once!

I realized the other day, after receiving my confirmation of my place at Grenoble, that I hadn't applied for my visa to travel into Australia. What followed was a massive flurry of panic, when I worried that I wouldn't have enough time to apply and get my visa approved before I would buy my flight tickets! Luckily, when I researched on the Australian visa site, the visa I needed was all done online, and only took between 2 and 10 days to approve. After applying on Wednesday lunchtime, I got my email today stating that I had been approved for my eVisitor visa, so I'm golden to travel to Oz! (They must have decided that I didn't have a dodgy record, and didn't look shifty enough to deny entrance.)

Justine
xo

And we're away!

So excitement abounds today, as I finally heard from Stendhal université, Grenoble!

I've been religiously checking my university email inbox what seems to be a hundred times a day since straight after Easter, and finally (after two weeks) it has happened! I was on my break at work when I saw the email, so I couldn't exactly jump out my seat and spontaneously start dancing, but I was so close to it. I haven't really stopped grinning since. The only downside is that it signifies more paperwork, as I have to fill out more forms for Stendhal, and as I now have my confirmation email, I sort out my application for my student finance loans for next year.

Yay for paperwork! Ugh.

On the camera front, I think I've basically decided on a Panasonic Lumix G3 - smaller and lighter than a DSLR, but still with interchangeable lenses and more flexibility than a simple point and shoot. Plus, it's not as expensive as others I've looked at, and has a decent pixel count. Now just to find it cheap...

Justine
xo