I am writing this sat in a room surrounded by cardboard boxes, and suitcases, and bags for life. I have no idea how this is going to fit into my room back home. When I'm here I genuinely forget that I have a room back home; most cry at coming to uni, I'll be crying at leaving for the summer. It's like reverse homesickness. I haven't mentally prepared myself to leave yet, as I was meant to leave tomorrow. However, as a surprise for my mum I'm heading home during the night and then my dad and herself don't have to drive up following her night shift. Ironically, she wants me home more than I actually want to go. I have officially been finished with freshers for almost a week now, and in that time done some last minute exploring and had some adventures. So guys, this is how I said goodbye to being a fresher...
Saturday
Today began with an exam, at 9:30am. Apparently weekend exams are a thing at uni. But exam over I headed to Olive & Bean with two friends, Ellie and Greta, for a celebratory lunch. I also got to meet one of my friend Greta's parents, who are both wonderful; they are signing the adoption papers for myself and Ellie any day now. Quick trip to Paperchase and my friends surprised me by buying me the most beautiful map print notebook as a birthday present (I turned 19 two days previously). Quick run home to get some tea and get changed, before I met another friend, another Ellie, to complete a cocktail bar crawl. We visited seven places, and the night culminated with my falling off a bench I was dancing on, and watching some seriously scary dancing for Newcastle's older clubbing fanatics while waiting for a taxi.
Sunday
Scrumpy Willow for brunch with my cocktail bar partner in crime. We also watched White Chicks that evening in her room, with my signature vegetable stir fry and wholemeal noodles. Quick side note: I am eternally grateful I didn't get placed in her accommodation; I was sorting through some accommodation application papers and realised I'd actually put it down as my fourth choice, above the accommodation I was actually given. They have no communal area and there are 16 to a flat. There are 6 of us in my flat and we spent a lot of time in our communal kitchen.
Monday
A quiet day; I spend the time blogging, catching up on my own reading, working out, and (finally) chilling out. I was meant to go down to the coast with friend, but she unfortunately went home ill of Friday and hasn't yet returned. But to be honest I desperately needed a chill out day, having had approximately 6 hours sleep across Saturday and Sunday.
Tuesday
I'm finally going to the coast! Two friends and I, Sophie and Katy, catch the metro at 11am and head to Tynemouth, where we take a stroll along the beach in surprisingly warm and sunny weather, and almost fall into rock pools. Blue Reef Aquarium also features in this day, with a trip to see the otters being fed. We make a stop on the way back at North Shields, to track down a book shop that specialises in second hand books. It's beautiful. The walls are lined with books, right up to the rooftop.
Wednesday
Today I finally buy a Newcastle University jumper- something I promised myself if I made it to the end of first year. It is amazingly cozy. In the evening I head to the Great North Museum to see the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream with my friend Hannah, that the English School of my uni are putting on. The girls who welcome us in are dressed as woodland fairies and we get to see our lecturers act. It's hilarious. I have never read this particular Shakespeare play, but it's now on my summer reading list. Following the show I run back to my accommodation and get ready to go to what promises to be one of the biggest nights out this year down at Tiger. We're hosting pre-drinks, only I can't drink due to being on antibiotics for an infected cut on my thumb. Guys, never let this stop you going out. I did it on coffee and had a great night- with the added bonus that I wasn't hungover the next morning.
Thursday
Another quiet day; actually, I spent the majority of it packing up my room. This was a much bigger job than I thought it would be. I have a spinning class in the morning and leave the gym drenched as the instructor worked us all really hard. I'm tempted to get a gym membership when I get home as I will miss classes like this, however without a job (where I live is pretty small and there are nil jobs going without an expensive bus ride) I have no chance. My flatmate emerges at 1pm still in last night's clothes, but with a weird rash up his arm and mud on his back. We think he fell into a patch of nettles in the cow field backing onto our accommodation. Meaning that mud may not be mud.
