So, what's been going on in my life since I posted about wanting to make the most of life, and how Rob inspired me to do so many things and make the most of things? Let's make a list :)
27 March 2013
I finished the Access to Bristol course (whoop whoop!) which is a course I got onto at Bristol University - the Uni closest to me - to study English for a few weeks. It looks great on Uni application forms and really inspired me to end up doing English at Uni. There were times when I would have much rather stayed home and eaten pizza, but I did it, which I'm proud of :)
In the evening, I then went out to a Bastille gig with some friends at 02 Academy Arena in Bristol which was awesome. It only cost £10 and was 100% worth it and I really enjoyed myself - gigs make me really happy and full of energy and generally make me love life :)
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| Bastille in Bristol - we were right at the front and it was so good! |
My parents were away for the week so I was a bit of a naughty child and had a house party with some friends. It was kind of a pre-Reading Festival group party plus some other friends, and it's the sort of thing I'd never have had the nerve to do previously, but my mind just went, "Screw it" and we had the party. It was a laugh - although some crazy stuff happened the house didn't get trashed, my friends who stayed over did not cause havoc (apart from having to remove Matt from his sleeping position on the stairs) and so when I actually came clean to my parents they were so impressed with how well the house was and the precautions I'd taken that I was in no trouble at all and was even told I was allowed parties in the future, provided it was the same group of people - so that went rather well I thought!
11 - 12 May 2013
Ten Tors event! This was walking 45 miles across a moor called Dartmoor over a weekend... and it was tough to say the least. The weather was pretty horrible (so bad that at the end they kept the finish line open for 45 minutes longer than normal) and river crossings were thigh-high wadings, so our feet were soaking for the entire weekend. However, we still finished - at 2.04pm, 3 hours before the finish line officially closes, which is an amazing time for a 45 miler finish anyway, let alone in the horrific conditions we had. I now have Ten Tors bronze and silver medals for 35 and 45, just need the 55 miler gold now! There were times I wanted to drop out, because I was so cold and tired, and my leg was injured as well which didn't help much at all, but I persevered because I knew if I dropped out I'd be so disappointed and angry with myself. All 6 of our team finished, and all 6 of the members of both the 35 and 55 milers from our school also finished - given that out of 500 teams, only 218 finished in the time limit with full teams, this was a pretty amazing thing to happen and we were all so proud of ourselves. I loved the 45 team so much because all 6 of us got on like a house on fire (after typing that I've only just appreciate what a weird saying that is really) and getting on with your team just made Dartmoor more manageable and borderline enjoyable really, so :)
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| At the finish line - soaking wet and cold but extremely happy to have finished and proud of ourselves! L-R Tom, Beth, me, James, Joel, Pete |
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| On the podium after being given our silve medals :) L-R James, Joel, me, Beth, Tom and Pete :) |
24 - 25 May 2013
Although I'm currently a Year 12, I'm in a friendship group of Year 13s, and these days were their last two days at school before their A2 exams started - so their last official days as a year group in school. I wasn't hugely planning on coming in on these days, but my friends begged me to, so I came in on the days. I didn't dress up in old uniform like they did on the 24th, nor in fancy dress on the 25th, but being there and being able to say goodbye to them all... I loved it. I made them all goodbye cards (making 23 cards with messages and photos handmade and written takes forever) and it was entirely worth it because even though it took ages, firstly I felt like I was properly saying goodbye, and secondly all of them appreciated it - Jackson wouldn't stop saying how lovely it was. I wasn't quite expecting such a reaction and it meant a lot. Afterwards on the 25th, they all went up to the pub and took me with them, so whilst they were all getting a little bit drunk I was downing the coca-cola and J20s, but it was lovely to be with them as a huge group one last time really.
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| Me, Jack, Kat and Tom on the penultimate day, so they were all in old school uniform |
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| Me (left but one) on the last day with a large proportion of my friend group :)) |
SAW GREEN DAY AT EMIRATES STADIUM LONDON.
This was the fifth gig I've ever been to, back in the place where the first gig I'd ever been to was, exactly a year since. I saw Coldplay at Emirates on 1st June 2012, and then I was back there on 1st June 2013 again to see Green Day. The gig was unbelievable, and the fact the supports were two of my favourite bands (All Time Low and Kaiser Chiefs) meant that the entire gig from start to finish was surreal and amazing. My back was kinda injured, and the ongoing leg injury was not helped by standing for 6.5 hours, but whatever - it was worth it. I could go on and on but it'll just be saying how amazing they are so you get the point; can't wait to see Green Day again at Reading Music Festival now!!
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| A picture of Green Day playing at the gig |
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| Close up of Billie Joe Armstrong on the big screen eeee |
Although these may seem fairly normal, not huge things, they're things that I put more effort into making the most of than I previously would have done, and the result was I enjoyed myself more and have more deep incredible memories than I possibly would have if I hadn't put the effort into doing my best and making all the memories. It's been tough at times - Ten Tors is always tough, and saying goodbye to so many of my friends who mean so much to me was extremely tough, but I tried to think positively and hey, got the silver medal, and hey, yes it sucks my friends were leaving, but I went in on their two last days to make the most of them being around while they were still here instead of crying about how they were leaving. That to me is more important. I also maybe wouldn't have previously bothered with going to see Bastille, or saying "Meh, seeing Green Day at Reading Festival anyway, what's the point" but by going out I actually experienced living if that makes any sense and I have no regrets.
Exams are over now so AS Levels are done :) I'm making a Youtube video with my friend Dodie (check her out on Youtube) where we'll talk about Rob and a song that was written for him which is on iTunes where the money is going towards Leukemia and Lymphoma Research, which I'm quite scared about but Dodie has over 20,000 subscribers so I know this is the right thing to do. Due to my love of Youtube and my trying not to care what people think of me, I've also started a Youtube channel of my own (click here for it) which is something I would never have dared done a few months ago but you know what - life has taught me that it's not definite and you have to make the most of the time you've got, so if you want to do something do it. So for the moment, even though I'm not doing anything huge (yet anyway....) I would say I'm making much more of my life than I previously was, even though it is tough sometimes, and that to me is worth it.
