Hi everyone and happy August! Can you believe the final month of the summer holidays is here already? Crazy stuff! Anyway, as you all know this last year has been one of change for me, and has also been extremely busy and stressful. I feel like I’ve neglected my blog a bit to make time to work, and also to sleep, as sad as that may be! But at long last I have time to pull myself together, get myself organised and, most importantly, properly get stuck back into the blogosphere! So what better way to start than with a little life update for you. If you want to know what has been going on in my world recently, then my instructions for you are to get comfy, grab a cuppa and read on!
Finishing my PGCE course
I suppose that one of the major changes and stresses in the last year for me has been returning to university to train as a teacher. Following a year of being out in the big wide world, after graduating from university in 2015, I decided that it was time to get some sort of career plan in place.
Growing up, I never really had a plan of what I wanted to be; I played with the idea of being a ‘Lady Farmer’ after reading Sophie’s Adventures age 7 (great book!), an archaeologist when I was going through my Time Team phase (I even excavated my back garden much to my parent’s delight) and at one point I thought I wanted to be a lawyer – this was all before the age of 10!
Fifteen years later and a degree in European Studies and Modern Languages later, I must admit I still don’t know what I want to be. Please tell me I’m not the only one! Anyhow, instead of dilly-dallying around trying to make a decision, I was persuaded to sign up for a PGCE in Modern Languages. I can’t say I was particularly enthusiastic to start with. I was terrified of standing up in front of thirty teenagers, thinking that they would eat me up alive at the first opportunity. However, I can honestly say that one year on, it was one of the best (and hardest) things I have ever done and has filled me with confidence, even if it did mean giving up my social life, blogging and travel for a year.
Right now, I’m enjoying my summer holiday, catching up on much needed sleep, fitting in as much relaxation as possible before September arrives, and before I return to school. Wish me luck!
My first school trip!
One of the things that you rarely get to experience during teacher training is a school trip. As a Languages Teacher the role often includes accompanying crowds of excitable children somewhere abroad, in order to show them that, actually, there is a pretty cool country to visit behind the pages of vocabulary and grammar that they see in their classroom textbooks.
Whilst I don’t start my new job until September, the school kindly invited me along on a school trip to Germany at the start of July and, not being one to turn down new experiences, I gladly accepted. Before I knew it, I was aboard a coach full of 38 twelve year olds, bound for Oberwesel in Germany.
The trip was actually a huge success and I had a brilliant time getting to know some of my future colleagues and students, plus we had some amazing weather to sightsee in! I could go on but there’s so much to say that I’m going to write a separate post on what exactly we did and where we went!
Oberwesel at sunset from the castle
Looking for a flat
With an ‘adult’ job lined up, it seems like the right time for me to fly the nest. I love my parents to bits and have been lucky enough to have lived the life of Riley under their roof for the past two years, since returning home from uni but at the ripe old age of 25, I think that it’s probably time for me to find a place of my own. I’m sure my Mum and Dad would agree!
Over the past few weeks I have begun the search for a little flat in the area that I will be working in. I’ve seen some lovely (and not so lovely) places up to now, but have thus far either lost out when it came to making an offer, or not being 100% convinced that the place was for me. On a separate note, I have also decided that the prices in the south of England are insane! The sooner I can move abroad somewhere, cheap and sunny, the better!
Going on *actual* holiday
By now you all know that in June I set off on one of my epic interrail adventures – this time exploring Germany and Poland (I wrote a blog outlining the itinerary here). The trip was amazing and I was so lucky to explore new places and catch up with old friends and relatives along the way.
Despite the fact that the trip was a holiday, I didn’t return home feeling particularly relaxed or recuperated. Probably due to the horrendously early mornings we impose on ourselves in order to get us to our destinations with enough time to spend the rest of the day exploring. Lugging our bags around and rushing to catch trains can’t help either. It adds to the experience though I feel!
Well luckily for me, it is not long before I will pack my suitcase again, as very soonI will be on the move again, heading south, somewhere new! I won’t spill the beans on where I’m going quite yet but it is somewhere where sunshine, sand, and relaxation is guaranteed! Stay tuned for the big reveal very soon!
My first Indian wedding
I was also lucky enough to be invited to my lovely school friend Anupreet’s wedding at the beginning of last month and omg it was amazing! Whilst sadly I was away for the ceremony itself, I was back in time for the spectacular reception which was held in the Hilton Hotel in Syon Park, London. I had so much fun celebrating and dancing the night away with my friends, not to mention gorging myself on plenty of delicious Indian food. A particular highlight was dessert-time where we were presented with a plate of Gulab Jamun (syrup soaked doughnuts) and rose Kulfi (a sort of ice-cream) – just amazing!
So that’s my life in a nutshell at the moment! It’s been a busy year but it’s been worth it. I’ve met so many amazing people and have made so many new friends along the way. I feel like I’ve achieved so much in the last year but am now excited, ready to refocus and do the things that I love for a while!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post. If you have any questions about anything – my PGCE, interrail trip – anything at all, please do leave a comment below or send me an email. I always love hearing from you! Victoria x
