Hello Steemian friends!

My name is Lalaine, I'm originally from the Philippines (but technically British) and I'm 25 years old.

Sneaky shot I took just now in the library to prove its me; libraries are the best

Now that the basics are covered, here are some of my deepest and darkest secrets - only kidding - well, sort of.

Through this wonderful medium, I'll share with you my (mis)adventures and my passions, which include:

Art & Design

So I studied law for 5 years, achieved first class and distinction honours all round, and was poised to become an overworked high flyer etc. etc. But now I'm doing what I've always truly wanted to do; I'm living abroad and teaching myself how to become a graphic designer!

In the process, I want to share the challenges and opportunities I face, in the hope that someone out there can find some use in my experiences. I will also be sharing some of my art, like this one:

Digital painting on procreate and adobe illustrator

Personal Development

Having struggled with understanding what happiness means in reality, I want to inspire more people to say f**k it (yes John Parkin, we hear you) and do what you love.

I’ll probably also talk to you about vertical farming/aeroponics, essentialism (Greg McGowan), the tiny house movement and my desire to become self-sustainable, to name a few!

Solo ponderings on the Great Ocean Road

Travel

I’ll be honest, if you’re looking for a drop-down list of destinations, I’m not your girl. I prefer to live in a place long enough to make the locals my life-long friends, I like knowing the streets as intimately as the back of my hand, and I want more people to understand that long-term travel doesn’t require heaps of money.

Melbourne, my current home, may not be paradise on earth but there are some pretty lovable aspects to my neighbourhood I’d like to talk to you about. For those of you who are eligible for a working holiday visa in Australia, I’ll be sharing some life admin tips (including some legal shenanigans) that I really wish someone had told me before I arrived.

There will be other neighbourhoods in the future. I’m thinking may be Hong Kong next, but stay tuned to find out!

Sunset views witnessed during obligatory farm work in Australia

Food

Who doesn't get a little excited by food porn? Kinky. I know I do!

I’m particularly partial to the familiar flavours of Asian cuisine, but I get on just fine with salmon rillettes or fresh fettuccini. To note, I was completely plant-based for a while, so I’ll show you some great vegan places to eat! In fact, I’m living in one of the vegan capitals of the world!

I made a vegan banana loaf with coconut whipped cream...mmmm

Finally, I love writing and taking photos. I have a short story or two up my sleeve and almost every photo I post will be taken with my little baby, a canon 100d, and a tripod.

As you may have gathered by now, I'm quite an excitable person - what with all the exclamation marks - but it just shows how very excited I am to be part of the Steemit community!

I have to admit though, I’m not 100% sure about how cryptocurrencies work, but I’m completely behind an alternative to the current banking and financial systems. I’m also thinking about making an investment, but I haven’t quite figured out where would be a good place to start. I’m sure I’ll get there. If anyone has some tips or places to find good information, do give me a shout!

I think that’s it.

For now.

Oh, one last thing: shoutout to the lovely @pv-p, who filled me in on the wonders of Steemit. He is extremely smart, with buckets of interesting things to say on political philosophy and can do wonders with a pencil!

Until next time,
Lali
@thewam

web: www.thewamtravel.com
instagram: @thewamtravel and @l.a._.l.i