What a difference a year makes!
Well I'm now at home in Grays (where it rains all the time it seems), facing the prospect of 3 months of working ahead of me. I have also finished my first year at The University of Durham, and I'm awaiting the results of it with anticipation. So without much further ado, I present my round up of the year 2005-2006:
- Accommodation: After being informed that I would be sharing a room in Halls, I was quite apprehensive. Although we had a minor disagreement at the very beginning (over what, I can't remember), Sharing with Kat has not been too bad. I thinI i got on the best with Mr Biggs, but also feel that i can talk to Mish about pretty much anything (even though I do snap at him sometimes, sorry!) So all in all living arrangements worked out quite well! Living in the block that doesn't exist does have it's advantages, it means you are less likely to be stalked (plus it adds a sense of mystery to you when your asked about where you live) but it's also rather annoying when you have to go outside and physically drag guests to the Fairbridge Drawbridge (Nat's phrase) because they have no idea where you're talking about on the phone. College dining wasn't too bad, it was still awful though, but I'm going to miss it!
- The Course: Psychology (Applied) hasn't been too bad. My previous knowledge was put to good use and I feel that I managed to learn an awful lot more. At the beginning I was regretting taking Psychology and felt like switching to something else, but in the end I'm glad I stuck at what I did (even though I am slightly fed up of people asking me to tell then what they're thinking when I first meet them in a bar) All I have to hope is that I've actually managed to pass the year!
- Friends: Where to start! Well firstly I have to thank Nat for putting up with me all year. Not only in lectures but also I found myself at her flat quite a bit! Her and Vickiiiii are probably my best friends at uni and I love them to bits! The Backhouse Penthouse crew provided much entertainment (usually involving alcohol) and I love Bryan for his ability to get so wrapped up in something and let it control his life (I'm talking about LOST here...) Then of course there's the Rokeby crew, which we met through Mish's attraction to Kwan (but I think we would have met them anyway, Ryan seems to just go out and meet new people all the time) Jess, Emma and Danielle are great girls, that know how to have fun! After that we have to course friends such as JD, Jo, Kirsty, Luke, Laura etc who provide much entertainment in lectures and also at the beloved Rocket. Bring on Year 2 people! Then of course there are the random people, known through friends, who you get to know gradually and make life far more interesting: Henry and Co (also known as the Biomed lot), Ben and his older friends, Daggy and the rest of the Snow football team (I randomly find them standing outside my room waiting for Mr Biggs), Ant and Dav (one of whom tries to kill me most of the time and randomly sleeps on my kitchen floor), Mo, Rob, Nicki, James and Tim who have put up with my drunken ramblings the past few weeks, James Fountain (who I met before we came to uni, but didn't actually talk to him properly till the second term and he was good friends with Vicki by then), Miss Sarah Chape (the Grape, that I am going to miss dearly next year when she's at Butler, which I will of course gatecrash from time to time) and finally, last but not least, you, the reader of this blog, you've really made my year. To all those who are not mentioned by name, you know I love you a lot and want to give you a big thanks for making my year!
This year has been full of lots of new experiences for me: living away from home with people I'd never met before being the main biggie. I've had some laughs and some cries, loved and lost, been annoyed at some people and been annoying myself. Mish asked me not too long ago, if you could go back to the start of the year, would you change it? At the time I didn't answer him, but now, looking back, I can definitely say, I wouldn't change it for anything else.
Here's a song that sums up something perfectly for me:
Good Day by Angels and AirwavesWe don't need to whisper
I should have turned back
I should have known better
Than to walk away defeated
I'll say it tonight, I'll say it forever
And this time I really swear I mean it
Oh I need you now
The Earth fell fast asleep
This room is safe and sound
Will you lay here with me
And feel it..
I think I like today
I think its good
Its something I can't get my head around
True love is something that comes easy
Just one kiss god I swear I want to...
I heard a pin drop and a nervous heartbeat
Have you ever heard me scream I love you
Oh I need you now
The Earth fell fast asleep
This room is safe and sound
Will you lay here with me
And feel it..
I think I like today
I think it's good
Its something I can't get my head around [x2]
dadah da dah dah dadadah [x8]
I think I like today
I think it's good
Its something I can't get my head around [x6]
"I think I like today..."
Ok i'm never going to drink alcohol ever again. Monday night, Connie had a lot of fun i hope, in the company of me and my friends, however i only think so as i was rather drunk that night. So much so that i woke up on the kitchen floor and then proceeded to spend the whole day in bed, then walked to Tees Barrage in the rain with Vicki (and still in a drunken state i think as it was chucking it down, absolutely freezing and i didn't have a coat and didn't care about it either!) I'm now covered in bruises and scratches and i don't know why...Oh well!
Yesterday, Nat came back and we decided to go out and celebrate at the Coc-Soc garden party and then on to Lava in 'Boro. All in all it was a very good night. Jess wasn't very well, so i ended up taking her home and putting her to bed. Hope she's feelin better this morning! I'm off into town later, and i have to actually pack today, it's going to be so weird leaving this place, but it's been a lot of fun this year! A proper round up will be posted at a later date.
