On Leaving University (for now)

I have finished my Bachelors degree packed up my room and moved to a new place to start a new job.

Yes I am incredibly lucky and I know it! I have busted my ass and as a result, opportunities have been handed to me on a seemingly gilded platter. However, I am learning that everything comes with a compromise. 

Because I am grieving.

This is new and alien, I did not know that you could grieve memories, a place, a period of life. The last three years have been the best of my life so far, and I desperately want to go back and do it all again because it has all ended far too soon. Relationships have been left only half formed and it leaves me wondering whether they will stand the test of time and distance, the two largest barriers to development and closeness, in my humble opinion.

And yes I know the world is my oyster and that I should move forward with leaping strides. And I will, but right now I am stuck in a sort of mental rut, It just seems that so many kinds of emotions have fallen on me rather heavily...uncertainess, hurt, sadness, grief, loneliness yet I am elated and can taste some sort of freedom on the tip of my tongue, some sort of openess at the ends of my nerves.

I am not the same person I was two, even one year ago. I feel like I know myself reasonably well, developing in all sorts of interesting directions. It's a good thing and I know that.

But sometimes it is really quite terrifying and I do not know how I should be reacting.

Also the red hot chili peppers are great for this kind of uncertain mental state.

Rook Piercing Experience

So I've wanted a rook for a few months now, and finally went and got it done on the 28th of October, so it's coming up to two weeks healing. Thought I'd share my experience with the piercing itself and healing (so far) cos doing background research before I decided was really important to me.

It set me back $45 (incl. jewellery) and I got it done at Bohemian Arts Tattoo, Tauranga, New Zealand. I already had one tattoo done there so I thought I may as well go back. Everyone knows that pain is subjective, but for me this hurt like a BITCH. And I have a pretty high pain tolerance so that is saying something. I had a little bit of bleeding, during the piercing itself and the day after.

Healing so far has been very easy ( I'm cleaning it with soaped up fingers, not antibacterial or anything) during my shower, then cleaning with a antibacterial solution and finishing with a diluted tea tree oil spray afterwards. Bit of pain during the first three days, couldn't sleep on it. Pain went away until the fourth and fifth day where it got pretty bad, just took two paracetamol and it went away. No swelling, and as of now no pain at all, just a small ache when I clean it, can sleep on it if I cradle my ear with my hand which is no drama (10th November)

Will update at the end of the month! Hopefully this helps somewhere because there are lots of horrible piercing experiences out there, which I would guess is just a small proportion of people. Don't let it put you off!

Two months later, 28/12: No pain at all except for when I accidentally gave it a nasty knock, causing it to bleed a little, was fine the next day. I've stopped cleaning it everyday except after I've been in a chlorine pool. No pain while sleeping. Occasionally a little bit of crust will accumulate but I just clean that away, it's not associated with any pain. I don't think this needs any more updates, so good luck and have fun getting pierced :D