twelve kilometres

The Front Courtyard of the Palais de Versailles, January 2015

I ran 12km on Sunday! I was pretty stoked to actually just finish it without walking a single step, even though at times I'm sure my running pace was slower than my walking one. I managed to finish it (according to my Nike app) at about 1hr 19mins, which was an average pace of 6'30" per km - my goal was to beat the category B cut off time (1hr 25min) so I was happy with that. My next goal is to run the City to Surf in late August, hopefully in 1 hour 10 minutes or less (average pace just under 6 min/km), which is going to require a bit more training this time round, but I'm hopefully going to do some the WA Marathon Club fun runs, as well as up the ante on boxing classes and riding to university.

le jardin

Exploring the Gardens of the Palais de Versailles, January 2015

there's something in your heart, but you won't talk about it

Paris, January 2015

Lets Review

Sacré Cœur, January 2015

It's currently pouring down with rain outside, creating the perfect mood to be both reflective of the past couple of months, but also to think about how to go about the next few ones. About nine months ago, I wrote this post about my goals for the latter half of twenty fourteen. I feel as though many of my goals will always be things I'm working on, I guess in a way it's about always striving to be the best person I can be, which for me are encapsulated by the list. Buckle up, this may be a long post!

So lets review:

French Classes: I didn't end up enrolling in any semester long classes, just an intensive in January. I should have taken the DELF (Diplôme d'Etudés en Langue Français - a French competency exam) when I returned from Paris, but the fear of failing set back in again and the thought of doing an 'unneccessary' exam scared me too much
Donate Blood: this one I've been persistent with, every three months baby!
Photography Classes: Nooo another thing I'm yet to do due to funds, time and indecision over what medium (film or digital) and apparatus (Nikon N65, Practika, Contax T2, Nikon D90 or Canon 6D) to fully commit to. Once I've done this, I can sell the rest, carry my preferred with me at all time and invest more energy in learning.
Legal Volunteer Work: I have been given every opportunity to see this through, but have yet to send of my resume to any of the places. I always seem to become so excited about helping people, but am always so daunted about being proactive about any of it - so lets put this in the 'still to do' pile.
Short film for my church: Tick! Finished in January.
Sneakers: I realised this trend reaaaaally doesn't suit me, as much as I would love it to. I'll just have to stick to my trusty old converse
Clean out wardrobe: Tick! This one I've committed too, trying to sell things on Ebay every couple of months. I'm only allowed to buy new things from the funds made through this, which has worked out rather well (if you'd like to see my page go here)
Camping Adventures: not yet! I've tried to organise a couple of hikes, to no avail, but hopefully when I go to Tasmania mid-June I'll be able to embark on a couple of solo hikes up and around Mount Wellington
Filter Coffee: everytime I go to buy an Aeropress/Chemex/Kalita Wave I freak and ask myself if I will really use it, so not yet
Reading: I have a read a total of two books this year (Milan Kundera's Immortality and Kafka on the Shore by Murakami) on top of my million pages of Law readings. I should be reading more, but I'm glad I managed to fit a couple of books in
Run 8km: Tick! Participating in a 12km next Sunday, the furthest I've attempted in five years but hopefully should be able to see it through.

Things to add to the list (in addition to the things yet to be completed above):

Enrol in Language Classes (hopefully Japanese, German and French, if I'm not being too ambitious...)
Exercise atleast 4 times a week (out of a combination of boxing, basketball, swing dancing, swimming and running)
Save $5k for my exchange next year
Restart Red Cross Refugee volunteering
Take every day one step at a time - it's great to have grand ideas but the hardest thing I find is tackling the problem that is due tomorrow...
In addition to cleaning my wardrobe out, try to minimalise the objects in my life
Call my parents more often
Remember to be kind, even when you don't want to be

we tell ourselves stories

A Parisian Courtyard, January 2015

//

Paris, January 2015

Over the past couple of weeks I have been completely caught up in the most complicated constitutional law assignment I have ever faced during my university years. I finally managed to submit it - a day late - after a weeks worth of sleepless nights and plenty of clicks of the delete and re-write buttons. Despite the stress, it was probably one of the most interesting assignments I've worked on and made me incredibly grateful for the opportunity to study such a magnificent but demanding degree. It made me look forward to the days where I can use my knowledge to help the community and make real social change.

In other areas of my life, after my exams are over in mid-June I'm hoping to make a small trip to Tasmania for some wintery goodness, as well as a quick stop to Melbourne beforehand. I've been doing extensive research into the many hikes and trails I can discover, as well as the events I should see as part of the Dark Mofo Festival happening when I'm over there. So far, I think I've settled on a hike from Hobart to Mount Wellington, a day trip to New Norfolk or potentially the Mount Field National Park, a morning discovering the beatiful Museum of Old & New Art, a day trip to Port Arthur and if I get the chance, a day trip to Launceston to see the Cataract Gorge. I would have loved to have tackled the six day hike up Cradle Mountain, but unfortunately funds and time are keeping me from this until next time. Also, it would be nice to have a buddy I think.