I feel like Bridget Jones, well kinda...

Tomorrow I go on my first "mini-break" with T!  I'm so very excited.  We are not going to some grand manor however, we are heading north to Cumbria and the Lake District where we shall go camping! 

Looking at my stacks of stuff on my bed, as I decide what to pack into my backpack, it looks vastly different from what Bridget would have packed.  Even though we are going with a car and it shall be fairly easy camping, it is still a great stack of practical gear.  It is the first time I have really camped since 2008!  I am so very excited.  I am realising how little I can remember about camping though, so it's probably a good thing it's going to be the easy version with shops within driving distance.  Hopefully this will be the first of many such trips to the more wild and beautiful parts of the country.

Borrowed from this site http://www.visitcumbria.com/pen/ullswater-steamers/

I've never been to the Lake District before, but I have wanted to go for YEARS.  Did you see the film Miss Potter?  That was filmed up there, maybe I'll spot Peter Rabbit sneaking off with someone's salad.

Wishing you all a most wonderful weekend, keep your fingers crossed that it doesn't rain on us the whole 4 days we're up there!

Bis bald.

x

Time to slow down? Just a little maybe.

I cannot remember a time when I have been so busy.  Okay, I tell a lie.  There were times during my time in Seoul when I was crazy busy, but lately it has been nuts.  Ever since I met T in fact.  

Don't get me wrong, I adore being busy, I go a bit nuts sat at home, alone, twiddling my thumbs, but I think I need to make a little extra me time here and there.  Just the odd day in between seeing friends and seeing T, for me to catch my breath (and help me not be a zombie at work).  

Reading this you probably think I am up late partying every night, ha, I couldn't do that if I tried!  I am just a lot busier than I am accustomed to and it's knackering me out a little.  I just need that extra evening to catch up with writing letters, looking for decent jobs and reading (to mention but a few things).

All of the above said, I am the happiest I have been in a long time and I don't want to seem ungrateful for this.  I don't like to rely on someone/something else for my happiness, but I can't deny that a certain someone has had a positive impact on my life.  I still get restless moments, but it's not the constant urge to be elsewhere that I once had.  I've let a few things slip, my correspondence skills of late have been shocking and I'm spending a bit too much money, but on the whole I am so thankful to have met T and to be enjoying the summer with him.

He goes away on Sunday, a "business" trip to Florida....  I'll miss him, but I can't deny that I am also super excited to go to London and spend a weekend with my girls next week!  We are going to see Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, I'll post a video so you can have a listen if you have not heard of them.  I love any band that let's me say "hey!" or whistle.

The rest of this week and weekend will be taken up with dinner with a local friend, and then a cinema trip and day with T before he leaves for the U S of A.

Do you have much planned this weekend?  It's not too far away now thankfully, just two working days and then sweet freedom....

x

So, change is a good thing right?

It's been an age since I last wrote, and rather than gloss over the glaringly obvious I thought I'd give a little insight into why.

The last two months have been eventful, the last month or so especially.  Towards the end of April I, randomly and very unexpectedly, met someone.  I nice chap, let's call him T (round of applause if you can guess his name, you do have a clue there).  Now, previous to bumping into my friend, and therefore T, that evening I had been planning to return to Asia and teaching English to wee kiddies.  I'm not saying that is not still an option for me, and that I don't still miss my Seoul life and friends dearly, but it is on the back-burner for now (what do they say in American shows, "let's put a pin in it").

So, T came along and we had an epic first date a week or so after we met.  I say epic as it lasted 7 hours.  For someone, such as myself, who rarely dates I think that is a pretty substantial length of time to spend with someone you've just me.  What did we do?  We drank coffee, walked, had a beer/cider, ate pub grub, walked some more, had another hot drink, walked and realised the time.  I'm not going to go down the soppy route and say "it was love at first sight" and all that fairy tale jazz, but I will say that I don't often meet a boy that I am attracted to and want to spend that much time with.

What happened next?  We waited two days and had another date.  Then a few days later, we had another.  It's been going on for just over two months now.  We're still getting to know each other and, for me, this is pretty momentous stuff.  In fact, you could say it is the longest I have ever dated anyone, and you would be correct.  There have been flames and there have been mistakes, but this seems worth giving a little time to.  So, I decided that I will stick around Cambridge a while longer and see where the White Rabbit takes me as we wander down the rabbit hole.

The last few months have also seen some emotional times.  My grandad, who had been unwell for quite some time, suddenly took a turn for the worse.  So I took two trips to the Netherlands to visit my family.  The first time I went to say goodbye to my grandad face to face, the second it was to say goodbye to him with my family.  It was and is terribly sad, but he was ready to go and it was better for him to leave as he is now at peace.  I'll always love my grandad.

