This week has just been crazy. Between prepping for my new job which starts on Monday (by prepping I mean clothes shopping - yo' pro' wardrobe essentials, you understand!) and house-hunting, I'm finally moving into our newly rented house tomorrow with MEGAN AND DEE!!!!!. It has all been quite hectic and once we found somewhere, things moved very fast which has caused one or two tension headaches over the weekend. Honestly though, once we're all moved in and working, I'll feel a bit better. It's exciting renting as a graduate for the first time but after handing over soooooo muuuuuuuuch money and seeing your savings shrink considerably, I'm eager to get into my new job and start earning so that I can afford this new yo' pro' millennial gal lifestyle; it's not all quite mason jar cocktails and chic throw cushions yet!
Aside from being eager to get into this new job, I'm also the first one to move in properly. Because the property had been advertised to let immediately, there didn't seem to be much leeway to postpone the move-in date until next weekend. While it may have suited me, the two others are house-sitting for another week which means that I'll be all by my-lonesome-self in the house this week. It also means that I'm under pressure to set up our utilities (MORE MONEY A£^£*"%$!#!!!) asap which in turn means looking at the best packages and committing us to a year's contract. Commitment. Ew.
So that's it really. I'm quite sad to leave home all the same. I've been out of home for 5 years really and it has been nice this past month being here and having little movie nights with my Mum in our matching onesies or eating pizza with my brothers and sister. I'll just have to come down on weekends. Pictures of new abode to follow soon. I had best say goodbye to my current sleeping quarters now.
Here's to adult life. Starting in 5...4...3...2...
I find blogging really therapeutic. It's much easier and less time-consuming than writing a diary, which I have tried and failed to do. I am glad that some of our friends seem to enjoy reading our little posts and I know that I genuinely enjoy reading Ciara's and Megan's contributions. Always nice to see what a person may write but not put into words. Though Megan and I really did discuss a TaySwift parody.
I'm all over the place at the moment and feel all bleurgh and I can't blame the disgusting weather raging outside my window entirely either. I'm mighty fed-up though I'm not exactly sure why. So I'll just project my bleurgh feelings on the little things that are currently pissing me off. Just what everyone wants to read! I am however hoping that I will be less stressed by rambling on for a while, so please humor me.
Number 1: Texting. I hate texting. Probably because I don't get many texts as I never have credit but when I do, I find the idea of having a conversation via text nightmarish. So much thought goes into the length of the text, how enthusiastic the punctuation is, is the spelling too formal or not formal enough, which is the correct winky face to use when you want to convey a very specific message, trying to imagine how the recipient will interpret the message, analysing their use of punctuation and winky faces, the timing between texts and on and on it goes. You can't talk properly via text and you are blind to the semantic markers of body language, tone and intonation which account for about 80% of what we say and help us interpret conversations. Also, it's very hard to be real and talk about proper, non-trivial things via text. Ergo I hate texting.
Number 2: Trying to get tax forms from previous employers is proving again nightmarish. After three weeks and unanswered phone calls and texts, I'm feeling less than impressed.
Number 3: Fruit scones with currants in them. Currants are the bane of my life. Why do they ruin a good fruit scone? Are currants even considered fruit? Blurgh.
Number 4: Being defined by my job. I am lucky to have a new job which I do genuinely like. However, it feels like all I do now is get up, go to work, come home from work, eat, at which point I am so tired that I retreat straight to my room. Press pause, rewind and play... 5 times a week. I know that eventually most of us will conform to the 35 - 40 hour working week but I'm not entirely convinced I want to live that way; live being the key word here. We work to survive but at what point do we sacrifice living for surviving? I read a very interesting article about this topic here recently and it makes me think that I may eventually forge my own path away from the daily 9 - 5 slog. Life is too short and I don't to live just for the weekend, though I suppose we all have such notions in the folly of youth and are too naive to see that there is little way around it. Incidentally, how come the "Friends" characters had so much free-time?
Number 5: This song. Christ.
Number 6: This man. I might lose friends over this but I'm sorry. It's irrational but I can't help it. Me and Ed don't see eye-to-eye. Looks like someone threw up a packet of Crayolas on his arm.
Number 7: Having to wait until every Wednesday to see new episodes of "New Girl". Megan and I were only discussing our love for this sit-com recently, and while the series is nearly over, we are no closer to getting, well, closure on Mr Miller. and Ms. Day.
"Nick Miller, Nick Miller, likes the taste of vanilla, is a stone cold killer!"
Number 8: Tom Cruise. But sure, doesn't he piss everyone off anyway?
As predicted, I now do feel a lot better. Yay for ranting! That last picture has really cheered me up. I'm one for the puns. Right, I'm off to bed as I have work in the morning. But let's end the post on a high note.
