2013 - The Year of Many Changes

2013 turned out to be a year of many changes. While I was in the middle of it all, I didn’t realise how many times my life was at a crossroads, but looking at the past year now, when it’s almost over, I can see that it’s been quite the year. I reached several milestones and made important decisions that would have a great impact on how my future will turn out:

In January I handed in my Master’s thesis.
In February I got my Bachelor’s degree.
In April I finished my last courses at university, and I started working full time as a freelance translator.
At the end of May we had a graduation party for my brother and me, and a few days later at the beginning of June I got my Master’s degree.
In June I also left to spend the summer in Scotland – or so I thought… because at the end of June I decided that when I travelled to Finland in August I would only go there for a visit. I would get rid of my flat, sell everything I owned and move to Edinburgh permanently.
In July I met a wonderful Scotsman, and luckily he’s been sticking around ever since.
In August I flew to Finland and began to empty out my flat in Turku. I threw out more stuff than during any previous move, because this time I had to cold-heartedly get rid of anything that wasn't absolutely essential. I also sold all my furniture, kitchen appliances and some smaller stuff, donated the rest to charity or to friends, and packed anything that remained in a few boxes and suitcases.
At the beginning of September I stayed with my parents in Parainen, where I spent my time dividing my stuff into the things I would take with me to Scotland and the things I would leave in storage. After five weeks in Finland, which felt like an eternity, I flew back to my “new” home town, moved into a beautiful flat in a lovely neighbourhood with a really nice flatmate, and I got to be with my boyfriend again.

From September onwards I've tried to settle back into my Scottish life – I've met up with old and new friends, translated, looked for a new job, spent time with my flatmate and my boyfriend, showed my home town to visitors, and generally enjoyed myself. It was wonderful to visit Finland at Christmas and see everybody again, but so far nothing – not my visit to Finland, nor the partial ridiculousness of life in the UK (taps, cold houses, etc. etc.), nor moments of homesickness – has made me regret my decision to move here. My life is here now, as it’s supposed to be.

Last year I wrote here about New Year’s resolutions: “Shouldn't that be the most important resolution for each new year – to make it the best year of your life so far? To be happier, healthier, kinder, whatever, just be more of it than last year. If last year was awful, then it shouldn't take much to make this year better, and if it was great, then find ways to make it even more so.” In many ways, 2013 has been a fantastic year, and the best part is that the good things are the ones that I remember, and any bad parts have been forgotten. I hope I can say the same thing a year from now.

Happy New Year everyone, or as we say in Scotland, Happy Hogmanay!

Images: weheartit

August nostalgia

August is here, and although the summer isn't over, I'm approaching the end of my Edinburgh summer - which, in a way, is a good thing, as August is the month when the centre of Edinburgh becomes unbearable for someone who can't stand masses of tourists. With the Fringe, the population of Edinburgh doubles, and while I'd like to go and see lots of comedy and other interesting shows, living your life in a city taken over by tourists and other visitors is far from enjoyable. I'm trying not to vent my tourist rage too much now, but what is it with people going on holiday, and immediately forgetting that there may be some people around who aren't on holiday, and who actually need to get to places at set times? No, let's just walk around really slowly, suddenly stopping in the middle of the street to take pictures and read maps, take forever to buy train or bus tickets or get cash out. Because it's not like we, or anyone else in the queue, actually need to be anywhere... Ok, sorry, rant over. Because the point of this post was not, in fact, to rant about tourists (although I'm sure you'll get to read a post like that at some point), but to talk about it being August.

The Royal Mile during the Fringe, a.k.a. My Worst Nightmare.

For the past *quick calculation* 18 years, August has been quite exciting. There was always something about the last days of the holidays, the approaching autumn, going to buy new school bags and pencil cases and notebooks. Later on, in upper secondary school and university, I still enjoyed preparing for the upcoming year, making timetables and planning my studies and the year ahead. I love planning and making lists, and the beginning of a new school year was always a great time for that. The excitement never lasted for more than the first few weeks, of course, but I still enjoyed getting back into a normal routine after the holidays and seeing all my friends again.