There was also a hen party...  Now I know that being British will, no matter how much you may resist, lead you to envisage a drunken affair with "L" plates, dodgy accessories, slimy naked men and all sorts of absurdities, and kudos to you if that is what you may yourself want to do to say goodbye to single life, but I am afraid I must disappoint you.  However, do not let that make you think that it wasn't a marvellous event!  It was quite possibly the best, most well planned and thought through, quirkiest and most vintage themed fantastic day possible!  I will most definitely have to take the time to post some photos for you to see, at which point I will tell you a few more details about it.  For now, I will tease you with a photograph of myself to give you a taste of the mood of the event (note the teacup...).

Other happenings over the last two months include, in no particular order and apologies if I am repeating myself: seeing Noah and the Whale live in London, visiting the Harry Potter studio tour (now I know I owe you photos of that day), hanging out with my darling cousin, doing a crazy 24 mile bike ride to Ely and back, going to the cinema about 3 times, finishing season 3 of Game of Thrones, meeting my dad in London for a tasty lunch, watching Eurovision, drinking with my little sister, a trip to Wales and spending a weekend camping, dancing, singing, eating and running around the countryside (whilst twirling around like Maria as we ran down a hill).  It has been eventful to say the least.  

Currently, I am packing up my room as I have to leave my beautiful riverside abode, sigh, and move to a new room/house.  Unfortunately my landlord wants to sell his house, how rude, and so I will be moving into a new place.  It was a slightly rushed house hunt and my options were not what they could have been.  Hopefully it will all work out okay in the end.  Luckily for me, my father and stepmother are visiting this weekend.  They have a big car...  It will, of course, be fantastic to see them in Cambridge again and I am looking forward to a nice weekend together doing nothing of much importance but having fun at the same time.

Right, that sees me stopping for now.  I have missed writing here, I think it is soothing for the soul to explore things by writing them down.  How are you all?  Can you forgive me for my long absence or will you shun me like a naughty child being given a time out?  I hope that it's the former, but if it is the latter then I hope to slowly win you over once more.

Bis bald my lovelies.

x

The weekend has FINALLY arrived

This week has been the longest week in ages.  It's probably because, for one reason or another, it's the first full week I've worked in a long time.  Either way, I am extremely grateful that it is Friday.  I am hopping over the Channel to visit family this weekend, all a tad last minute and I will explain at some point.  Rather glad to be seeing my family again, has been 5 months since I saw most of the cloggies.

Wishing you a pleasant weekend, whatever you may be up to.  Stay dry and warm, the weather has gone tits up lately (excuse my language but it's really annoying me).

Bis bald.

x

If you like pretty trinkets raise your hand

Just a quick one to promote a give away that the lovely Nikki at The Little Nordic Cabin is running.  Up for grabs are some very cute, handmade hair grips.  So if you want something girly to slide into your luscious locks, and fancy meandering through her tales of life and all things Nordic, why not take a quick peek at her blog?

The classic story of girl meets boy...

On this rainy afternoon, you could almost be forgiven for thinking that it was autumn.  But then you take a second look and notice that everything is green and lush.  Is this some weird dimension where the seasons are reversed?  No, it is England.  It is mid May and today it is cold and rainy, like it has been most of the last week and looks set to be the rest of this week as well.  I know it is a cliché that we British always talk about the weather, but when it's this shite you really do!

Now, I guess you may be wondering about the title of this post?  It explains my long absence, to some extent, and pretty much gives an insight into the last few weeks.  Yes, I met a guy, as always happens at the most inconvenient times in life (for example when I was plotting my escape from this rain drenched country).  It's early days yet, but dating is a rarity in my life and it's all very exciting, even Bridget Jones-esque at times!

So the boy suddenly popping up, and generally a very busy social life intermingled with the usual bouts of sleeplessness, have meant that blogging has taken an unfortunate back seat the last few weeks.  This is something I hope to start remedying very soon as I miss you all, and I have SO many photos from Harry Potter to show you!

For now, I just want to apologise for falling off the grid and say that I hope you are experiencing real summer-like weather wherever you are.  Are you well?

Bis bald.

x

She lives!

Just wanted to pop a quick note on here to say that I am alive and I will be returning (maybe triumphantly) soon! Something has been occupying my time lately (nothing bad so worry not), but I miss you guys and hope to get back to regular posts soon.

One post that will surely be happening will be about my trip to the WB Harry Potter Studio Tour in Watford England (near London)!  It was WIZARD!

Hope you are all well and that spring is making it's presence felt wherever you are, I am loving the light mornings and evenings.

Bis bald.

x