So it's been two weeks since I got back from my weekend in Norwich, believe me it feels so much longer. It's so weird because it takes literally no time at all to settle back into life in England (given that I've had 20 years preparation) but coming back here it's takes a while to get over the sadness of leaving friends/family/familiarity. But then you realise you've spent three days wallowing in self-pity that you're in the wrong place and so you feel bad for not appreciating where you are and then end up getting annoyed at yourself. And then you have exams and work to do and so many hours on campus and suddenly it's two weeks since you were at home and you write a blog post. I can't believe it was only last Monday that I landed back in Alicante because it feels like a lifetime ago.
I suppose it's a good thing that it feels like I've been in Spain for ages. But then I know it's not because here feels like home. It's because it feels like I've been here FOREVER and that time is dragging and that it will never ever end. Sorry, the pessimist comes out when I'm blogging after having worked all day long. I think it's because I know that there's now nothing tiding me over until I go home...no visits to/from here, just deadlines and exams. I am excited though because today I sat and watched the minutes roll by until check in opened for my journey home for Christmas! There wasn't even any rush because I'd already chosen a seat but I just wanted to have the boarding pass physically in my hands so I know I get to go and I get to go soon. It's 28 days or four weeks exactly.
I fly at 15:15 (GMT+1) on Saturday the 20th of December, the day after my first semester here is over so I won't be skipping any classes or missing exams. However because I'm flying at 3 o'clock and I like to be early I'll probably make my way there as soon as I wake up... To be fair, bag drop opens at 12:15 so if I leave here at 11:30 then it's not even that bad. I can just guarantee though that my suitcase will be packed the night before and I'll wake up at 6am like a kid at Christmas (literally) and just want to go straight away. I'm so excited for Christmas. Obviously there's never been a year that I haven't but this year is different because I'm properly away and I'm missing the build up and it'll actually feel like an event. Also the fact that this year the little babies will be around is gonna be so magical and ahhhh. I land at 17:20 (GMT) so it'll be dark and it's going to be amazing flying over all those lights, knowing that this time I'm home for more than two days and Christmas will be in the air. I imagine most people flying will be going home for Christmas too so that's going to be so fab. I've already seen photos of Newcastle airport all decorated and oh man I can't wait to step into arrivals surrounded by tinsel and to be freezing cold and to drive home with Christmas music on the radio. As much as I want it to be snowing when I arrive, I absolutely cannot wish for that because I will be so angry if my flight is grounded and I can't make it home. It's not going to happen.
But, there are still four weeks until I get on that plane. Uni is getting better so it's not like I'm going to be dragging myself through these last weeks. I'll actually have less uni now because my Erasmus Spanish language course has finished! So that cuts 4 hours and two 9am starts from my week. We did the exam this week and I think (hope) it went well! I enjoyed that class so much, I was very lucky to be in such a lovely group of people and our teacher was amazing - she never made us feel stupid for not understanding and she explained everything really well but all in Spanish! Obviously every other time someone has explained Spanish grammar to me it goes back to English so to get my head around it in Spanish means it all makes sense a bit more. I think. Anyway, as long as the exam went as okay as I think it did, I should now be officially B2 certified! I think next year I'm going to take the C1 course. It'll cost me money to do but being able to do that instead of a horrible normal uni module would bring me so much relief.
As for my other modules, English literature and cinema is still fine. My essay isn't due til the exam date, 22nd January, which is a good job since I asked about a word count and he just said '12 page minimum'. What kind of shitey system is that? We worked out that it's just under 4500 words which I suppose it's doable. I'm analysing Shakespeare so it's not like I'm going to run out of things to say. Our portfolio for that is due in early December so I need to keep up to date with that. Rules and Uses gives me less anxiety now because we've moved into a bigger group which takes the pressure off! They understand that we're erasmus and a bit clueless so don't make us do anything too difficult. The assessment is done in groups which helps out a lot too! Sarah's coming over tomorrow for us to do our bit so once that's out of the way I'll be less stressed. Spanish to English translation is still good. I definitely don't do the work to the best of my ability but I think that's because we've ended up adopting this 'doesn't matter erasmus yolo' attitude. We have to do a group translation and we decided that as the native English speaker I would correct what they write so I'm obviously going to do a decent job on that because it counts towards their marks! English to Spanish is the same except I'm bad at it. We have a group translation to do but I don't think the actual document has been uploaded yet so we can't make a start. There's a portfolio to do which so far I hadn't actually been doing week by week so today I've done 7 of the weeks! Now I have 2 to catch up with and then I'll be on track. The exams for these two modules are the 9th and 12th of January but because Spain don't really care, they're letting Erasmus rearrange them to before Christmas which means I get to have an extra week at home over Christmas! I think we'll be arranging dates this week.
