suicide awareness day, sept 10th

Suicide Awareness Day, officially called World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD), is tomorrow, but since I'm leaving for Prague, I decided to treat it as a Monday post and post it the day before. A year ago, when I returned from my Calabria vacay, I didn't have too much time to somehow join the project, especially not to do something very creative. I wrote "love" on my wrist as I read somewhere on the internet that it's what you're supposed to do on September 10th to show your support for people who struggle with suicidal thoughts and raise awareness of how big of a deal are suicide rates nowadays. I knew it was nothing special, but it's definitely something that each of us can do. And if you can show it to some larger group of people, it's a success! I am glad that this year I can use my blog to do so. Until the very end, I did not know how to approach this subject. I felt as if it would be easy to overdo it, though I did not want to do some dramatic pictures which people would be afraid to even look at. So I decided to repeat last year's act of participance, this time with the help of AJ as my model. I'm not going to drop any big numbers on your heads. We all know what we're talking about here. 20th leading cause of death, in both genders. I'm realistic, but in a way I am also a believer. I truly want to believe that by rasing our voices, we're doing the best we can to help. This year's theme of WSPD is "Stigma: A Major Barrier for Suicide Prevention." Please visit IASP's official site, where you can learn more about this event, facts and figures or check how you can help locally.

I do not have any personal history to share with you guys. I think we've all had those kind of days. I used to call mine 'the hazy ones'. I wish I had something constructive to say to those who feel too miserable to even think of getting up in the morning. Life gets better. Well, not exactly. Life gets different, though. In awhile, there will be other thoughts occupying your minds, other problems, other ups and downs, but somehow you will find yourself able to face those things. The only way through the storm is right across the center of it, not bailing out, although I really do understand how tempting it sometimes feels like.

Whatever you're going through, wherever you are, know that my thoughts are always with you. I am always here if you need to talk to someone. There is always a person willing to listen to you. Not everything is darkness, but sometimes everyone needs a friendly reminder.

"A semicolon is where the author could have ended the sentence, but didn’t. You’re the author, and your life is the sentence. Don’t end your life. Stay awhile longer. Please, Stay strong." 

"On November 30th wear a black ribbon on your wrist if you have ever self harmed, starved yourself or been suicidal. If you see someone else with one, tell them to stay strong."

By writing “Love” on your arms and wearing something yellow on September 10th, you show support to those who lost someone to suicide, or have suicidal thoughts themselves. Please, take your time to inform as many people as you can and join yourself.

suicidehotlines.com ǀ befriends worldwide ǀ list of international help lines

let's go outside.

let's go outside, get some air / find our souls next to the water

It is only when you ride that you can clear your head of all things unwanted. Now that I spent almost 10 hours on a bus yesterday, I really mean it. Looking at the sun, through the polarized glass windows, with the music loud enough to kill whatever comes to your mind. Two weeks ago, I was in Gdynia, enjoying some late August sun by the Baltic sea. It's a magical and unique thing to be woken up by seagulls in the morning, not by the usual beep-beep of your alarm that already gives you somatic symptoms of depression. As much as I love going away, I love coming back. That visit assured me that even though I regret not studying dentistry in Gdańsk, like every day, I wouldn't want to live that close to the sea. I love breeze, but wow the wind they have there! Hairdo = instantly ruined. My sinuses = instantly suffering.

We had some beautiful sun, a perfect weather for lomoshooting. I was enamoured with the way the water would reflect the rays of sunlight. If I could, I would just photograph those gorgeous white benches all day long. Along with people sitting far from each other, lost in thought, and the glistening water behind that scenery. I had to live up to my sister's expectations and the promise I had made, that's why instead of just lomoshooting random people, who happen to always light the wick, which is my curiosity, I took a few snaps of her and her fiance. Gdynia really surprised me, I think that's why that little trip made me feel so good. At first sight, the city was plain, even less interesting than Gdańsk, but when I was leaving, I realized I'd like to come back there one day. Actually I'd like to come back there quite often. Even though that would probably leave me broke. If you still keep on reading, please tune in next Monday, since I'm going to post something utterly important before my departure to Prague! :)

the news of the day is, finally, after some eventual paperwork, I am officially a student of year two of dentistry. 

Little shout-out to D. who was so amazing and shared a link to my blog on her fb timeline. Thank you for all the kind words. You're my inspiration! x

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(in the picture) I'm wearing an Illustrated People tee btw! Check that brand out! 