After graduating, I thought August and the beginning of September would be a bit sad, as I still missed university and being a student. This summer has helped me get over my graduation angst and accept my new, non-student identity, but I still feel a little nostalgic when I think of all those years of excitedly preparing for a new year at school or uni, and I'm sure this feeling will get stronger the closer we get to September.

I won't be having the uneventful transition from summer to autumn that I'd been expecting, though. I won't be staring a new year at uni or moving over from one school to the next, as in previous years, but instead I'll be spending August preparing for my big move to Scotland - selling all my things, finding out about taxes and national insurance, and meeting up with friends and family. I'm sure there'll be enough planning and list-making needed to keep me happy for quite some time.

Pictures: 1: here and 2: weheartit

BA

This blog has now been viewed over 10 000 times, amazing! And I'm sure at least some of those views have been by actual people and not just internet robots, so yay!

Anyway, I just wanted to share a picture and a bit of news with whoever reads this:

As a friend was kind enough to point out, my head looks like
it's a really strange shape in this picture, but never mind...

I finally finished my BA degree!

I can see all you non-Finns out there scratching your heads (and maybe some Finns, too) - "didn't you just finish your MA thesis?" Well, I'm not one to follow the common path too strictly, so I ended up finishing my MA thesis before I got my BA degree, and then I'll finish my MA degree in about a month. As you do.

Amazing April

April has arrived!

April is definitely one of my favourite months of the year - the snow melts and spring takes over, the days get longer, the summer holidays are approaching fast, and it also happens to be my birthday. This year, April is also filled with other cool things and events, so while it may be more common to do a recap of a month that has passed, I've decided to do an overview of the month ahead.

So, here are some of the things that I can look forward to in April 2013:

Ok, this already happened, but I had to include a picture of 1st April - a lovely Easter brunch with some friends. What a lovely way to start the month and the week!

This is the print out of the book we have been translating in class, and on the 10.4 we will finally finish working on it. Not the greatest of books (what an understatement!), but a good experience nonetheless.

On the 10th the student association for translation students is also organising it's 2nd ceilidh. The first time we organised it, in February this year, it was quite a success, and hopefully it will be this time, too. I can't wait!!

Everything seems to be happening in the same week, because the day after the ceilidh I'm heading to Helsinki to see Eddie Izzard live! We bought the tickets last year in May, so this has definitely been a long awaited event.

And just so I won't get bored, I've managed to cram one more fun event into that same week - an annual ball of one of the societies at university. The last time I went to one of those was a year ago, and the next one won't be until October, so I'm definitely looking forward to getting back into my lovely ball gown.

After a week full of activities I have a slightly less full week, although there will be a Monty Python -themed party on Thursday, and then on Sunday it's my birthday, which I will celebrate in the fashion of the above picture with some friends.

And then, only a few days later, I will finally head back to my favourite city in the world (or one of my two favourites, at the very least)! My mum and I will head to London for our fifth annual mother&daughter trip (and our fourth visit there together). We'll be following our usual plan - one day of shopping, one market, one museum, one musical, and afternoon tea. Plus a whole bunch of great breakfasts and lunches and dinners - I've actually spent considerably more time planning where we'll eat on this trip than anything else. You've got to set your priorities straight, after all!

And soon April is over and it is time for Vappu, i.e. the May day celebrations, which will also mark the end of life as I know it, as I will no longer be a student. But that's still some time, and several amazing events away!

I wish you all an amazing month of April!

Mission accomplished

I did it. It took me about 4 months to write, and then, about a month later, I spent a weekend doing the final corrections. Last Sunday I finished the final version and e-mailed it off to be printed, and on Wednesday I got the final result.

It may not look like much in the picture, but to me it looks absolutely beautiful!

Now I just need to wait for the grade, which I should receive within a couple weeks. And then that's it! I can put my MA thesis on a shelf and move on with my life!

