this week's study struggles

source: diethoroscopes.tumblr.com

This week has been the most stressful of this whole Uni semester. Papers to write, exams, talks, statistic homework and a lot of studying for next week's exams. I didn't even have time to be at my friends' wedding and I am stuck in the books all of the time. It's starting to get me down, but I have to push through. Five more days to go until the big exams are on. I can do this.

Sorry for not posting at all this week, I'm just using my time to study - or sleep. Or meet some friends for a quick coffee inbetween. Nothing more. Promise, in July there will be more fun on this blog again.

Until then: good luck to all fellow students for their exams! 

Or as Ben Howard would sing: "Keep your head up, keep your heart strong!"

sleepy me

Sunday inspiration

My 25th birthday was one week ago and I can't believe how happy I am to be twentyfive. It might be just a number to some, but to me it's a special number standing for moving forward and finding my way to where and what I want to be.
There are so many social aspects of coming closer to the "big thirty": friends are getting married or having children. I am somewhere completely different, struggling which Master to pick for my future, but that's okay. That's my life.

My usual Sunday morning routine is to grab my shoes, go outside to get the weekend newspapers, get back in, put some good music on, prepare breakfast and enjoy that with my boyfriend or on my own, reading the papers. A very relaxed kind of day and probably my favorite out of the week - if there can be one?! :)
One of my favorite things to do after I've devoured all the travel essays and articles in the newspapers, to browse on instragram or tumblr. (You can find me on insta over there and here on tumblr.)

Here I want to share some of my favorite inspriational pictures or quotes with you today, may they inspire you for new ideas and aventures for the future! ;)

found on sevenly.org

by Hannes Beer

katiedaisy.com

Latte Design (etsy.com)

by Project Type (etsy.com)

Have a wonderful Sunday!

Festival Summer 2014

Due to my study&work obligations I will not be able to go to one of the following festivals, but one can dream! My music taste is completely mixed up* and you will find a lot of different bands and musicians I like and appreciate in this post. Also, the new and upcoming bands are usually playing on Summer festivals, so it's a good opportunity to discover some new music :)

Basically, it's like making plans for going to a festival (without going really).
  *explanation for this is simple: music is my kind of drug ;)
Come on, follow me...


Glastonbury Festival (25th to 29th of June)

If I ever get tickets for this festival, I will start a dancing riot, seriously! It's one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and it takes place near Pilton, Somerset, in england. In addition to musicians it also hosts dance, comedy, theatre, a circus and other arts. It has been held intermittently from 1970 to 2014.
It won several awards for 'event of the year' and 'best festival', basically there are not enough words of my adoration for this.

The line up is so big that it doesn't fit in this post -> here you have the official overview

My favorite picks: Arcade Fire, Lily Allen, Jack White, The Black Keys, Foster the People, Jake Bugg, The Subways, White Lies, MIA,
Anna Calvi (I saw her when she supported Nick Cave&the Bad Seeds - great great voice!),
Lykke Li (my Swedish heart beats for her music - I saw her on a Swedish festival called 'Peace and Love' in 2008 and 2009, she's amazing!),
Crystal Fighters (my favorite Summer band of 2012), MGMT, Hozier, Johnny Flynn, Annie Mac, Foxes, Stromae, Mo

Songs, which I would love to hear at Glastonbury, when the sun goes down:



Be mine, be mine, be mine little rock'n'roll queen! (The Subways)

Lykke Li - No Rest for the Wicked



T in the Park Festival (11th-13th of July)
The first headline act that was announced were The Arctic Monkeys. They will close the festival on Sunday. Unfortunately, this festival has a dangerous underground problem: gas pipes from the 40's are right underneath the field where it takes place. My favorite radio station (bbc radio1) is also present with the radio1 stage. I assume they will also stream or record a few sets during the festival!

