Good or bad, I am who I am because...

...of the following.

My mum. She's more like my sister, and has put up with endless amounts of crap over the years while still being my closest confidante. Horses. My biggest passion, and one which will never fade. For as long as I can recall, I've craved being around them. Phoenix & Sahara. For keeping my secrets, snuggling when it's cold, sharing my love of the beach and bringing me all sorts of new friends. Starbucks. My place to dream. I can sit for hours in the comfy chairs, and pretend to be an entirely different person under big sunnies, as I people watch and make up the lives of everyone who walks past. I have to limit how often I can do so it keeps the magic. Thirsty Merc. A song for every occasion, every occasion has a memory of a song. England. My second home, and a place that holds many memories of happy childhood stuff. Nothing compares to it. BB & Chicken. My oldest and closest friends. No matter how far apart we're flung these days, we can always pick up where we left off when we catch up. Pets. We always had rabbits and a dog growing up, and they shared all sorts of silly ideas, secrets and private jokes in the difficult times. Being tall. I was 5ft9 when I was 13, and always hated it. Now I feel proud I can stand taller than most girls (and quite a few guys), and I've learnt to love my long legs. My Nan. Her cooking and her stories are better than anyone elses. I always feel at home when I'm with her. Photos. We always had photos covering any spare inch of wall when I was growing up, and I keep that tradition now - except it's mainly on my phone and computer. I love being surrounded by great times. Cheese & Potato. I could quite happily eat it every day for the rest of my life. Dad. I'm stronger for not having one around, I think. The Beach. I feel incomplete unless I have sand under my toes, and I yearn for it no matter what time of year. Theres always treasure to find, dreams to be mulled over, and sunbaking to do. Alex. For loving me pretty much unconditionally, dealing with my shit and making me smile. That guy deserves a medal. Juno. I just fell in love with this movie. She's everything I want to be. Except pregnant, of course. Airports. Although I actually need to be sedated to step aboard a plane, there's an amazing energy at airports - the prospect of adventure is so exciting. Cups of Tea. Being British, it's genetically installed to fix any disaster. Chef. He kept me on my feet in my bubble of loneliness in England, and showed me a world I could never imagine once I returned. Orange and Cinnamon candles. Are the best from Ikea. No matter what time, I always have one burning. I just love the smell. Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. I was always fascinated by chefs, and there's something so fundamentally British about Jamie that makes me homesick. The Pedophile. Aside from the incidents themselves, the ensuing 5 years of court cases, beating beaten up daily and having to switch schools 3 times. losing my friends etc was actually worse. The only way I got over it was to realize that if I can survive that, I can get through anything. Driving. My freedom. Robbie Williams. When things get bad, jumping in the car, chucking a Robbie CD in and driving to the beach fixes the worst foul mood. His lyrics are amazing. Apple Mac. Once you go Mac, you never go back. The city.There's something so exciting, yet therapeutic about jumping on a train and seeing the sky scrapers loom closer. You can be as anonymous as you want in the city. Love Actually. This movie blew my mind, again and again. It's such a powerful message delivered in such commercial way. There's a quote for every moment in it, and it never fails to make me laugh. Ben. He gave me wings. Baths. Winter or Summer, my body yearns to be enveloped in warm water. It's my place to think, make decisions, and my haven to read. Reading. No matter what, I have to have text in front of me at breakfast. Whether it's the back of the milk carton or one of the ten books I take out from the library each week. It's thought provoking, exciting, life changing escapism.