Roundup of 2013 blog

Every time I have to write this blog I feel quite terrified because the first one I did was at the end of 2007. It is now 2014, meaning I am in my 7th year. I remember my dad telling me when I was really young that every year goes faster than the last. He was right. 2013 flew by. I can't even pinpoint that many specific elements of it because of the speed of which they passed. But I'll give summarising it a go.

2013 was a strange one. The start of it was absolutely perfect. I was in New York City standing in Times Square with Stuart and it was only the 3rd day of a 10 day trip. Those 10 days were some of the best of my life. I've never loved a place more, and I spent the rest of the year missing it desperately. Once I got back from NY I completed my final semester of university, which was wonderful. It couldn't have been better. I had an amazing group of friends and I was constantly busy, which I thrived off. I was not only doing my degree, but also co-heading an exhibition committee that put on the first ever graduate showcase of Media Arts work at the end of the semester. We raised all the money ourselves, in ways such as putting on a onesie party in the SU (£700 raised) and pitching to the university for some contribution towards it (£500 raised). We all felt very achieved and proud. In April I found out that I got the internship, which was very exciting, and then in May I went on holiday with some of my best friends to Spain. In June I went to Portugal with my family and Stuart and in July I graduated with a First Class degree, which was my dream come true. The rest of the summer was spent mainly with my family but also doing some very frenzied househunting. This is when the year stopped being perfect for me, and the constant stress and anxiety set in. We eventually found a place but the start date was too late meaning I had to do a lot of horrendous travelling the first few weeks of my internship, which was very unenjoyable and made me ill. Then when we did finally move in I didn't have a bed for 3 weeks. We had a housewarming party that basically none of our best friends came to, and by this point I was in the swing of working full time. I've on the whole enjoyed the internship so far, but I'd be lying if I said it was easy to 100% enjoy getting paid less than minimum wage when you have a First Class degree. I would never do my work begrudgingly, and I happily stay 6 hours past my finishing time if I know it'll be helping students, but for over £2.50 an hour less than the people who work in the canteen?! Anyone who said that doesn't bother them is a liar. Along with all this has come people constantly telling me, "Well, it's because you're an intern". Yes, they call me an intern, but the fact of the matter is if I was not the intern and they did not have an intern then there would be at least TWO people doing the jobs that I do for less than minimum wage. So the last few months have basically been me being incredibly stressed and overworked and then constantly having to justify myself to the people around me. Not ideal. Don't get me wrong, I find my work extremely rewarding and most of the people I work with are amazing and I do genuinely love helping people. I have really particularly enjoyed spending one to one time with students giving them help, and then seeing them improve. I have even surprised myself a few times with the knowledge, and therefore overall I am fine with my internship. A perk of the job that I must mention is that in November I was able to go on the field trip to Disneyland again...for free. So no complaints there. As much as it wasn't the same as being there for the first time with my best friends, it was still a wonderful weekend and a highlight was definitely going up the Eiffel Tower with Lucy, Rebecca, Damian and Si. I was incredibly happy to be able to go home in December for Christmas, and honestly I'm not too much looking forward to being back in Twickenham in a couple of weeks. I'm much happier at home and I think after my internship if possible I will move back to Essex before I hopefully get a place with Stuart. I have learnt a lot about myself. I thought going home after living away for 3 years would be very bad and difficult, but it's the opposite. I hate not being able to pop back whenever I want due to a fairly sparse university timetable. I'm constantly homesick and looking forward to travelling back at the weekends. It makes it worse living with people who are near to their homes and can just get a bus or drive back in half an hour. Despite turning 22 I have felt less independent and confident in myself than I have at all over the past 3 years. But now it's 2014 (even then I typed 2013 and had to change it) and hopefully the year will follow the tone of the start of 2013 rather than the end. Now for the evaluating bits.

AIMS FOR 2013
- get a First in my degree. Really I'm setting myself up for a 2:1, but if I get a 2:1 I know I'll be devastated, and I'm definitely aiming for a First.I did it. I still can't really believe it. When writing the above I remember hoping I wouldn't be disappointed when I went to evaluate it at the end of the year, and I'm not.

- sort out my anxiety
It was fine at the start of the year but the last couple of months it has been bad. But I haven't been too ill with it so that's good

- continue getting long hair
Well I suppose so, but I don't think it has grown more than an inch this year to be honest.

- after graduation, get a job that I love and that utilises my degree
As I'm still at uni in the Media department it definitely utilises my degree, and most of the time I really like it. It's not a job though, it's an "internship"

- stay in contact with my brilliant lecturers 
They are now my colleagues, bizarre

- I just got a text from Amy about an idea for a short film...so it is now an aim to make that short film
Can't even remember anything about this

- vlog/blog regularly
Nope, haven't really had the time or the will to be honest

- move out....this is ambitious and unlikely, but it would be great
Yep.

- get on better with Jake
I haven't seen him much this year

- stay with Stuart
Yep

- stay best friends with the wonderful Media Arts girls
Yeah

- sing at the last SMarts acoustic night at uni 
Me, Simon, Tara and Jamespeach did a wonderful rendition of One Day More from Les Mis

- do some travelling
Not what I'd consider travelling. But I'm going to Berlin with Stuart tomorrow so nearly

THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2013
- starting the year in NEW YORK CITY!!!! I can't believe that when I go back to commentate on this next year I'll have already done this when right now it is still a dream!
I wish it was still a dream. It was the best trip of my life and I must go back there, I must. Preferably to live for a while, either working or studying

- my Arts and Culture module
I really loved this module, I had such a laugh with my friends, particularly when we were extremely late for the Tate Modern because we decided to have dessert in the Beefeater

- doing my practical dissertation
It went okay

- making my Online Broadcasting documentary
Absolute highlight of my university experience.

- going to our apartment timeshare in Portugal with family and Stuart
It was a lovely week

- hopefully entering the world as a graduated real life human and hopefully doing well in it and not having a nervous breakdown and quarter-life crisis
I wouldn't go that far


And now for the stuff for this year.

AIMS FOR 2014
- travel. I don't know when and I don't know where, but I have to see some more places that I've never seen before.

- get a JOB that I love that leaves me with enough disposable income to do said travelling and to buy my favourite Urban Decay 24/7 liquid eyeliner regularly

- at least have a more clear plan with Stuart about us moving in together, if not actually moving in together this year

- stay with Stuart, obviously

- see my cousins Rachel and Sophie more often. I hadn't seen them in years but then in the last few months of 2013 I saw them three times and it reminded us how well we all get on

- sort out my anxiety

- continue growing my hair

THINGS I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2014
- going to Berlin tomorrow with Stuart

- going to Portugal in June with my parents, brother, grandparents, uncle Warren and Stuart

I can't really put anything else that I'm looking forward to because I really have no plans yet. I don't know what's going to happen. I am quite scared. I just hope when I look at this blog in approximately 365 days time that I'm not disappointed or sad about anything, and that my family, friends and pets are all healthy and happy too.