Friday
This morning I finished up some more packing and realised I didn't have enough boxes, so will have to throw whatever is leftover into the boxes my dad is bringing this evening. I spent the afternoon meeting my friend Iona, and we amble down to Ernest for lunch; I order the pearl barley, walnut, beetroot, and feta salad. They also (bless them!) give us a slice of banana cake each on the house, as a thank you for the review I posted and sent them a link for earlier in the week. My friend and I leave sporting food babies and head to Eldon Square to explore what Lush has to offer. A lot of Lush stuff doesn't appeal to me, but we smelt our way through it and at the moment there's actually things I want to try. In fact, I take ages deciding. I leave with a bee bath bomb, and a melting marshmallow moment. I also picked up a Yuzu and Cocoa bubbleroon earlier in the week, and can't wait to test them in a bath when I get back home.
Anyway, I have to say a sad goodbye to my flatmates and head home this evening- I drop my keys off and that's it. I'm officially locked out of Flat C1 forever. We travel home during the evening (I get to see the Angel of the North silhouetted against the sunset for a few minutes as we crawl past in a traffic jam) and arrive back in Bradford at bang on midnight, so technically I suppose I did get back on Saturday.
So now I'm home, and after being away for so long (I only ever come back here during the holidays) I get the feeling it could be a little odd. For one thing I actually have to stop myself doing my own food shop. If anything though, how quiet it is here means I'll have plenty of time to test out new recipes for you all! But right now I'm about to print off some CVs and distribute them at as many places as I can think of. This means a 40 minute walk down to the nearest supermarket and Costa, but to honest I'm already missing all of the walking I do at uni...
Labels: cocktails, firsty year, freshers, life, My life, Newcastle, Newcastle University, nights out, student, student life, Tynemouth, university
Today began with an exam, at 9:30am. Apparently weekend exams are a thing at uni. But exam over I headed to Olive & Bean with two friends, Ellie and Greta, for a celebratory lunch. I also got to meet one of my friend Greta's parents, who are both wonderful; they are signing the adoption papers for myself and Ellie any day now. Quick trip to Paperchase and my friends surprised me by buying me the most beautiful map print notebook as a birthday present (I turned 19 two days previously). Quick run home to get some tea and get changed, before I met another friend, another Ellie, to complete a cocktail bar crawl. We visited seven places, and the night culminated with my falling off a bench I was dancing on, and watching some seriously scary dancing for Newcastle's older clubbing fanatics while waiting for a taxi.
Today I finally buy a Newcastle University jumper- something I promised myself if I made it to the end of first year. It is amazingly cozy. In the evening I head to the Great North Museum to see the production of A Midsummer Night's Dream with my friend Hannah, that the English School of my uni are putting on. The girls who welcome us in are dressed as woodland fairies and we get to see our lecturers act. It's hilarious. I have never read this particular Shakespeare play, but it's now on my summer reading list. Following the show I run back to my accommodation and get ready to go to what promises to be one of the biggest nights out this year down at Tiger. We're hosting pre-drinks, only I can't drink due to being on antibiotics for an infected cut on my thumb. Guys, never let this stop you going out. I did it on coffee and had a great night- with the added bonus that I wasn't hungover the next morning. 
This morning I finished up some more packing and realised I didn't have enough boxes, so will have to throw whatever is leftover into the boxes my dad is bringing this evening. I spent the afternoon meeting my friend Iona, and we amble down to Ernest for lunch; I order the pearl barley, walnut, beetroot, and feta salad. They also (bless them!) give us a slice of banana cake each on the house, as a thank you for the review I posted and sent them a link for earlier in the week. My friend and I leave sporting food babies and head to Eldon Square to explore what Lush has to offer. A lot of Lush stuff doesn't appeal to me, but we smelt our way through it and at the moment there's actually things I want to try. In fact, I take ages deciding. I leave with a bee bath bomb, and a melting marshmallow moment. I also picked up a Yuzu and Cocoa bubbleroon earlier in the week, and can't wait to test them in a bath when I get back home.