I have been listening to One Direction's new album FOUR on repeat. It's so good. I know that what you expect from a fangirl but seriously it's so good. It's worlds away from their first album, both content and production wise but also their voices! I'm biased because he's my fave but Harry just sounds incredible, especially on Night Changes and Once in a Lifetime. If I had to pick a single favourite track it would be Clouds because that's my go to if I don't want to listen to the entire album (but that's not very often) and just aaaah man it's so good. I also love Stockholm Syndrome and Fool's Gold and Where Do Broken Hearts Go and just the whole thing. I know if you're not a fan you probably won't give the album a chance but idk, if you're open minded I think you should. They're apparently touring the UK around the end of 2015, when I'm back in the UK, wooooo. Nothing will stop me seeing them. I've missed the last three and I refuse to do it again! Especially with all these rumours that they're splitting up. I need need need to see this face up close.
Speaking of a tour, Robbie Williams is announcing something this Friday. He sent a text out last week saying he was compiling a tracklisting so that leads me to think it's an album of new material. I can't imagine it being another Greatest Hits compilation; he's done two already and the last one was only in 2010. I suppose that was three albums ago but still. Loads of people think it's UK tour dates. I just hope if it is that they're when I get home. I'll obviously still go even if it's not but it'll be better for my bank balance/Mam's sanity if it's not a tour hahaha.
Also on Friday I will be trying to get tickets to see Ed Sheeran at Wembley Stadium! As if I don't have enough concerts planned. I really want to see Olly Murs too. It's a tough old life being stuck in España. At least Ed is playing in July so I'll be in the same country. It's really nice to have a countdown to concerts though, 2015 is already shaping up to be an amazing year music-wise for me.
27/03/15 - Robbie Williams, Barcelona
25/04/15 - Ben Howard, Newcastle
02/07/15 - Take That, Newcastle
Ask anyone who's not loving being away from home and I guarantee they can tell you how long it is until they next go home. I know it's the worst thing to do, I know, I know, but having an end date is so reassuring. Being able to imagine going home again just perks up your spirits when you need a little bit of help.
Also on there I have my coke countdown! I can't believe there are only 39 dates to go, that is just mind-boggling. I think the strangest part is that I didn't really prepare for it at all. I decided at around 11pm last New Years Eve that I'd try giving up for a year thinking "oh yeah, I'll last a week, maybe two" and here we are. Less than six weeks to go. I feel like it's going to be surreal when I eventually 'get' to have some again. That's the thing, this whole thing was self-imposed. I mean people have helped along the way with encouragements and stuff but nobody has had to actively stop me buying or drinking it. I'm so proud.
Again on the theme of countdowns, I have this on my wall and I think it's a good thing because I get to tick off every week. I think if I did it every day it would get a little obsessive and I wouldn't appreciate the length of time properly.
So tomorrow I get to cross off one more and that will mark twelve weeks here! That's pretty much three months. I mean on there it looks like we've done nothing at all because there are soooo many more boxes but to have already done 12 of 41 really is a big chunk of time. Also added to the fact that I'll be spending about four weeks at home for Christmas and then maybe another week at Easter, there's really not that many to go. The end of January will mark 50% of the way through!
