Ok, so this is a VERY overdue blog. I didn't realise how much of a celebrity I was until several people said to me "You haven't updated your blog in a while?!", which is a nice compliment as it means that people actually read what I have to say and equally, want more!
I would say that the past month has been so hectic that I haven't had the time, but that would only be partly true. I HAVE been busy, but equally I have had a LOT of time on my hands, especially towards the end of my placement where I literally spend my last days in the library getting hooked on Misfits and doing a lot of facebook stalking... This blog, and the one to come, has been on my 'stopbeinglazyanddo-it' list since, well, a long time ago, and now I am forcing myself to update you with 2 - yes that's right, 2!! final blogs of my Year Abroad.
Of course, It's not 'officially' the end of my YA. Tomorrow I head off with the French family I am au-pairing with for 6 weeks. Unfortunately the bank placement has fallen through. Basically, because I am British.
( Some cock and bull story they haven't even properly explained to me, I found out via text from my boyfriend! )
But, since June 22nd, finished my placement at the library! It wasn't really a sad farewell. I was just so ready to leave the place, and I was heading off to Egypt the following day that I had other things taking over my emotions. I had had enough by June of sitting in the library doing nothing, having no students to amuse me, and having the odd case study to type up, and so the thought of leaving wasn't too much of a downer. I will miss my colleagues without a doubt, but i'm ready for 'la nouvelle page qui tourne'...
Anyways, June. Lots happened, it was actually quite an exciting month! It began with going to see the 'Watch the Throne' tour by Kanye West and Jay-Z at Bercy. I have three words. OH.MY.GOSH.
I have actually, NEVER been to a concert so incredible. They didn't stop performing until about midnight, but that's partly because their encore consisted of singing their famous 'Ni**as in Paris' song... 11 TIMES!!! It was literally just again, and again, and again, and they got us skanking in circles and, the whole show was amazing. They sang together and separately and did old a new stuff. Just wow!! And there's even a story about how one of my friends found the producers phone and almost got to meet the rappers themselves... but that's another story!
Then I had a fantastic visit from my uni girlfriends. We spent 4 days together exploring Paris and saying YOLO to everything ( You only live once ) ,getting kicked off the grass by the Eiffel Tower, having a night out (till 5am!),squeezing 5 of us into a 2 seater car ( pretend you didn't read that ), drinking wine out of baby bottles whilst eating fondue in Montmartre (kid you not), playing 'Therapist' on the long train journeys, eating Falafel from the Jewish Quarter and even... missing their Eurostar!!!! I guess we were just having too much fun together. Or I accidently,somehow,bymistake, caused them to miss it because I'm rubbish. One of the two. Despite that, we had such a fun weekend together and I am so glad I got to share with them where I have been this past year!
That wasn't the end of their pretty faces though. The very next day after whisking them off to Disney Land paris to get the cheaper Eurostar back to London, I flew to see them in Southampton for the annual Graduation Ball. It was a long night, and I was personally a bit disappointed with the event, but the important thing was that I got to have a dance with a lot of people whom I haven't seen in months and who have now graduated! So it was an opportunity to say goodbye, congratulate all my clever friends for graduating, watch Pixie Lott perform, and eat at Trago Lounge the next day :p The weekend after that, I was back in England AGAIN but this time for practical reasons. My parents and brother kindly met me at St Pancras so that I could give them a suitcase with as much stuff in as I could get rid of so that at least half of my room was emptied. Then we all had a lovely dinner and champagne in Covent Garden before saying final farewells, and I went to a friend's Birthday party that Saturday evening, which had a James Bond theme! So by Sunday, I had said all my goodbye's for the summer to my loved ones, managed to clear a bit of my room out, and only had a week left at the library to do!
The last week was actually a bit tough. With one colleague being on holiday, I had to split the early morning and the late night shifts with Christine. I did 3 8.20am starts and 2 7pm finishes. It wasn't too bad, but not as easy as a usual 9-5 shifts! Still, at least I can say I worked hard during my last 7 days. My colleagues threw me a cute little 'pot de départ' on the Thursday, with bubbly and nibbles ( and scones which I bought all the way from M&S in England), and they presented me with 2 gorgeous mugs and a Vanessa Bruno bag which I am told is 'the' bag of the summer in Paris at the moment! So I was very spoilt, and felt very touched by their generosity. I had bought them each a Jubiliee Mug with the Queen's face on it- which they all loved! I really do have a lot of love for my colleagues, they made the job what it was. I'm going to do a soppy 'here's to the end'/overview of this year on my next blog, this was just to update you with what has been going on in June!
And to finish off the month I indulged in a great 5star all inclusive holiday to Egypt. Lots of time relaxing by the pool, a bit of snorkeling where I saw turtles, sting ray, lots of fish and pretty corals, and we did a Quadbiking ride in the desert, rode a camel and then watched the sunset! Was a lot of fun.
And THEN, during the last week of June I had a spontaneous, yet very last minute and expensive, final trip back home for a few days. Literally purchased my Eurostar tickets 2 hours in advance! But it was the best decision I made. Got to see very important and precious people whom I haven't seen in a long time and whom I wouldn't have seen for a long time either! Plus I saw Spiderman and ate Fish and Chips! mom nom.
That's my overview of June, and of the end of HEC! Stay tuned for my next ( and possibly final ) blog, where I'll give an 'evaluation' of how this year has been for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment