Wait For It... I Actually Like School

Call me Hermione Granger, but I actually enjoy doing my school. I look forward to it during the weekends, and feel immense satisfaction as I go through my subjects and mark off my school chart. It's possible I'm the only person that wakes up on Monday, sits down at my desk, and is just like, "Yisss school."

However lets take a moment to rewind here. My school isn't quite normal, though, so perhaps you should know exactly what it is I do.

I'm not as hardcore as your average student, and I mostly study topics that are an interest to me. Such as: Music (piano and recorder), Languages (Scottish Gaelic, Norwegian, Russian, and French), Creative writing, Swordsmanship, and Math.

Hold on a second here though. Math. The age old maker of tears and stress. Why the average person studies Algebra, I don't understand. Leave it be and let the crazy scientists use it when we finally launch the rocket to Mars, which I'm so excited for. I mean it's the only known planet to be solly inhabited by robots! But I digress.

I would like to take a moment you tell you a little story. I call it: Prepare Yourself, I Enjoy Math Too.

Yes! I kid you not. Having loved mysteries since before birth, I enjoy math because it's another mystery. Calculating different numbers in order to find the answer is actually fun. A year or so ago, I kept up with my math really well. I was doing it every school day, and I was getting good at what I was doing. Granted, I will say, I was technically below my grade level. But I have my own ideas about what level you should be (i.e. go at your own pace peeps, it's so much better that way), so whatever.

But I loved doing math. It was great, until- yes, there's an until in this story- until I got distracted and wasn't able to keep up with my school as well. As much as I enjoy it, I do go through periods where it's harder for me to keep up, or I take breaks. When I came back, I didn't really remember anything.

That's when math became less fun. But I still know that is can be, if I apply myself to it hard enough.

So to conclude this story: yes, I do very muchly enjoy math when I keep at it long enough. But unless I do it regularly, it can be torture if I do anything beyond the basics.

There you have it people. I like school. I don't just like it. I love school. It's one of my favorite things in the day. School is the best.

A Look Inside My Mind, A Writer's Mind

You wanna know what my writing life has been looking like lately? Wonderful! Oh the ideas! All of them coming to my mind with such ease, falling into place like a perfect little puzzle. You have no idea how incredible if feels to realise something new about your character, or make a decision that adds such depth you never had before. It's what makes being a writer feel so amazing.

I've had inspiration for characters, for some scenarios for my plot. Wonderful idea that make me giddy because they're something that will be so fun to write about. Creepy carnivals and circuses, supernatural beings, near death experiences, ghosts making you breakfast. I mean, it's all I could hope for and I can't wait to write it.

Outside my head, with pen and paper (or rather, computer and keyboard) there is no movement. I stare at a blank page.

I don't have any idea where I'm going with my novel. What's the plot? What's happening with my character? Her wants and needs are a mystery, there isn't a solid plan through the book of what's going to happen. I have a mysterious beginning idea but I need to write the end first. But I can't write the end without writing the middle. And I don't have a middle! AHHH.

There are pieces, and ideas, and things. But these things are acting like oil and water. They refuse to converge into one liquid so that I may begin a proper second draft. I'm stuck and I'm just sitting here like, "Come on brain, think of things. Come on brain, be so smart."

I've come to the conclusion that writing a novel is basically jumping into the unknow. It's fascinating, and you can't stop swimming because you must see what's around the next corner. It's new and excited, but it's often really boring too. It's dark and creepy. Scary things lurk just out of sight.

Yup, the perfect gif of what it's like diving into a novel. Just peachy. None the less, I shall persevere. But honestly, I don't have any idea what I'm doing. I just have a mass of ideas swirling in my head, just short of reaching full ideas that can be properly transferred to paper.

Long Gone, Never Forgotten

Histrophile. Technically that's not a word. But it's how I choose to describe my passion for the past. After all, I don't count as a Historian, and qutie frankly just saying "I love history" doesn't have the same ring to it. Hence my creating a new word.

