Recap: Our Adventures

We started this blog pretty late on in our relationship, and even then failed miserably at keeping it up. So in this post I'm going to recap some of the places we have visited, and use this as a starting block to document our adventures.

Chatsworth House - my dream house!

 Flamingo Land

 London (of course - an annual trip!)

 Newcastle

 Dronfield

 The Norfolk Broads

 Manchester (Take That!)

 Chillingham Castle - the most haunted building in Britain!

 Sheffield (The Killers)

 Shrigley Hall

 Woburn Safari Park

 Potters (another annual trip!)

 Lanzarote 

 Turkey

Big Changes

In exactly eighteen days I will have finished my last ever exam and will have finished university for good. How time has flown! We always knew 2013 would be a huge year in terms of the changes taking place; it is certainly living up to that so far, although perhaps not quite as we expected.
Firstly, I never expected to come to love university as much as I have done this past year. It may be my new house and flatmates, or maybe the thought that it's nearly over, but I have very much enjoyed the past eight months and have certainly endeavoured to make the most of it. I can safely say I'm going to miss Lancaster.

Luckily, I have found myself a job with an amazing company. It is only a three month internship, but I'm hoping that if I impress they will keep me on permanently. Unfortunately, it is down in Reading; a whole 195 miles from home. And, being a temporary placement, it's not really sensible for Pete to quit his job to move down with me. Which means that I will be moving down there by myself for the time being, until I get a full time contract.
At first I was a little disappointed - Pete and I have waited three years to be able to move in together and start our life, and now that has to be put on hold right when we've got to the finish line. It is sad, but the opportunity this job presents will hopefully give us a great life when we do (eventually) move in together. It's very frustrating, but we're well practised in the art of long distance relationships, so what's another three months when you have the rest of your lives?

University Blues

Well, a seven month gap isn't a great way to start a blog. And in all honestly, I'm only here because I'm procrastinating. I should be researching dissertation topics, but after four hours of going nowhere I'm giving up for the day.

It's crazy to think that I'm preparing a dissertation proposal when I can still remember pushing open my flat door on that very first day of university... So much has changed since then. I've drifted away from some friends and become closer to newer ones. Family dynamics have changed. And, of course, many people have remained just as important and some always will. One of the biggest changes for me is my perception of university life. Whilst being in a long distance relationship had always made me hate university that little bit, I was once overcome with the excitement that an independent lifestyle brought me. That was way back way in 2010! Now, I'm counting down the days until I can leave this place and actually start my - our - life. People here who I once thought friends have shown their true colours and I have learnt who I can and can't trust, the workload has increased and increased to the point where even the Pro-Plus is struggling to keep up, and all that coupled with our ever strengthening relationship is making it harder to be apart.

But it won't help to dwell on the past. There are only four weeks left until summer, and only a year until I finish for good! And oh what delights 2013 will bring. A job (hopefully), a house or a flat (somewhere we can call 'Our Home'), and the graduation treat of all graduation treats; a brilliant two weeks in Florida with a simply wonderful family. 2012 may be a fairly quiet year, but the money we will save will be so worth it next year. So that's what this blog post is about, really. I'm not trying to wish my life away, just the next year! I'm trying to keep my head up about the fact I'm currently stuck in a place I don't want to be, and I'm focussing on not only this summer but the following, which is expected to be absolutely incredible.

Chin up. The future is coming. :)

Here We Go Again...

Thanks to Ruth and Tim, we've decided to start a blog. I'm not 100% sure why exactly, we just thought it would be fun.

The summer is now officially over; I am back at university and Pete is cramming in the hours at work. Always a sad time, but we coped with the distance pretty well last year so we can do it again. I have no fear! It's been an amazing summer, we've done so much and travelled all over the country. London, Worthing, Kent, then up to Newcastle, and across to Manchester and Lancaster. Unfortunately we didn't get to fit in a holiday abroad, but there's always next year! Which brings me back to the whole reason we're writing this blog. I wish we had a more organised documentation of this summer instead of random snippets from Facebook. But anyway, there are plenty more years to come, that's for sure! And we'll begin here, October 2011.


Charl