Reading has suddenly become part of my life again. Because we have to read for English lit/cin I got back into it but when I went to Norwich I started (and finished) Gone Girl and haven't really put down my Kindle since. I've now also read 'The Year I Met You' by Cecelia Ahern which I liked because it was Cecelia Ahern but I thought it was one of her weaker novels. Then I read 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves' by Karen Joy Fowler which I thought was a bit odd and 'If I Stay' by Gayle Forman which I didn't hate but I just thought it was a bit boring and so very predictable. I'm now trying 'Atonement' by UEA's own Ian McEwan. I tried reading it once and thought it was so slow and boring but a lot have people have said that you need to power through the first 1/3 of the book before it gets good so I'm going to try that. I'm really glad to be reading again though. At the start of the year I set one of those challenges on Goodreads, where you say how many you want to have read in the year. I chose 12 because one per month seemed difficult but also doable. However I'm pleased to say that as it stands, I've finished 18 and the rate I'm going I could do 24 before the year is out, but that definitely would be a challenge!
I'll tell you what else I'm finding a challenge, the bloody weather. I keep forgetting it's November and should be cold now but mate I'm on the Costa Blanca, I want year long summer! I am not enjoying waking up and putting my feet down on freezing cold tiled floor! Oh well, just another of those first world problems innit.
Also a first world problem but a really annoying one, dear ladies clothes designers, please make jeans with pockets! Not just crappy back pockets either, front ones. You're making it far too easy for my phone to be nicked. I mean seriously why do mens' jeans come with front pockets as standard and ladies' you have to hunt all over the shop to find the wondrous magical unicorn pocket bearing pair? IT'S SO ANNOYING. No, your lack of pockets will not make me buy your handbag, just give me pockets. I don't know, maybe they're better in smaller ranges but plus size, you struggle enough to find a nice pair and then when you do they obviously don't have pockets. I found the dream pair in New Look last year but now they're too big and have badly repaired holes and are falling to pieces but I refuse to get rid of my only wearable pair!
AND HERE IS WHERE I FELL ASLEEEP ON MY LAPTOP OOPS
Continuing on Sunday morning, I can definitely see some sort of change in myself. I don't think I'd say I'm a totally different person but I know I'm not the same and being here is changing things. I can't really put my finger on it. I don't know if the changes are bad. It was always inevitable though; you can't possibly leave everything you know behind for an entire year and stay the same! I'm finding things out about myself, like I'm now more aware of what exactly annoys me. Still figuring out how to calm down. There are things that will make me sad no matter if the sun is out or not. I'm quite happy doing things on my own but I prefer company. I am gravitated towards people who are like me: sarcastic, cynical, daft. I'm more of a home bird than I thought I was! Obviously when I moved to Norwich I missed the North East but over here it's just on another level. I always said I wouldn't move back to Cramlington/Northumberland but I don't know, I could see it happening. I just like to be around my family haha what a soppy little bugger I am. I really like studying and translating into English but I much prefer to do it at UEA. My Spanish is improving but I don't think I'll ever be proper fluent. I really like texting in two languages.
I'm definitely coping a lot better now. Culture shock was always this thing I brushed off because Spain and the UK are so close and how could the land of paella and flamenco be so different? See that's the thing. It's not the 'culture' which shocks you. It's that your whole life gets flipped turned upside down (and I'd like to take a minute, just sit right there) and there's nothing you can really do but ride it out and hope it gets better! I think I'm definitely over that first hurdle. I have various ways of coping; the countdowns and reading obviously are two of them. I like to FaceTime my brother since he only ever seems to want to talk to me when I'm not there in person. I text my home pals quite a bit, which I'm sure is very annoying but I don't care, they have to not hate me because I'm their friend. I keep track of my work with to-do lists. I've actually always done this but it's fab when you get to cross one off. The other day I was sat in a seminar and instead of listening I just wrote down all the English food I miss that isn't available over here - I'll write that up in a blog at some point. Instagram is full of photos because it's a great distraction and also looking back at old photos is fab. Look at our confused drunken faces, aw.
I'm really sad because Grey's Anatomy and How to Get Away with Murder are now both on hiatus for winter and won't be back until the end of January. Might use the time to catch up with Scandal! Shonda Rhimes is the queen of TV I swear. I've also started watching The Mindy Project on the recommendation of my lovely pal Georgia.
I think I'll go now. I really do apologise if you've made it through all this drivel - I didn't know I had so much to say! To sum up, no I don't hate Spain anymore. Yes, I'm excited to go home for Christmas. WOOOOO CHRISTMAS!
Until next time, I suppose. ¡Hasta luego!
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