WRITING JOURNAL

 1. How would my life change if I moved to Ireland?

Date: 18/09/2023 Start: 10:24  Finish: 10:37

Since I was a quite little girl, I have always enjoyed travelling with my family. But this time is different because I am not just a tourist. I am going to spend a whole semester in Ireland thanks to Erasmus program. I have no doubts this is going to be the experience of a lifetime. However, I have never been this far from home, my family and my friends. To be honest, the language is not a problem for me because I am a currently studying a degree in English Studies at university. This is a fantastic opportunity to practice  my speaking and social skills. I have to admit it is harder getting used to the food than I expected. I am a big fan of my dear Spanish cuisine, but here all meals are rather different. Even meal times are changed, Irish people have lunch and dinner far more soon than in Spain. The biggest cultural shock I have experienced to date is walking down the street and seeing the doors of the houses wide open. I believe is a matter of time getting used to the culture, the Irish accent and the weather, which is damp, cold and cloudy nothing similar to the climate in Murcia. 

2. A special skill I have.

Date: 19/09/2023 Start: 9:30  Finish: 9:42

Recently, I have discovered a special skill I have that is baking. Being in the kitchen preparing lunch is not the most amusing moment of the day for me, but baking is completely different. When I am making a sponge cake, cupcakes or even biscuits, I feel less stressed out. I strongly believe baking is perfect for releasing stress. In the beginning, it can be a bit overwhelming if you are not used to cook. But it is worth once you have given a try. My friends say I have a special talent for baking sponge cakes. My biggest creation to date is chocolate sponge cake with integral flour. It is funny how I came up with this combination, it was one day that I realized I had run out of wheat flour. This short story helped me learn the lesson of never give up and keep going no matter the difficulties. As a result, I think I have inherited this skill from my father who is a fantastic amateur baker. What I like the most of baking is that I am making home-made food which is equal to eating healthier. Many people overlook the fact that we are eating lots of processed food that will have a negative and serious impact on our lives in the long term.

3. A  hobby.

Date: 24/10/2023 Start: 10:00  Finish: 10:20

Basketball has been my favourite hobby since I can remember. I used to play in my town’s basketball team, and that was four very special years for me. However, I decided to focus on my studies and left the team. I do not mind playing basketball or watching it, I suppose this happens when you truly like something. If I had to choose, I would opt for playing basketball. Mainly because there is nothing compare to the adrenaline rush of scoring a point or stealing the ball from your opponent. Basketball makes the hours fly like minutes.

4. A skill I want to learn.

Date: 28/09/2023 Start: 10:20  Finish: 10:35

I consider myself a rather adventurous persons when it comes to travelling. That's why my favourite mean of transport is the plane. I am used to travelling by plane since the first time I went on one I was eight years old. As a result, I an not afraid of it and to be honest, it it safer than travelling by car. Top Gun is one of my favourite films in the whole world, probably this has contributed to the fact that I would like to learn how to pilot a plane. This is a dream skill because it it not easy and definitely not for everyone, but it is truly a skill I am into learning. I am curious person and I enjoy a lot learning new things. Currently, I am taking driving lessons in order to get my driving licence and I am having such a great time. Going back to piloting, I would say it would be okay if I start learning with a helicopter as we learn how to drive with a small car.

5. My favourite sport to play or watch.

Date: 25/09/2023 Start: 11:40  Finish: 11:58

If I had to choose my favourite sport to play or watch, my obvious choice would be basketball. Despite not being a big fan of watching sports on TV, it is impossible for me to get bored of basketball. I started playing it when I was ten years old. At the age of twelve, I joined my town team and I became an amateur basketball player. After an exhausting week of daily training, my team had to play a basketball match each weekend. In the beginning, it was kind of challenging keeping up with the rhythm, but as time went by I got used to it. What I like the most about playing basketball is teamwork, it is a great feeling when you have a team backing you up. During that period of my life, I managed to achieve good grades at high school and enjoy training with my team. All the victories and unique moments will have a special place in my memory. I was enchanted to be part of such a committed basketball team.

