Why I love Norwich

I think part of the reason why I was so excited to travel to Norwich is because it was there that I've really become fully myself. I'm lying wide awake thinking about exactly what's happened this past year, and I just need to write it down to let it out.

This time last year, I was in the middle of Sherwood Forest in Nottingham with a fairly large group of friends. It was great, don't get me wrong, and a really nice way to finish 7 years of secondary education. But, looking back, we were immature. Most of us have moved out and matured. I've grown up a lot since then.

University life really does change you. I mean, this time last year, I had never:
1) 100% trusted someone with personal matters
2) Smoked a cigarette
3) Got drunk
4) Danced provocatively in a club
5) Seen different perspectives on some topics
6) Been independent
7) Been fully myself

After 1 year at uni, I can say I've now done all of those. All of them. If you'd have asked me this time last year about any of those, I'd have given a very different response to most.

Moving 200 miles away was definitely a move for the greater good (the greater good). Throughout the few years before coming to uni, I was never properly happy. There was always something on my mind to burst my temporary happiness bubble, whether it was studying for A-Levels, a family death or supporting a friend through cycles of depression, to name a few of the many. Music was the way I coped through all this. That's probably why my hearing isn't the best. Because loud music makes you temporarily forget everything except it. Which can be a blessing at times.

Of course, I had and still have a close group of friends to count on, although that has been reshuffled a little bit over the past year. There's only one person out there who knows absolutely everything about me. But 8 months ago, I didn't know he existed. Funny how these things work. A few close friends knew most matters. But I never fully trusted them the way I now trust him. I think it's fairly obvious who I'm talking about.

This year, for the first time, I've been able to do things the way I want them to be done. Freshers week was my first sense of complete independence and it went uphill from there. Living with parents was all getting a bit too much. I've been back a month on and off and it got too much weeks ago. Another reason why I love being back, albeit temporarily.

And, most importantly, this year I've been completely myself. My first year at university gave me a change to completely reinvent myself. I've done things I would never have considered doing this time last year, I've got stuck into university life and I'm already the vice president of a society. But most importantly, I've made new friends, who I know I'll have for a long time.

The best bit about this year? I'm doing it all again for the next 2.

To Cambridge & Merseyside and back

Bloody hell, I've done a lot of travelling recently. It says it all in the title really. The worst journey was the 6 hour one coming back from the outskirts of Cambridge (damn you, number 10 bus) where the hungover Scouse woman next to me on the Virgin train looked like she was going to chunder any moment. She didn't, thank god. I didn't really fancy rolling into Stockport covered in someone else's vomit, cheers.

Not that I really mind all this travelling. I like going places and it makes it feel like I'm at least doing something with this loooooonnnnnnnnnggggggg summer. It also helps that the weather's been surprisingly good. Well, everywhere else I've been in the past few weeks away from Manchester it has been, apart from the past few days. Pretty much sums up Manc weather to be honest.

Anyhow moving on from a very Grandparent-like comment...

Cambridge!!
I love Cambridge. It's full of pretty buildings and a pretty river, without being too 'look at us'. You know what I'm trying to get at.Ok, so it's an expensive city, but you can tell that people have at least a little bit of common sense (see my first post). And it's very small, perfect for lazy sods like me. Although on one of the many walks in, there's a field full of cows, which I wasn't expecting. I mean, cows near a city centre? Moooo (bad pun, sorry). Whilst I was in Cambridge, I had my first ever game of golf. All in all, it could have gone better. And by that, I mean it took me at least 4 shots to do what Alex and his dad could do in 1. I'm amazed I finished with 60 to be honest. I was expecting 63 (the max score). Practice makes perfect... riiiight....

A few days later, I went to what must be the complete opposite to Cambridge: Merseyside. Or Scouseland, as I prefer to call it. It just seems more fitting. Anyone who's been there will know what I mean. More specifically, Formby. And even more specifically than that: Formby Point (the beach for anyone who doesn't know what I'm talking about). It was classic Northern fashion; go to the beach as soon as the mercury hits above -10 and there's more than 1 hour of sunlight. I'm exaggerating of course. More like 2 hours of sunlight! Ahh the joys of livin' up North! I'm surprised it was as quiet as it was to be honest! I guess it was a Friday, so it shows people at least are still keeping their jobs! Ish. What got me was the people who came down the sanddune between the carpark and the beach and then just plonked themselves down at the bottom of the slope! I mean, seriously, walk up the beach for 2 minutes and it's a lot more pleasant. Talk about lazy...

Tomorrow, I venture back to Norwich for a little bit!! I'm so excited, and I don't even know why. There's nothing particularly exciting about what I'm doing there, except maybe surprising people at volunteering then a drink (or several) at Playhouse. I've only been gone from it a month and I've missed it. Weird what moving away does to you.