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Travel

Some of us have a deep rooted yearning for travel and natural learning through location and experience. Often this isn't possible or practical until in later years we gather up the funds to cover the costs, or maybe the right time doesn't pass you to go until you're well into your late twenties or mid thirties, maybe even later. What's important is that if you yearn to go you do go, or you could end up regretting it for many years later when you may be unable. The only downside is what you're leaving behind. Now, for some people travel is their escape from whatever it is at home that they don't want to be around anymore, this may even be nothingness. However for those of us who have family and friends content to live at home, it's a pretty lonely journey. Not everyone understands the need to travel on to new places and experience new things, to see what you wouldn't ordinarily come across on a normal day living at home working an office job. "Travel Broadens the Mind"- You'll often find that someone who has 'flown the nest' and has made it a possibility for themselves to see things on their bucket list right across the world, turn out to be a lot more determined and open minded than people who are content to sit in their small town birthplace with the blinkers on to the outside world. It is possible to get out there if you want to do it badly enough. Don't get caught in a comfort bubble working away your best years if you have a job you don't love and a life full of waiting for something to come around to you. Blood is thicker than water, and if your family and closest friends want to see you truly happy, oceans won't stop them from being there for you in any way that's possible for them; whether this is by flying out to your current pit- stop or being there for you in your 'home home' when you decide to come back temporarily or long term. Leaving the people you love is gut wrenching, not only for you but they feel it too. The tether stretches, but it cannot break. The stretching can sometimes cause pain and heartache, something we call 'home sickness' more like an all-encompassing black yearning for those you love. This will pass, and you will fix yourself with the places you see and the people you meet.. until you're home once again. Travel is a unique and mind-crafting experience, and if you're lucky to have those people behind you who are willing to hold on to the other end of the tether to let you explore it, you're a very lucky soul indeed. (For Peter, and all the other siblings and parents who feel the tether pull throughout the year.)

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The Year Mark

There are ‘markers’ in every relationship. Even friendships; first time you meet the persons family, first time you meet your partner’s parents, dates, travel, christmases. The list goes on and if you are one of those people with a significant other, hopefully the list will continue for many years to come.

So what does The Year marker mean? You’ve probably measured from the day the two of you decided to go exclusive, later that date may be moved unintentionally to the day you met. But does it get weird? I don’t mean freaky. Weird as in a quilt of seriousness and intensity draped over the whole relationship once you pass the threshold of the year long commitment.

For the ladies, you’re probably shocked that that’s how long it’s been. Time flies when you’re in your mid twenties and it continues to get faster (or so my mum keeps reminding me at Christmas every year.. “feels like just yesterday it was last Christmas.”) Like, realistically a year isn’t a massive amount of time in the context of a whole life, but it’s still a chunk of it. You’re probably starting to think about whether you will stick together long term now, and dilemmas like whether to broach the subject of any sort of future raise their ugly heads. Ask the questions! If he takes off quicker than a rabbit with a firework up it’s butt then maybe he’s not the dude.

For the men who have just been informed by their girlfriends, “Oh my god babe we’ve been together a year next week!”- I’m sorry. You’re probably about to be subject to a low-key onslaught of hints and nudges about what your intentions are in this relationship. Probably just stick to the usual guy-thing and don’t pick up on literally any hint dropping, regardless of how colossal they may be.

The reality is, the length of time you’ve been together doesn’t REALLY matter, does it? It’s different for everyone, anyway. Some people are married after 3 months, others stay engaged for 15 years and are totally and blissfully content remaining that way (even though everyone else in their circle is gagging for a good wedding party to plan for.) If you’re happy, take great joy in everyone else’s quizzical looks and questions about your relationship strategy, because you probably don’t have one anyway. There’s no stupid thing to celebrate. You made it together for a year? Good job. Celebrate it, you stuck someone for twelve whole months and that’s mega tough sometimes. If you’re single, celebrate other stuff. A whole week of work? Damn Daniel, get the drinks in.

So, here’s to many more makers, whether big or small. Celebrate them while they’re passing, because you can be sure as hell everyone else is.

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Why you should absolutely watch Gilmore Girls in your early 20's

Let’s face it. Not only is Gilmore Girls one of the most successful tv series of the Noughties (can never quite decide whether that term is clever or uncomfortable). It’s also the best series. That’s why it’s always the first one I see when I log in to Netflix… (or I’m bingeing all 7 for the fourth time).