 

6. An accident.

Date: 25/10/2023 Start: 9:00  Finish: 9:20

It was during a car lesson when I was in the highway. It was after some minutes that I saw a huge crash between two cars in the distance. I could not believe my eyes, there were many pieces of both cars in the middle of the path. I was very surprised by the accident and make me feel one more time aware of the dangers outside. Driving a vehicle is not a game, and without overlooking the fact that you are not alone in the road.

7. The best way to enjoy the weekend.

Date: 26/10/2023 Start: 8:15  Finish: 8:23

In winter, the best way to enjoy the weekend is watching a series with a hot chocolate cup and covered with a blanket on the sofa. I am not a big fan of cold weather, I try to avoid it as much as I can. For bookish people, reading a book is better than watching a series. It does not matter the choice, but there is plenty of time to watch a series marathon or read a whole book within the weekend. Of course, there is always time to have fun and hang out with some friends. There is no better feeling than laughing and spending quality time with our loved ones.

8. The people I live with. 

Date: 20/09/2023 Start: 12:20  Finish: 12:35

Nowadays, unlike many of my college students I live with my parents and my little sister Celia. This is due to the fact that I live close to the university so there is no need to move to an apartment nearby the campus of La Merced. As a result, I feel very grateful because I do not need to worry about staff like going to the supermarket or cooking my own food. Moreover, I get along with my parents rather well, we seldom have an argument. For this reason, I feel quite comfortable at home. My sister is the most important person in my life, we always have a great time listening to music or watching series on Netflix together. Despite being five years younger, as she grew older the age gap is less significant. I can't imagine my daily life without her, she is always ready to make fun of me which makes us both die of laughter. Maybe in the short term since I am planning to study abroad for year, I will probably need to move to a flat with students or halls of residence...time will tell. To sum up, I am enchanted living with my family and it is a fantastic way of saving money for the foreseeable future.

9. Spanish custom you like. 

Date: 30/10/2023 Start: 12:40  Finish: 13:00

Taking a nap is the most Spanish thing ever. It does not matter whether it is summer or winter, there is always time to take it. There are some countries where it is very bad seen taking a nap. As a result, we are considered lazy people. However, I would say that it is okay to rest a bit in order to continue. Spanish culture is know for its not stressing way of living. Nevertheless, stressful situations cannot be erased but taking a nap is highly beneficial.

10. An important story in the news.

Date: 01/10/2023 Start: 19:58  Finish: 20:10

Today, Sunday 1st of October, all the Region of Murcia is extremely worried about a fire that took place in a famous disco in the centre which is named Teatre. I am absolutely aware of the sadness of this news but at the same time is quite important what it is telling. It is rising the awareness of illegal bars, clubs and discos high are operating without license. It has been a long time since an incident of this importance had took place not only in the city, but also in the country. Since the university has recently started it is rather frequent that university students go to places like this on the weekend. Luckily, nobody from my closest group of friends was there. I could not believe my eyes while I was watching on TV the news, the videos recorded by the people were extremely terrifying. And all of us were thanking God for not being there that specific date, because as I had previously said, it is the most well-known among all discos. But to make matter worse, we are about to face the worst since there are a lot of people missing inside the building. In short, this can only be described as a dreadful fire.

11. Social Networks.

Date 27/09/2023 Start: 10:30 Finish: 10:43

Nowadays, due to the impact that social media has on society, we can say everyone has two completely different personality. What I am trying to say is when it comes to face-to-face communication, we are showing an opposite personality that we would have if there is a screen between us. As a matter of fact, people on the Internet are more activist and extroverts. To be honest, this is not bad at all, but it is sometimes combined with aggressiveness which can result in a serious problem. For this reason, especially teenagers can experience personality disorder. This is a grave illness that needs to be treated by a specialist. As a result, no matter if we are talking with people in the middle of the street or through social media, we need to be ourselves and not be afraid of not getting on. I strongly believe this is a rising issue in today's society that needs addressing as soon as possible. Otherwise, the problem will reach a point of no return.

12. A big mistake you once make. 

Date 6/11/2023 Start: 9:35 Finish: 9:43

When I was six years old, I was at my grandma’s house and we went for a walk around the town. She was clear and told me not to leave the keys in the door. However, I was quite stubborn and I completely forgot what she warned me. Once we were outside the house, we were not able to introduce the keys inside the door again, so we ask a neighbour for help. In the end, we manage to open the door and get in the house, but it was such a big mistake.

13. A good friend.

Date: 21/09/2023 Start: 10:34  Finish: 10:49

Throughout the years, it is inexplicable how some people enter your life and leave without answer. The key point is that the ones who stay by your side are actual real friends. There is a friend of mine that I met when we were kids. However, it was not until some years ago when we come across each other again. Let's say this time we managed to make a stronger relationship in which there is no room for either anger or selfishness. We are always encouraging one another to try new experiences and proud of our individual achievements. I wholeheartedly believe the importance of having reliable friends that you can count on them fully. This good friend of mine is named Paula. She is passionate about music and she loves spending long hours playing her guitar. What I like the most about our friendship is the ability we have to communicate without talking. For this reason, every time I have a problem or gossip she is the first person that comes to my mind. All in all, I can't wait to see what the future is awaiting for us through not only our university student life, but in all ways. 

14. Smartphones.

Date 02/10/2023 Start:08:15 Finish: 08:30

Nowadays, we are always carrying a really precious item with us. Smartphones have become a real necessity in today's society. I would dare to day that there is not a single person who goes out of home without a smartphone. As a result, we are extremely dependent on them and they have taken over our daily lives.  On the one hand, they are incredible advances which make our lives easier and can help us in stressful situations. On the other hand, they are a full-time addiction. Nobody can spend a whole day without checking or using the phone. We all assume that smartphones are not going to disappear, quite the opposite, they are going to improve nonstop. For this reason, we have to be aware that as all machines we are the ones who control them, and not the way round. In short, we have to prevent ourselves from being phone addicts or cutting down the amount of time we spend on our smartphones.

15. Teenagers.

Date 7/11/2023 Start: 09:10 Finish: 9:24

Through life there are different phases from childhood to adulthood. From my point of view, childhood is the merriest phase since you do not have to worry about some issues. This is mainly because you are not mentally prepared to face specific situations. On the other hand, the teenager era is the most difficult to get used to. During this period of life, they have to mature pretty quickly. As a result, many teenagers are not able to cope up with their emotions and many of them end up suffering mental disorders. 

16. Artificial Intelligence.

Date 8/11/2023 Start: 08:50 Finish: 9:04

One of the latest and more advanced discoveries of this century is Artificial Intelligence. It is absolutely changing the whole world. However, we are developing something we do not truly know what it is capable of doing. For this reason, I believe we should we more careful. AI is making things that are fake and showing it as it were real events. To be honest, I am not a big enthusiast of Artificial Intelligence because it has more problems than benefits.

17. The best trip I ever made.

Date 22/09/2023 Start: 09:50 Finish: 10:04

My family can be described as adventurous. We have been to so many places in Europe but if I had to choose my favorite trip of all time, I would go for the cruise on the Mediterranean Sea. At that time I was just ten years old and my little sister was five, such a kid. Despite being so young, it is the trip we remember the best. We went on this trip with our Canary friends and we formed a group of around twenty people, quite a lot. After that experience I would suggest the more you are, the better. Of course it is essential common sense in order to avoid misunderstandings. We went on a huge cruise and since we booked a suite, there was plenty of space in the room. I thought it would be so scary, but I was completely wrong and I felt safe all time. It was a seven-day-trip, we visited a lot of cities for instance, Milan, Rome,  Pisa and Toulon. What I enjoyed the most was seeing with my eyes the Tower of Pisa, it is a must to see monument to visit when in Italy.

