On being 30, Turning 30 and Thriving

Dear Atoms,

I do not know when you'll next see this, or if you'll ever see this at all.
I write this on an arbitary date on the 7th of May 2024 (Greece, Santorini time) which is 8th of May 2024, at 12:30AM (Sydney, Australia time). 

As a late night thought hit while I was on holidays, I realised I wanted to get back into journalling a bit more. Over the last decade since we've graduated high school, we've really had such a journey. Lots of highs and some lows along the way, far from what we could have imagined when we were in high school. To trivialise all of us to being (as someone once said recently a few months ago) "just the same as we were before, just a bit older" is such a disservice to our trials and tribulations, our grit and determination to get to where we are now. Life isn't always easy or interesting, but it's better with wonderful people in our lives.

Just to paint a picture of where we are now in time in early 2024

- We've graduated high school

- We've graduated university; all eventually after some time.

- We've landed ourselves in jobs that are hopefully keeping us comfortable

- My dear Atoms, at this point in time, a lot of us are married, the rest hopefully too as well! 

- Cath most recently got married to Alex, which is very cute! 

- Shirley is currently living in London in her 2nd year! With her current boyfriend Malcolm! 

- And me (since I'm writing this), am on a 4 month holiday off work (100ish days overseas!)

It will be interesting to see what awaits us in this upcoming decade from 30s to 40s!

I lost my train of thought so I'll cut this blog short. I hope you all are well, I love you all as friends and cannot wait to spend more of our lives together watching eachother hopefully survive and thrive this new decade together <3 

Take care, friends! 

second year.

so it's been two years since we've graduated.
wow.

it's been so long.

Message to the Atom circle (and everything/one it represents)

Hello, how have u been? =)

I'm sorry for being out of touch.
I don't seem to see you much anymore.
I'm sorry for that because I know I should be making a bigger effort.

Our relationship...is not bad but its not great either.
It pains me to think I don't have much time left with you.
So much that I wish I could rewind time just to do things over again.

But time does not reverse.
I've learnt the brunt of that lesson recently.
I think the thing I hate most is that I didn't rely on you more.
I've almost by choice alienated myself.
And yet you still welcome me with open...arms...(lol electron circles?) -science fail-

