Simply having a wonderful christmas time.

It's that time of year again!
A time when we all come together, united in our hatred for the cold. When we see more of our loved ones and double check their envelopes for monetary gifts, (surely, this isn't just me?!). It's christmas, or at least, December, which if you're a student like me, means you've probably had your tree up since the last week of November.

I write this post with a, hefty, smug grin on my face because, after tomorrow, I have four weeks off. Four weeks of parental support and family food-pity. It's the time of year when I come home and my nanna says, "You've lost weight, are you not eating properly? Have a mince pie, in fact, I'll make your favourite-- meat & potato pie" I can't wait to get home!

This is my second year experiencing a student christmas, but this year really doesn't even compare to the last one. At this time last year, I still didn't have any proper friends here and I was keen to be at home all the time, I wasn't in a good place then and looking back, I'm embarrassed about how miserable I was last christmas. This year, I'm happily unattached and I'm the most confident I've ever been. I have amazing friends now and everything just feels hugely more positive. This year I'm looking forward to going home and being able to tell everyone what a fantastic time I'm having, I'm having the time of my life.

I can't wait to get home and see my dad, and make sure he knows I grateful I am of him being so amazing. I can't wait to go visit my mum and just have one on one time, tell her all about my friends and relationships. I can't wait to wrap all her xmas presents to the family as she is a "crap wrapper". I'm looking forward to seeing the difference in my oldest sister, just nine weeks away from having her baby. I'm looking forward to being there for her in person, not just over the phone. I can't wait to see my niece, so she can tell me all about her dramatic first term at high school! I can't wait to see my nephews who just get bigger and brighter every time I see them. I'm looking forward to seeing the southern half of the family, on their visit up North! My newlywed sister and her little boy, who loses his Yorkshire accent a little more, each time I see him. I have everything crossed that my favourite cousin will make it over from Australia, that'll make my year.

I just can't wait to be back in Yorkshire, where it's always colder but I don't mind, I just love being at home. Bring on New Year's eve with the Northern lot.

I already can't wait for next year's christmas party. Merry (early) Christmas!

A drink or two and we're best friends

Drink is the greatest social lubricant. I've got to know my friends so much better at uni thanks to my little friend rum. This isn't to say that I rely on it, however I do believe it makes for a better night. I know a few people who don't drink, by choice. Fair enough, but I've had a few sober nights out since coming back to uni and I just don't know how people do it. Being the sober friend is definitely not for me, it's horrendous. At least if I've had a drink I don't notice how annoying we all are!

This picture was a Monday afternoon at 3 O'clock. My lovely friends and I decided that uni was done for the day. We proceeded to buy 4 bottles of rum and make "cocktails". By 8pm we had peaked and Alec and I were sharing the toilet to be sick. I was in bed by 9. This aside, it was one of the best days I've had in ages! As the rum flowed so did the conversation- okay not all of it meaningful, a lot of it was drunk bullshit. However the (mostly) wonderful effect of alcohol is that generally we share more together after a drink. I don't think I'd know half as much about Alec, for example, if we hadn't started drinking together more this year! And surely that has to be a good thing. I enjoy being around my friends sober though, obviously, just not when everyone else is drunk around me!