So what have I been up to in my absence? I smashed my way through year two. Other than that, not a great deal! I worked my butt off solidly from September to the end of May for uni, and (RESULT) managed to gain an amazing grade for second year, and since then, I haven't been up to all that much. I decided it would be a good chance to relax and chill for a few months after working what seemed like 25 hours a day to get all of my texts read, essays written, and exams prepared for and executed. Some of the main things I have done over the summer, however, are as follows: (not in chronological order)
- I read all seven Harry Potter books. This makes the top of the list because I have been meaning to do this for SO LONG. (I have actually read them all before, before anyone pipes up) I loved being able to read them all in one continuous stream, and I genuinely forgot how absolutely amazing each individual book is. I felt so many emotions and forgot so many interesting events that happened and was still so upset when characters died, despite knowing what was coming. The thing that blew me away the most was enjoying the books more this time round. I don't know how or why, but I did. I cried when I closed Deathly Hallows. Props to you, Rowling.
- I also read a few more books which I've been wanting to sink my teeth into for a while. The first was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (though this was on the GCSE syllabus, my group studied To Kill a Mockingbird instead), which I thoroughly enjoyed. I absolutely flew through it, and became so absorbed in the story and its characters. The only thing that disappointed me was how relatively short it was! Next, I went on to Arthur & George by Julian Barnes, after having watched the television adaptation on ITV starring Martin Clunes. (side note: watching this resulted in my choice of dissertation topic. Post about that to follow soon) This was another enjoyable read; I enjoyed how much more detail there was in the novel than the series. I also re-read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, after having not long before watched the film. I did enjoy the film, but I did not feel as though it fully did justice to the novel and its gripping and moving storyline. I also ventured a little out of my reading comfort zone and read Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter by Louise Pentland (aka sprinkleofglitter on YouTube). I decided to buy this as I have watched Louise's videos for a lot of years, and really admire her attitude to life, towards other people, and to motherhood. I love knowing that famous vloggers have gone through the same typical teenage problems as you.
- I binge-watched a whole heap of things. Primarily, all of Parks and Recreation, Game of Thrones, and American Horror Story. It was so good to spend entire days on end watching such quality TV. Parks and Rec is literally my favourite thing (fans will get the reference), and Leslie Knope is my idol. I hope one day I am as passionate about my work and career and life as she is. Game of Thrones was a complete whirlwind from start to finish. The main thing I learnt from this show is not to get attached to any character ever because they will die. Another whirlwind was American Horror Story. I have no idea how to describe it other than weird. But an intriguing, suspenseful, shocking and brilliant weird.
- My friend Mia hosted a Pie Party. For which she baked four (yes, FOUR) different types of pie. I was so full of pie, which is one of the best things to be.
- I went to the wedding of two lovely people, which was such a beautiful day. The whole afternoon was wonderful. (Despite the fact that I was on medication for a severely infected insect bite... Oh, how I love the summer...)
- I have managed to explore Lincoln a little on a few occasions, exploring a few new places heretofore undiscovered. I am so fortunate to be living in such a vibrant, wonderful city.
- I went to two gigs that my boyfriend's band, The Empires, played. You can check them out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, if that floats your boat. (#shamelesspromotion, hahaha)
- My boyfriend celebrated his 21st birthday, which meant that I got to buy him lots of presents and balloons and it was GREAT. We also went to the cinema to see Ant-Man, which was amazing, and then went out for a meal with family and friends in the evening, and then for a few drinks. Then we decided to come back to ours and stay up to the wee hours of the morning, whilst consuming copious amounts of jelly shots, listening to my spectacular party playlist, and taking around a billion photos. So all in all, he had a pretty good birthday.
- Despite remaining in Lincoln this summer, I have still managed to see my friends and spend time with them, which is fabulous. Especially as I currently live in a different county to most of them.
I think that is about it for now, I cannot think of anything else to inform everyone about, other than my dissertation. But seeing as though I have squashed a great deal of content into this post, I think I will leave you for now to recover from the torrent of information I have just drowned you all in, and I shall endeavour to keep my blog much more regularly updated. Expect two more posts very soon!
Au revoir,
- Hayley.
Twitter: @HayleyLouise_TH | Instagram: @holeinyourlogic
