What a Year: 2015

We are already into the middle of January (where did that time go!?) However, I feel it important to reflect on what has happened in 2015. Maybe even set out some resolutions/goals for 2016. So much has changed in the space of 12 months. I have left school and started university. A process that was both exciting and really quite nerve racking at the same time. So here are a few highlights….

January: Ahh!! Not the year I am leaving school. I had a few 18^th birthdays to celebrate which made the month seem to fly by.

April: MY 18^th BIRTHDAY; one of the hottest days of the year and absolute bliss. I went to stay with a lovely friend and ended up being thrown the best surprise birthday supper at Pizza Express surrounded by almost all my friends. At that moment it was the definite realisation in a few months that I would not being seeing all these lovely people every day after the 7 years we’d spent growing through secondary school. That moment I think I will savour for years to come….

May and June: EXAM SEASON…. the words I hate hearing. Well unfortunately it is Semester 1 exam season right now as I type so again facing exam season reality once more.
Remarkably, those 2-3 weeks of hell did go by rather quickly so that was a relief and at the time I felt relatively positive I hadn’t totally mucked up the majority of my exams.
The end of June bought the annual Leavers’ Ball and Leavers’ Day. Leavers’ Day comprises of a prize giving, massive year picnic with parents and then a very emotional Leavers’ Service. I feel so privileged to have been given one of the top prizes in my year for altruism which was total shock but an incredible way to end my 7-year school career.
The evening was our Leavers’ Ball which allowed us all to get dressed up and let our hair down a little bit after all our exam stress plus an amazing way to end our time as a whole year. The food was brilliant too and maybe a little much was drunk throughout the night.

July: NEW JOB. I started my new job with the most brilliant catering company called ‘The Chipping Norton Tea Set,’ an afternoon tea caterer based in Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire. I had the absolute best summer with them allowing me to be paid to bake (obviously on a much large scale than I’m used to!) and also working at their weddings, christenings, birthdays etc. serving the food that I had made during the few days of preparation beforehand. Definitely, a very rewarding job that also allowed me to travel to many corners of the South of England. I am really hoping that this is something I’ll be able to continue as I felt so welcome from the first day I stepped through the door.

August: RESULTS DAY! Rather a stressful day, as I missed out on my first choice of Exeter to do Geography by about 3 marks. In hindsight, I look on that day and realise I was lucky even to have had a confirmed place at university when so many people had to go through clearing.

September: A 21^ST BIRTHDAY PARTY AND STARTING UNIVERSITY. Just before starting university I was lucky enough to go to London for a Masquerade themed 21^st birthday party. Was a really lovely evening which allowed me to see lots of my friends before we all went our separate ways for university.

The start of university at the end of September was truly so exciting and yet very daunting. I was lucky enough to be placed on probably the best corridor in halls with some very likeminded people. People who wanted to socialise but also could get down to work at the same time. Freshers’ was not the best week of my life and I look back on with a certain amount of blurriness. Maybe good considering some of the stuff I do remember was someone going to the loo in our kitchen sink or streams of sick passing by my door. Oh well it seems to have ended up fine- luckily no sick or poop incidences again.

October: MY MUM’S BIRTHDAY. I only mention this occasion as it was the first time I came home from university. My twin brother, Angus also came home and we ended up going to her twin sister’s for their birthday supper. I also spent an absolute age making her a cake.

December: A LOT OF CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS happened both at university and also at home. As a corridor in halls we went out for a brilliant supper to Bella Italia. A real laugh and so nice to be able to have everyone together. I also had my first ever Geography Society Christmas Ball. For some reason as a subject we like to make far more effort to socialise and organise something formal. We ended up going to a Country Club just outside Southampton having a 3 course meal and then a massive party afterwards. Was fun until our bus broke down at 2am…

SKIING:- The first weekend of the Christmas holidays my brother, my Mum and I with another family of 5 had the most brilliant week up in La Plagne, France. Thank goodness we were up high as so many people had had to cancel their skiing holiday because it didn’t decide to properly snow till the end of December. Although a little icy and rocky in parts we came away with no broken bones having thoroughly enjoyed our week away.

CHRISTMAS DAY: we went for the day to see my grandparents, my aunt, uncle and cousin in London. We were virtually only there for 5 hours but it was a very special moment that I am hoping can one day be repeated.

What else in December: I passed my driving test and finally got contact lenses…!!

Obviously, I have not included every month and not every detail happening throughout the year but that is just a taste of what has happened in my 2015.

If I can I will do a separate post on some of my goals/resolutions for 2016.

Ella xx

Link to Chipping Norton Tea Set: www.chippingnortonteaset.co.uk