What about history fascinates me? Good question. I'm not entirely sure myself. It all started as a young girl, discovering the Royal Diaries series. To this day I still love them, and I've read many of them over ten times each. I guess you could say I just like people. Their stories, and the mysteries the past can hold. After all, the Romanov tragedy was one of my first historical obsessions, beaten only by Elizabeth Tudor's struggle for the throne against her sister.

Nicholas II and Alexandra

The Romanov's. It all started when I learned of young Anastasia, rumored to have escaped the brutal murders that claimed the rest of her family's life. Being that I grew up with a passion for mysteries, it was no surprise for me to be sucked in completely to her story. I have since then learned the truth, that she died with the rest of her family. But their lives, and even the absolutely strange and unexplained attitude of Anna Anderson, has captivated me. My interest has gone as far as purchasing much of the family's published diaries, and biographies of close friends of the royal family.

Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great. On the outside she's a strong woman, being the longest ruling female in Russian history. But the part of her story that intrigues me most, is her younger years. She and her mother left their family in Prussia because Empress Elizabeth had chosen her to be Peter III's bride. In order for her to become such a powerful Empress, she had to change her name, religion, language, and face terrifying odds. Empress Elizabeth had a curious temperament, and Catherine's mother did nothing to help her daughter, what with spying for King Frederick of Prussia.

Mary Stuart

Mary Stuart. Queen of Scotland only six days after being born, through her official coronation wasn't until almost a month later. She was betrothed to Prince Edward of England some six months later, but it fell through. A French Marriage Treaty was signed when she was five, and she left to live in France. James Hamilton served as her Regent until he passed, and the role was taken up by Mary's mother, Mary of Guise. She was married twice, and her claim for the English throne was ultimately her undoing. She was raised in a chaotic way, and lived a somewhat chaotic life because of it.

Eleanor of Aquitaine

Eleanor is possible the most frustrating and fascinating people to research. Her specific date of birth is unknown, only that she was probably born in 1122. She was a most powerful woman in her time, and in that time women were though very little of. She was well educated in arithmetic, history, playing the harp, singing, various games, and could even speak and read Latin.

Between two husbands she had a total of ten children, outliving all but two. She was Duchess of Aquitaine, Countess of Poitou, Queen of France from 1137-52, Duchess of Normandy, Countess of Anjou, and finally Queen of England before her death. A fun fact I find most fascinating, is that she lived through the Second and Third Crusades; a topic I've found intriguing, but have yet to look into.

Elizabeth Tudor

Elizabeth is the person who captured me first. The one who started me on this path of being in love with history. Her diligence to learning is inspiring; she could speak French, Flemish, Italian, Spanish, and by the end of her life, it's believed she could speak Welsh, Cornish, Scottish, and Irish, as well as English. Of course she went through much turmoil. Her mother was beheaded when she was a baby, and her claim to the throne wavered through the years, none more so than when her sister Mary I sat in the throne.

RMS Titanic

The Titanic only recently came to my attention. A friend recommended a charming little fiction book about the Titanic, and another friend had mentioned interest in the disastrous voyage. Quite frankly I couldn't keep away. History and tragedy come hand and hand in many of the stories I seem to love.

The crashing of the Titanic is famous; possibly even more so beacuse the ship was thought to be unsinkable. It's like the iceberg was thinking, "yup, imma sink her on her maiden voyage to prove that anything can sink." It's so hard to narrow down one topic to talk about, because people of all walks of life were on that boat when she sank.

Marie Antoinette

Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna, France's most tragic queen. She was sister to fifteen other siblings, many of whom were already married when she was born. Antonia was fifteen years old when Louis XV asked for her hand in marriage to his eldest grandson, Louis-Auguste, Dauphin of France. With that proposal, the hostilities between Dowager Empress Maria Theresa and Louis XV ended. This, of course, was not abnormal, as all Maria Theresa's children's marriages secured treaties. But in Antonia's case, this was to end in tragedy.

For those interested, I find this particularly awe inspiring and even slightly amusing. Below is Marie Antoinette's mother's full title. Not an easy thing to live up to.

