Happy Go (photo) Snappy

A picture tells a thousand words. Or at least it does to me.

I love to take pictures, and I know I take far too many. But I'd rather take too many than not enough. If I come back with 3,000 pictures of a sunset I know I've had a good day. If I come back with one photo, I don't feel like I've achieved anything.

But a photo isn't just a pretty picture, it's a memory, and although it may not mean much at the time, if I look back at it and remember it two or three years later and remember an amazing experience with incredible people, it's worth it.

I've put some happy memories, or some happy subjects, and every single picture means the world to me. And every single one of these pictures will bring a smile to my face.

ONE: FAVOURITE HOLIDAYS

I always look back at these pictures with fond memories. Not the just situation but the holiday as a whole. My aunt and uncle (the two yellow-helmeted individuals towards the back) have always helped me have THE greatest times on holiday when I'm with them. We always do something different and exciting, as well as doing a huge number of beautifully picturesque walks, and this has to take the biscuit by far.

On my first holiday with them we did Canyoning (jumping in and out of rock pools and down waterfalls) which was exciting in itself, but on holiday number 2 we did White Water Rafting. As an activity, I would never pick it out of a line-up of things I'd do on holiday but BOY am I glad I did.

The smiles in this picture from me (second from the back, red helmet) and everyone else were continuous throughout this entire trip and I'd give anything to go back and do it again, which is not something I would have said before getting in.

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TWO: Birthday Oscar Selfie (Rachel's birthday style)

Although not all of my favourites are in this photo, I will always look back on it with happiness at how much fun I'd had that night.

I don't go all out on my birthday. I have friends over, I put together a quiz, we eat pizza and we laugh... and I can't think of a better group of people to do it with.

Over the years the quiz has developed - more people come and take part - but the memories are still the same; fun and absolutely of laughter. And 2 doggies.

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THREE: Furry (or not so furry) Friends

I don't have a pet of my own, but I really want one, so as an alternative I take pictures of other people's. One day I'll have a billion pets, in all shapes and sizes, but for now, here are some of the many I've met over the last 7 months.

I love animals, and even if I'm on a walk and I see a cow or a horse, I stop and get a picture. I would quite happily post all of my pet pictures but then you'd be here forever.

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FOUR: Sunsets and Sunrises

I am a SUCKER for a good sunrise and sunset picture. Even if it comes out funny on the camera, it's good to get a picture anyway. But what I love about all of these is that they are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

We are extremely lucky enough to live right next door to the Thames, and the winter sunrises and summer sunsets are absolutely worth getting up for.

I am also one of those people that will take a thousand pictures of one sunset just to make sure I get the right frame and the right colours... and absolutely hashtag no filter on them. If you filter a sunset or a sunrise then... well.... Ugh, just don't :').

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FIVE: Food

I love food. Who doesn't love food. And yes I'm one of those people that will sit there at a restaurant and take a picture of my food. Especially now that I'm barely able to go out...

We've been doing Hello Fresh since Lockdown and let me tell you, the number of meals that come out LOOKING aesthetically pleasing as well TASTING aesthetically pleasing, I've been surprised. I've eaten, like, 1000% more vegetables since Lockdown and if you said I would be saying that six months ago I would have laughed at you because I am the girl who loves BEIGE.

Alright fine quite a lot of these have a high percentage of beige still, but it's the colour in between that counts! And good LORD are they scrumptious. It's making my mouth water. Let me just wipe the drool off the keyboard and move on...

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SIX: MUSIC

I have a love of music that I think some of you are starting to understand from my weekly music playlists (although I do apologise for the lack of them the last couple of weeks, as I've been busy on the weekends!) but I do let people know of the stuff I love through a photo.

I'm the first to admit I love songs too much sometimes. When I get obsessed... I REALLY get obsessed and I'll listen non-stop, and you'd think I'd get tired of it? Nope. Not me. (Incidentally the song I'm referring to is in this picture so you can guess what it is :'D)

I'm also not ashamed of what I listen to. And nor should anyone else. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes when it comes to anything, not just music, and I'll admit I do get a bit defensive when people say my taste in music is crap. It isn't crap. I just don't like what other people like and that is absolutely okay!

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SEVEN: WRITING

Don't know whether I've told people this, but I'VE WRITTEN A BOOK! YAY!

And one way to keep 'advertising' it is to put it up on social media and hope people see it and think 'ooooh!'. I'm writing a trilogy, and have just published the first one in its entirety and once I've written enough chapters of book 2 I'm going to start publishing that. But one of the features in Wattpad (the tool I use to publish it) is that you can publish bitesize quotes... and I really love that.

You can give the audience a taster and encourage them to eat the rest...

Incidentally, if you want to find my books, if you go to HERE, you can find all of them. I've written others, not just these 3, so if you ever find yourself bored and in need of how to spend your time, head over there! :D (shameless self-advertising sorry!)

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EIGHT: SCOTLAND

As per my previous post, I bloody love Scotland. And if I don't end up retiring to the most remote village I can find, I think I'm doing something wrong.

But when I got to Scotland, I take my wee little Jamie with me. Now, I know I'm sad, and I know the friends and family I go on holiday with think there may be something wrong with me, but it offers a new aspect I think...

Plus he's cute... Right?

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NINE: BRIGHTON

SEAAAAAAAGUUUUUULLLSSSSSSSSS!

Yes I'm a girl and yes I love football. And let me tell you it is a very stressful experience being a Brighton fan sometimes - especially when they lose 5-0 to Man City - but I wouldn't have it any other way. I follow every single one of the team on Instagram and I love watching them play. And I can't believe I spent so long pretending I didn't love football. Because I absolutely do.

I love going to the Amex, and these last four months of not being able to go, and then now with the Premier League restart and seeing all those empty stadiums... It's making me miss it even more.

But hey, Brighton are UP for a 4th Premier League season... and I have faith they'll be up for a 5th!

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TEN: SNIPPETS

Who doesn't love a picture of random stuff. And I post a lot of random stuff. If I finish a TV show, or I see an animal, or play a game, or get some new toys, I take a picture.

Some people write in journals, I post on Instagram. Instagram is my diary and my news feed at the same time. I follow all the celebs and my favourite actors, football players, musicians, my friends and my family and it's my way sharing my world with everybody.

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So there we have multiple memories, and I can pretty much remember who I was with, when, why, how... because memories are important and pictures are a way allowing us to remember them for years to come!