Update

If anyone's still out there: hello!
I thought I'd just give you a brief update on what I've been up to these past months (I mean, there's a million and one other uni-related things I probably should be doing right now, but yeah, why not...)

I'm now in my third year of university. THIRD. Crazy.
I honestly can't believe that I've actually lasted out this long. I mean, my flatmates still refuse to let me use a tin-opener (that's a story for another day), but apart from that, I think I've really nailed this whole independent living thing.
I'm living in the same flat that I lived in last year, with some of the same people - but we have some new flatmates, who are really lovely, and we've all bonded really well! Sometimes I wish I'd moved into a house this year, so that I'd have more of that "living in a house" kind-of feel (if you get what I mean?!), but then I remember how much effort that would have been, and how much commuting I would have to do every morning and evening, and then I reconsider (apart from when I remember how awful my letting company is, and then I dream about nice houses again)...

And third year is bleeding stressful - I feel like I'm working just about all the time, and every time I feel relaxed I start to stress about how I should actually be feeling stressed.
So, yeah, everything's cool here...

On another note, over the summer, I managed to get my first ever proper job!
It was on checkouts at a supermarket, and it was a rollercoaster from start to finish (I had some very lovely customers, and then I had some very awkward customers), but y'know, I made some friends, I got some regulars (cue German family who came to my till on a Sunday morning at 11am for 3 weeks), I made some moneys - which is always handy!
I also did a bit of volunteering one afternoon a week, so my summer seemed a lot more hectic than last year's (which I was very grateful for!!)
And I know it sounds horrifically cheesy (and slightly pains me to say), but I feel like I actually managed to "grow as a person" [ouch] over the summer. Though evidently my blogging style remains almost exactly the same. Cool.

Also, since coming back to university, I've taken up rowing. Anyone who knows me would say that I am probably one of the least sporty people they have ever met - I have very limited upper body strength; lack general coordination; lack hand-eye coordination; lack stamina [the list goes on and on forever]... But my friend runs the indoor training sessions, and it's something I've been wanting to do for a while (and I need something to keep me from going insane!!!), so I thought "why not"
I'm excited to see how long I last out!!!!

Oh, and also I've managed to make a fool of myself on many more occasions. Mostly on drunken nights out (I say mostly, I mean twice). Mostly involving the opposite sex (again, twice). Mostly involving me remembering after the occasion why I don't really drink. But at least I have cool stories, right?!

Anyhoo, you probably won't hear from me again for months. That may be an exaggeration [Truth: that is most likely a promise]. I admit wholeheartedly to being a terrible blogger (you know this by now).

Adios amigos!
R x

Foundation: a short poem

We kick sticks, throw bricks
The foundation of us is cracked and worn
Nothing more, nothing more
We are nothing more.

What's in store?
Pull your hands from somewhere deep,
Now they cover up your eyes:
No longer smile, we no longer have to lie.

How are we meant to be?
Tell me more, tell me more
You are broken, we are broken,
We are nothing anymore.

Calm the storm, calm the storm?
Thunder crashes, cliff face worn.
Hold our hands up, face the form:
We can't stay here anymore
We can't stay here anymore.

The One Where She Decides That She Should Probably Get Back To Blogging (Because It's Been A While)

Hello again!
As this post's title suggests, as I've now finished university for the summer, I feel as though I really should start writing some more blog posts, as - to be completely honest - I'm not too short on time.
I kind-of need to get a job, nowhere will hire me (but that's a story for another day...) 

Anyway, I'm not really too sure what to write here. It's as though not blogging for such a length of time has made me devoid of any actual ideas for a blog post.

So, please, if you're reading this, suggest something to me?? Please??

On a sidenote, I'm wearing a dress today. I hardly ever wear dresses.
It's actually been warm and dry here for a whole week now and it's amazing.
A whole week. 
It was 29 degrees celsius earlier, and my mum nearly cried with happiness.
I kid you not.

Anyway, I'm wearing a dress, and it's swooshy, and I've decided that I now love swooshy dresses.
(Please ignore the fact that 'swooshy' is not an actual word). 
This is a shock to me as I've never really been a dress fan and people have always had to force me into them for events and stuff.

But now I've decided that I like them. And, being short, this is an issue. Because I always end up liking dresses that aren't meant to be long but on me look ridiculously long and pretty much drown me in fabric.
Please say that someone else also has this issue??

I also have to note that it's taken me a fair while to write this post as I keep getting distracted by my Spotify playlist. Kind-of an "I must stop, as this is an awesome song that requires my full attention" situation.
It's happened at least 5 times now.

Also, I've started doing Sudoku again, because I used to do it all the time (great procrastination method!!) and forgot just how invigorating (yet frustrating) it actually is.

Anyway, I will leave you be now. Sorry for the ramble!

'Speak' soon (I promise!)
x

You Know What: I Said It - This Is Not For Me...

*Forewarning: I had a bit of wine before writing this, so apologies for any errors or rambles*

So, as most of you probably know, I'm a student.
I go to university.

As most of you probably don't know, I'm not a massive fan of clubbing.
But, apparently, as a student, this is unnatural.

Don't get me wrong, I have been out clubbing since starting at university, but I just don't understand the hype.

Ok, so I'll have a pretty good night - most of the time.
Sometimes I'll even have a great night.

But so will I if I go to the cinema, or the pub, or a little quaint cafe.
If I go for a walk in the woods, or on a trip to the seaside, or eat a whole pizza...

But, at least if I do any of these things (*minus the pub, because y'know...*), I'll remember it in the morning and won't feel as though I've been punched in the face etc. etc. ...

And, don't get me wrong, I don't hate alcohol.
I'm really happy sitting in a pub, or a beer garden, or in someone's house, drinking cider or whisky, or wine...

