So I got my 2nd year results this morning...
B in Mental Health
B+ in Adults and...
double B+ in Placement!!!
I'm very happy!
means I'm currently on track for a 2:1 degree which would be amazing :D
I'm enjoying America :) Saturday I went flying with Colin and I actually got to fly the plane myself, alot of fun! I've had dinner with my friend Jess, been to church, had a manicure...and just chilled out.
Today was the longest day ever...got results, had first day of placement, found out my friend Caitlin isn't coming back to uni next year which just adds another dimension to the issues we're having with our house (i.e. our landlords are selling it) so after I got back from placement I had a long conference call with Caitlin, Claire and T to work through what we're going to do....not sure we resolved anything but it's looking more likely that I might be staying home next year.
Which is ok...it's weird that as soon as I vocalised that I was hoping for a placement in Oxford so that I could be pushed to stay there more, that was when all the house stuff started to happen...still working out what that means.
Placement was good, I enjoyed it, it wasn't amazingly exciting or interesting but it'll be alright for the next 2 weeks and I'm already seeing things I can put in my essay so that's good :)
Elliot got back from England tonight, he's been at mine whilst I've been here. It's weird having a teenage boy in the house again, but definitely makes the day funnier.
That's all I think. It's weird, I haven't had the tears of homesickness yet. I think that's because I've been able to just chill and it doesn't feel like a holiday. Plus I'm taking it in chunks...first weekend, first week at placement, second weekend doing fun things, second week of placement...and last weekend including when I go home. So that makes it easier...
Blog again soon :)
Much love xxx
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Friday, 11 June 2010
I'm here!!!
I'm in America :D
Flight was pretty good, being at the airport on my own was weird but actually time passed quite quickly and I didn't feel lonely or anything.
Got through security fine although the woman said she didn't know why I needed a visa (me either but the US embassy said I did and I'd like to think I didn't pay that money or go to the interview for nothing!)
Was soooo good to see Angie and we chatted the whole way home :)
I managed to stay up later in the hope that my body might adjust a bit to the time difference but I was still awake at 6am (11am english time) but that was ok because I got to skype Mum & PJ.
It was so nice to talk to and see them, I haven't had a wave of homesickness yet but I'm sure it'll come. Seeing them was much nicer than just talking on the phone.
Today I get to just chill out at the house for the most part, which I'm actually really happy about. Previously on trips because they've been shorter we've crammed everything in, which is good because I got to do lots of things, but meant that I didn't get much time to just settle and recharge my batteries. This time around I have the time to do that and I'm looking forward to it.
Later this evening Jess is coming round (she's a friend of the family that I became friends with on last year's trip, lovely girl!) and we're going to go to dinner and see a movie and then she's staying over I think. It'll be nice to do just a normal friend thing, makes it feel less like a holiday away from home.
Tomorrow is the England vs USA football match, normally I wouldn't watch the football but since I'm here and Angie's son Elliot and his friend Sam are over in England and staying with PJ, it'll make for an interesting match! (Don't ask me how we managed to swap countries, that's just how it happened!)
The weekend is also looking like it's going to be pretty chilled out which is cool, I'm sure Angie and I will find stuff to do :)
Monday I start at placement which should be good, hopefully I'll enjoy it and it'll all work out.
I think that's all to say for now, I'm sure I'll be blogging regularly whilst I'm out here.
Much love xxx
Flight was pretty good, being at the airport on my own was weird but actually time passed quite quickly and I didn't feel lonely or anything.
Got through security fine although the woman said she didn't know why I needed a visa (me either but the US embassy said I did and I'd like to think I didn't pay that money or go to the interview for nothing!)
Was soooo good to see Angie and we chatted the whole way home :)
I managed to stay up later in the hope that my body might adjust a bit to the time difference but I was still awake at 6am (11am english time) but that was ok because I got to skype Mum & PJ.
It was so nice to talk to and see them, I haven't had a wave of homesickness yet but I'm sure it'll come. Seeing them was much nicer than just talking on the phone.
Today I get to just chill out at the house for the most part, which I'm actually really happy about. Previously on trips because they've been shorter we've crammed everything in, which is good because I got to do lots of things, but meant that I didn't get much time to just settle and recharge my batteries. This time around I have the time to do that and I'm looking forward to it.
