It’s been a heck of a month, August 2020. Much like the rest of 2020, very little has remained the same from day to day. I have moved across the country, will be entering a new university for a new degree, managed to fully furnish an empty apartment on a small budget, and that’s not even half of it. So, let’s catch up.
I left Kent in July to move across the country back to Wales and am now set up with Nia in a lovely flat. When we got here, we had to do a deep clean of the place as the previous tenant seemed to have very low standards of what ‘clean’ means – read: cremated chicken skin stuck to the oven, hair in the fridge, and a carpet that changed colour when hoovered. We were lucky to have some brilliant people on our team to help us move and get our paperwork sorted, which I have such a deep appreciation for. The flat was unfurnished, so nearly everything has been bought second hand and has been done up in the last few weeks. Our wardrobe, a fantastic 1920s giantess, was bought on eBay for £9.00 and travelled from London to our apartment – it took some time to scrape the old nicotine varnish off. Now she is a gorgeous pink and has some spider plants living on the roof. The other bedroom drawers are things that we picked up in charity shops and second hand stores that have been fixed up, sanded, painted and waxed within an inch of their lives. We still await the delivery of our sofas that we ordered in July, but they’re scheduled for mid-September, so until then, we have a fun set up of an air bed sofa! It’s all coming together in here and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
In September, I’ll be starting my Masters degree in English Literature in Cardiff University, which I’m so excited about. It’s definitely been a struggle for a lot of new undergraduate students this year, with the results system being as it was, so it’s not a surprise that start dates, timetables and module choices aren’t 100% certain yet. When it does start, I feel ready to make that new beginning (although a little scary) and have a tour booked soon to help me work out my way around there!
I graduated from the University of Kent with First Class Honours. It’s been quite a rough few years, with mental health, disability, managing work and study, not to mention ‘normal’ university stuff like essays and presentations. We took a bottle of alcohol free champagne and sat al fresco to celebrate!
I also passed my driving theory test just before we left Kent. I’m a huge nerd so enjoyed being able to study something while we were in lockdown. Now I’m getting behind the wheel and taking to the roads of Cardiff! My first ever time was slightly terrifying but also completely exhilarating and I’m so excited to get back out there this week. We accidentally got onto a dual carriageway but I took it on at a hot speed of 16 mph.
Alongside all the fun things, I’ve also had a good few pain flares which means ice baths! Lowering the temperature of my body, then dunking into a hot bath really reduces my overall pain levels, but also is absolutely vile when the ice hits. It usually involves a pep talk from Nia to get me into the bath but it really does help. Would recommend!
So for the rest of the year, I have lots of exciting articles planned, some interviews, some reviews and always, always, fun. I’m looking forward to getting back into the groove of writing and I always appreciate feedback. Let me know if you have any ideas. See you in September!
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