"They think it's all over...Well not quite yet!"
Just as i was starting to moan and complain that there is no one around here anymore, cue most of the inhabitants of John Snow returning. You see we have to come back to register for next year, and most people are returning to the land of the north tomorrow. This also includes Connie.
After a very nice trip to Coventry/Warwick, seeing most of it by bus, and walking a fair bit, she decided that she wanted to see what Stockton has to offer her...don't know if that's a wise decision or not! I really enjoyed my time down south with eh Birthday girl, her friends are really nice (cue adding them on facebook!) and they even organised a surprise celebration in honor of her in their common room. It's so weird being in halls that aren't separated into flats like ours, to be honest i can't decide which is best. Anyway, so Connie is coming to stay tomorrow night and I'm trying to drag together a group of people willing to visit The Crown tomorrow night with us, this is an open invitation if you would like to join.
Not much else has been done with my time the past week or so. Applied for an awful lot of jobs and watched an equal amount of football i think! The plan today is to basically clean the flat in preparation of Connie's visit and to try and pack a bit. I can't believe that this time next week i shall be waking up in my own room in my own flat. It's a scary thought that I'm now so independent, but i shall leave the so called slushy end of year round-up till next week and i return home.
I still have no means of monetary gain for the duration of the summer, but i do have an interview on the 27th June, so hopefully if all goes well i shall be selling my soul to Lakeside for 3 months.
Have a happy Sunday everybody!
"There's no one in town I know..."
Things are so weird around here. I'm starting to think that I should have perhaps headed home for a few weeks to really hunt for a job, but then I wouldn't be having all this fun would I? Hmmm maybe not.
The weather has taken a turn and it is now unbearably hot all the time. So hot that you can't sleep, can't do anything! It's ridiculous! Still, i'm getting a bit of a tan now, so I'm pleased.
In my quest to find something, anything to do, I am heading to Warwick for a couple of days to see Connie, a friend from college for those of you who don't know, that i haven't managed to see for a year! So after 4 hours on the train i shall be in catch up mode. I can't wait, i don't think i've ever been to Coventry/Warwick before, so it will certainly be an adventure. Might see if I can meet up with Kenny as well before i leave the place.
The plan for today is that i might drag Mish and other people into town later, and then i'm going to make a pizza from scratch with the guys, for want of something better to do! Perhaps I should actually get out of bed at some point today...
Job Hunting
That's right people, I'm in Sunny Grays (a rare thing I know) searching for a job to last for over the summer. So far it looks like I'll be returning to the wonder that was Boots, but that doesn't bother me much, as long as i get a job somewhere.
Just to brief you up on the events of the past week:
- Snow Day was great! I beat Nat on the assault course, which in turn assaulted my knee. Had a few drinks, lazed in the sun watching the bands and strutted my funky stuff at the Rocket later on that evening. Returned to Harewood block for some more vodka and returned to my dwelling at approximately 5 am.
- Nat left on Saturday (i blame Rory for taking her away from me) and I have to say that i do miss her! Still i get to see her in 2 weeks, and then i'm sure i shall see her over the summer many times.
- I think we've managed to exhaust everybody's entire dvd collection in Snow, that's how bored the population of Fairbridge and Backhouse have been! Still, i think i may have something to take back with me that will cheer someone up...
So now i'm off to drink the Koppaberg that i left here after Easter and pay some attention to Pebbles before I leave. To all in Stockton, I shall be back at 4 pm tomorrow, so if you need me, come and meet me at the station! See you all soon!
"I'm Starving." "I'm Jess."
Yesterday was an interesting day. Laying in bed till 12 pm and then heading to the astro-turf to watch the College Cup. The thing with having 2 colleges on the same campus, and only 2, means incresed rivalry between them. Therefore any sporting event held between Snow and Stevo equals a very interesting time. Sadly, Snow didn't seem to do too well and Stevo won the cup once again. There are some photos from the football which shall be on
Facebook. After a disappointing afternoon, it was decided to go to the last Hush of term.
Emma, Jess and Nicola went to Lava first while, Mish, Scott, Kwan, James, Rob, Nikki, Tim, Mo and myself headed straight for Hush. A few shots of Black sambuca later and the place was looking a bit full. 45 minutes standing at the bar annoyed me slightly, but i was even more annoyed by the absence of air conditioning. This meant that everyone was sweating even more than you would usually in a club! Scott and Mish were dressed as twins practically (i'll post a photo later) but i don't know how some of the guys could keep their jackets on! At the end of the night i headed home with Tim, James and Mo, back to Harewood for a brief period, before going back to Rokeby. There we stayed till about 4:30, inventing names for people (Keith, Ralph and Mark ring a bell?) and generally having fun! It was Kwan's last night, and i'll probably not see Emma or Jess again for a while so it was a good way to say goodbye for the next few weeks.
It made me realise that the summer is going to be so weird, not actually seeing all these people that i'm really good friends with now. Also made me realise that this year has gone so fast and brought me so many new experiences. What a difference a year makes.