Later this evening Jess is coming round (she's a friend of the family that I became friends with on last year's trip, lovely girl!) and we're going to go to dinner and see a movie and then she's staying over I think. It'll be nice to do just a normal friend thing, makes it feel less like a holiday away from home.
Tomorrow is the England vs USA football match, normally I wouldn't watch the football but since I'm here and Angie's son Elliot and his friend Sam are over in England and staying with PJ, it'll make for an interesting match! (Don't ask me how we managed to swap countries, that's just how it happened!)
The weekend is also looking like it's going to be pretty chilled out which is cool, I'm sure Angie and I will find stuff to do :)
Monday I start at placement which should be good, hopefully I'll enjoy it and it'll all work out.
I think that's all to say for now, I'm sure I'll be blogging regularly whilst I'm out here.
Much love xxx
Wednesday, 9 June 2010
1 day to go :)
Tomorrow I fly to America :D
hahahahahahahahaha....I'm excited!
I'm very nervous too...I've never flown alone before and never been away from home without my family for this long before. But I'm staying with my godmother and I have a few friends out there now and I have placement and it should be fine. I'm preparing myself for the homesickness though!
Right now however I'm trying to pack...except I have way too much stuff, in particular way too many clothes that I want to take. I'm going to have to do some editing and try and choose the essentials.
I did all my own washing (not a big shock, I do my own washing normally...) and then ironed some of my clothes (definite shock...I never iron...wasn't even sure how to do it!) and now my clothes are sat in piles on my bed waiting to be put in a suitcase.
I am excited, I definitely am, but it's a weird feeling...like panic and stress are in the back of my mind but not quite here yet.
Once I'm there it'll be good though :)
Much love xxx
hahahahahahahahaha....I'm excited!
I'm very nervous too...I've never flown alone before and never been away from home without my family for this long before. But I'm staying with my godmother and I have a few friends out there now and I have placement and it should be fine. I'm preparing myself for the homesickness though!
Right now however I'm trying to pack...except I have way too much stuff, in particular way too many clothes that I want to take. I'm going to have to do some editing and try and choose the essentials.
I did all my own washing (not a big shock, I do my own washing normally...) and then ironed some of my clothes (definite shock...I never iron...wasn't even sure how to do it!) and now my clothes are sat in piles on my bed waiting to be put in a suitcase.
I am excited, I definitely am, but it's a weird feeling...like panic and stress are in the back of my mind but not quite here yet.
Once I'm there it'll be good though :)
Much love xxx
Monday, 24 May 2010
the future
so right now I'm sat in my new room at my house in Oxford...I say my new room because as of august (actually from now really) I will be sharing a room with Teresa. It almost halves the rent for both of us and makes much more sense. She's going to be on placement alot of the year so may not be here all the time and I am not at the point yet where I am staying in Oxford regularly. So both being here part time and sharing a room makes alot of sense.
Our landlords said it could be a 4 bedroom rent but we wanted to keep the living room rather than turn it into a bedroom so this works well and our rent doesn't change either way :)
I haven't heard about placement for next year yet but I've realised that I'm actually hoping that my placement is in Oxford as it will give me a reason to stay here more often. Assuming that happens then my plan is to work up to being here maybe three nights a week which feels like alot but I'm hoping to work out how to make this place more comfortable and homely...basically what do I need here that will make it easier to stay?
The reason I'm thinking like this is because I only have one year of uni left (which is actually very scary!) and I've started to think about what I'm going to do after uni. My ultimate plan is to find a place to live in Abingdon...it's my hometown and I think being a few minutes away from home will make it easier to properly move out.
There's a probable plan that Alice (a new, very good friend from CU) will be doing the Social Work Masters at Brookes and so will be sticking around for a few more years and she's said she would be up for living in Abingdon with me :D which makes me very happy.
But I am thinking that this will be the proper move out...taking pretty much everything with me and being there full-time. It'll be hard, I'm under no illusions about that...but I'm actually excited about it. I will cry alot I'm sure, but it's a good thing.
Part of preparing for that is staying here in Oxford slightly more regularly, so I hope my placement is here and I have a reason to stay. Because if my placement is in Abingdon then it's not more convenient for me to stay in Oxford. I'm trying to trust that God knows what is best and whatever happens will be right for me.
I am enjoying just hanging out here though...there's no-one else here and the only reason I'm here is because our landlords might be selling the house (don't worry, it won't affect us for the next year!) and the estate agent is here taking measurements and pictures! Teresa and Claire are out at uni/placement and Caitlin is at home...so I offered to be here.