The lineup:

Who would I like to see:
Bastille, Haim, Chvrches, Paolo Nutini, Rudimental, Ben Howard, The 1975, John Newman, Nina Nesbitt, Clean Bandit, Ella Eyre, George Ezra (!his Budapest song is just. damn. brilliant.), Example (like him since the beginning), Franz Ferdinand (long time, no see), London Grammar, Kodaline, Sam Smith, Passenger, and so many mooore!

New bands: you can find a really good summary (over here)

Songs which I'd love to here live at T in the park: Ben Howard - Only Love




Rudimental - Waiting All Night (ft. Ella Eyre)



and of course:  Arctic Monkeys - Brianstorm





Reading (&Leeds) Festival (22th-24th of August)
Reading and Leeds festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend.
The Reading Festival is the original and senior of the two, it's the world's oldest popular music festival still in existence. The genres are wide spread: Rock, indie rock, alternative, heavy metal, punk rock

I would love to see there:  Vampire Weekend, Blood Red Shoes, The Hives, The Horrors, The Kooks, Klaxons, Peace and Macklemore&Ryan lEWIS

Songs I would like to experience at this festival live:

Macklemore&Ryan Lewis - Can't Hold Us



The Hives - Walk Idiot Walk (also saw them in Sweden, they have some energy, let me tell you!)






There are so many music festivals going on during Summer - which one would you like to go to?
What is your favorite music festival memory? Let me know in the comments :)

How I keep stress at bay - five tips

These days are a crazy whirl wind of exam study stress, holiday ideas, Master applications and internship talks. Add a 38 heat wave to that and some time to soak in the sunshine, I can't complain really. The only thing I regret is saying "no" to an invite to go to New York with my boyfriends' family. 

Sometimes I have to push myself out of my pre-set standards and kindness way of thinking. Doesn't mean I have to be mean or rude, but rather evaluate certain situations more and appreciate an offer like that - who know when it will ever come again!

While J is on the plane to New York, I am 'stuck' in the hot city mess of Vienna. University chaos all around me. My table is literally full of papers and study cards, difficult to find the right keys on my notebook's keyboard, ay. In Austria, the Summer term at Uni ends with the last day of June. So June is, although it's my mum's and my birthday in there as well, a stress ball.

What do I do to stay focused and don't get overwhelmed by everything in a very stressful month like this?

First, I use breathing techniques. I have went to a budhism grounded mindfulness meditation class last Winter and it taught me a lot about being in the moment and letting thoughts be what they are without judging. I have adopted meditation into my routine as well as some workouts or running two or three times a week in the morning.

Second, be around people you like and who like you. Don't let yourself be distracted by negative and whining people, they are energy suckers, literally! If I feel overwhelmed with a project or work or had a bad day, I try to make more time with my friends and family. They keep me grounded and they are the most fun people to be around!

Third, find some time for yourself every week. Just keep one evening reserved for yourself. For me that's every Thursday, but it can be any day, just what suits you best. Go and eat at your favorite restaurant or take a hot bath or read a book.

Just enjoy the moments of being after a day of rushing around and making sure that you met all important deadlines. Or go on a walk, take a ride on your bike and enjoy some Summer sunshine. We all work enough indoors, it is important to get some vitamin d as well! :)

Fourth, I keep a list of my favorite songs on the go on my phone to cheer me up on long train rides or while waiting around for the next lecture to start. They also act like a safety net if something went wrong and I get moody, turn up the music and dance, dance, dance! 

And last, but not least, I like to enjoy some fruits and veggies every day and really take time to eat. Hectic eating can result in reflux or stomache problems and it is important to me to have time for a good breakfast, lunch and inbetweeners like fruit snacks or a yummy sandwich. This one is the hardest point for me, because I tend to forget time when I am in a study session. Sometimes I plan my meals ahead, sometimes I use time in the evenings to cook and wind down.

I wish you a wonderful week! Let me know what your favorite routine or tip is to keep cool in stressful and hectic times?