It’s rare to find a show which is actually both believable and addictive, which explains its millions of fans. However, it’s a particularly helpful show to take up watching at 20 years old. Here’s why:

(pssst, may contain spoilers towards the end)

It’s set in the late nineties: Anyone born from ‘95 onward arrived on this lovely earth around the same time as Gilmore Girls was introduced to us by the TV gods. This means you’ll have at least a vague recollection of the clothes, technology and pop culture which Rory and Lorelai make plenty of references to from episode one.

Star’s Hollow is a small town: Shows set in the big city often can sometimes get a little unrealistic, but the Gilmores live in Stars Hollow, a small town near Connecticut in the US. There are plenty of diverse and quirky characters, which seem to be specific to small town life rather than city life. You wouldn’t meet a Taylor Dozey in NY, and he somehow seems familiar.

Rory’s Age grows with the show: Rory begins as a fifteen year old high school kid, but throughout the series we see her go on to college and make tough life choices about her future schooling after graduation. Many of us watching as 19/20/21 year olds can relate to her immense confusion and frustration with finding a career path as she gets to know herself. With employment rejection, course choices and decisions that affect her future- it’s a pretty shitty time, but Rory’s character makes it feel like everyone’s in the same boat. You are not alone!

Lorelai is your actual Mother: I can’t tell you how often throughout this show Rory’s mum tries to teach her about various life lessons, and it’s like my own mum talking to me. Real mother-daughter problems laid out; closeness, arguments and misunderstandings solved by communication and experience. Oh, and plenty of junk food.

You’ve probably dated each of Rory’s Boyfriends: From the intense and sometimes naive first love at 16 with Dean that ended in a dramatic break up full of jealousy and forbidden take-backs, we have all either done it ourselves or watched someone we know make the same moves. The brooding, passionate Jess at 18 who made Rory question herself and her aims. This is the guy who treats you kinda like shit but you kinda love it… then you don’t love it so much and you grow a big enough set of balls that you tell him to grow up and get over himself (changing him forever, probz.) Lastly… Logan. Yes he may be a primped up trust fund with hair like something from a Tressemé ad, but he enters Rory’s life just as she needs him to. Isn’t that how they say it happens? When you’re not looking for it?

The Gilmore Grandparents are an indulgence by themselves: Yeah, okay, our granny’s and grandpas may not be millionaires and they probably won’t build an astronomy centre in our name. But Emily and Richard Gilmore bicker about mundane topics like anyone else’s grandparents. Amongst their copious events and lunch dates with the high fliers of society, you can find them arguing about what classifies as a “fishy- fish”. Even throughout their separation, the Gilmores represent a slow burning love and deep rooted regard for one another which we all hope to have someday in the future.

The point is, the Gilmore family offer a lot of easy to relate to issues and morals for us mere mortals to learn from, and twenty is the perfect age to broaden your mind with the mother and daughter duo, teaching us how to communicate as best friends rather than ancestor and offspring. In fact it’s so good, any age is perfect to watch it.

So.. Go. Right now. Binge.

The best part is, they’ve just released a four part seasonal finale on Netflix! Yay!

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Starting off a good Sat 🙋🏼🥑☕️ #healthynow #italianlater

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The Canals are Amsterdam’s veins; never halting as the current flows throughout the city and plays host to the boats which it’s famous for. What this canal must have seen in its centuries passing the rickety buildings of The 'Dam...

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? follow @devin.nyc on instagram ?

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#Zen

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Instagram lover hates Instagram

It's a joke, really. I flick through my feed and the new "insta story" feature and it's honestly just high life viewings of big cities and luxury life style. Does that say a lot about us though? If that's the kind of material we are seeking out to follow and keep track of? Who knows. Ill ponder that while I see where Kylie Jenner jets off to next with her bowl-full of diamond incrusted cereal. Avocado and toast will have to be the limit of my white-gurling on the big life tonight.

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What's it called??

That feeling when you have an innate craving for a place. Not even a location and maybe not somewhere presently available but a space in time when you had a real (not to be too yogi) "Zen" moment.

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Both within, and without. Simultaneously enchanted and repelled by the inexhaustible variety of life. 🔮⛰