I don't often just hang out here, because it's just silly to drive 20 minutes just to chill out here when I can do that at home!
But it's nice to have a reason to do that :)
I have realised through writing this that I'm excited about the next few years...final year placement, dissertation...both going to be tough work but enjoyable I hope. Graduating, getting a job, getting a house in Abingdon...scary to be growing up but hopefully I'll find a job I enjoy and living with Alice (or whoever) in Abingdon will be fun.
So bring on the next few years :D I'm ready for it all!
Much love xxx
Our landlords said it could be a 4 bedroom rent but we wanted to keep the living room rather than turn it into a bedroom so this works well and our rent doesn't change either way :)
I haven't heard about placement for next year yet but I've realised that I'm actually hoping that my placement is in Oxford as it will give me a reason to stay here more often. Assuming that happens then my plan is to work up to being here maybe three nights a week which feels like alot but I'm hoping to work out how to make this place more comfortable and homely...basically what do I need here that will make it easier to stay?
The reason I'm thinking like this is because I only have one year of uni left (which is actually very scary!) and I've started to think about what I'm going to do after uni. My ultimate plan is to find a place to live in Abingdon...it's my hometown and I think being a few minutes away from home will make it easier to properly move out.
There's a probable plan that Alice (a new, very good friend from CU) will be doing the Social Work Masters at Brookes and so will be sticking around for a few more years and she's said she would be up for living in Abingdon with me :D which makes me very happy.
But I am thinking that this will be the proper move out...taking pretty much everything with me and being there full-time. It'll be hard, I'm under no illusions about that...but I'm actually excited about it. I will cry alot I'm sure, but it's a good thing.
Part of preparing for that is staying here in Oxford slightly more regularly, so I hope my placement is here and I have a reason to stay. Because if my placement is in Abingdon then it's not more convenient for me to stay in Oxford. I'm trying to trust that God knows what is best and whatever happens will be right for me.
I am enjoying just hanging out here though...there's no-one else here and the only reason I'm here is because our landlords might be selling the house (don't worry, it won't affect us for the next year!) and the estate agent is here taking measurements and pictures! Teresa and Claire are out at uni/placement and Caitlin is at home...so I offered to be here.
I don't often just hang out here, because it's just silly to drive 20 minutes just to chill out here when I can do that at home!
But it's nice to have a reason to do that :)
I have realised through writing this that I'm excited about the next few years...final year placement, dissertation...both going to be tough work but enjoyable I hope. Graduating, getting a job, getting a house in Abingdon...scary to be growing up but hopefully I'll find a job I enjoy and living with Alice (or whoever) in Abingdon will be fun.
So bring on the next few years :D I'm ready for it all!
Much love xxx
Sunday, 16 May 2010
Figuring out the balance...
Although I'm now off uni for the summer I'm still exhausted and haven't quite figured out the balance of this lifestyle yet...
Now that I'm free I'm packing lots of things in with my friends (I hadn't realised how much being on placement had limited my 'hanging out' time with them) but equally I'm staying up later but not sleeping much later so I'm still busy but with less sleep...hmm that doesn't quite work!
My problem is that alot of my uni friends go home in a few weeks so I want to see them as much as possible...but I think I need to take some time to just sleep and relax at home, otherwise I'm not actually going to recover from the crazily busy year I've had!
I just want time to watch films and spring clean my room and sort out my photo frames (they need updating!) and just chill out...and I'm starting to lose that time as I book things up so this week I'm trying not to do quite so much stuff!
Other than that life is good...I'm enjoying being at home with my family more (not that I wasn't here during term time but I was so preoccupied with work that I didn't really take the time to enjoy it)
Following a conversation with a friend I'm appreciating how close my family are, I'm very blessed that we all get along (most of the time) and that I actually enjoy spending time with my brother and that my dad will take the time to go to London with me, and that my mum is usually the first person I call to tell something...I'm very blessed.
Speaking of London, I went to my appointment at the US embassy and my visa's approved so the america trip is looking good (although mum isn't going to be able to join me and there is another round of volcanic ash at the moment...always makes things interesting!)
This week I'm going to go to bingo (I'm excited haha!), going to a guest lecture at uni (because apparently I just can't keep away), hopefully going to see Wicked in London (my favourite show!) and trying to take some more time to just chillax.