I feel really very lucky to have been able to visit and live in (albeit briefly) a small handful of exciting places in my years to date. I've travelled to at least as many cities as my age, seen more sights than I can remember offhand and experienced uncontrollable laughing bouts with buddies, quiet strolls in some of the worlds most bustling cities and watched the world go by half a dozen time zones.
First of all, thanks to Ciara for making the blog pretty and for keeping it alive with lovely content this past year. Secondly, thanks to Megan for reminding me how much fun this blog is as a place to write, rant and rave. Legends.
Well, Dee is ueber busy in college, coping admirably with her final year while balancing a promising career in radio (hi Dee!). Megan too is surviving 4th year superbly and of all of us, is the person I've seen the most since returning from my far-off travels. In fact, we might be going for lunch on Friday!
Ciara has gone away to be a proper grown-up over the water. I sincerely doubt there is a more fitting city for you, Ciara. I too have been bitten by the book-bug (worm?). One of my New Year's Resolutions was to read more and while I don't have a mantelpiece, I have a window sill full of past loves and a few that are yet to be read.
My big goal of the year is to read the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, something I have been putting off since I was 11. That very battered-looking book on the top of Chomsky is the first volume, which I am about 30 pages shy of finishing. Maybe tonight is the night!
The last proper post I, well, posted here concerned the state of panic I had gotten myself into concerning my FYP/Bachelor's Thesis. In the end I did really well, despite being abandoned by my supervisor at the last hurdle. She was utterly useless in the run-up to the deadline and as it turned out I didn't need her counsel in the end, so HA unnamed teacher. Wish I had known that at the time though - would have saved many exasperating late nights.
That was early April 2012 and it is now late March 2013. Sorry for the big ole absence. I can only ask the forgiveness of anyone who has persevered and checked the blog for signs of life. Thanks for sticking with us, guys. I think all of us can agree that the last year has been mental in very different ways.
On a slightly somber albeit honest note (for what is a personal blog without a bit of honesty?), I have to say that 2013 was a highly-anticipated year for me. I'm a bit nervous about admitting all this here but sure here is as good a place as any. All I can say really is that 2012 was just an absolute stinker of a year for me. Like really, really terrible. Between family things, getting fired from my job, suffering academically to the point of nearly failing my study abroad year, encountering a horrid group of supposed colleagues, a funeral, and basically losing sight of myself completely, I can honestly say that I have never been more relieved for the clock to strike twelve on New Year's Eve. God, that sounds very melodramatic. I'm in quite a pensive mood actually, so sorry if that sounds like a year's worth of Eastenders' story lines.
Before I shut Pandora's Box, I just have to say that I really appreciate anyone and everyone who was there to listen, advise, and provide much-needed support and distraction, although I doubt many will read this. To be honest, not a lot of people know the full extent of all of the above - and that's entirely my fault, but I have a lovely group of friends who do deserve acknowledgement.
So thanks for the advice-giving, listening, Skyping, jokes, stories, chocolate and bitching! To anyone, I haven't really been in contact with the past year, please forgive me. I'd a very big plate but I intend on righting those wrongs asap. After all, 2013 has been really good so far.
Right so, consider Pandora's Box firmly shut. Sorry about that. Now onto the positivity!
Now, there were some absolutely brilliant parts of twenty twelve too! I had some brilliant experiences and met some great people - many of whom I'd like to consider friends for life. I'd be silly to dismiss 2012 as being purely shit.
I mean, I had the opportunity to study in a foreign country for close to a year, and had some wonderful visitors and great experiences. I know Vienna like the back of my hand now - a city we should all try and live in at least once in our lives.
I made some lovely friends over the summer, working in both Scotland and England.
I had the best class I've ever had the privilege of teaching. They were so cool and up for learning English, that we were able to make a music video; a parody on Call Me Maybe.
(Plot is a bit ambiguous apparently so just enjoy the comedy aspect of it!)
I got to see even more of Europe, including cities like Prague, Edinburgh, London and Venice. I can't complain about that, though have to say that Prague was disappointing - being followed by a creepy old man over Charles Bridge certainly didn't help matters!
I made some truly wonderful friends on Erasmus too (bar the odd unpleasant American and Czech - exceptions to the rule, I'm sure).
I volunteered at Electric Picnic for the second year running and had a good time, making some new friends along the way and dancing around a lot in a hi-vis jacket.
I got to come home and be with friends that I hadn't spent time with in nearly 2 years.
And of course, lots of family time but I had best keep those snaps to myself. I came home and took a year out from college, got a job in a lovely sweet shop, went on a road-trip to Fr. Ted's house through the Burren and down to the Cliffs of Moher, and this that and the other inbetween.
I also heard my new favourite shitty joke of all time.
What's the fastest drink in the world?
Milk.
Because it's pasteurized before you know it.
ZING!
Well, I don't know how much more I can write seeing as I have another episode of New Girl to watch and it's nearly midnight. Back to light and hearty stuff for future posts - expect lots of pictures of puppies and other various animals, maybe even the odd Panda or Sloth.
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