...which will still consist mainly of uni work, but hopefully a bit less of that and more of actual paid work in a couple week's time, when this awful period is over and I only have two classes a week left.

The end is nigh, my friends!

2012 Roundup + A look into 2013

So, here we are again, another year is almost gone. As is the custom around this time of year, I'd like to take a look back at the year that was, because frankly, I'm not really sure what I've been up to. (Sorry about the lengthy post, but a year is a long time!)

So, let's take a look at:

2012 as I saw it - and a look at what's next

Trips
First of all, I have to point out that 2012 was the first full calendar year that I have lived in Finland since 2009 (and before that it was 2005). The past two years I've spent half of each year living in the UK, so this year was quite different in that sense - no need, or chance, to set up a whole new life somewhere where I knew no one or nothing. It's strange, but I thought I'd feel stuck, or smothered or something from living in Finland long term again, but I really haven't. The year has clearly been split in two as well, though, as the first 5 months I spent living with my parents in a small town, commuting into uni, and then from June onwards I've been back in my old flat, living on my own again after a year of living with other people.

Also, there has been a fair share of trips, so I didn't really have much of a chance to get too settled in my ways. Especially in the summer I felt like I was always packing overnight bags and not sleeping in my own bed nearly enough. In total, I travelled abroad 6 times this year. I spent a weekend each in all Scandinavia capitals. I got two new countries onto my list of countries visited (the Vatican and Norway), giving me a grand total of 21. I visited Edinburgh twice, and my longest trip this year was the second trip to Scotland, when I spent two weeks there. Most trips I did on my own, when I visited friends, but my mum joined me on the trip to Rome, and my brothers joined me for a part of the two weeks in Scotland - which was the first (but hopefully not the last) time that the three of us did a trip together (without the parents). A strange thing is that this was the first time that I didn't visit London since the first time I went there in April 2009.


For next year I have one trip booked so far - a weekend in Copenhagen to see my dear friend Sophie - and I'm probably going to visit London with my mum after Easter. I also want to visit some friends who are doing their Erasmus exchanges, one in Alicante and one in Leeds, but I'm not yet entirely sure I'll be able to pull those off. I had this idea that it would be fun to get to 25 countries visited in the year I turn 25, but we'll see how it goes.


Studies
Having originally planned to spend a year in Scotland, this year turned out quite differently (study-wise) than I had planned. In the spring I wrote my Bachelor's thesis, and then in the fall I started working on my Master's thesis. At that point I still thought I'd do a whole year more at uni after finishing my thesis, or at least half a year, but I still decided that I wanted to finish my thesis by Christmas, i.e. in 4 months instead of a year. You know, just because. Then it somehow dawned upon me that despite it making no sense whatsoever, I would be able to get enough credits by the end of the academic year to actually graduate in May 2013. So it seems like that's what I'll be doing.

For 2013, then, there is some pretty big stuff ahead in this department. In January or February I'll hand in the final version of my MA thesis. In March I'll get my BA degree, and in May I should get my MA degree. It will be my last spring as a student, and then I'm off into the real world. Scary stuff.


Work
As I was living with my parents for the first half of the year, I didn't have to work, which was a nice change. Then, after having no luck at finding a summer job for the past few years, I managed to land an internship, and worked as a translator all summer. Then, in the fall, I started working as a freelancer, did a couple of small things for the company I'd been an intern at, and suddenly, from somewhere, I'd also landed two large translation projects from other companies, one that I'll spend the rest of my holidays on after Christmas, and another one that will begin right after the first one is finished. Again and again I see how much of an asset it is in this business to be able to translate into Swedish.

So, next year I've got quite a bit of work, for the beginning of the year at least. Then, once those projects are over, I'll probably need to start establishing a few more business contacts. I'm not planning to look for a summer job this year, but to do freelance work at first once I graduate, while figuring out what I should do with my life, and see if there happens to be any jobs going that I could see myself doing. I don't think I want to be a freelancer forever, but it's a good place to start - one that doesn't leave me hanging in a limbo of unemployment when I'm fresh out of uni.

