Which of Santa's reindeers is your favourite? I've always liked Comet... not sure why, I just like his name! Do you like plum pudding? What about eggnog? Yes, plum pudding is amazing with custard! I haven't tried eggnog in a long time, so I'm not sure about that one, though!    Do you have a particular gift-wrapping technique? Honestly... scrunching it all up, wrapping it in tape and hope for the best. I always try to, uh, recruit someone else's help to wrap presents. I'm shocking at it. 😂 What's your favourite holiday tradition? Looking at all the Christmas lights! Do you have a favourite holiday song/carol? I love the Wiggle's Christmas album 😂😂. Also, maybe Jingle Bell Rock (probably because Mean Girls, tbh). All I Want for Christmas is You is also great (such a long title! 😂). OH and how can I forget What's This? from Nightmare Before Christmas!!   What's your favourite holiday movie? Honestly, probably Nightmare Before Christmas... 😂. It's a Christmas movie! It's right there in the title! Halloween in the movie only goes for like a few minutes! They're spooky but it's Christmas! 😂😂😂. Hm, I really need to watch more Christmas movies, honestly...    What was your favourite thing about 2019? Volunteering! It has lead me to so many opportunities this year, including flying to both Brisbane and Sydney. So yes, joining RO is up there! Also, I keep forgetting I came out to my immediate family as gay this year... so that happened. They've been really accepting! Especially my mum, I remember a time she was on the more homophobic side but now she stands up for others when she reads something negative online and she always points out Pride-themed events! ❤ I also attended a few pride events and reconnected with an old friend! I'm also sort of glad I've made it through it all, 2019 was a really tough year and I can recognize some of the harder experiences have made me stronger and more aware of myself + what I need to do to grow and improve. What are you looking forward to in 2020? Hopefully (finally) completing my Bachelors and getting into honours! I hope the year is easier on me, and I hope I can become a happier and healthier version of me and do all the things I want to do. ❤ ... View more

nah yeah ... View more

Oh, the last few days went by so fast! I meant to reply, but then my brain just wandered off! Thanks for the tag, @scared01! 😂 (Also, love the cat gifs @roseisnotaplant!) What does the holiday season look like for you? Do you have any holiday traditions? My 'traditions' look the same as a lot of everyone else's here! Mainly looking around at Christmas lights (my favourite!), watching Carols by Candlelight on TV, wearing Christmas shirts/ jewelry, and opening gifts. Sometimes we will go out to see a specific display/ event. We used to see family for lunch, but because of family tensions we now just have a quiet, chilled lunch ourselves with plenty of bonbons. What do you find hardest about the holidays? Honestly, getting older... for a lot of reasons. Christmas time was so fun and relaxing as a child (Santa tracker was one of my favourite things @WheresMySquishy!), but as an adult it loses it's 'magic'. I feel like when I was a child, distant relatives made more of an effort to see us, but now that me and my brother are both (technically) adults, all we get from them is a card (if we're lucky). I don't mean to sound ungrateful and I know people are busy, but I miss the one time of year I got to see and interact with everyone.  Along with getting older is that holidays are at the end of the year -- so, for me, I can't help but compare holidays in the years past and how better they may have been to this year. I also get swarmed with thoughts about how I may not have achieved what I wanted to do this year. Also, this probably goes with the family thing, but it really makes me feel more isolated. I'm such a giving person, but I don't have anyone really to send cards and gifts to (I miss in primary school when you'd just write cards for your whole class). I see more pictures of people together and having fun, and I feel more isolated and awful for being so down in the holiday season. Even if I want to do something, family is really the only people available I can do it with, and as the years go by they either get more busy or less interested (as is the case with my brother). What are things you like the most about the holidays? The aesthetic? Haha. I love Christmas lights and Christmas decorations so much. Also, the longer, warmer days and the amusing juxtaposition with all the decorations being Winter themed 😂. ... View more

Aww, that sounds amazing @queenP! I'm so happy for you ❤.   I'm looking forward to finding the courage to shave my hair... 😂. I feel a lot better + more 'me' with short hair, plus many hairdressers have given me the bill of $300+ to fix the patchy bleach damage. So... why pay that when I can pay >$50 to shave it? 😂 ... View more

Hi @Janine-RO! Nice to meet you! :) I love what you said about different roads to success! I think that's a really important point to emphasize, especially to young people who may be overwhelmed with the amount of options available. Right now, I (think I) know for sure I'd like to go into psychology... but it has taken a lot longer to get my degree than I expected, and I think I might be changing which areas I want to focus on a lot in the future... but that's okay!  I also love to travel! I think at the moment my dream destination would be Germany, or a long trip across Europe (I've never been!). Japan also looks amazing. We learnt Japanese in primary school and all I can remember is how count to about 19 and write my name... I guess that'd be somewhat useful! 😂 ... View more

*explodes with giggles* ... View more

 RO on my computer screen... 😂 The lid of my Powerade bottle is pretty close! Lavender! ... View more

One of the stripes of my plush rainbow monkey... 😝 Beige?  ... View more

Wall ... View more

250 842 250 843 250 844 250 845 250 846 ... View more

I love dark chocolate, or chocolate mixed with mint.  What's the last movie you watched? ... View more

*watches @Bee watching in amazement* ... View more

Awww what a good thread! ❤ Warmth: Tastes like hot chocolate with  marshmallows. Smells like woody, Earthy smells, like a rain forest or a fireplace.  Looks like baby animals snuggling into their mothers ❤ Feels like a big hug. Sounds like a crackling fireplace. (I wonder how different I'd answer this if the temperature made me warm instead of me trying to get warm? 😜) Regret ... View more

