Special Post #20: Happy Birthday Blog

It was at exactly this time 1 year ago I wrote my first post on this blog. It actually makes me quite emotional to think who I was a year ago.

I feel that university has brought me out of my shell so much: not changed me into someone else, or made me someone I’m not, but instead built on who I was before and made it better. I’m more confident now to do new things, I have more confidence in myself and my abilities both academically and in social situations, I’ve learnt that I’m more like everyone else than I thought, and that everyone in life has a fascinating and remarkable story, one that can be told differently every time and thats message changes with every new day that brings you to explore your boundaries.

A year ago I had no idea what to expect, and could never have hoped to be where I am today. The last year has been a year of firsts in many ways, but also a year for truly loving life. Sure there have been some rough times, but they were there for good reason. If the whole landscape was a peak, how would you know it was a mountain?

I can pick moments of the last year that have meant the most to me, and I’m sure I’ll miss loads out, but these come to mind:

• Spending a week with my sister in her new house before going to uni for the first time and leaving home
• Moving in day. Leaving church, packing my life into a Yaris and feeling sick when we arrived at uni. So overwhelmed when I got to my room and then having to truly say goodbye to my parents for the first time.
• Moments later meeting Josh at the meet & greet.
• Ice skating with Josh, when we actually got to know each other.
• The climbing trip weekend, finally an outlet for my love of climbing!
• The Fratellis in Brighton and then the next day having an exam.
• X Factor Christmas Staff Party when I was the video man for the day, fell in love with video stuff.
• Christmas Day at Becky’s!
• New Year’s Eve with Jake, feeling sick :(
• Snow Day at university!
• Searching for a house, and finding one!
• Lab Project with Faizan, all those long nights in the library paying off
• Day out in London with Sophie over Easter
• Going back to university a week early, spent a whole day talking to Josh. Had the conversation of my life and loved every second of it.
• The following week, Tuesday evening
• Revising with Josh, the jokes we had
• Exam week, the stress
• EOTYS week, especially the last night and the lake party afterwards
• Saying goodbye
• Royal Ascot week
• Getting my results!
• Moving in to my new house!
• Guilfest
• The boat trips! In particular:
• Frankie & Bennie’s
• Many a time spent talking to Phil on the back of the boat
• Evening spent drinking with Jake and Phil
• One night talking to Barry for hours
• My best birthday ever!
• The fact I get to do it all again starting in a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!

I’m looking forward to sharing it all with you this time round. And if I’m going to fast or assuming you know something when you don’t, give us a note and I’ll fill you in.

• Happiness. 12 out of 10 (when 11 out of 10 just isn’t enough)
• Tiredness. 4.5 out of 5
• Last Meal. Sausage casserole (very, very tasty indeed)
• Song of the day. JLS – Beat Again (annoyingly catchy)
• Thought for the day. True happiness is when you know that you feel the best you've ever felt... and that it can only get better
• What I’m Doing Now. Actually writing this at 2am, so should be sleeping :S