Friends
Having actually been around for a change, I've got to spend some really amazing times with my friends this year, and because of the trips, I've managed to see a fair share of my friends abroad, too. Memories from Hogmanay in Edinburgh a year ago still make me smile, and there are some great pics that show the mood really well. We also did a weekend trip with most of the Hogmanay crew in August. There's been dinners, nights out, lunches. There was a hen night and a wedding, and the birth of a beautiful little boy. I've made several new friends as well, mainly through work, and a couple through couch surfing, and there are a few people who I knew a little bit before who I know consider proper friends.

As always, though, there were friends I didn't get to see at all, or as much as I would have liked, and there were people whom I didn't manage to stay in touch with as well as I maybe could have done. I'll do my best to correct this next year - starting with visiting Sophie in Copenhagen, as I haven't seen her (outside of skype) for over a year.

Family

I've definitely spent a lot more time with my family this year than I have done in previous years, especially with my dad and step-mum, who I stayed with for 5 months, and with my youngest brother, who I don't see often enough normally, but whom I got to see almost every weekend while living at my parents'. I've also been present at any family occasions I may have missed out on while living abroad. There hasn't been too many major changes this year, except that my youngest brother finished his military service and got a permanent job, and my dad turned 50. We'll see how next year turns out - some events coming up will be the two graduations, when both Jani and I finish our studies, and my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. Jani is also planning to head Down Under for a working holiday, which is of course really exciting for him, but I know I'll miss him tons.


So, that's part of what I've been up to this year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Thesis week, day 2

Yesterday's score:

Pages: unsure (mainly revision)
Tomatoes: 7
Games of solitaire: too many

Yeah, seems a bit like my blog is getting more love and attention than my thesis at the moment.

Anyway, I did spent a fair few hours by the computer yesterday, and several of those I was actually working, too. As I found it so hard to start on a new, massive task, I decided to go at it from a different angle, and attacked a bit of revision. The notes from teachers and other people in my thesis group had piled up, so I had some suggested corrections to start out with. So I got those done, which is good, of course, but it also means that now I'm right back where I started - avoiding a large task that I haven't even completely figured out yet.

Yesterday I spent all day at my parents' house, but today I had to get into town super early, as I have to go to the dentist at half twelve, and I preferred to get a free ride, rather than having to walk 4 km in the snow and taking the bus. So here I am, at the coffee room at uni, all on me onesies. Well, there seems to be some sort of commotion in the hallway, no idea who it is or what they're up to, but there's no one else in here, which is good, because at least I can listen to music. So I got here at 7.50, when the building was technically still closed, and so far I've managed to get the final report of a class done (so all coursework for this year sorted, yay!!), and send a few important e-mails. Even solitaire lost its charm (and addictive nature) yesterday.

So, I guess it's time to get back to work.

weheartit

On endings

As I may have mentioned here before (can't be bothered to check at the moment, to be honest) I recently realised that I could actually graduate this spring (the Finnish uni system is really flexible, so this isn't as obvious as you may think if you've studied elsewhere). It came as a total surprise, as I had thought that, at best, I'd be graduating a year from now. But May it is, then!

Some time after this realisation hit me, I also realised that if this is my last year, then it'll be a year full of lasts. Come May, I won't be a student anymore, I won't be spending my time on campus, I won't be hanging out with a lot of the people I regularly see now, I won't be going to events and activities organised by my student association... A large chunk of my social life will be gone. And even thought I haven't been overly active in participating in these things in recent years, it still makes me sad. Of course I can still hang out with my friends outside of uni, but there will always be some people that I only ever see at uni, but whose company I enjoy, who I'll lose contact with after graduation.

As I've been giving up various things - and friends - quite often in recent years, I should be able to see this as nothing more than another transition in life, similar to all the ones I've gone through before. But five years is a long time. I just read a blog post by someone who's studying in London, who said that it feels like she was just a Fresher, even though she's now half-way through her studies. Well, she was, because that was just six months ago. Three years go by quite fast, because you've only just started and got the hang of something when the end is already drawing near, but when you set out on a five year "journey", you don't start thinking about it ever ending until that fact hits you in the face, right before it happens.

