And we watch it begin again.

Starting anew. End of one chapter of my life. Time to let go, move on and look ahead. Better things are yet to come. Here's to a fresh new start.

xoxo, elvyna.

Little adventures.

After working on cover last weekend, I got three days off from Monday-Wednesday this week and on one of the days I decided to do a little exploring on the island. Ended up in Godshill, a quaint little village-y place on the island. Was an extremely sunny day as well which was awesome! :D

Model Village.

Old school retro cereal tins.

Lavender plants with bees.

Everything is nautical themed on the island!

Cute stuffs.

Had scones and cream tea, English style in a very beautiful tea garden.

Crab gratin thermidor in the garden.

Passed a maize field plantation on the way back.

What a lovely day on the island! :D

P/S: on a side note, I finally received my first every salary! So proud! (:

xoxo, elvyna.

Blessing in disguise.

So I've gotten used to work, well, I say got used to but technically I've only been at work for 8 days in total but I actually really like what I do. It's not even about the fact that I'm actually finally a legit doctor or wtv but I actually look forward to going to work everyday and don't mind staying in later just to finish up the jobs or help out some nurses with patient stuffs. 

It's amazing how you never know if you can do something, but once you do it, you can't see yourself doing anything else. And being on the island, to be honest, I wasn't really happy about it when I first found out. In fact, I was devastated. But now, I really think it was a blessing in disguise. God really does work in mysterious ways. 

Found and made some really good close friends, explored the beautiful island on weekends I have off, and also just being in such a lovely hospital working with friendly helpful staff really makes me feel so stupid for thinking that coming to the island was some sort of "punishment" and what not. Well, I'm really enjoying the fact that I don't have to study and feel guilty if I don't anymore. Enjoying the weekends off where I can truly enjoy and go out and be happy and carefree. 

Some pictures from the past few weekends on the island. It's seriously so happening in Summer! Something happens every weekend! Doubt it'll be like this in winter though, but I'll survive. LOL.

At the Shanklin Chine.

Fireworks to mark the end of the annual Cowes Week, one of the world's longest-running regatta.

Second biggest event on the island after Cowes week, the two-day annual Garlic Festival. Turned out so much more fun than I expected!

Garlic pic just because it's a garlic farm! So many types of garlic I never knew existed.

Even managed to try archery for the first time ever. Did quite well for a newbie I'd say :P

Listening to the instructions closely. So close to getting a bullseye!

Country side driving. No wonder so many people in England choose to retire on the island. So beautiful.

In awe of His creation. What a beauty.

So yea, His ways are definitely not my ways. They're so much better. So thankful that I'm on the island now. Sure, there will be ups and downs, but He's brought me this far, He'll continue bringing me further on. Eternally grateful.

xoxo, elvyna.

Finally a doctor!

So after 6 LOOONGGGG years and all the hard work + money + time, I'm finally a doctor! Woohoo! Can't believe it has finally happened! What I set out to achieve in 2008 has finally come true. Feel so giddy and surreal now thinking that I'm actually officially a legit doctor. Time really flew by all these years. 

Still slowly accepting the fact that I am now going to be responsible for treating people and taking care of them. Hope I don't disappoint! Anyways, it's been a while since I updated, what with the whirlwind of events like graduation and being back home for holidays and stuff so here are a couple of pictures to update whoever still reads my blog! Teehee! :D

Praise the Lord I graduated! Couldn't have done it without His grace and all the prayers from friends and family. Grateful and blessed.

xoxo, elvyna.

Mine.

And at the end of the day, it'll always still be you.

xoxo, elvyna.

Failure.

So I'm in the midst of my final exams now and I've just finished the practical side of my exams a couple of days ago and it was soo bad. I know I always tend to say exams are bad and be upset about it but this was seriously the worst I've ever felt after coming out of the examinations. It didn't hit me then but when i got home and got to bed at night it just sank in and I cried my eyes out. Literally sobbed myself to sleep on my wet and drenched pillow.

I have nightmares about my OSCE exams every night now following the exams but during the day I try my best to focus on revision for my writtens which are going to happen next week. I really pray hard I will pass and not have to resit the whole year just because of one exam but I really, for once, don't have any form of confidence that I will pass this exam. I really screwed it up real bad. It was a really stupid mistake but it will cost me a lot.

Really need a miracle from Him in my life now. Please God, Please. I don't want to redo the whole year again. I just NEED a pass.

xoxo, elvyna.

Heavy.

Tonight I write with a heavy heart.

How did things end up the way they did? What happened? Can you ever get too used to something/someone? I know it won't always be rainbows and butterflies but its just stormy and shit now. It has been for a while.

I really can't be asked to do anything about it now since exams are just next week. Setting my priorities right.

xoxo, elvyna.

Stress

Exams are in two weeks. Feeling stressed but somehow not as stressed as I should really be. And studying everyday is really getting to my head. Getting agitated easily and pissed off over the smallest things. Sigh. Studying makes me a monster.

Just wish it would all end real soon and I'll be a legit doctor soon. Please help me get through this last hurdle God!

