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

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

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

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

Busy!

Sorry for the lack of blog (Mum has complained!) but I've been busy with uni work and CU stuff.

-Last weekend we went on the exec weekend away which was AMAZING! I had a brilliant time and we got lots planned...plus we just got to know each other better.
-Handed in my mental health assignment yesterday, handing in my adults one on monday...then about a month to write my portfolio which is stressing me less fortunately!
-Am soon to book my flights to america and also hotel for Disneyland trip :D very exciting!
-Yesterday I brought a beautiful dress for a friend's wedding...more expensive than planned but more beautiful than planned so it's all good!
-Placement is going well although I'm in the end straight which makes me sad :( I mean, I can't wait to start the summer...but I love my placement and I love the people I work with...leaving will be sad. Last week I put together the rota for April and realised that my last day was on it and that made it very real!

I've probably missed some stuff out but that's the stuff I remember! Except for the most important thing, obviously:
HANNAH IS BACK IN ONE WEEK!!!!!!!!

That is all for today :)
Much love xxx

Breathe and let it go

So today was the women's day that Christchurch runs annually...I've been for the last few years and each year it gets bigger (today there were 185 women there!) and it's just a chance to meet with God as women together, we worship and pray and eat cake and are given some time out to just do business with God.

And I needed to do some business. For me, today served two purposes: firstly I needed the time out- I am feeling incredibly overwhelmed with everything I need to do (more about this later) and secondly I needed to let God do some work in me and just let some hurt and anger go and forgive some people.
Both of these things happened. I had some prayer for the second thing because I was stubbornly holding onto my anger and I didn't need to be and I realised that I didn't want to hold onto it either. So I took a breathe and I let it go. New day and no more hurt. Plus I got to hang out with a new friend and cement the friendship a bit more :)

About the overwhelmed-ness...this week I had an examined presentation for one of my modules, I have three assignments I should be writing (two due in over the next two weeks) and I officially started my new role in the CU as secretary.
I am incredibly humbled and honoured that I was asked to be on the CU exec team, it is something that I feel God is blessing me with and I am very excited about the next year and all the things we have coming up....however...we are a new group and with a new group comes teething problems as we try to work out how everyone else works and how we work as a group- incredibly normal for a new group of people but unfortunately leads to long and slightly stressful meetings. Secretary also comes with a couple of admin jobs...which I'm happy to do, I just worry about forgetting to do something because I'm so pre-occupied with normal uni work!

Silver lining? it is a lovely group that have come together, some people I know better than others, and the rest I'm looking forward to getting to know...we did have fun as a group and I can see it being an enjoyable team to work with. I'm excited about all our ideas and it'll be a good year :)
The presentation went alright I think- at least, I was happy with how I did so we'll see. The assignments are basically there and planned out...I just need to wait for the essay writing flow to hit and I'll get them done in time.
I'm just aware of timing and work and deadlines and how little free time I have!
Trying to prioritise and just trust in Him...I've managed it for the last three semesters so there's no reason this one should be any different!

Anyway, it's only just gone 10.30 and I'm going to get an early-ish night :)
Mother's day tomorrow and I'm looking forward to spending some time with my mummy!
Much love xxx

Spring is coming

Wow so it's March already and I haven't blogged in a while...things that have happened:
-I was off ill for a week after the sleepover weekend
-pushed myself to go to Lady Gaga concert which was brilliant but very long
- got back to Dina's car to find it had a flat tyre so waited for AA for 2 hours
- didn't manage to make it to the weekend away thing because I felt ill again...mostly from tiredness I think
- had a good week back at placement and uni
- spent this weekend working hard
- enjoyed the sunshine over the last couple of days, hope it lasts :)
- had a really good night out with some good friends last night

Coming up:
- I have a busy week including an examined presentation for one of my modules
- important stuff happening with CU which I'll expand on another time
- women's day next saturday
- lots of work for uni to do

I think that's all...not a long blog post but an update :)
night all!
Much love xxx