I used to think I'd be a student for ages, that I was in no hurry to graduate, and that I had ages left to enjoy everything that comes with being a student. But real life is knocking on the door, and even though I won't have to answer straight away, I won't be able to keep it off forever. And while that is, in some ways, exciting, it's also irreversible. Sure, I could always go back to uni, but this is when I was a student, and I won't get that back. And that's a bit sad. As I'm sure most things are once they're over.

Disclaimer: I may have had a few drinks before writing this.

5 pictures

I'd like to share five pictures with you that describe my life as it currently is 

(and has been for some weeks, but hopefully won't be for very much longer).

 This is where the magic happens - or, quite often, fails to happen.

 Thesis calendar - approaching deadline.

 Notebook that I keep with me and write down any ideas in.

The view from my window from around 5pm onwards.


How would your life right now look in 5 pictures?
If you get inspired and make your own list, let me know in the comment box!

Ps: No idea why the pictures are that blurry, they really shouldn't be...

Drowning in work

Last summer I wrote a post about NaNoWriMo, and that I planned to join this year. Now November is here, but I'm not spending all my spare time writing a novel. I wish I could be, but I have to be realistic - not only have I got my thesis to write, I've also gone from having 6 hours of classes last period to 17 this period. That's 6 courses, and 4 of them require tons of work. The deadline I gave myself when I started on my thesis was 13.12, so not long to go. I also really need to find and do some work, because cash is really tight at the moment. Really not a great combo.

But there is light at the end of the tunnel: this crazy schedule will only be on for 1½ months, then it's time for the Christmas holidays, and come spring, I shouldn't have as many courses. I still quite enjoy working on my thesis, even though the "official" fun bit (i.e. the trip to Scotland) is over, and it's starting to get a bit more difficult.

Also, one of those courses that require a lot of work is a course in literary translation, where we'll be translating the upcoming novel "Anglopolis" by Danielle Trussoni. This means I'll be part of a group that are translating an actual novel (no made up assignments) that will be published, and my name will be listed as one of the translators! I have to say, that's pretty cool!

The novel in question. Battery added for size reference.

It's dark, and cold, and at times pretty wet outside, and there are occasions where I feel like I'm drowning in work, and that my head will explode, but I have to keep telling myself that I can do this. Not long to go, I promise.

It's a real shame I can't join NaNoWriMo this year, but I think it's ok to leave that particular challenge for next year.

Indecisive, who, me?

Yesterday I found myself, yet again, trying to make sense of the Finnish university system in general, and my situation in particular, to a foreign student. I do see why it is complicated; I mean, I'm technically a post-graduate student, since I'm in my 5th year and working on my Master's thesis, but I've never actually graduated. I'm in my last year' (more about that it a bit), but I'm still taking 2nd year BA courses - in a subject where last year I took MA courses. I'm not really in my 5th year at all, since I've only studied 3½ years. I wrote my BA thesis last spring, and I'm planning to have my MA thesis done by the end of the year. And, as it looks now, I'll be graduating with a BA in March 2013, and an MA only two months later.

So, yes, I do see the confusion.

Ok, a quick disclaimer about that last bit - at the moment it seems entirely possible, and if I do decide to leave uni next year, that'll be what happens. The only thing standing in the way of that plan is me, and my own indecisiveness.

To back up a teeny bit, at the beginning of last month I wrote this post, where I talked about my decision to sort myself out so that I could graduate 6 months earlier than planned, because I want to move back to the UK (still not sure if it'll be London or Edinburgh, that changes on a daily basis). Since then, a few ideas have settled themselves into my head, one after the other, so that it's now pretty crammed... Here's a bit of a sped up version of what's been going on in my head lately:

- So, I want to graduate by Christmas '13 so that I can move back to the UK after that.