Maria Theresa, by the Grace of God, Dowager Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary, of Bohemia, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Slavonia, of Galicia, of Lodomeria, etc.; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Burgundy, of Styria, of Carinthia and of Carniola; Grand Princess of Transylvania; Margravine of Moravia; Duchess of Brabant, of Limburg, of Luxemburg, of Guelders, of Württemberg, of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Milan, of Mantua, of Parma, of Piacenza, of Guastalla, of Auschwitz and of Zator; Princess of Swabia; Princely Countess of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Hainault, of Kyburg, of Gorizia and of Gradisca; Margravine of Burgau, of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Countess of Namur; Lady of the Wendish Mark and of Mechlin; Dowager Duchess of Lorraine and Bar, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany

Yes, I'm Horse Crazy

Every group has at least one person that is completely horse obsessed, and has been longer than anyone can possibly remember. I happen to be that person.

My first time on a horse. Note the horse sweater and fabulous purple pants

I think I may have been born already fully knowing what horses were, because I don't remember a time that I didn't desperately want to horseback ride. What can I say, it must be in my DNA. But as a young horse obsessed girl, did I get to take weekly riding lessons like many of my other horse loving friends? Not exactly.

We had a friend who gave us some lessons when I was about eight. She gave us a super cheap deal, and in exchange I got to be led around on her horse, and eventually started to learn how to go up and down hills, steer, start and stop. That was about as much as I learned there, as we didn't take lessons from her for very long. After that was a long spell of being unable to take lessons.

I did, however, find a few ways to get myself on horses through the inbetween times. On our trip to Yellowstone we took a two hour ride to a cookout and it was absolute bliss even though we were riding on a cliff much of the time.

Me, on L Three, getting ready to head home

My memories a bit fuzzy here, but eventually I started riding at an actual barn. I have no idea what the name was, but it was run by Monica, who rescued horses. All her lesson horses were rescues, and I rode Hope.

I forgot Aang was sooo tiny!!

Looking back, it was an extremely unsafe situation, as five inexperienced riders were put in a small arena while Monica mostly sat looking at her phone. Her rescues weren't given as much TLC as they needed, and were often rather dangerous. Seven, an ex racehorse, was particularly unsafe as he apparently had a tendency to bite people. No one was ever hurt, but at the place I currently ride, that wouldn't be tolerated. Even from a rescue horse. Unfortunately I can't seem to find any pictures from Monica's.

Financial trouble stopped me from riding there, though for a while I still went weekly to clean out all their stalls. Eventually I found my way to yet another barn that I do not know the name of.

This place had a wonderful instructor, and lessons that made me leave feeling satisfied. As much as I wanted to though, I was not allowed to clean stalls or do much more than catch my horse, groom and tack up (with help bridling), ride, untack and put away my horse.

It was around this time that my dad was laid off, and thus my riding lessons had to come to a halt. Five years passed before I stepped into a saddle again.

But you know what? I wouldn't trade those five horseless years for the world. Not having the very thing I loved in my life has made me appreciate every moment even more than if I'd grown up with it. Now I volunteer for lessons at All Starr Stables, and I feel like the luckiest person in the world. I've learned more about riding and caring for horses there than any other place I went. It was truly meant to be.

This is me and my dear Lacey girl. I don't think I've ever loved a horse as much as I love her. At the other stables I never made connections with the horses like I have at All Starr, and even though Lacey was sold some time ago, I'll never forget her. She was something special.

This is Ellie and I. A few months after Lacey left, I got to ride this beauty, and it was like riding Lacey so much. Moving into her trot, which is as big, if not a little bigger, than my dear Lacey's trot, was like flying. She can be a bit moody, but she's an incredible ride and I've cherished the few times I've gotten to ride her.

This is one of the few photos that I'm actually really happy with how it turned out. Joey is a super cute rescue Rachelle got a bit ago. He came in really skinny, and I was one of the first to ride him. Since he arrived he's gained weight and is the cutest thing. If he could just stay white for more than one day that'd be nice. It took three baths to get him white for a show my friend rode him in. Three.

