All aboard the struggle bus.

Soooo, I’ve been tossing and turning for a few hours now and I’ve decided that since I’ve run out of lives on candy crush I might as well do something instead of pretend to sleep. I think my five hour nap from 5-10pm might have effed up my sleep schedule a little. Life has been interesting lately, pretty much a continual struggle so I’ll give you some of the highlights.

First off we had a trip to Ireland (pictures coming soon, I’m going through those tomorrow during lecture). We all made it to London and were going to begin our first Ryanair experience, after completing the first test of getting to the airport (the girls I was traveling with had some serious bus troubles) . PRO TIP: you have to check in at the Ryanair counter before going through security, even if you checked in online and aren’t checking any luggage. Weelllll, none of us read the fine print and we were unaware of this requirement. After making it through security and waiting around to find out gate, we head over to board the plane when we’re informed (30 minutes before take off) we can’t board because we didn’t have our passports looked at earlier. So we ran through the airport, back out of security, to their desk, find no one, wait for someone, wait for someone else, get the stamp, run back through security, through the airport and by the grace of God we made it on the flight. Still not sure how we pulled that one off.

Our stay in Ireland was brief, but lovely. Everyone we encountered was incredibly friendly and went out of their way to help us when we were looking lost, like people came up and offered directions and one couple even took us to the restaurant we were trying to find. The night we got in we went to Temple Bar (the nightlife area of Dublin) and wondered around, found a few pubs&clubs that were a throw back (definitely danced to Mr. Brightside and Rolling on the River/Proud Mary). Then we had a lovely walking tour of Dublin and saw the likes of Dublin Castle, Trinity College, The Old Parliament House, and St. Stephen Green’s to name a few. The next day we split up and Emily and I went to Blarney and Cork while Tatum and Olivia visited the Clift’s of Moher. I loved our trip to Blarney and Cork, I kissed the Blarney stone so if you’re wondering why I’m so eloquent now days it’s most likely due to the ‘gift of the gab’ that was bestowed upon me.  Our last day in Dublin we visited Kilmainham Gaol, a former Dublin jail now used as a museum and backdrop for various movies (none of which I can remember, except that it was NOT Shawshank Redemption).

On my trip to Dublin I got sick and I’ve been fighting it since, I’m down to just a sore throat though so take that germs! For my next adventure I’m headed to Amsterdam, which I leave for on Thursday. Since Thanksgiving isn’t a thing here and England, I’m spending my holiday on a bus, HOLLLAAAA. Thats right, I can take a coach from Oxford to Amsterdam (with a pit stop in London; 28 hours round trip). Two tutorials to finish before I’m on my way, then I return to  three remaining papers; my illness put me behind as I was supposed to only have two papers when I returned but, c’est la vie.

In other news, Oxford lyfe is the strug lyfe. I’ve written over 75 pages/20,000 words so far this semester and I’ve come to terms with the fact that I do not wish to be an academic for my career. I’ll stick to working at finding a way to get paid to live: Kardashians, I’m looking at you.

Oxford, where your best isn’t good enough since 1117.

8:58, two minutes before my last British Landscape essay was do, I submitted it. I have had probably 8 hours of sleep in the past three days,who says you can’t live off red bull and cadbury bars but I thought it might be fun to write about how horrible and yet satisfying the essay writing process was when it was oh so fresh in my mind. besides, i’m here to werk anyways, right?

In the past three weeks I have researched an ungodly amount of hours and read more than I did all summer, all for the finalisation of 23 pages. Until today, I didn’t realise it was setting us up for our term schedule which will follow the same routine: one essay due one week followed by two essays due the next week. I would like to tell myself that I will have learned my lesson and I won’t start writing my essay 13 hours before its due, but lets be honest is that very likely?

As of 4:30 this morning there were at least 17 (out of 52) who were still working on our papers in some stage, thats a third of us. lolololzzz @ good oxford student connotations.

In case you were wondering what I do with my days, (eherm family) we have lectures, viewings, field trips, and the rest of our time is spent in libraries. I can’t tell if I find it peaceful or depressing.

Speaking of depressing I got my first commentary on my writing back. I was told to brace yourself because the comments were usually harsh, but everyone seemed to be getting positive remarks so I got my hopes up (rookie mistake). The gem of my commentary was this: ‘The style of writing is mostly poor, except in the narrative segments, when it is saved by simplicity.’
KEWL.
I may or may not have wept in the Bodelian Library, to which I’m blaming on my stress level, inability to hand criticism well, and lack of human contact as it was set off when I got a hug. (Yes I realise this is pathetic and hilarious, plz laugh, your sympathy makes me feel awkward).

But I did it and tomorrow I head to Parisssss. One of my semester courses is already finished and I’ll start/continue my other three when we return for 0 week. As for nowI get to spend my mid-term break in France and Italy ((:
I’ll fill you all in on the cool parts of my life when I’m  not about to pass out from exhaustion.

goodnight!

All aboard the struggle bus.

Let me give you a rundown of how this paper has gone today alone.

1. Wake up, pretty much on time.
2. Wore a skirt.
3. Bing Bang Boom, I’ve got this.
4. Bought lunch and groceries.
5. Still on time, I was back by noon.
6. heck yeah i’m going to get so much done today.
7. beast mode.
8. I’ll just watch an episode of weeds while I eat lunch
9. okay two episodes b/c I’m going to work all day.
10. Eff, its one. I should work on something.
11. oh hi Molly.
12. Oh ohkay, bye Val. By Molly.
13. Research
14. Research
15. Kinda.
16. Okay I tried.
17. I don’t know what I got done.
18. Next thing I know it’s three.
19. crap.
20. here let me write some.
21. Okay I got this,
22. wait, hi facebook.
23. I’m hungry
24. no you’re not
25. yes I am
26. okay fine, go have a snack.
27. lets just make it dinner because I’m going to be working the rest of the night.
28. oh hi Sam and Val.
29. dinner. noms. cheese. scones. crackers. nectarine. redbull.
30. oh hi Sam and Val again.
31. yes lets watch youtube videos.
32. Wicked soundtrack.
33. Chicago Soundtrack
34. Wrecking Ball
35. WE CAN’T STOP PARADORES.
36. creeping
37. House wives of Disney.
38. the new Awkward trailer *eeeeekkkkk*
39. PAPER TIME.
40. …..
41. What its 9?
42. time for another diet coke.
43. gotta stay up somehow.
44. Hi Val. Kyle. Molly. Geoff.
45. gossip girl fangirling
46. facebook.
47. facebook.
48. email.
49. facebook.
50. realisation that nothing new has been posted.
51. obviously time to post on the SCIO group
52. and spam everyone’s walls.
53. write.
54. okay fine, reword.
55. paragraph, heck yeahh.
56. rocking it,
57. facebook notification.
58. watch last scenes of pitch perfect.
59. pretend to work.
60. Val.
61. get 2nd red bull
62. don’t worry mom, their the small ones.
63. 250 ml
64. so 500 ml of better tasting cough syrup.
65. It has taken me nearly 10 hours to write 400 words.
66. I have two papers, due in 5 days. Neither are done.
67. What? I have papers to write.
68. Let’s watch Weeds instead.
69. NO.
70. I should shower.
71. but my hair looks so good, this bun is beautiful.
72. but I also need to shave.
73. but this bun, it’s a work of art.
74. but I need to wash my hair.
75. but I need to write.
76. so i wrote this instead.
77. so I could say I wrote something.
78. and so you could all know my train of thought for today.
79. and to tell you if you came to read about my grand adventures of the week you will have to wait.
80. but if you came for details on my struggle, here you are.
81. you’re welcome.
82. WISH ME LUCK.
83. I WANT A CAT.
84. AND TO SLEEP.
85. AND FOR IT TO BE SATURDAY SO I CAN WAKE UP IN PARIS.
86. YEAH THATS ALL I’M THINKING ABOUT, IS THAT I’M A WEEK AWAY FROM FRANCE.
87. NOT ABOUT 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY ARCHITECTURE OF LUNATIC HOSPITALS.
88. Okay I’m going to attempt to write now.
89. I hope you have enjoyed today’s struggle.
90. This has been a PSA.
91. xoxox
92. Cheers.
93. Cherio
94. Deuces
95. Adios
96. PEACE
97. BYE
98. FAIRWELL.
99. OVER IT.
100. so.
101. so.
102. done.
103. why did I think this would be a good idea.
104. I don’t like writing.
105. Oxford will be the death of me.
106. plz send me flowers before I die.
107. flowers are pretty.
108. If I don’t get beauty sleep I won’t be pretty.
109. well crap.
110. good thing we’re all in this together.
111. I’m going to stop procrastinating now.
112. yeah right.
113. but I’ma try
114. hopefully.