Sunday Selfie: Injury Experience

Sunday Selfies are here. Each Sunday I plan to write a post all about one aspect of my life that I find interesting. Hopefully you will find this series interesting. Comment below if there is anything you want me to write about. This one is a little late. I'm sorry about that. 

Tuesday 8th April will mark one year since I suffered my biggest injury to date (and hopefully ever). I thought it appropriate that this week's Sunday Selfie is a good opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months, on behalf of my left ankle. Strap yourselves in lovelies. This could get yucky. There are also funny moments, I promise. 

How did you break your leg Meg?
I broke it walking. Yes. Walking. I slipped in some mud on an incline and rolled my ankle under far further then it was meant to go.

What did you do?
Well, I heard a loud crack, but wasn't prepared for the possibility of it being broken. I sat down, felt like I needed to vomit and then got up and hobbled the 150m or so to work.
I walked in and asked my boss for an icepack. At the time my parents were in New York, so they recieved a text in the middle of the night that said "Don't panic, I sprained my ankle walking to work and I need the medicare number." My boss made me lie down and put my foot up. 

What happened after that?
My supervisor gently told me that the swelling in my ankle was so high that I may have broken something. I then said something along the lines of "so I can't work tonight then?" I called my brother and he didn't answer. I called his girlfriend and she didn't answer. I called my aunt and she came and rescued me. 

nasty, nasty bone.

Two of my workmates hoisted me out there and put me in my aunties ute. We then drove to the doctors surgery, then to the Xray place, then too the doctors surgery, then to the hospital, then, finally after about 8 hours, my aunty took me home.

The Crutches Phase
I was told that I would have to be on crutches for 6 weeks and non-weight baring for the first two weeks. However, it was a gigantic pain in the behind because I couldn't actually get a boot on my leg until the next morning! So I spent a very very painful first night in bed with my boyfriend where I woke up screaming in pain. 
Being on crutches was a total, total poo. My hands hurt, I was super sweaty and slow and just felt immobile. I was a super active person before the injury and was really into running and I just felt shattered. 

Has it been okay since you got off crutches?
Yes, for the most part. Physiotherapy was painful and my therapist was pretty bad. My ankle still sprains and swells easily and I have a bit of flexibility work to improve on. However, I can run again and do gymnastics again and that is about all that matters. 


Until Next Time Lovelies xx

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Five Podcasts and Why I adore them so.

Okay, I have a bit of a ridiculous affinity for podcasts. The word 'Podcast' has been around for ten years and, for five of those years I have been firmly on the bandwagon. So to celebrate my five years of podcast loving, here are my five favourite podcasts of right now.


1. Answer Me This

Helen and Olly answer questions on anything and everything, as asked by their listeners. Their advice is sometimes educational, sometimes helpful and sometimes insightful. Their answers are also usually hilarious and often makes me laugh out loud. I have listened to every single episode at least once and I love their app [though it has a yellow icon and I sometimes open it when I want snapchat and vice versa *facepalm*]. 

2. Gymcastic

This is Jessica O'Beirne's baby. It is probably more suited to the hardcore gymnastics fans and the 'gymternet' at large. However, as a former gymnast, current coach and  current judge, THESE PEOPLE SPEAK MY LANGUAGE! It is great to have my favourite sport discussed in a feature length episode every single week. Plus, they have the best interviews. 

3. Thinkergirl 

Holy Crap. I can't speak highly enough of this, Stacey June and Kristie Mercer, who work in brekky radio, talk about everything they can't say on air. Ten minutes per topic, rotating guests, and many many funny moments. 

4. TOFOP/FOFOP

Wil Anderson  and Charlie Clausen  and sometimes "Guest Charlies" discuss....anything and everything. They don't finish stories, they say 'totally' a lot, and they pitch at least one movie a fortnight. The seemingly random "fonus" episodes are also fantastic. In all honesty, I appreciate the time and effort Wil puts into the podcast and it really shows in his passion (and intoxicated demeanour).

5. Stop the Posts

This is a new addition. Whenever I know I won't be able to get to sleep for a while, I listen to back episodes of this podcast. You know when you read down the page on a news article and cringe with embarrassment at what people comment? Well this podcast makes fun of those fools, with assistance from producer Bryce Halliday. They don't have a website yet, but they are on facebook.

Until next time lovelies xx

What Motivates Me

The internet is a smorgasbord of inspirational quotes, images and assorted other media. A lady on the television  (okay it was Michelle Bridges) once referred to us as "motivation junkies, always searching for the next fix." 

Personally, I have always loved a good inspirational quote. The gymnasium I grew up in has noticeboards full of quotes that regularly remind us toe dream, believe, create, succeed, and Together Everyone Achieves More. I remember being about 14 and absolutely covering my wardrobe doors in quotes and inspirational images. 

I don't exactly know if those quotes ever motivated me to change anything, but in the middle of a hard training session, it always helped me to have a little mantra to repeat over and over (and over, and over). I've never been one to bribe myself, but I would be ready for my turn on bars telling myself "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." 

I feel like the trend in motivation is moving towards and onslaught of Instagram pictures, and that I am all for. However, scrolling through insta tags just doesn't get me all fired up. 

Now, at the grand old age of nineteen, I am motivated by competition and important people in my life. I think that deserves a subheading. 

