19th April 2015

The past month has been one of development.  Having graduated from full time education for good and entering the world of grown-up work I have found a lack of focus and learning.  Yes, I learn lots whilst I work and I tell you now it is all extremely interesting and I think I honestly have the perfect job for me BUT I miss the focussed learning schedule I have been used to for the past 18 years. 

Last year I attempted (and pretty much failed) to learn Russian - I know a few basic phrases (and a song) which are always quite useful to impress people but I would really love to speak another language fluently.  In my job I work with people from around the globe and thought it would be useful to learn one of their languages.  I started with French and Spanish (both of which I studied a bit in school) and found that two languages at once was a bit confusing.  I have therefore decided to concentrate on French (the language I already have a GCSE in).

I have lots of goals which I would like to reach while learning this language:

• Remind myself of basic phrases for my soon-approaching trip to Paris.
• Re-learn everything from GCSE French and bring myself back to my standard of understanding as then. 
• Find some local classes or distance learning course which will allow me to complete an A-level in French (why not!).
• Spend more time with French people (and in France) to build my conversation skills until hopefully one day (a long time in the future) I may become at least vaguely fluent. 

There are many other aspects of my life which I am trying to develop, many of which I have mentioned previously.  I truly do believe that developing yourself is one of this life's greatest gifts and it is something to cherish and make the most of.

8th March 2015

In the past month or so I have spoken to so many beautiful people and I really am starting to understand what true beauty is.  Now, I have never been the most superficial person but yes, I am prone to bouts of vanity - especially in my past.  The past few weeks have been one of personal and spiritual exploration and although I wouldn't call it the start of my journey (that started when my soul took its place in this body) I would say that I have passed a milestone - one of acceptance and understanding of what I truly want from this life.

I feel more fulfilled than ever before and this is due to a number of things including taking more time to reflect (helped very much so by the current fast) and mainly the interaction with some beautiful people.  I have never in my life walked in to the house of someone that I have never met and felt so at home.  Each and every person greeted me with warmth and compassion radiating from inside.  I found that each person I met had something special and unique about them - each had a kindness and a pureness that radiated outwards.  This beauty was felt through every word they spoke but I am also pretty sure it made them "glow".  Glow is the only word I can use as it is something indescribable but I truly felt that their beautiful hearts really did make them more aesthetically beautiful to me.

I am learning to grow, to be kinder, to think better of people and I have felt the difference since taking the time to reflect.  The fast has so far helped me focus my energy, to consider everybody's points of view and to be selfless. 

12th February 2015

Hello. Happy New Year. Greetings.

It has been a long time since I have written on this blog - in fact, I'd almost forgotten about it.  I have been yearning for an outlet to write and this could again be the perfect place to do so. Seeing as it has been about 7 months since I last wrote, many things have changed in my personal life, work life and the world around me.

I have moved away from my University city now and I am working as a fully fledged rocket scientist (I have a keyring to prove it so it must be true).  I often wake up forgetting how amazing my job is only to come home from work (tired yes) but overwhelmed by how perfect for me my daily routine is.

There are so many small stories which I wish to tell that have happened in the time since I have posted but maybe I will need to save them for another time. 

This week has been quite an active and thought provoking one.  I have taken it upon myself to expand my knowledge in a spiritual and personal level.  It has been coming for a long time but something just clicked and I took the first active step.  It is very personal to me and until I understand more, I will keep things fairly private, sharing with those that I trust.

I have also been active in the sense of going out and doing lots.  I have met with friends, played netball and even gone skiing!  It has been years since I went skiing and this was to my advantage. The "experts" went straight down the slope, the "newbies" had an instructor to themselves and that left me... the awkward person who had been skiing before but needed a gentle reminder.  I ended up getting my own personal instructor, Derek, and I ended up learning some simple techniques I had never realised before.

To sum it all up, moving back has been a transition - I miss the city and those whom I love and care for up there however it is worth it to be back with my family and doing the job I've always set out to do.

18th July 2014

Two days ago I finally graduated from the University of Manchester with my 2:1 MPhys degree in Physics with Astrophysics.  With a 3 day trip up to Manchester with my family it was a great chance to celebrate and enjoy the occasion like a warm, chocolate brownie.

To hold the degree in my hands and receive that closure and congratulations for all my hard work over the past four years - it is very difficult to describe how it felt.  It was a closure to a certain chapter of my life and an opening to the next.

Of course, with an event such as this, A LOT of photographs were taken.  I don't think I have ever seen myself so truthfully happy in a photograph for such a long time.  No faking, no forced smiles - just pure joy. 

It was a great time to celebrate with my course mates, especially my lab partner and flat mate who I spent so much of my time with.

Above is a photograph of Tom (my lab partner) and I shortly after the ceremony.  The best thing about the ceremony was that I ended up sitting next to him for the whole thing which couldn't have been more suitable (good old astro department being so small such that S and W are next to each other in the alphabet).  This boy is one of my closest friends ever and I will always be thankful to him for all his support and friendship these 4 years.

This photo is me and my housemate, Izzie, celebrating our success in true netballer fashion.  I will miss living with this girl so much - she put up with far too much to be honest.  I look forward to seeing her new professional flat at some point in the near future.

And of course this post wouldn't be complete without a photograph of the people who have really been there the whole way... since day 1.  Before the day, all I wanted was for them to enjoy this day but in the end it was about us, as a family, enjoying it together.

All in all... I am now a Master of Physics and I have some amazing friends and family.

12th July 2014

I am now relaxing after my break in Barcelona.  It was such a fun and enjoyable trip with one of my best friends.  I don't think I have ever walked as much in my life and explored so many different aspects of a city.

My favourite part of Barcelona is the architecture - it is unlike anywhere else in the world and I found it simply beautiful and unique.  The inspiration from Gaudi can be seen on every street corner and it was such a wonderful experience.

I also insisted that we ate in as Spanish a way as possible throughout the week which included tapas, paella and churros.  I tried to speak Spanish as much as possible too although most of the time I let me friend do the talking for me.

8th July 2014

I am currently sat on a double bed bunk bed in a room in Barcelona with the refreshing breeze of a fan washing over me. It has been great to see and spend time with my friend and we have been having fun exploring the city and trying new foods. There have been many a jokes about going to the meseu d'erotica and visiting nudist beaches but it just isn't our thing.

One thing I have discovered is that everyone is very thankful when I try to speak Spanish (even if it's a weird mix of dialects that I come out with). I am enjoying learning how to say things even if they are only simple phrases.

We went to a chocolate museum yesterday which was wonderful and they had many sculptures made of chocolate. It was very tempting to buy a whole bag full of chocolate but in the end decided to sit down and have the most amazing hot chocolate I had ever had.

4th July 2014

I am settling back at the family home where I am planning to live whilst I start out in my graduate job.  It has been 5 days of getting a little bit stressed about silly little things but I am starting to calm back down.

I am running off to Barcelona this weekend to have a girls holiday with my friend who is currently studying in Madrid.  I have never been to mainland Spain before and I am extremely excited to see the architecture and try the food and immerse myself in Barcelona culture.  I am only there for 4/5 days but I intend to fill it completely with as much as possible.  I am leaving all home comforts here and welcoming all the new experiences.  You will definitely have a long post after this trip with lots of photos.