Think that's all I need to say for now...will try to blog more, just not alot to say!
Much love xxx
Now that I'm free I'm packing lots of things in with my friends (I hadn't realised how much being on placement had limited my 'hanging out' time with them) but equally I'm staying up later but not sleeping much later so I'm still busy but with less sleep...hmm that doesn't quite work!
My problem is that alot of my uni friends go home in a few weeks so I want to see them as much as possible...but I think I need to take some time to just sleep and relax at home, otherwise I'm not actually going to recover from the crazily busy year I've had!
I just want time to watch films and spring clean my room and sort out my photo frames (they need updating!) and just chill out...and I'm starting to lose that time as I book things up so this week I'm trying not to do quite so much stuff!
Other than that life is good...I'm enjoying being at home with my family more (not that I wasn't here during term time but I was so preoccupied with work that I didn't really take the time to enjoy it)
Following a conversation with a friend I'm appreciating how close my family are, I'm very blessed that we all get along (most of the time) and that I actually enjoy spending time with my brother and that my dad will take the time to go to London with me, and that my mum is usually the first person I call to tell something...I'm very blessed.
Speaking of London, I went to my appointment at the US embassy and my visa's approved so the america trip is looking good (although mum isn't going to be able to join me and there is another round of volcanic ash at the moment...always makes things interesting!)
This week I'm going to go to bingo (I'm excited haha!), going to a guest lecture at uni (because apparently I just can't keep away), hopefully going to see Wicked in London (my favourite show!) and trying to take some more time to just chillax.
Think that's all I need to say for now...will try to blog more, just not alot to say!
Much love xxx
Friday, 30 April 2010
FINISHED!
I have finished for the summer :D
Finished placement
Finished my assignment
Finished everything
Very exciting and makes me very happy that I've finished...but leaving placement made me very sad :( they had a leaving party for me yesterday (because some people were out of the office today) and there was cake, cards and lovely presents. I have loved my placement, the people I worked with are so lovely to be around and I think I only had one day that I didn't want to go in...one out of a hundred it pretty amazing!
It's going to be so weird not seeing them every day, I'm sure it'll be weirder for them because they'll be doing the same thing but without me in the office...whereas I'll be doing something different. But I will still miss them :(
Right now I haven't quite let go of that 'I have lots of things to do' type feeling...which is probably because I still have jobs to do (CU exec stuff, present buying, getting ready for a visa interview, sorting out my room, getting a job...stuff like that!)...but they aren't urgent and don't need to stress me out!
Anyway, I'm going to go and just chill out, hopefully I'll sleep lots and relax and really enjoy my lovely long summer holiday :D
Much love xxx
Finished placement
Finished my assignment
Finished everything
Very exciting and makes me very happy that I've finished...but leaving placement made me very sad :( they had a leaving party for me yesterday (because some people were out of the office today) and there was cake, cards and lovely presents. I have loved my placement, the people I worked with are so lovely to be around and I think I only had one day that I didn't want to go in...one out of a hundred it pretty amazing!
It's going to be so weird not seeing them every day, I'm sure it'll be weirder for them because they'll be doing the same thing but without me in the office...whereas I'll be doing something different. But I will still miss them :(
Right now I haven't quite let go of that 'I have lots of things to do' type feeling...which is probably because I still have jobs to do (CU exec stuff, present buying, getting ready for a visa interview, sorting out my room, getting a job...stuff like that!)...but they aren't urgent and don't need to stress me out!
Anyway, I'm going to go and just chill out, hopefully I'll sleep lots and relax and really enjoy my lovely long summer holiday :D
Much love xxx
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Happy :)
I'm really happy :D long time since last blog and this one is just a short post.
Today I got a new car!!! very exciting...it's a ford fiesta, blue, 2008 and I love it!
I also picked up the new CU hoodies which is exciting...
I'm on track with work, just a bit left to do.
Two weeks of placement left :)
I've booked flights to America and my 21st birthday trip to Disneyland Paris :D
Life is good right now!
That's all :)
Much love xxx
Today I got a new car!!! very exciting...it's a ford fiesta, blue, 2008 and I love it!
I also picked up the new CU hoodies which is exciting...
I'm on track with work, just a bit left to do.
Two weeks of placement left :)
I've booked flights to America and my 21st birthday trip to Disneyland Paris :D
Life is good right now!
That's all :)
Much love xxx
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