(How did I guess it would be llama? 😂) Anaconda ... View more

Resurrecting this thread! Inspirational quotes are important and sometimes come from the most unexpected places. ❤ (I went through my list of book quotes this time, ahah). ... View more

Inspire ... View more

Eel ... View more

Red panda! ... View more

I recognise people by their avatars usually so it's going to take a while to adjust @N1ghtW1ng! 😂   I'm happy with Celeste from Animal Crossing!   What's something you're excited for in 2020?       ... View more

Salt and vinegar.   Name a type of tree!   ... View more

@inez1800RESPECT I think they're a fine length! There's nothing wrong with having a lot to say 😁 That's a great point about starting conversations about boundaries in another way, if the first way doesn't work! I've been very frustrated in the past and, admittingly, rather unforgiving when people aren't respecting my boundaries. There's definitely something more 'official' and confrontational when talking face-to-face, and people understand information in different ways... thanks so much for sharing! 😃 ... View more

@inez1800RESPECT it definitely can take a lot to recognise sometimes. I've found in a lot of cases a toxic friendship is one we may highly value, which is why we may look past the mistreatment, etc. I also agree with the power imbalances -- I can also see it from the reverse side, when the other person always wants their own way and makes you feel small. ... View more

@inez1800RESPECT that car thing is SO TRUE. Whenever I'm having a difficult time, or my Mum is having a difficult time, we will always talk about it in the car, even when we're going somewhere completely random and unrelated. Sometimes I ask to get some fast food knowing we can sit for a long time in the drive-thru and just talk.  I also think it's true (and very important) to recognise we can have healthy relationships with people who aren't our friends. It's important to treat everyone with the same level of respect and dignity. 😃 ... View more

@inez1800RESPECT that's so true! I've found it's always a lot less daunting seeking help for the first time if you know you can be anonymous. The best way I can describe it is maybe... if someone knows your name, then your story is part of you identity. But with anonymity, you can talk about it sometimes as if it's something outside of yourself, if that makes sense? @inez1800RESPECT wrote: I try and find something that brings me joy or a giggle every single day... I have a pretty cheeky sense of humour so it's not that hard! Excellent advice! ❤ I try to as well, and it's really not hard to make me laugh or smile now matter how I feel, so it makes me feel better. 😁 I agree, self care is the best thing anyone can do. ... View more

Hey @inez1800RESPECT (and everyone else)! So excited for tonight! 😁 That's definitely true, it's a lot better to maintain a life-work balance and maintain a level of self care -- especially in jobs with emotional tolls!  ... View more

It's been a while but I thought I'll give you all an update.   I adopted a cat! His name is Rusty and I'm obsessed with him. He was born feral so when I met him he was scared and hardly let me pat him but now he's the most loving thing and lies down next to me when I go to sleep every night ❤. I feel like we have similar personalities in that way, ahah. It's been so heartwarming to see his trust grow every day. Yes, I find being with animals to be really theraputic!   I got through one more subject in uni. My grade was about 5+ more points than I expected! I'm proud of myself. There was a problem with the exam too so the leadup to the results was really stressful. I only have 1 more subject that counts towards my honours admission, and 3 more subjects to complete my undergraduate.    I'm slowly getting there... I guess this is where the problems start. My uni has 3 semesters, where the third semester is optional. Earlier I decided to take a subject at this time but now that the new semester has started I'm not so sure. I'm terrified of getting into such a negative space again. I don't think it's a good time to start at all. I'm changing meds again  starting this week (3rd change this year, yay) and it's a very busy time of year for me (and everyone) with Christmas, birthdays, New Year, etc. Logically, I don't want to put myself under stress when the semester is optional anyway, and I can complete the subject with my other unit next year. My family keeps getting angry at me, telling me I never should have intermitted my degree in the first place and I'm never going to finish if I keep 'putting it off' and 'taking the easy way out'. I know they're hurting to see me like this but I wish they could see my point of view that, if it were my choice, I wouldn't keep dropping units to keep myself mentally healthy... ☹   Another small thing is it's my birthday next week. I feel so ungrateful but I just don't want anything to do with it. My Mum and my brother had a big argument on my 21st last year... like one of the only times they have ever argued. I keep thinking like... that was my last 'milestone birthday' until maybe I'm 30? And I had a shocking day. It doesn't help that my birthday is two weeks after my brothers. My brother always ends up surrounded by friends who are there for him all day, and make sure it's a good day. I have no one. I haven't had my own party since I was about 10. I don't even like parties lol but I'd love to not spend it all alone. And as weird as it sounds, I just hate the concept of getting older. I just feel like it's another year that I should have my life in order, but I don't. I still can't drive and haven't attempted in 4 years, yet all my high school friends have their full licences. I should have completed honours by now, I could have graduated from my Bachelors. I know everyone goes through life at their own pace but it's really frustrating sometimes, especially when I'm working so hard on myself.    So things have been up and down for me at the moment!  ... View more

Thanks so much for an amazing chat, everyone! I've really enjoyed the discussions tonight. ❤❤ @roseisnotaplant Maybe a little! 😂 You're welcome to have a read through and post your own answers! ❤ ... View more

@drpenguin Oooh that's a good point, drifting friendships can definitely help reveal the things that we may expect for future friendships. ... View more