Lost and Found.

HELLO!!!!!
(imagine me shouting this with arms outstretched from London's 19th century smoke-laden roof tops. Simultaneously scaring the roosting pigeons whilst a glorious sunset stretches out before me.)

Now I've put that ridiculous, musical-esque image in your head, let me apologise for deafening you... but my purpose for my most metaphorical screaming was being to wake both you and I up from our slumber after all these months of inactivity.)

So hello and welcome.

Bare with me whilst I dust the internet's cobwebs off this humble blog and try and engage my writers' voice - which is in serious need of some warming up; perhaps some scales, arpeggios and a gurgle of whiskey will suffice. I can only offer my sincerest atonement if I sound a little stilted but that's what months of creative inactivity and academic essay writing do to you.

In my last post I did give warning about the lack of updates in the forthcoming 'weeks', I didn't, however, anticipate that this would lead to a delay of 5 months. My goodness, almost half a year, Blogspot should make that a crime.

I would blame university life - in fact I will blame university life - for my lack of activity but I will also be painfully truthful and admit that it was partially down to laziness. To be honest, when the majority of time is spent on Word or with your head in a book, the last thing you then want to do is write a blog post.

I can, in fact, give you a list of my priorities after writing an essay all day. It goes:

a) Eat food. Lots of food (insert pasta/rice/other studenty carb of choice here).
b) Drink alcohol. Lots of alcohol (insert Tesco value vodka here - preferably without horse meat).
c) Dance (insert Gangnam Style/Harlem Shake/whatever dance craze is viral at said time here).
d) Exercise (a.k.a sweating off the hangover or removing cabin fever due to said essay writing).
e) Volunteer, go to a society/committee of some sort, watch a film.
f) Sleep.
.
.
.
z) Write blog post.

After all that, it really is miraculous that I'm here now (plus I'm actually very busy at the moment, this is purely a form of 'productive' procrastination) and finally ready to update you on the thrilling tale that is my life.

So, my dear reader, I hope my writing is good enough that you can use your extremely intelligent mind to read between the lines and come to the conclusion that university life is going well. Aha! You would be correct in your deductions!

The degree itself is fascinating but even so, I won't bore you with the gory details. University life lives up to all those lovely stereotypes and luckily to my life's motto - work hard, play harder (although I have been pretty chill lately, yawn).

There's absolutely reams of things to tell and yet so little motivation to tell it. So on that note, I shall sign off here.

P.s. I've suddenly rediscovered why I wrote this blog in the first place - it's so much fun! So hopefully I'll start updating more often (although from my track record...). Much love for now though!

P.p.s. I promise I haven't neglected my interest in music - so I will try and write something more music orientated next time.

A New Leaf

Well this is depressing, I haven't been online in so long that I've been logged out....

Several incorrect password attempts later...I'm here!

The only reason why I am finally writing this now is because I'm going to university tomorrow, yes university! So it suddenly dawned on me that I'm not going to have time to update this over the next few weeks especially after the appalling job I've been doing over the summer. I honestly do have a guilty conscience about that, with a slight tinge of regret.

Anyway, I remember writing a post just over a year ago about the hard slog of A-levels and the fact that I was chanting to myself 'one more year, just one more year' until university. Now it's here! Time does fly when you're having fun, especially when you think this day will never come! (yay, I made a rhyme..)

Moving on, a lot has happened since my last post in August.

Firstly I got my A-level results (that thing I've been complaining and freaking out about for way too long) and  you've probably gathered by now, if you've been paying any attention, is that I got the grades. Well in fact, I did much better than expected and thus I am off to study anthropology/party/freeze my ass off at Durham University. Wahey!

Then I went to Reading festival for the second time. Cue amazing 'paragraph' about the likes of Foo Fighters, Kasabian and Greenday:

It was so gooooood. Dave Grohl forever. Serge forever <3

Seriously, if I had time I'd write some sort of review. However Reading is Reading at the end of the day. Go and experience the intensity, the filth, the rowdiness for yourself and then you'll know what a special, memorable weekend it is. Next year, however, I'm determined to go to something a little different, maybe Shambala, maybe Bestival, I'm not sure yet.

In September I went to my first ever wedding....my dad's. After one massive clash of emotions, I decided to be a bridesmaid and it turned out to be a rather sweet day in the end.

Finally I went to Alicante for a week with my mate Jess (yeah, the same girl I went to Bulgaria with last year). This was our fourth holiday together! Hahaha! Purely coincidence, honest! The weather was perfect, the beach was beautiful and the sangria flowed well.

.....Then it was my 19th birthday. The dreaded One. Nine. I shudder at the thought. Last teenage year. Waaaah!

And what music have I been listening too? According to Spotify a lot of Santigold, alt-J, The Black Keys and Sigur Ros. According to iTunes; Alabama Shakes, Grimes, Passion Pit, Tribes, Neutral Milk Hotel and of Montreal. So lots and lots of music! Which one day I will talk to you about. Promise.

For now though, let Freshers' week commence!

End Of An Era

It has ended. It's over. It's no more. That part of my life has been completed and ticked off the list. I've rounded the corner, climbed the mountain, completed the marathon. The first major milestone of my life.

Yes, it's all mushy stuff (and as a warning this post only gets worse from here) but I have ended my schooling career, the most dominating aspect of my inexperienced life. It's a very strange feeling, yet I don't think it has fully dawned on me yet. I don't think it will until I head off to university and start my next chapter.