18. Shopping.

Date 09/11/2023 Start: 10:21 Finish: 10:34

Since we are living in the mass consumption era, we are used to purchasing products nonstop. Nowadays, we have plenty of facilities, for instance, online shopping. This new method, which is proper of the twenty-first century, has contributed to boost the economy. The most affordable clothing brands are Zara, Primark and Stradivarius who have millions of loyal customers across the globe. I admit being one of them. In other words, shopping has become one of the main addictions of today’s young people, but it is also a main cause of pollution.

19. Your dream job.

Date 03/10/2023 Start: 11:25 Finish: 11:44

When it comes to deciding what to be in the future, I was quite sure. Since I was a five-year-old girl, I was determined to be a teacher one day. I have always been grateful for making my mind up at a really young age. This is due to the fact that many teenagers who are about to enter university have no clue about what to do or study. Luckily, I was not one of them, but I did doubt sometimes. During my high school years, I became a big fan of economics and I even took seriously studying a university degree in it. However, I decided to follow my dream of becoming a teacher, more specifically, an English teacher. I realised that I am more passionate about English than economics. It has been a month since I started English Studies at the University of Murcia and I am definitely having a great time. I hope I will be able to be a great teacher in the foreseeable future.

20. A series you like.

Date 04/10/2023 Start 10:10. Finish 10:21

I have always been a great fan of watching series. Once I have found one, I can finish it in record time. If I had to choose my favourite series of all time, my obvious choice would be Suits. This awesome series is available on Netflix and it has plenty of seasons. However, I have watched more than one hundred episodes. By the way, I am currently rewatching it. Suits is a masterpiece that contains an experienced cast, an amazing soundtrack and a mind blowing plot. I am glued to the screen every time I am watching an episode thanks to its eye-catching design. All in all, I will never get tired of this series. To be honest, the only fact I did not like about Suits was the ending cause some main characters were missing. Last but not least, the very last scene took place in the law office with 'Viva la vida' by Coldplay was a rather emotional moment for me. And one of my favorites for sure.

21. Discrimination.

Date 13/11/2023 Start 9:30. Finish 9:43

Despite being told we live in an inclusive world, this is not completely true. There are different types of discrimination, the most frequent ones are because of race or sexual identity. On the one hand, I have been raised in a school with children of different nationalities. For this reason, I consider myself a rather respectful person towards race. On the other hand, I have friends who belong to LGTBI community and I support them. From my perspective, we are living in a world who is constantly evolving and we have to respect others' ways of living as well as decisions. 

22. Your favourite food.

Date 09/10/2023 Start 11:50 Finish 12:00

Living in a country, whose gastronomy is marvellous, has definitely contributed to being passionate about food. Trying new restaurants is an amazing experience, there is nothing compared to the feeling of discovering a brand-new recipe. Personally, pasta is a great ingredient to combine and create amazing dishes. When I was a little child, lasagne and macaroni used to be my favourite food. Nowadays, my greatest weakness is meat, especially steak. From my viewpoint, the best way to cook it is on the barbecue. In order to achieve the perfect flavour, it is to cook it medium rare. For this reason, this is my favourite food currently. My family and I usually eat it on paramount occasions such as birthdays or anniversaries. Every time a different family member is in charge of buying the stick in order to celebrate the special day. To be honest, this is a brand-new family tradition that I personally already love.

23. The fast development of technology.

Date 23/10/2023 Start: 9:20 Finish: 9:32

The 21st century can be described as the technological era. Mainly because most of the new technological advances have been developed during this period of time. Apart from obvious devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. There is a great number of devices that are making our lives easier, for instance, air fryers and vacuum cleaners. Some years ago, we could have never imagined that we were going to benefit this much at home because of technology. On the other hand, the car industry has definitely changed since there are cars that can drive without a driver. This fat is no longer blowing my mind up because I am used to this fast development. But, old people are convinced that this development is going to have a detrimental effect on the future. I agree up to a certain point, there is no doubt that we are creating nonstop things that maybe we will not control in the near future. In conclusion, we should be careful with technology because it can make our lives easier and at the same time make it worse.