But, basically, the purpose of this (pointless ramble of a) post is to shout to the world that, even though I'm a student, in all honesty, I'm not a massive fan of clubbing.
And I'm not afraid to admit it.

Somewhere in America - The Power of the spoken word

I just wanted to share this video with you all.  It was released over a year ago, so some of you may already have seen it - but if not, I really recommend a watch.

The spoken word is a powerful thing - and here it is used expertly to express what so many of us are thinking.
Even as a non-American citizen, I feel more empowered than ever before to stand up for what's right.

I know there are a lot of similar videos circulating; a lot of [young] individuals standing up and speaking their minds at debate rallies, at school assemblies, at poetry slams... Speaking out for OUR world, and OUR lives, and OUR futures.
For we must speak out, or nothing will change. Because speaking out leads to solidarity. It brings the world together.

And right now, that's something that we really need...

'Ear.' Like what you hear out of...

Hello!!

Firstly, sorry for 'deserting' this blog. I realise it's been a long while since I've posted anything - which I suppose isn't very surprising considering the amount of times I've actually not posted anything in months...
But, this time, I'm not going to make any false-promises, and say that I'll be posting regularly or anything like that. Because, let's be fair, you all know that I probably won't...

There's been a fair bit of change in my life since I last posted - moving to a new city (in what is pretty much a new country), starting university, making new friends, trying to successfully adult...

So, I thought I'd give you a bit of an update as to what's been going on in my life...

The last (almost) 7 weeks of university have been a rollercoaster of emotions - beginning on a high, with a few lows, but currently careening higher and higher and higher because - not gonna lie - I'm having the best time!

Ok, so I have quite a lot of work set. And I've already had to sit an exam worth 25% of one of my modules. And I'm missing my family and friends back home.

But uni life has served me well so far.
My course is great (though full-on!), my flatmates are lovely, the city is beautiful...
As clichéd as it sounds, I've already begun to learn so much about myself, and about life.

And about my accent...

Allow me to explain...

At home home (i.e. Wales), my friends refer to me as the 'posh one', because apparently I have a 'refined' accent, and I'm very eloquent, and say 'baaath' rather than 'bahth'...

At uni home however...

The other day, I tried to say the word 'ear' to the nurse who was giving me a vaccination. Safe to say, she had absolutely no idea what in the world I was going on about.
You see, since arriving at university (and particularly over the last few weeks) I've realised that I pronounce 'ear' and 'year' in exactly the same way. Which is very confusing to anyone who doesn't pronounce 'ear' and 'year' in exactly the same way...

I then tried to explain this incident to one of my flatmates, who also got very confused by my pronunciation!

My accent's also begun to weirdly fluctuate. I've heard people say that if you live with someone for long enough then you'll begin to pick up parts of their accent - but I never believed them. Until about 3 weeks ago...

My parents and brother came to visit the weekend before last, and the first thing my brother commented on as soon as he saw me was that my accent was - and I quote - "very weird"!



Also, one thing that I'm finding hard to get my head around is the fact that I need to decide where I want to live next year.

Like, right now.

I've only been at uni for 7 weeks, and already people are talking about moving into houses together, and flat-shares, and private accommodation....

And I don't really know what in the world I'm going to do...

I've been really lucky this year in that my university guaranteed on-campus accommodation for all 1st year students, but it pretty much means that I have absolutely no experience in having to compare student housing, and find housemates, and pay rent to a landlord every month...

I've been looking into private flat accommodation that's about a 10 minute walk from campus (something that a few of my other flatmates/friends have been considering), and - at the minute - this seems to be the best option for me. Particularly seeing as my course is partly placement-based, which means if I have to travel far, I might not be around to pay rent on a monthly basis - which could be problematic if I'm in a house-share [the private accommodation lets me pay for the whole year in one payment, or allows me to pay for more than one month at a time - which is great for me - as long as I can afford it]

The only thing is, I'll more than likely be living with people that I've never met/spoken to before. So, basically, it'd be like doing freshers week all over again [just without the excessive alcohol and marker pen-ing people's faces], and although I'm really up for meeting new people, there's a tiny little part of me that's quite anxious about it!!


Afterthought: This is written on a poster pinned to a noticeboard outside my uni's laundry room, and obviously I had to take a picture.
Truly insightful words...

This Small Town: Reflections on a changing world

I’ve lived in this same small town since I was a child. Walked the same roads, with the same sounds and same smells. The same greetings in the same tones. The same stories – of birth and marriage and death; new jobs, new homes, new starts. New lives for new people.

And yet, for me there doesn’t seem to be any chance of a new start. A new life. This small town is all I’ve ever known. And there’s a part of me that knows that it’s all I’ll ever know.

This small town is my prison. No – not quite a prison. More of a stronghold. You see, it’s like in those old tales, of kings and queens and castles. And at the start, it’s great. Perfect, even. It protects you; keeps you safe. The enemy watches from down below, and it’s the best place to be.

And you love the people; the company. They’re all you’ve ever known, just as this place is all you’ve ever known…

But, then, one day, the walls of the stronghold start falling down, and you realise that you no longer feel safe. And the enemy starts coming up the hill, and you don’t recognise the people anymore. Your comrades are all gone, and everyone’s a stranger.

But you can’t leave. And as much as you try, it keeps you captive. The walls are re-built, but it’s not the same. And, for the first time in your life, you feel alone.

But the roots still grow through the soil – eternal reminders of once was, and what will always be…

****

This (very) short narrative was inspired by a visit to some of my maternal family a few weeks ago. Quite a few comments were passed about the drastic changes in the town where they live - different people, schools, the closing down of family-run shops. Generally, a different - and somewhat unfamiliar - atmosphere. The feeling that although it is the same place, it feels so different...