Breast cancer awareness month

It's October which means its breast cancer awareness month. It's great to see there is so much about it everywhere. Some of you will know I have been involved in the Samsung- Everybody's doing it campaign. Check the website out http://www.morethantalk.eu/uk/

Samsung's mission is to spread a positive breast awareness message to all women. The 15th October is "Everybody's doing it awareness day".

Copy the links below for the viral film and stories of lots of women who have been affected by breast cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PM3RH447Yag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFimMHGOJGo

You might have seen the campaign while you have been about in London. Its featured on billboards and the viral is currently being viewed every minute in Piccadilly circus.


I have been doing newspaper and radio interviews, locally and nationally. It is great to be helping and getting the message out there to women, especially younger women.


http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/Emily-helps-online-cancer-awareness-project/article-1360564-detail/article.html





It would be great if you could pass on the samsung videos, website and even my blog to all of your friends. Do your bit for breast cancer awareness and lets spread the word and hope more women check their breasts regularly.





I have not written a post for a while. I have had a very busy few months. I have had my 30th birthday, my trip to California and I started college last week.

My last month in Brighton was great. I really made the most of it. Joe and I had started hanging out again and we were getting on so well. I felt like I had finally got through so much and dealt with issues and let go of certain things that I was ready to move on with him. We made the most of my last few weeks together and had lots of fun! It was very sad leaving. Things always seem to get better and work out just before I leave a place. Its typical but I guess its because I am never in a place long enough.



The girls at Get Cutie made a real effort to give me a good birthday/send off. They have to be the loveliest bunch of people I have ever worked with and I miss them a lot.

My 30th was fantastic! I never thought I would be so happy to turn 30. It was so significant for me turning 30 after the year I'd had. It feels like a new chapter in my life with lots of good things to come! I certainly celebrated in style with my friends and family. I had found a fantastic London based band called Los who kindly agreed to play at my party and they rocked! A friend of mine, Rich put on a cracking set of 60's and 70's tunes. You could not get me off the dance floor! It was everything I wanted and I was buzzing all night.








Then there was my trip to California. It was a trip I felt I needed and deserved. It was a fantastic experience that I shall never forget. It was my first time to the US and very surreal at first. I felt like I was in a movie most of the time. I stayed with my good and very old school friend Hannah in Santa Monica before I hit the road and travelled round California. It was great to have her there when I arrived and show me round LA. I must admit I am rather envious of her lifestyle.



In the 3 weeks I managed to go to Joshua Tree, Las Vegas, Zion national park, San Francisco, Yosemite, Big Sur and LA. I have to say San Fran was my favorite. I could have easily stayed there for weeks. There was so much to see and do. My first day there I headed straight to Haight Ashbury, it still seemed to have a cool vibe. Everywhere you looked in San Fran pretty much something unusual was going on. It felt like a place where you could really be yourself and anything goes. I will definitely be going back!






I had lots of fun but I wouldn't say it was easy all the time. It was the first time I had been away on my own in a while and a big thing to do after what I have just been through. I wanted to do the trip on my own partly to feel independent again and get some of my self esteem and confidence back. I don't find it terribly easy to just go up to strangers and start talking to them and I knew if I threw myself into this situation I would have too and I did.




I struggled on the fitness and stamina side of things. I was very frustrated with not being able to do the big hikes which took you to the most stunning views and places. Despite that I did everything at my own pace and saw plenty of beautiful scenery.
Yosemite was breathtaking. Ansel Adams was one of the photographers that really inspired me when I was younger and probably got me into wildlife photography, so it was amazing to go to the place where he took a lot of his stunning shots.






I love how diverse the landscape is and going from one extreme to another. From the bright lights and craziness of Las Vegas to the peaceful and scenic Yosemite. I must admit apart from San Fran I was my happiest when I was in nature surrounded wildlife. For me Las Vegas was hell on earth and I could not wait to leave. I only got excited when I found my dads favorite country singers bar in a casino.




The west coast drive was stunning. I was a little gutted I only got to see most of it from the bus window. We stopped off in Santa Cruz for an hour. I was excited to visit this little seaside town because it is where one of my favorite 80's cult films was made, The lost boys! We arrived in the morning and the fog was still heavily set in and the sun was dimly shining through. It was perfect! It felt a little eerie especially as the fairground on the boardwalk was shut so there was nobody about. As I walked down the boardwalk there was even 80's music playing. Now all I was expecting was for Kiefer Sutherland to come flying out the think fog and feast on my neck.



I met so many lovely people on my trip and so was very sad when we had to go our separate ways. Thats the hardest bit about traveling, but its so great to meet so many people from all over the world and stay in contact and hopefully see them again one day.

The last but one night Hannah took me and 2 other friends to a party up in the Hollywood hills. I don't think she has ever seen me so excited. It was incredible, I really did feel like I was in a movie. It was a club night in somebody's amazing apartment with views overlooking Hollywood. Free whisky and food was a nice surprise and there was a even a mermaid in the swimming pool. I really felt like I had experienced the glamourous Hollywood lifestyle in contrast to camping out in the desert and meeting a tarantula!





California really did live up to my expectations. I feel like I have got a taste for it now and would love to go back for longer.




Half of me was ready to come back home after missing Joe incredibly and just feeling exhausted from it all. the other half just wanted to stay and explore more, see more of San Fran and just stay where the sun was shining and the people were so lovely. Even though I do love our dry sense of humour and cynical ways I was starting to get into just how positive, happy and friendly the Californians were. Its always tough coming back to the UK after being abroad. Reality hits you in a big way when you get back. The more I travel the more I realise I do not want to live in this county for the rest of my life.

Thank goodness I had my new course to come back too. I am now in my second week of a foundation degree in fashion and costume design and I am loving it! I finally feel like I am doing something that really suits me and I am very passionate about. I am looking forward the most to the end of the two years when I am more experienced at making clothes and see my final designs that I have created go down a catwalk. It will be like a dream come true. Its too early to say exactly what bit of the industry I will be working in but to work in film and theatre would be amazing.

I have been lucky in that from when I finished all my treatment I had so much to look forward too and keep me busy. I have made most of that happen though which I think despite perhaps not taking it so easy so soon after my treatment, it was so important for me to get my life back and to live it to the full.

I can not believe how quickly time passes. Its too easy to let it pass on by without living life to its fullest. There is so much to do and see and I'll be damned if I spend the rest of it not really doing what I want to do or living where I want to live. If you have a dream then go and follow it! I would rather regret what I have done and not what I haven't done. I might have tried a lot of things that have not worked out but at least I know instead of wondering, what if.

Cancer is a terrible disease but if you are to survive it then you should definitely feel like you have got a second chance and realise life is too short, so go out and live it!!