At home beside the seaside*

My love of the ocean is no secret to anyone that has been following this blog for a while, or stalks my other social media from time-to-time, but once again I am going to take the chance to brag about my beautiful hometown and extend a special invitation to you all in the process. 

Almost my whole life, I've lived in a small coastal town. There was that one year when I moved to a big, coastal city, but let's try and forget about that, okay? That life was not for me! The life that is for me is a simple one. It's one where the crash of the nearby waves is heard as you buy bread and milk of a morning, where the sun shines at least 9 months of the year and jumpers are worn only sporadically, even in winter. It's one where there is only one decent coffee shop in town, where all the shop owners know your name and ask how your nan is going, where lush green fields meet with sand and sea. I love the small town vibe. I love walking into the shops with no shoes on, I love smiling and waving to everyone I meet down the street, knowing them all by sight, if not by name. I love going to the pub at Christmas time, rekindling old friendships with people back in town for the holidays. I love spending mornings at the beach and afternoons watching the sun set over the cane fields. 

The small town life in Australia is a beautiful one, and my small town is characteristically Australian. Bright and sunny, cheerful and friendly. Full of "g'days" and "howzitgarns" Sure, there is the odd snake or spider lurking in the corner, but life in small town Australia is a beautiful one. 

If my description of Australian small town life has piqued your interest, you should check out True Blue Migrations. True Blue Migrations is a registered migration agent with offices in Perth and Mebourne, to help sort out all your Australian visa needs. Head on over to their website to find out more about them, book a plane ticket and come on over to the land of brilliant beaches. I could use a few new friends in this small town!

Even my university, an hour and 20 minutes' commute from my small town, has beautiful ocean views!



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*This post was sponsored by True Blue Migrations. All opinions presented are 100% my own.

Grow a vagina!

Today I saw this picture on Facebook and it really pissed me off, and since I don't do enough feminist ranting on the internet, here it goes! An open letter to the creator of this meme and people everywhere who use the vagina as a put-down!

Dear ________

First of all, making an ethical choice that goes against societal norms and gets put down in this way and sticking with it is a pretty gutsy thing to do, so I applaud vegetarians everywhere for doing so! Now what's this about a vagina?

I'm so sick of seeing people put other people down by calling them a "girl", a "pussy", a "cunt" or saying they have a vagina. What the heck kind of insult is that? Are you trying to imply they are weak, or that it is undesirable to have a vagina? Because I bloody love being a girl and I bloody love my genitals, and vaginas are fucking STRONG pieces of equipment! They are extremely muscular, and extremely versatile, being able to both hold the weight of a baby in the uterus until full term and stretch large enough to birth it - something which takes strength of character as well as using a whole variety of muscles! Not only that, but some women actually lift weights with their vaginas. How many men could do that with their penis? I'd bet not many!

Using misogynistic language that devalues and demeans women as an insult to men is so outdated. You're not cool. You just look silly! Almost every human on this planet was born out of a vagina, by a woman. Show some respect! As someone who works very closely with them, and owns one, I can assure you - vagina's are awesome! So please stop using them as an insult. If you don't the women in your life may start refusing you access to their magical vaginas in the form of sex (I know I would!).

Conversely, when someone is showing fear, or simply doesn't want to do something, don't tell them to grow a pair! It's equally as insulting to women as using the vagina and its synonyms as an insult. Not to mention totally illogical. Are balls supposed to be tough? Because the last time I accidentally bumped my boyfriend's I swear he almost cried in pain. HA! and you call think vagina's are the weaker genitalia? You have much to learn, my friend!