Off to Edinburgh

Hello people, care to guess where I am? Well to be perfectly honest, I do not really know… I am on a train to Edinburgh. We went passed Newcastle about 25 minutes ago and we are due in Edinburgh in about 35 minutes. Apart from that I have no idea where I am…

So just a quick update. Yesterday I moved into my very first house. Obviously not the very first house that I have ever lived in, but the very first house that has ever been mine (well it’s not technically mine, but I do rent it nonetheless). Moving house is always stressful, regardless of what stages of your life you are in. As ever, I like to have a useful message in my ramblings. This entry is no different. The most useful advice I can offer in terms of moving house is, limit the amount of stuff you have! It’s amazing how much stuff you can accumulate without even realising it! Especially someone like me who has a ridiculous amount of stuff, and no apparent reason for most of it. And so, when you move into a house or even in or out of halls for that matter, the more stuff you have the more difficult, tiresome and tedious moving is. Especially in my situation where no one in my family actually drives, therefore I am forced to rely on the kindness of friends… My ridiculous amount of stuff surprisingly does not entice anyone into helping me… And so, try to limit the amount of stuff you bring with you to university. While it may be very nice to have all of your home and creature comforts surrounding you, you then have to move everything into a place only to move it all out again 9 months later!

As for me; why am I on a train to Scotland I hear you ask?  Well for the next three weeks I shall be escorting 30 American high schoolers and their teachers around the UK and Ireland for work. Just to iterate, this isn’t for the university but an outside company. My role is somewhat stressful, long and underpaid but I handle the program and the logistics. Making sure that the extensive pre-booked and pre-arranged educational and cultural program is followed extensively. The money may not be great, but it is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, see more of the country I live in and do some really cool activities, so that compensates it.

FYI – this is a job I found through my universities excellent job department, where a representative of the company I now work for (my boss) came to my university and gave a presentation.

I’ll check it at the start of next month. Good bye my friends.

P.S. A massive thank you to Denise who also works in my office who helped me move house and put up with my massive amount of useless stuff in her precious car.

^ Cringe or what eh?

Bloggy update! - Spain

So travelling around Spain was pretty cool… I spent a week near a place called Murcia on the Spanish coast lazing by the pool and the beach. Originally I thought that I would hate it, just lying there not actually doing anything but I actually really enjoyed it. That could be just because that I had a good book and the weather was amazing.

Then after a week by the pool, I headed off to Madrid for a few days all by myself...  This was the first time I had ever been travelling by myself. All the previous trips I’ve been on around Europe had always been with a friend. I’m not going to lie, I was pretty scared….

But all my fears turned out to be unfounded. When I eventually arrived in my hostel in Madrid (after several travel complications) I immediately made friends with people all over the world. It’s quite interesting that the social norms are completely different when you’re travelling, it’s perfectly acceptable just to go and talk to a random person, simply because you and they are in the same place and speak a mutual language.  I experience the local culture in numerous ways, savoured the nightlife (which was immense) and checked out a few churches, cathedrals and museums.

It’s funny though, whenever you go away from home, you spend so long adjusting to a new place or situation. You finally adjust and almost settle into a routine and then you go home! It feels like you were last at home an age ago rather than just a few days.

I’ve attached a few pictures just to show you all and make you jealous. But I got my comeuppance when coming back from Madrid, my flight was delayed by four and a half hours! Damn you Ryanair. This meant that I had missed all the trains back to London from Stansted airport and instead had to trek home using a variety of buses and coaches. I got home at 4.30AM despite arriving at the airport in Madrid at 4.00PM

I’ve now got a week of full time work ahead, while trying to move house and while trying to prepare for going travelling for three weeks for work (not uni work) with 40 American children in town!

I’ll try and submit a quick post before I leave next week. Enjoy the pictures.  Bye!