- Unleeeess... You're allowed to do a second Erasmus exchange, aren't you?

- If I'm moving to the UK anyway, I might as well spend a year at a university there first - preferably one a bit less shit than the previous one, but I'm not too fussy... And I still have several months of student benefits left, so there's no reason why not!

- Right, I'll check which places got no applications for this autumn, at least I should have a chance to get a place at those... Aberdeen, cool... Wales, the uni's in the middle of nowhere, but there's a really cool program there... And then I'll try Glasgow, just in case...

- ...Although, I should probably find out if that interpreting program in Stockholm is going to be on next year...

- Naah, I don't really fancy going to Stockholm at the moment, I can always do that later...

- Actually, should I just graduate next spring, and then move to London, or Edinburgh, and start working?

-Oh, look, internships in London, and they're even sort of paid ones... Hmm...

So, basically, I've gone from one option to four: exchange, move to London, move to Edinburgh, internship. But at least I've come far enough to know that I want to get my 300 uni credits together by May next year, and then head abroad. Now I just need to figure out the how? and the where?

Surprisingly appropriate, this! From: wehearit

Oh, and PS: If anyone's actually reading this on a regular basis, I'm sure you're really tired of all these changing plans already, but trust me, so is (probably) my family and friends! It's just the way I am, and it probably won't stop here.

Project MA Thesis

As I may have mentioned in one or two posts this year, I wrote my bachelor's thesis this spring. This fall, I'm starting on my master's thesis, cos that's just how fucked up awesome our uni system is (really, it is pretty good, cos it's my choice to do it like this - normal people would leave it till the following year). I figured, since I'm already in a research-y state of mind, and I'm basically continuing from where I left off with my BA thesis anyway, I might as well just keep going. And I've managed to find a topic that I find interesting enough to spend ages researching, so that's good. Oh, and the fact that I'm planning to do the interviews for my thesis in Scotland may just have motivated me to do it asap. Just a little bit.

It's only July, and I don't go back to uni until September, but I've already got the ball rolling - mainly because of my inability to wait for anything unless I really really have to. I sent out e-mails to a few people that I thought might be able to help me out with finding people to interview - not expecting to hear anything back for a while, as most people are probably on holiday at the moment - but I got immediate responses, and really positive ones as well! These lovely people are really happy to help me out with anything I may need. Score! And then I sort of promised I'd have questionnaires ready by the beginning of September, because leaving it any longer than that would probably have them wonder why the hell I got in touch with them in July. So, I guess I'd better get started!

I found a blog with advice on thesis-writing, and it had a post titled "How to get started on your master's thesis". One of the points there was that you should tell people you're writing your thesis. Don't say "I'm about to start working on my thesis," tell them you are working on it. Because "thinking it makes it so", as comedian Simon Amstell puts it (in a different context alltoghether, but it works anyway). So I did just that.

Another piece of advice the blog post gave me was that you shouldn't just create an empty Word document and label it MAthesis.doc. Instead, when you finally do create that document, label it worldchangingresearch.doc. So I took the notebook I've been carrying around and using to jot down ideas I get for my thesis (as my professor recommended) and named it Amazing and World Altering Research 2012. It sure will be!

So, I've got in touch with a few people, I've got some thesis writing guides from the library, and I've booked my tickets for Scotland (first things first!).
The journey has begun (dun dun duuuun).

Now what?

I've been working my arse off this spring. Well, sort of - depends what you compare it to, of course, but because everything's relative, and I only compare it to how much I usually work, I get to state that this spring, I've been working my arse off. I'll be getting nearly as many credits for this spring as I usually get in a year (see, those months in Edinburgh didn't slow my studies down, honest!), and I've started, and completed my bachelor's thesis. Which, to be honest, and considering my track record, I wasn't sure I'd manage, at least not by the deadline. (One of the perks (or maybe the perk?) of living with your parents for a while - you don't have to rely only on your conscience to nag you into getting stuff done.)