This is Portia, a gorgeous Warmblood standing at a nice 16.2hh. I've ridden her a few times and she's a dream. She's usually pretty bomb proof, but once a branch snapped and I totally fell off. Bruised a rib, but falling off such a tall horse feels kind of satisfying, if you know what I mean. I just rolled with it (literally) and got straight back on.

Party Kitty is the resident mouse catcher, and has six fingers on her front paws. Ain't she adorable?

That about wraps up my life with horses. Now, every Thursday, I take care of the barn in exchange for lessons. Rachelle and Katelyn, the resident instructors, are amazing. The horses, as always, are wonderful. Nothing beats the feeling of walking into the barn, and knowing the horses recognize me as I enter. I try and greet each one as I do all my work, and I love when they sniff my face and pockets. Horses truly make me happy.

That Time My Sister Killed Me

Because of my awesome new sword, which I'm very happy with, Tiana and I have been going in the backyard the past few days and messing around with fighting. Well, mostly twirling the swords as we realised we knew nothing about sword fighting. I have already been researching it, but know very little. That's why we've begun, and actually already finished, choreographing a fist fight.

Well, technically I choreographed it, but Tiana's fighting in it so... okay yeah I should really just say I. Glad to have that cleared up.

Unfortunately, I've been feeling a bit tired, and it's possible I might be getting sick. So doing something I enjoy is slightly less enjoyable when my body keeps telling me to lay down. I'm hoping that it's not a cold because my colds always go the same:

Gets sore throat and can't speak for a day or so. Overall feeling of sickness with no real symptoms other than a possible runny nose. Coughing for four millennia. On some occasions a very upset stomach so I don't eat all day.

It's not pretty, and you can see why I'd want to avoid it. Of course anybody would want to avoid being sick...

Good news I can report, however, is that choreographing went very fast. Even though I've never had a real self defense or martial arts class, I can feel myself getting more comfortable with fist fighting. Plus, I've been watching a lot of my favorite fight scenes, and somewhere in the back of my head are all those Krav Maga videos I've watched. While I really wanted to implement a knife into the fight (I just really love the Highway Fight from The Winter Soldier) it didn't work out. We decided to make it fairly short. But one day I will choreograph an epic knife fight. One day.

I do, however, get to die in this film.

I know, that probably sounds a bit odd. But it's something that I've wanted to do for some time, weird as it may sound. Though this is a simple fight film with minimal story, so it's not as dramatic a death as I wish to play one day. Really I should get over my fear of acting before talking about all this... it really does terrify me but I still want to do it when the script is right.

A Mighty Blade

Ah sweet Amazon Prime, how is it that you deliver so quickly, and yet waiting feels the same as standard shipping?

Anticipation dear readers. That is what truly counts, and unfortunately Amazon does not have an anti-Anticipation policy on their hands. If they did the world would surely crumble. Wouldn't that be the day?

My wait, however, is halfway over. Most of the items I recently purchased have arrived (the fourth, expectedly a day or two late, the last being on backorder). The calm you may be feeling from me is purely a show because inside I am a bursting bubble of happiness. Why?

I am proud to announce that I officially have my first sword.

Well, a training sword really. I've been looking at one for ages, but finally remembered to buy one when the budgets aligned to do so. I would have bought a real sword, albeit that wouldn't serve the purpose I bought this one for. Not to mention the exceptionally raised prices in comparison. I don't make that much money here.

Needless to say, I'm having a lot of fun with it. I pretty much haven't let it out of my sight since it arrived. Now I won't need my *ahem* PVC stick to practice my swordsmanship. Because I've got the real deal and it's fabulous. Eventually I'm planning on buying the set of double Katana's that Cold Steel sells.

Of course you may wonder why I might be needing a sword? Or why I am so interested in swordsmanship?

I have always been rather enthralled by- oh who am I kidding. I just really love fight scenes in movies. Being that I grew up watching Star Wars at least once a week (I'm not even kidding) swordfighting, or rather, Lightsaber fighting, has been a particular draw.

