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.