This is my favourite picture. I just love how other people take my camera, try to take a picture of me and always fail. One day I'm going to make a sum-up post on that topic. "Other people trying to photograph me. Beware, 99.8% pictures out of focus."

Somehow, with Katie and Evelyn posting about beaches today, I thought that this post would be a fit. I guess we all find it hard to let go of summer, don't we?

ten pictures, ten random facts.

1. Dolce & Gabbana on my new fake sheep leather rug. Perfume belongs to my sis, even though I seriously never underestimated D&G, I'm all the way a Calvin Klein girl, with 'Beauty' being my all time favourite fragrance.

2. The bed of dreams, actually AJ's bed, which represents everything what I love in bed decor. It's "behind the scenes" of our Breakfast At Tiffany's little lomoshoot. Like AJ, I just love having a bunch of pillows on my bed. I actually sleep with 5 at the moment!

3. Second favourite when it comes to Agatha Christie's books. I am such a Christie lover, I can fairly say that she was the first author whose works I had ever got into. I believe I've read over 60 of her books, at some point I kept a list of book titles enclosing also which character killed, their motive and the murder weapon.

4. I'm a proud coffee addict. If all milk disappeared from the Earth, I would probably have to give it up, because I always have my coffee white. Coffee without milk is like one of the grossest things I've ever tried.

5. My friend's cat is a female although she has a typically male name. We managed to have her shooting with us for only like 5 seconds but even though it felt as she wasn't collaborating, all the pictures turned out lovely and in focus. 

6. One of my biggest dreams is to travel a lot in the future.

7. I never finished my swimming course in primary school. I took all the lessons but I chickened out on the final one, when you were supposed to jump into the water and make it to the other side of the pool on your back. I was afraid of jumping, so I faked being sick. I have no problems with swimming now, I think I was only afraid back then because of all those judgy kids that were there with me.

8. I love art. I would love to visit all the biggest galleries and museums during my whole life. I sometimes feel bad for not knowing much about it. I feel like I used to know much more than I do now. I read myself to sleep every other day. Now I am finally fully aware of Monet and Manet not being the same person, but actually pals. A Bar at the Folies-Bergère being about the feeling of loneliness experienced by an individual while in the crowd. Or Picasso saying that there are two types of women, goddesses and doormats.

9. I don't cook. I just don't exist in the kitchen. I'm perfectly capable of overcooking pasta. I love trying out new things to eat though. I also didn't starve during a whole year on my own, so that's a success!

10. I'm 5'11 and sometimes I just don't fit into pictures :)

pour l'amour du cafe

            My sister spotted that little place thanks to the Tekstualna blog, since this is where the meeting of Tri-city bloggers was held this summer. She showed me their facebook page and even at first sight I knew we have to visit when we're in Gdynia. They have a chalkboard menu, we're going, I thought. They were soon leaving on their little vacay so they didn't have everything presented in the menu, nevertheless, that place left us speechless and definitely wanting more! It's become a must see place for me, every time I visit Gdynia. Apart from coffee, smoothies, tartas, delicious tea and wine, they serve also cream soups, variations on French bread with additions, salads and even linguine pasta. We were lucky to visit on their last working day before the aforementioned vacation and at the time when the place was almost empty, which gave me more space to take photographs and I must say, an additional boost of confidence that one needs when photographing in a public, little place like this. The Pavlova dessert that I ordered, which was orange flavoured (they apparently have different flavour each day), was really worth its price, although my wallet might have just hesitated a bit at first. We drank jasmine and lavandin tea, served in a lovely pot, which allowed multiple refills of our cups. I was really worried my pictures would not fully reflect the atmosphere of that place, but in the end I feel like I kind of succeeded.

Even though I have another month of vacation left, I really feel October breathing down my neck already, which is frustrating, because I haven't actually used that summer too much. My Prague sally is coming soon and I'm trying my best to stay positive about it, but I sort of miss going somewhere further, the way I did last September, when after 3 months of hard work I was able to fund myself a trip to Italy where it was still pretty hot when Poland was seriously turning autumn mode on. I'm going to give up on too many pleasures this academic year, saving up, and next summer I'm going to go somewhere real, like Venice or Amsterdam at least.

Why did I even open my mailbox today, huh? I've just got a Rewards Style invite to a rooftop party happening in New York during the Fashion Week. A ROOFTOP PARTY, which is invite only. And has open bar and a photobooth Just kill me. I'll go sit under my blanket and cry now. Bye.

Lavenda Cafe Galeria // Starowiejska 11, 81-356 Gdynia

http://lavendacafe.pl