a re-introduction: hello, I'm Angela!

Paper Lovestory has been running for over six years now (seven this July!) - something I still find incredible and am especially proud of. It's not been easy, juggling everything, but blogging is still something I find fun to do. It's been a while since I've done one of these posts so I thought I'd reintroduce myself today via an A-Z (with a few omissions!). Does anyone remember those A-Z maps that used to be around? Most of us now use our smartphones to get us around but I still remember my mum digging out her A-Z from her handbag whenever we got lost on a day trip to London.

Anyway, here goes!

Angela - That's my name! I'm just a girl in my mid-twenties who loves make-up, fashion, stationery and staying organised :)

Blue blood - My sister and I were born and raised in the Highlands of Scotland and if anyone ever asks, I have always felt more Scottish than anything. This was reinforced by a trip to Edinburgh back in November of 2016 when my sister and I both felt extremely comforted by the sound of copious Scottish accents. More embarrassingly, the only national anthem I know all the words to is Flower of Scotland.

Cosmetics - Make-up is something I absolutely love playing with whenever I can. I never used to understand it but over the last two years or so, I love how it can enhance and also bring out my best features. Let's not forget how much confidence a well-made-up face can add too.

Dresses (and skirts) - I'm a huge fan of dresses and skirts and I'm usually in one or the other on a daily basis. Dresses or skirts that have pockets? Sold.

Exercise - Sport is a big part of my life; from watching it to playing it, I try and be as active as I can. Often, this means working out at home due to my ridiculous lifestyle at the moment but when I can, I fit in some social squash with friends.

Friends and Family - Both are so important to me and I regard my closest friends as an extension of my family. It's such a clichéd statement but I honestly wouldn't be who and where I am without them.

Geek - Knowledge is something I've always liked to have - general, useless, medical; you name it, I want to know it. Quiz shows are my guilty pleasure and I just love it when I get a question right (especially on University Challenge)!

Happiness - I'm constantly on the pursuit for happiness. The realisation that sometimes, taking a light-hearted approach to things can make all the difference has made me much happier and less stressed. As I've got older, I've become more laid back and I'm no longer someone who obsessively plans every last detail down to the T.

Instax - Taking photos and having them come out immediately is just so much fun! Sometimes, it's nice to have a physical momento of a memory rather than have to look at one on a phone screen.

Korean Beauty - This post is an example of my obsession!

Languages - Since I returned from my trip to Stockholm in August of 2016, I've been learning Swedish like a Scandi-obsessed fiend on Duolingo. Languages are something I love learning and with the motivation of the desire to work in Sweden for a year, I'm hoping this is one I'll achieve fluency in.

Medicine - This is a huge part of my life so obviously had to be included. This academic year, I've tried to learn not to let it be such a big part of my life and actually, it's meant I've been a lot happier as a result.

Non-alcoholic - Though I do like the odd cocktail, I try and stay teetotal most of the time. It's not actually that hard for me as once I've said I'll do something, it's usually adhered to (call me stubborn!).

Organised - Think it's fair to say I'm a pretty organised person. The amount of times I've heard 'you're the most organised person I know' - well, let's just say if I had a pound for each time that was said, I'd be a millionaire now. (Insert monkey-covering-their-eyes emoji here.)

Piercings - Ear cartilage piercings are something I adore and would like more of in the future, though I'm quite happy with my two at the moment. The two I got both mean something to me so we'll see if I have any other life-changing events in the future that might need celebrating in this manner...

Quiet - Though a recent Myers-Brigg test put me at 55% extroverted (when three years ago, I was apparently introverted), I do get told that I can be quiet when on placement. Though I'm also told this isn't a bad thing, it's something I'm working on - to get the right level of being vocal without being overbearing.

Reading - Books are something that play a big part in my life. I set aside a reading time of at least half an hour each day and I often have two or three books on the go.



Scarves - Scarves are a major weakness of mine - I have way too many but I do love how they can finish can outfit perfectly. My favourite one is a cashmere blanket scarf I bought in Edinburgh last year - it reminds me of that weekend trip (where my sister and I had the most fun) and is super soft and cosy.

Television - My Netflix is dominated by TV shows with films rarely making an appearance. How I Met Your Mother, Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy are my favourites (Grey's isn't on Netflix here in the UK but it is still a show that I watch religiously).

Workaholic - One thing that makes me feel on edge is the feeling of not being productive. If I'm sitting around doing nothing, it can frustrate me so I always try and make sure I'm doing something which has an end goal I can visualise. I'm working hard to change this about me though as it often means that watching TV in silence is quite hard for me!

So you'll notice J, U, V, X, Y and Z are all missing - that's because I failed to find anything that worked for those letters :) It was pretty fun writing this post and I hope you enjoyed reading it too :)

book review: when breath becomes air by paul kalanithi

I was gifted this book at Christmas and I managed to read it in just three days. When Breath Becomes Air is a book written by a neurosurgeon from the U.S. and follows his story after his diagnosis of lung cancer in his thirties. 

From the beginning, I was hooked. Paul Kalanithi is a good writer and included just enough detail about his childhood and personal life to make him, in my opinion, relatable to anyone who doesn't have a connection to the medical field. He writes about his diagnosis and the journey through his disease with frank detail and there is an air of 'this could happen to anyone' about his writing.

I'm sure a lot of us would agree that any disease that could potentially be terminal is extremely sad and we would probably feel this emotion at this thought. However, this book really makes you put yourself in the author's shoes and this, at least to me, increased my understanding of what it is like for a patient with a chronic disease.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an insight into a disease from a patient's point of view - but not just any patient; a doctor who has been forced to become the patient. When Breath Becomes Air gets a solid 8/10.

my week #251

This week had the first of many final year exams and I get the result in around two weeks' time. Fingers crossed! It has been a week of little sleep and copious stress so I'm spending this weekend doing some well deserved R&R :)

How has your week been?

my study week #20: (almost) monochrome notes

Late last year, when preparing for my general practice placement, I wanted to write some notes on common conditions and their management. As I've got older, I've relied less on colour and more on keeping my notes as simplistic as possible. This has resulted in a navy blue and white theme with the odd embellishment of colour and I actually quite like this.

As always, these posts are always more pictorial than textual so enjoy the next few photos :)