Today I sat in the empty circle for a whole period.
Although no one was there, the place echoed with all the memories I've shared in that circle.
I was not lonely.
I was home.
This place will always be where the people I hold closest to my heart are.

~~~

I love you guys.
So much.
I'm sorry that I've been the way I am.
It's embarrassing that I even made you guys worry about it, even if you are my friends.
Thank you for all the support that I don't deserve,
for giving so much to me when all I do in return is take.

And I'm sorry that despite being the oldest sister I've been the one needing babysitting.
I've failed as the oldest (and biggest) atom.

I don't have much to offer in return,
just that I will try my hardest to make the best memories in these last three months with you.
Thank you, thank you in a way that I can't even start to express in words.

I love you my babies! <3

hello fellow peeps!
steph asked me to link the countdown timer to hsc
So here it is [clickeh]

Haha I know the font is gross... but my friend found/made it for me
So I'll just use this one for now. Ceebs to make one myself.
But if anyone makes a prettier one... Link please :D

WOOOOOOOHHH!!!

Kind of in an appreciative mood so here's a big hug for everyone.

I hope any troubles go away and I wish everyone happiness. (:

We can do this. -nod-

wow okay.

so what happened here?
summer '10-'11
last summer school holidays.
let's use them well (:

hey guys

it's kind of been a while..
a long while..
how're you all?
prelims are ending soon.
time to party hard, last time before ... you know.
i feel like we're strangers again. but i don't want to be.
so please.. let's stay together, especially in the hard times.

i love you guys.
so much.

i just wanted to say that (:
<3

RENWEEEEB! :D

Happy birthday little one! Finally 16! Hahaha.
I love you lots babe, thanks for being amazing and just awesome in general.
Still remember the good times we had in Year 7, still got that purple laughing bag you gave me. Hahahaha. Love you lots and lots because you are amazing ... What a descriptive person I am (:
Hope you had a spectacularly amazingly wonderful day today! the sun shone, just for you, at recess today. So, yeah, thanks for that. Haha :P
I'm not good with expressing myself, I'm sorry. But you are definitely something words can't describe, you precious child you. I love you baby! Hope you had a good day today, surprised or not :P
<3 you lots bubby(:
~Staaaaan!

Found

It's natural to fear the unpredictable
And that occurs everyday
So what becomes important
is not to eradicate one's troubles
Because you'll never find a way
Instead look for something that counters
The ups and downs of life
Look for something that endures
The twists and turns of time
And that something I had found
Right here.

thanks guys !

for always being there for me when I needed you.
thanks for always thinking about and caring about me, even when I'm not around.
(thanks for caring for all of us, really)
thanks for being amazing, each and every one of you.
when I need advice, when I need guidance, you'll be the first I'll turn to <3
when I have something exciting to tell you, you'll be the first I'll tell it to <3
when I need a smile, you'll be the first I'll look to, the ones who'll lift my spirits when I'm down.
I love you guys.
So so so so much.
Thanks for supporting me and just being amazing all around.
I love you guys (:
<3
Let's keep making memories, yeahyeah? (:
<3

Lucky!

Words are very unreliable allies. They come in the times when they are not needed, spilling out like jelly beans, or mostly, floating from the tips of our tongues when they are needed most. Like now.

But as I sit and stare at a blank page, I began to realise that I can't really say how I feel. Emotions are as fickle as words, they flit and float, just out of reach of the grasping tendrils of reason, flickering their beams of light on us.

I guess that's my excuse for what I cannot say, but here is what I can say ( yes i'm finally getting to the point). I love you guys sooo much and you make me feel special every day <3 thank you all.

in ....

Less than 2 hours.
Roughly 1 hr and 45 minutes.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU BELLYBOOOOOO! Hahaha <3
Love you so much dearycakes and hope you had an awesome suprise party from us!
It was heaps of fun for me, and I hope it was for you too.
Wish you the bestbest of days/years to come and, yeah.. I'll see you soon loverly (:
<3<3<3
(tu)

iloveyouhubby :)

Teehee.

I did this cause I felt like it.

(While procrastinating ==;)

But I had fun :DDD

School soon.
Can't wait to see you guys!
:D

Oh, by the way, we should add Vivian, Alison, Grace, Bree, Tina on this if they have blogspot? I dunno if they do.

Love,
lolrenee

Holidays. Rightly deserved.

Aaaah peeps. guess what?
The long awaited holidays have finally arrived and everyones so worn out and tired and stressed...
It's a wonder year 11/12 havent mutinied and just stayed home.
Good luck for those who are doing their last assessments tomorrow!
And just putting it out there, what element are we now??

While you're kicking up your feet this autumn break,
Perhaps dozing quietly infront of the TV
Catching up on all the reading that we've missed out on, or sitting infront of the computer until our bottoms lose all feeling.
(you know I'll be discreetly gaming away)
Take some time to congratulate yourself on getting through our first term of senior high school
Give yourself some credit for at least living through first of our senior assessments
And have a cry in a corner knowing there will be alot more to come.
First break, first of our last.
One and half years to go
Two more terms to hell
SOLDIER ON!!

my first ever blog post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can tell from the title this is my first ever blog post
so I just wanted to say hi to everyone
and I'm new at this so just give it a bit more time,
even though i probably wont blog much

and just by reading whats on this page just taught me that
I should probably read the blog more often *whoops*
no wonder I am always so out of the loop, sorry guys :(
and I should blog more often too...ill try but just letting you know
Im more of a telling to your face than a blogger so yeah....

also want to say i love you guys (atoms family)(although i guess this extends to most randoms who happen to be reading this blog)
and happy easter even though I will try and say this in person

:))shirleyyyy (just in case you didnt know)

:D

I <3 YOU :D

thursday

senior dance.
party out.
destress.

hope to see you there<3
time out of school together, sounds good yesno?

sorry for being away so much.
when's the last time we all kinda sat down as a group and talked?
year 11 is hectic as, with someone always having to run off and do things.
i'm sorry.
sorry for not being dedicated.
sorry for being so sour.
sorry for caring only about my problems.
sorry for never thinking of you guys.
sorry. just.. sorry.
the number of times i have apologised to you guys, the number of times i have said how much i loved you.. i do mean it, i just think i say it a lot. but, i just want you all to know.
i love you.
and you. and you. haha<3
i really will try harder. the ups and the downs. please help me through the downs and when (if) you need some one, i will be there, plans or not.
the ups will just come, i hope.
i'm so well and truly sorry for being such a bad friend and for never being around, even when you needed someone. even if someone else was there, i wasn't, and i'm sorry.
i don't know why. pms. yesno?
please give me a second chance, ne?
<3

Exerciseeeeeeee D=

Omgsh guysssssss I really need exercise =_= .
Like , I know I'm not fat ( am only getting there xD ) , but it feels really blah not doing anything ._. .

Steffu and I wanna go jogging on Monday mornings .
Chime if you like :) .

Also , Shirley and I wanna go swimming someday maybe after school ?
I dunno . Hope we end up going !
Just after school is busy nowadays =S .

... And anything else you guys wanna do ?
:)