Practically Alice

I think the internet is something you either love or hate. You either 'get' it or you don't. For me, the internet has been a platform to interact with similar people, make new friends, voice my opinions and just have a jolly good time. Sites such as YouTube, Twitter, Blogspot and Goodreads have enabled me to interact with people that I otherwise wouldn't interact with. Through Youtube I have met Lucy, Gabriella, Amber, Joe, Jess, Heike, Jake and plenty other people through them. Through Twitter I've met all sorts of new people and been able to have conversations I never would usually have with the people at school, I've been mentioned in the acknowledgments of one of my favourite author's books, I've actually been able to meet her and I'm a character in one of her books too! These platforms have allowed me to grow as a person and just to have a really good time!  Other sites such as Goodreads have allowed me to explore reading and write reviews on

Quotes are something that I love, I crave. It's part of my need for words and love for reading. I wish my brain was good enough to remember every quote that I love and wish to cherish. I turned to a wise man tonight for a quote and found the perfect one, not because it reflects how I feel, or gives me advice but simply because it made me smile: "Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground." Sometimes we don't need words to comfort or reassure us, sometimes we simply need words to make us smile. That's why I love quotes so much... there are so many out there that you'll always find the one you need. Keep smiling and DFTBA.

Sometimes we have to take a little bit of time to sit back and look at things; look at ourselves, the people around us, what we're doing. That sort of thing. At school applications for Head Boy and Girl have begun, I've written my letter but I don't know whether I'm going to hand it in. Why? Well firstly I have a lot going on in my life right now, health wise. I've just been diagnosed with a pretty serious back condition which means I have to see a neurosurgeon and I'm in pain pretty much all of the time. I'm struggling to keep up with school work, let alone other commitments on top of that. Secondly, we have to sell ourselves to people, we have to be confident enough to talk in front of groups of people... something that makes me want to cower under a rock for eternity. Again, I don't want any unnecessary stress on top of what I already have. Finally, it means standing up and looking people in the eye that make me feel scared. It means challenging

I would like to: 1) Tell the truth more, stop fibbing to try and please people and make things more interesting. 2) Enjoy the little things more; go on walks randomly and see places. 3) Budget money better! 4) Try to do a "good deed" everyday. 5) Eat healthily and enjoy what I eat. 6) Work hard and don't let pain get me down. 7) Write and aim to fulfill a Bucket List. 8) Have more time to do things that seem meaningless. 9) Spend less time doing things that don't result in something. 10) Love people, enjoy company and enjoy life.

I find this something very interesting to look at. Our technology is advancing, our school (for heavens' sake) is getting iPads for teachers and students which is leading people to type and not write as much. Today I have handwritten more than I have typed - I've got back into handwriting creatively; I got into a habit of just opening a word document and writing aimlessly rather than using pen and paper to do this (which, for me, gets better results).

I love to receive letters. I just think it's so wonderful to read something that someone has taken the time to write for you! I used to write to a lot of authors when I was younger and I have a jam-packed envelope full of replies; one of the authors, Linda Chapman, sent me about 14 letters in total. I think I just loved communicating with people and e-mail wasn't so big back then. Saying this, before my computer died I had over 400 emails from authors. I think it's important to let someone know that you appreciate what they're doing - whether that be by liking/commenting on someone's video, sending them a message/tweet/letter or commenting on their blog post... that acknowledgment can really make their day (or it does for me anyway). I had a penpal who lived in Kenya, she was a girl who was a little older than me (I was 9/10 at the time) and we exchanged about three or four letters through school and then we left school. Then came all the turmoil in Kenya and I