So here we are. The beginning of term. There is a general apathy to being back. Whilst I am really happy to see my friends and to be back in the house which has essentially become my home (I can’t believe I’ve been here a year already), I have very little desire to actually do any work!

I have discovered that I seem to be censoring my own blog entries as I’m writing them, which is defeating the point of having the damn thing really, so don’t be surprised or offended if the next one is password protected and you can’t get into it! There are so many things on my mind at the minute, the main being “what happens next” - what do I do after I graduate, where do I live, what do I persue, do I stay within reach of Leeds or Hartlepool. It’s rather… daunting!

The last week has been so incredibly long that it’s not even amusing. Although it was fulfilling to see a good portion of the Societies in the University at the Societies Fair, it was a very tiring experience. However, I did get to introduce myself to a third of the ones (you have to feel sorry for them) I represent so at least some good came of it.

So again, here we are. Lectures start on Monday. I need to see three different people about Final Year Projects, the forms for which need to be in on Friday. I have done little to no background reading for my modules. I have three meetings this week for societies funding. “Work hard and have fun”, the computing department said. I can see the former happening, but I’m just too exhausted to do the latter! The price I pay for a nice summer, I guess.

So here I am on the train to Colchester. It takes 1.5hrs to get from Leeds to Peterborough… and a further 3hrs to get the last few miles to Colchester. As someone I was chatting to earlier pointed out - the shorter the trip, the longer it takes to get there! The trip has been made even more entertaining by the maintenance work being done between Peterborough and Ely. This meant that we had to take a coach between those two stations! Whilst we got to see some nice buildings, I would have liked to have travelled a more direct route. This begs the question of why the train lines are always through the backwaters of the towns they pass through. I realise that they were original for industrial purposes, but surely some of them could have been moved to more scenic locations.

EDIT: After pulling into Ipswich, we were told to leave the train cos of signal failures. Ten minutes later we were told that the train would indeed be going where I was heading. You’ve got to love public transport(!)

I have six days ‘darn sarf’ (say it with a cockney accent and you’ll work it out), during which I have to visit my Great Aunt and Uncle. I say this not because I am being ordered to by my family members, but because the last time I saw them was when my Auntie and Uncle were married in ‘98, and that was only for a few hours. Therefore, I have given myself the ultimatum that I must get in touch with them while I’m here, or I’ll… well, I’ll have to think of some suitable punishment for myself for not doing so! Suggestions on a postcard (or use the comment box below if it’s easier)!

For those who don’t know, Freshers’ Flu is a time-honoured tradition held at the beginning of the academic year caused by all the students returning to (or starting) University and all of their respective germs turning into something resembling biological warfare! I am pleased to say I have managed to catch it before the students have even arrived! Ever since I got back to Leeds on Tues I have been sneezing, but then again that could just be Yorkshire’s glorious weather system having its effect on me. One of my friends studying in England this year (now back in Canada) shares the feeling I have that being so far inland is just plain wrong. He grew up on the west coast of Canada, and as you all know I live on the east coast of England, so we are both normally able to get to the nearest large mass of water without any great difficulty, but the nearest coastline to Leeds is 1 hour’s drive east, west or north, and this is very odd for us! You may be wondering what this has to do with the aforementioned weather system topic, but if you think about it being that far inland (and Yorkshire being one great ditch), everything just piles up there until a storm swells it about a bit, and so it gets to me after a while, being the physical wreck that I am (quiet!).

I love blogs! You can just rant nonsensically for hours and nobody reads it!

This whole thing about where I live at any time of the year got me onto thinking about what’s going to happen this time next year. 25th of Sept marks the start of my third and final year! Do I go onto a Master’s? Could my lecturers cope with the terrifying prospect of me spending more time at that place? Could I afford their therapy bills? Do I look for a career? Do I care at the present? I honestly don’t know the question to any of those! Maybe as the year goes on some answers will develop.