24. The best way to relax.

Date 14/11/2023 Start: 8:10 Finish: 8:22

I am completely obsessed with travelling, my favourite city in Spain is Madrid. For this reason, the best way to enjoy the weekend would be a short trip to the capital city. There are plenty of things to do there such as going to see a play or eating “churros” with chocolate in my favourite café “San Ginés”. Furthermore, it is a must to go sightseeing in the centre because I do not get tired of seeing them over and over again. From my perspective, the best way to relax for me is travelling. It makes me get out of my comfort zone and get away from my daily routine.

25. An Internet personality.

Date 15/11/2023 Start: 9:15 Finish: 9:29

Dulceida is an Internet personality who was one of the first influencers ever. She has been creating fashion trends nonstop. I consider her as a great reference in terms of influencers on social media. Despite the fact that influencers are pretty famous, a couple of years ago they do not even exist. Nowadays, there are hundreds of Internet personality and sometimes, the most amateur ones are forgotten.

26. A belief you used to have.

Date 16/11/2023 Start: 10:19 Finish: 10:30

Since Christmas holidays are just around the corner, it would be funny to bring back this belief I used to have. I am talking about thinking Santa Claus was real. As any ordinary child, receiving presents from this magical person was the highlight of Christmas. I would not lie that once you realize he is not real, the magic disappears and it becomes pretty simple. I guess it is part of becoming an adult and seeing the truth of the real world. However, I still find Christmas holidays as a paramount part of the year because it brings positive feelings such as happiness and togetherness.

27. A story from your childhood.

Date 20/11/2023 Start: 11:32 Finish: 11:44

One of my favourite stories from my childhood is when I went to Disneyland Paris with my family. My little sister and I had an amusing time there. This place is definitely out of this world. I remember all the details despite being pretty little. I would say Disneyland Paris is a place to at any age because it will make you enjoy it as if you were a child. It is absolutely the most memorable trip I remember from my childhood.

28. A favourite possession.

Date 10/10/2023 Start: 9:05 Finish: 9:19

I have never considered myself a materialistic person. However, I have to admit that it is impossible to avoid establishing powerful links with some of our possessions. In my case, it is a ring I always wear on my right hand. My mother used to wear it for years because my grandmother had gifted her with it when she turned sixteen. That is why I was given the same ring on my sixteenth birthday. This gold ring is my favourite possession ever since. What I love the most about it is that it has my mom’s initials engraved on it, luckily we have the same initials so it matches me perfectly. This is due to the fact that both of our names start with the letter ‘C’ and the same as with the surname letter ‘A’. I would like to give it to my future son or daughter one day in order to continue this beautiful tradition.

29. Music that is special to you.

Date 30/10/2023 Start: 10:50 Finish: 11:00

Listening to music is one of my greatest passions. I could not live without listening to it, music is an essential part of my everyday life. I do not have a favourite music genre, I usually listen to very different styles such as R&B, pop, hip hop and K-pop.  However, I have to confess that k-pop has a special room in my heart. I am lucky to share my passion for this music style with some of my friends. Kpop is a music genre that stands out from the crowd. Mainly because it has incredible choreographies, addictive music and outstanding performances. Kpop groups have well-skilled members who are extremely talented. That is what I like the most because it encourages me to work hard. Last but not least, kpop groups are very thankful with their fans since they will not exist without them. This global phenomenon is increasing as time goes by and some of the groups are known worldwide.

30. Your worst habit.

Date 22/11/2023 Start: 10:30 Finish: 10:46

As any ordinary person, I am full of bad habits but the worst I have is being so demanding with myself. Since I was in school I have been pushing myself to the limits. I did not care about others, I just wanted to give my best because I am aware of my limits. However, I was always pushing them to the extreme. I am aware that nobody should place oneself under unnecessary pressure. For this reason, I am trying to get rid of this bad habit of mine.