The point of this post isn't to show you all how very good and efficient I've been (well, maybe just a little bit). It's to say: today, now that I've finished my last class, and my last assignment, and the only exam I had to do, what am I supposed to do with my time? I still live with my parents (i.e. in BFN) for another month, so not much to do here. It's not like I was always working up till now either, but even when I was just hanging out, doing nothing, I always had all the work that had to be done at the back of my mind. I had a few nights when I didn't really need to do any work, but at some point I still ended up going back to my thesis, just because I had nothing better to do, or because I felt some weird urge to work on it. Scary shit.

So here I am, done with all the stuff that needed to be done for uni this term (except some final little fiddling with my thesis), with absolutely nothing to do. First world problem?

Oh, I'm not too worried. It's just the usual culture shock when moving from term into summer, but I'll manage. A few days from now I'll look back at this post, and laugh at it in contempt. Except that I won't, because in a few days time, I'll be back in the burgh. Hell yeah!

weheartit.com

5 good things right now

Here are five things that are pretty great at the moment:

1. Spring
Spring is here! Sure, there are still piles of snow all over the place, and I haven't been able to change into my spring jacket yet, but in the city the streets are pretty bare, the sun feels warm, and it's light out in the mornings! Besides, it's almost April and Easter, and then spring is definitely here!

2. Thesis
Today it's exactly one month until the day I need to do the presentation of my Bachelor's thesis, and I need to hand in a draft in a couple of weeks. I'm not stressed, though, since I've been way ahead of schedule the entire time. It's supposed to be 15-20 pages, and I have about 18 now. Not far to go now!

3. Summer job
The search is over! And it's taken the stress and agony of the whole process with it! I got a summer job! And it's even in my own field! And pays quite well (for being an internship)! And it's really close to my flat! And the fact that I got it is, in general, really, really great!

4. Travel
In less than three weeks I'm going to Rome. I haven't been there before, and despite being a massive planner, I haven't even figured out what you can do in Rome, but I'm sure it'll be great (although it's Easter, and not the best time to go there, since that's when everyone else is there). I was planning to study a bit of Italian before going, but that plan didn't work out, what with everything else going on. Oh, well, at least I can order wine, and that's what matters!

5. Visits
I've already had two of the friends I made in Scotland visit me, and the next one will be here in just a week. Can't wait! Oh, that reminds me, there's someone I need to remind to start planning her visit, since she promised she'd come...

Picture: weheartit

A week off

The uni-equivalent of test-week has started - my first one since getting back. Technically, it's supposed to be a week when we either have exams, or just work at home; teachers tell us not to call it at holiday, but a 'teaching free week'. In reality, it's a week off, because the teachers (at least the ones in my department) kindly have us take their exams the week before, or sometimes after. I guess they want a week off, too. Kind of hypocritical, but I'm definitely not complaining!

I once calculated that since we have four months of summer holidays, one month of Christmas holidays, and four of these extra weeks off*, we basically study six months of the year, and have six months off! Not bad!

This time, as on any 'test week' before it, I have great plans for what I'll get done during the week. I have a very daunting list of things to do sitting in the middle of my desktop, containing some school-related things, like essays and translations, as well as lots and lots of cleaning. And as on most of these weeks, I'll probably achieve very little on that list. You'd think a whole week off gives you a great chance to cath up on things like that, that you can't possibly just do nothing for a week. Think again. It's happened before, and I'm afraid it'll happen again. It's not something I'm proud of - really annoyed is actually the correct sentiment here - but at least I'm realistic about it. It all realtes to the procrastination-issues I told you about before.

I'll let you know how badly I failed with my list...

In other news, I'm going back to London!!! I couldn't stand missing it so much, so I'm going there for almost a week at the end of March/beginning of April. I'm so excited!! And on top of everything else, it'll be spring over there by then!! Spring shoes, yay!

That's all. As you were.

*Ok, to be honest, and to calm down any potential nitpickers out there, one of the four weeks of Christmas holiday is technically a 'teaching free week', but since we have one week off for Easter it evens itself out.