There is no running that can hide you.

I have just realised that I never considered catching a train down to Birmingham. What was I thinking? It would be so much cheaper and less stressful to sit on a train for four hours, and, when I think about it, I really am rather fond of trains. Being the masochist I am, I just checked the fares. Kill me.

Yes, it's going to be one of those blogs where I talk about inane topics such as my fondness of trains. Or maybe not.

My weekend was nothing short of amazing. Friday night was a good way to start it off, although nothing too exciting. When we got to Cheesy Pop, I spent the night running around the QMU, flitting between friends in different groups, repeatedly bumping into people I vaguely know at various points and hugging them, that kind of thing. I drank minimal amounts of alcohol, won a competition in which I had to tear a piece of paper into the shape of a penis behind my back, saw Ben for the first time in too long, spent less than £10 and managed to retain all of my belongings. I think Friday night can be declared a success.

Saturday night was spent entirely sober. I hung out with friends. We watched Amelie, which just so happens to be one of my favourite movies. We spent some time on Skype to Oliver, being nerds and laughing at dorky things. I went down to library and had intelligent conversation with some people, and finally made my way to bed, feeling awesome, at around 4:30am. Time well spent, if you ask me.

As with Saturday, I woke up at about 4pm on Sunday. We went shopping, procured alcohol and got rather merry. Not much more needs to be said about that.

Despite all of my homesickness, this weekend has really helped me to feel like I belong here; like I fit in. I have made some amazing friends to say the least, and I continue to meet new people and get to know unlikely others. I may pine for the comforts of home, but I love this city and this experience, and I don't regret running 300 miles away to get my education.

It's now Thursday. I went to the gym yesterday and I think it was probably the beginning of the end - I'm going to become one of those gym addicts, I know it. "Monster woman" (thanks Eugene) will soon become She Hulk herself.


Things I Miss: My bath. Showers are great and all, but sometimes you just need to lie in a pool of hot water and unwind.

We sit on front porches and swing life away.

Today has been something of an emotional rollercoaster. I spent the first hour walking around in a haze - I literally could not focus my sight - and then my mood plummeted somewhat. Since the last blog post, I've been thinking about home a lot, and the more I do, the more I want to be back there. This morning was a morning of feeling very homesick. When things are great here I feel on top of the world, but when things get on top of me it's so suffocating. I just felt like I needed to get away. I almost asked my Dad to fly me back next weekend. I was pretty low.

He called me in response to a text I sent him, and now I feel so much better. It really helped. We just talked about anything. One particular highlight was a story he told me about how he accidentally stole a live chicken named Rosie. He was at work and didn't realise she'd jumped into his van. 5 hours and 70 miles later, he opens the back of the van to be confronted by a clucking, quite content chicken. I laughed so much. It was wonderful to catch up with him, and I feel like I can last another month here.

I really appreciate my friends here, too. Josh and I broke up yesterday, and the first thing Charlotte did was walk into my room, produce a packet of Chilli Heatwave Doritos and a bottle of vodka, followed by a hug. She knows me well. Ciara provided hugs and a listening ear. Ben invited me over with the offer of pumpkin soup, and Claire offered me over to hers to escape for a while. If any of you are reading this, know that you're amazing!

Tonight includes alcohol, a girls-only Ann Summers party, and a club night called Cheesy Pop. I wasn't feeling up for it earlier on, but now: bring it on!

I'm feeling a lot more positive; can you tell?


Sexy: My friends here, without a doubt.
Unsexy: I'm feeling too positive for that today :)

You may be a sinner but your innocence is mine.

I am sorry, dear blog, for I have neglected you. Let's kiss and make up, okay?

I was going to say that with university comes increased free time, but that's completely untrue. I may as well be working a 9 'til 5 job. Still, this is a renewed attempt to keep a blog, even if Oliver is going to be the only person reading it (hi, Ollie!). I'm sitting in my room with a bowl of soup and my new laptop, still a little tipsy from last night, avoiding laundry and cleaning. Oh, how responsible I am!

~

The above was written nearly two months ago now, right at the start of the semester. A lot has changed since then, myself included, I expect. I'm still avoiding laundry, and apparently sleep (why is it past 5am?) So here, for Oliver's reading pleasure, is a delirium-fuelled, extensive (but not exhaustive) list of the things I've come to miss about home:

Red onions! Cooking and consuming 'Snobby Joe's' with Peter. Mushrooms. My bed. My living room and the sense of calm it instills in me. Eating at The Warehouse Cafe with Pete and out-staying our welcome, even if we do have something of a quasi-personal relationship with the staff there by now. Baking cupcakes. Rosé wine and pizza with jalapeños. The way that Pete and I have an unspoken agreement that my money is his, and vice versa, and spend it accordingly. Sausage sandwiches. Sweet Chilli Tyrrells, cookies and chocolate soya milk. City Bar with Briony, and re-visiting later in the day to get pancakes with chocolate sauce and ice cream because we didn't have room the first time around. My brother's ownership of all 5 seasons of House, along with my cat, having money, and my Dad.

I notice that many of these items are food-related, haha. I can't say that I'm surprised. I think I'm going to end this one here, before I get past the point of tired. I will leave you with a photo that I definitely think sums up some aspects of university:

Classic.

Sexy: Undisclosed Desires by Muse. My life will be incomplete until this comes on in a club.
Unsexy: People stealing my food.