Alright, that was my study break whilst I ate a banana. Bye!

xoxo, elvyna.

What we all want.

But sometimes happiness doesn't come to us, it has to be pursued. But then again, when you do find true happiness, it'll all be worth it.


xoxo, elvyna.

They say..

The more you care, the more you have to lose.

Just one of those days when this resonates with what I feel.

xoxo, elvyna.

Forevermore.

" With my roots deep in You
I will grow the branch that bears the fruit
And though I'm small I still will be standing in the storm
Cause I am planted by the river
By Your streams of living water
And I will grow up strong and beautiful all for Your splendor Lord
For Your splendor, Lord. "

xoxo, elvyna.

Future unknown :(

So yesterday was the day that all final year medical students in the UK who are graduating in June-July 2013 found out which deaneries we got placed in for our 2 year job stint after graduating. Deaneries are sort of like "areas" around England, Scotland and Ireland. They allocate our deaneries to us based on our score (50% from academic achievements and 50% from a national test everyone took in January).

Well, I got my first choice (praise God) which is the Wessex deanery down South of England but none of my other friends got it. All of us put that as our first choice but somehow this year it was oversubscribed and the mark requirement was higher than previous years. I really am grateful, don't get me wrong that I managed to achieve that minimal mark requirement but I do feel upset as well since it's going to be pretty hard starting a job with no friends around :(

Even the boyfriend got Scotland for his job application. That's 500miles away from where I will be. And it's going to be a 2 year job post. Sigh. How now brown cow?

Bittersweet feeling, not really sure how to feel since I found out. Just praying and knowing that God has His plans for me, even when I don't know it yet.

xoxo, elvyna.

Eating clean.

So if people who are reading this don't already know, I've been eating clean (attempting to, but still with a few slip ups along the way) for about 5 months now. It's was hard to begin with initially, suddenly switching from rice and meat (which I have practically grown up eating) to well, protein, fruits and vegetables. The first month was the toughest, with cravings of all my favourite foods coming into my mind at all times, especially when I'm holding a cup of blended spinach and avocado juice :/ 

Eventually though, after educating myself better with the whole eating clean lifestyle, I realized that it doesn't mean I've to totally cut out whatever I used to it, all I had to do was do it in moderation. So I was happy again! Anyways, long story short, it's been one of the best decisions I've ever made in my life. That and the decision to exercise and make it a routine instead of a short-term thing.

What inspires and continues to motivate me most is the fact that most of my friends are now resolving to eating clean and exercising more as well and they say it's because of me. It's just a very proud feeling when you get told things like that. And I'm glad to say that I feel really happy to be able to motivate people around me to do things that will benefit them. 

So anyways, I've been experimenting a lot with different sorts of foods and sometimes, when I have the time, I even decorate them nicely to make it presentable and pretty, because to me, pretty food = happy tummy! These are just a few of the things I've been having as of late.

Teddy bears asleep in the forest.

Best smoothie recipe EVER!

Simple but cute peanut butter toast (:

Experimental smoothie that turned out DELICIOUS!

Alright then, that's it for now. Hopefully I'll be able to continue sustaining this lifestyle because honestly, I think the food cravings have now gone and I look forward to my clean meals every day. I also have cheat meals on the weekends to help balance things out! After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, right?

xoxo, elvyna.

But when words are not enough, to tell You of our love, Listen to our hearts.

So if You listen to my heart
Every beat would say,
“Thank You for the Life, thank You for the Truth, thank You for the Way.”

So many things to be thankful for. Knowing that He's with me even through the good days and the bad. Especially the bad and lonely ones. I know You're there. I know You see me, and that is enough.

xoxo, elvyna.

First snow.

So today it snowed for the first time in Southampton in about.. 2 years? Was a pretty sight, at least from where I was standing in the warmth of my own room with the heater turned on. Decided to go to the backyard with some friends and attempt to make a snowman. Thus the pic above.

Snow can be very calming. Being alone with snowflakes falling all around me blanketing everything in sight in white was beautiful. In fact, I don't even know how to describe how I felt without feeling like I did justice to it. It's just awesome.

What's not so awesome is the fact that in a few days time, maybe even tomorrow, the snow is gonna melt and turn icy and slippery and people are going to fall over and injure themselves. I might even fall over. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

Oh well. For now, I'll forget the worries of the world, make a cuppa hot tea and sit by the window to watch the snow fall and drown everything in sight with all its glory and be in awe of His creation.

xoxo, elvyna.

Sun shine on down, ease our troubles now.

Sometimes.

A new year can mean a new beginning. If you let it be. If I let it be.

"You're not prepared to fly unless you're prepared to crash." True. Therefore this year, it's time I let go and learn to fly. Because it hurts to crash, but it hurts even more to not try.

Got to stop hoping life would be better, because it already is. Just be thankful for every day that I get to wake up - healthy, alive, breathing. To thank God for every new day, every trial, every hardship, because in the end, I will overcome it, with Him.

xoxo, elvyna.