Current Motivation #1 - My Intensely Competitive Nature
I am one of those people that drive you mental in high school. I am that perfectionist, super competitive person. One of my more obnoxious qualities is being publicly disappointed if I don't live up to my own expectations and refusing congratulations if I am not satisfied. My one saving grace is that my competitive nature is, for the most part, directed at myself. Thankfully, my inward competitiveness definitely trumps my desire to beat everyone I come across in every field, and without that balance I think it might be a little more difficult for me to maintain healthy friendships. Rest assured though, I am very into winning card games, board games, and imaginary contests that I decide are occurring. :)

Current Motivation #2 - The Important People in My Life
I consider the people in my life to be just as motivational as competition. There are a select few people who will always offer an encouraging word or a funny anecdote when I'm feeling somewhat under the  weather. Special mention to my mother for getting my butt out of bed and not giving me ONE SINGLE DAY off when I glandular fever in my senior year of high school. Also special mention to my darling boyfriend and biggest fan. The people that are important to me are a constant reminder to be all that I can. 

So there you have it, what keeps me going. 

Until next time lovelies xx

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Sunday Selfie: My Love for Geography

Sunday Selfies are here. Each Sunday I plan to write a post all about one aspect of my life that I find interesting. Hopefully you will find this series interesting. Comment below if there is anything you want me to write about. 

My blog header says that I "fill my days with geography and gymnastics" and tonight I'm going to explain the first half of my refrain.

I have always loved geography 
I think I have loved geography since before I knew what it was. My father described me once as "the girls who has always been obsessed with maps." My map fascination is yet to fade and still holds strong, I was even given a street directory for my last birthday!

my parents are cuties.

As I've grown up, I have learnt that geography goes well beyond the mapping of our environment.Geography is the study of our world at the present moment and gives meaning to our politics, demographics and humanity. Geography will continue to expand with our world and that, my good friends, excites me beyond measure.
I specifically love urban geography 

Seoul Skyline. Not my picture.

Cities speak to me. I'm currently studying to be a town planner, and really, I just always want to be surrounded by urban geography. Understanding what makes a city function, and why makes each city special brings me great joy. At risk of a total nerd-out, I love that we can't know everything about a city, though I plan to try. 

Geography allows me to create

I never really understood how you could learn and contribute to knowledge at the same time. Geography is pretty much entirely based on research and since starting university I have been able to not only draw upon the ideas of others, but synthesize and add to knowledge. 

With the help of team members whom have better computer skills than I, I've been able to make cool shit that present ideas in new ways. 

                         

also no credit belongs to me

Geography makes me think, and makes me ask questions. 

I grew up spending a large amount of my time surrounded by the black and white worlds of gymnastics and mathematics. Geography is essentially the opposite of those cut-and-dry disciplines. Geography prompts thought, prompts queries, prompts higher thinking. There are always different ways of looking at the same thing, and in that, geography provides a pretty damn good metaphor for life. 

Geography contextualizes my little, tiny piece of this world. 

I'm often guilty of forgetting that I do not live in the centre of the world. I'm from Australia, and like many countries, we tend to think that the world revolves around Australia. Truth is, Australia isn't the centre of everything, we are connected globally by an enormous amount of factors. Geography allows me to not only learn more about where I am from, but to learn about how I fit in to the big picture. 

Until next time,

Meggeth x

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Shall we talk about time management?

I think we shall

Time management is something that I have pretty much always struggled with. I make my coworkers laugh when I say "I would have more time if I spent less time organizing my time," but that comment is less of a joke and more of a self-aware musing.

I go through what can be best described as time management phases. For several months at the start of each year I will keep a diary with most of my dates. I'll buy a new phone and put EVERYTHING into the calendar. I once carried around a A4 notebook of to-do lists. Most recently I bought four small dry erase boards and put them in a place I'll see when I wake up.

All of these strategies work for me for a small amount of time, then I inevitably seem to get bored and go back to double booking myself. I can usually fit in work, university and family time fairly well, but I frequently over-commit and find myself having to back out of plans.

Here is the thing, I'm not sure if I actually want to be 100% on top of my schedule. Allow me to explain what I mean by that. I would very much like to not forget about my commitments, but I feel like I need some room for spontaneity.

Keep your schedules free
Meggeth

Why hello there, and welcome.

So here it is boys and girls, my first real foray into the blogging world.

Oh hi there Meg, what are you doing here?

I moved here from twitter, where I found the art of expressing myself in 140 characters quite a challenge. I'm a naturally gabby lady and I'm planning on blabbering on here until I can get all my thoughts out.
Its early days as yet, so there will be changes for sure, but as it stands there isn't yet a concrete schedule.

Do you know anything much about blogging Meggeth?
Um, no not overly. I have a tumblr and I read other people's blogs plenty, but as for running my own? That will be a learning curve.

How will you spend your time when you aren't blogging?
I have 2.5 jobs (more on that later), I attend university full time (that will also come up for sure), I also paint my nails frequently, exercise haphazardly, play in a community orchestra and occasionally bake. So if I'm not there, I'll be here.

What do you mean, "just be remarkable?"
Somebody I respect very much once referred to me as "just remarkable." I was so moved I nearly cried right then on the spot. Since that moment, I  have been thinking that being "remarkable" is probably a pretty good goal.

Will all your posts be about being "being remarkable?"
No of course not, I'm not entirely sure I know how to do so myself. Though that qualitative goal is definitely in mind.

Until next time lovelies xx