I've worked on two films with fighting in them, as the Head Choreographer. Though as anyone in their craft may feel when looking back upon their work, I such much room for improvement. Neither of the films involved swords, but even so, I've had quite the drive to research swordsmanship, alongside use of other weaponry and hand to hand combat.

So here I am. At the moment I am studying Medieval European Swordsmanship, though I plan on learning Asian Swordsmanship as well. I have a very basic knowledge of Krav Maga as well, though have not practiced it faithfully. And on a slightly unrelated topic, I'm hoping to pursue Parkour, if I can even find a gym that teaches it near me. That has proven... difficult.

There you have it. I have quite the interest in fighting and now have begun collecting my weaponry. That even includes some wooden knives which I've become fond of carving these last two days. They are very fun to mess around with. Especially since I'm such a fan of the Highway Fight from The Winter Solider. What can I say, Bucky's fighting is kinda perfection.

Why Starting is Hard: A First Post by Me

Why hello there, I'm Alina. Welcome to my awkward first post. I'm never really sure how to start these things out, so I'll just talk about myself for starters. Good to know who you're dealing with, wouldn't you agree?

I happen to be in my eighteenth year of life at the moment (so I'm seventeen, just to clear up any confusion I intended by wording my age in such a way). My hair is untamable and curly. And big. Too big for my taste, but people say it looks fine. So at least some people like it I suppose.

My job is something that takes too much explaining, so I'll just say I'm an Administrative Assistant, or in other words, Empress of PDF's. You need something done with 'em, I'm who you call. Seriously, half of my job is working with PDF's.

If you ever happen upon my Pinterest you'll gather that I'm a writer pretty quickly, as half of my boards are dedicated to story inspiration. I also have a large assortment of boards dedicated specifically to my novels I'm working on now. But those are secret, so you shan't find them. Unless you hack into my account. That would be unfortunate for me.

The barn, in my mind, is the place to be. I ride once a week at All Star Stables, the best stable in the world. Wonderful people, equally great horses, and a cozy atmosphere. I trade work for lessons, so every Thursday I'm out working with the horses. It's more than I could have dreamed for, as my current future plans include running an equestrian center. What I've learned about caring for horses has been just as valuable as what I've learned in riding.

Quick note between interests here, it's kind horrible having two passions that sound identical in speech. Writing and riding. They can be easily confused and I've actually mistook one for the other in a conversation before. Needless to say that was awkward.

Moving on to the job we all wish was real, but really isn't. Being a fangirl. It's a tough job, but someone's gotta do it. Kidding, I love being a fangirl. I have many a fandoms, and I won't even try to list them here. So keep an eye out in my posts to see what I'm obsessed with. Or ask. That's cool too.

History is yet another passion of mine. All my life I've enjoyed historical fiction, but it's come to more than that. I'm obsessed with the Romanov history, as well as highly intrigued by Elizabeth's story, Catherine the Great's life story, particularly that of before she was Empress, and not to mention countless other royals through history. I'm sure you can expect posts here and there about my findings. I get rather excited about it, but don't have anyone with quite the same enthusiasm about my small findings in the pages of history.

Finally we land on the topic of music. A subject that has infiltrated my heart and taken over my soul (just realised that was like a twisted quote of Love Never Dies). I know many a persons who are moved by music. In fact, I think a rare few people don't have some attachment to a song. But I've apparently always been a musical type person. According to other people I have a talent for hearing songs and being able to recreate them on piano. I've never felt this as anything other than normal. My love for music has even branched into composing, an interest which I haven't pursued as much as I hope to do in the future.

I also like an assortment of other things, but honestly these are the main ones that define me. But before I wrap up I at least had to mention that I enjoy baking quite a bit (I've baked over ten cakes this year. Not for any occasion. I just really like cake). Generally the mood strikes on a Wednesday, the day I am in charge of keeping the kitchen clean. Honestly, how do I manage that...

You now know my life story. Who I am. Where I've been. Strengths and weaknesses. All there for the taking.

So drop a comment! Share my posts if you find them worthy! Tell your friends, and most definitely come back for more.