Old Places & New Faces

Today I went back to my old college, Peter Symonds College, and although I have only been an ex-student of theirs for a year it made me realise how much my life has changed since I last walked through those gates. On the eve of me starting my second year of university I thought I should reflect on these changes...

So, I left Symonds with a large group of friends, none of which were going to university any where near me. I was petrified to leave them, if I'm honest, because it had taken me so long to find them - I have slight trust issues about friends for some reason. Luckily these amazing people, from school and college, have still remained close to me and we meet up regularly when we're all home. This summer was extra special because all the girlies had been away at either university or away travelling the world so we had many a gathering, usually involving a trip to Bedford Place and many vodkas.

But then September came...

I had to wave goodbye to them and was suddenly all by myself. Sure there were a couple of people going to University of Liverpool from Peter Symonds (two of them ended up living next door to me!) but none of them were my close friends. When the parents left me that afternoon I had zero friends around me. I think it was in the walk from the car park to Lady Mountford C Block that I was forced to grow up and learn to stand on my own two feet. I don't know what I would I have done if I hadn't forced myself to wipe the tears from my eyes and carry my things into the kitchen, where I luckily met Rosie and Anna for the first time. It seemed from that day onwards that we were destined to be friends (hello cliche!), and although I would never say they replaced my 'home friends' they, along with my darling Pikey, they certainly provided me with the group I needed. I might never have cried with homesickness but I definitely suffered the illness that struck everyone, and they helped me so much. I cannot stress to people moving away - whether it be to university or just for any reason - how important it is to establish true friendships!

And don't forget folks: you can meet friends in the strangest of places! Such as the alcohol aisle of Morrison's...

I like this photo...I like it a lot! Be prepared to see it a fair few times!

Friends aren't the only thing that have changed in my life over the last year. Myself as a person has changed, I like to think. Walking up the hill to the college I remembered my life as it was a little over a year ago and realised how different I felt today. I felt, there's only one way to put it, grown up. I now rent and keep a house, I live in a completely different area of the country to my parents, and I can pretty much stand on my own two feet as an individual. I think it's my confidence in myself that has grown the most and aided me the greatest. I was always quite shy as a person but now I can talk to complete strangers and not be worried that they will think I'm a complete nutter. I can only thank those around me for this change, and it was one I definitely needed to make.

To those Freshers leaving home in the next few weeks I have these final words to say to you:

Flying the nest was the most terrifying but most brilliant thing I've ever done. Good luck and have fun!