Until then I feel as if I'm in limbo.

That state of unknowing between school life and university education. It all finished incredibly suddenly and I think I'm still reeling from the shock of it all. This isn't a summer holiday, I won't be going back to school in September. I'm continually reminding myself of that.

The next 3 or 4 years appear planned out but there's always that sense of fear and anticipation. Firstly, who knows if I'll get the grades in August? - I had a nightmare about that last night. Then, if I do, one of the biggest steps of your life; leaving home and for me, travelling miles away. It's a giant leap but I hope one that will come just as naturally to me as moving schools or home.

Until then I have to sit back and wait. Well hopefully get off my ass and do something proactive this summer. Perhaps do some volunteering, festivalling and travelling. The latter two being money dependent as always.

So what have I been doing for the past month? Unfortunately no bands have been seen and so no reviews of late but I have discovered lots of songs which I will share with you soon. Since my last post it goes without saying that I've finished my A-levels. Let's all breathe a sigh of relief! I've spent a lot of time with my friends partying, clubbing and then recuperating in a sleepy town in the heart of Devon.... typical post-exam fun. Oh! And I dressed as Whitney Houston for a murder mystery evening. In the midst of it all, my school was celebrating its 150th anniversary and in absolutely pretentious fashion. I found myself attending a massive concert on the school grounds, a fashion show and a rainy, outdoor performance of Romeo & Juliet. It was all brilliant of course but very over-the-top. Finally to end our time at school, there was Commemoration day which involved many lengthy speeches, the giving of prizes, the singing of hymns and the muttering of prayers. All with tearful eyes...apart from me, heart of stone right here! Then in the evening we all donned our dresses or bow ties for The Ball. We gave our final farewell to peers, who, without saying it, we sadly realised we wouldn't see again. As well as to life-long friends who we knew we would be meeting up with shortly.

The past two years have whizzed around. Sixth form has encompassed some of the best and perhaps the worst days of my life but I hope I am leaving with no regrets. Looking further back, the past 14 years have shaped and moulded me into the person I am today. School has been my nourishment and protection and it's easy to reminisce on some wonderful memories but now I must move on and look towards the future.

A very long-winded post.

Well hello!

I'm afraid it's been quite a while since my last post and I have only myself to blame. That and time. Yes! Haven't the weeks just whizzed around? It always does towards the end of the year. Maybe it's the shorter days or perhaps in the run up to Christmas everyone starts becoming that little more stressed. I can't believe I'm saying this already but.....Merry Christmas!

So anyway, I've survived! (well almost...I've finally come down with a cold) A whole term of college is over! And this forthcoming spring term will be my penultimate, isn't that a little bit scary?

So how can I summarise over a month's worth of events into a single long-winded post? Well I can't! Now I have the time to do something productive rather than wasting my time twittering away or poking people's faces. I can actually catch up and write some 'interesting' and 'noteworthy' new posts. I have plenty of ideas that I want to share with you all!

Anyway, here are a couple of titbits about my past month:

• I failed my driving test for the second time. I don't want to rant - I've done that enough already - but I had the same driving examiner twice and I swear he made excuses to fail me. Who else fails for stalling? In case you've never had the delight of failing a ludicrously expensive test, let me tell you, it feels like shit (excuse my French) and it's even worse the second time around.

• But I did get one of those golden tickets to see Coldplay in June. (Shock horror!) That was a challenge in itself! I was so close to not getting any but thank God I did. Good ol' Coldplay Karma finally pays off.
• I've received three offers from my chosen unis and I just wrote an absolutely horrific entrance essay for UCL - fingers crossed everybody, please!
• Finally, I saw Example for the third time last week and for free! I have such lovurrrly friends!

Honestly, this wasn't intended to be long-winded but I guess I just had so much to tell you all. If you got this far, congrats!

And I'll leave you with the best Christmas song everrrr! (controversial for some, I know.)

Free will or free meal?

The last few weeks have been a hell of a busy time, which is unusual. Most summer holidays I can spend a week or two just twiddling my fingers, looking for something to do but this one has been non-stop. (more on this later)

I'm beginning to reminisce like this because it's one of my last nights as a free woman. On Wednesday I go back to sixth form. Back to the daily grind. The hard slog through timetables, restrictions, coursework, exams and early mornings. Yes, we've all been there. Some of you may still have a while to go. I have one year left and deary me, I can't wait for it to be over. I am completely ready for university. People have said that sixth form is the best years of your life. I disagree. However I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. But how long is this dark tunnel I'm about to enter for the last time? Too long.

My brother has informed me that university is the best time of your life. I hope he is right.

One more year. Just one more year.

However this is how everyone feels at the beginning of a new academic year. Am I right?
After breaking up from school about an eternity ago, I am so completely unwound that going back into the daily routine will be like diving into a pool of icy water, shocking at first, followed by a period of readjustment.

I know however that once I get back into the routine, I enjoy it. Doing A-levels especially means that you can study the subjects that you find interesting, I mean at present I'm struggling to pick one to drop. I get to see all my friends, some of whom I haven't seen all summer and catch up on all the gossip. Plus there's that freshness; new uniform/suit, new stationary, new folder, new leaf.
But most importantly this year, this final year, we're at the top of the school, the superiors, the powerful, the example-setters. Who would have thought?

But even with all my positive thinking I still just can't help chanting:

One more year. Just one more year.