Fresherness

I have been here in Cardiff for almost a whole month now.

It seems like an awful lot longer and I've got used to being here; as I can tell since I went home this last weekend and now being back here it feels like I never left!!

The only reason it feels like I've been here for eternity is the foreverness experience of Freshers week.

Because I came to Uni not having any friends that are here Freshers week seemed like it dragged on for ages. For years I have not had to start from scratch making friends and so it was incredibly alien to me.

I felt incredibly alone and homesick; yes the people here that I met during my first week are lovely but it felt so awkward to have to get to know them all without anyone knowing me!

I really felt quite lost. I didn't want to go out anywhere because I didn't have any tickets and didn't have anyone who I really knew to go with!

It wasn't until I went to a few Christian Union events and met some brilliant Christian friends did I feel defined and as if I was me again! I've always had the label of "The Christian" and it was surreally strange to no longer be automatically known as that!!

Now I have a little network of Christian Friends; some who I see almost everyday and others who are friendly faces I see ever so often. I am also getting to know my housemates really well; 5 really lovely girls who its really nice to chat with in the kitchen!

I haven't found myself a church yet-but that is because there are so many to try its hard to know where to start and I have to work my way through a few to make sure I settle at the right place. PLUS in my heart Enderby Mission is home and nowhere will match up to it-because that's where a lot of my friends and family are! But I'm sure I'll find a brill church to fill the hole whilst I'm living here! Because I can hardly commute back EVERY Sunday morning-no matter how appealing that is to my lazy, familiarity nature!!

The course is really time consuming. Lectures everyday-for between 1 and 3 hours. Most days its a 9am start and the two that aren't are 10am starts. I'm doing lots of modules at once and have an awful lot of beefy textbooks. I really need to write up and pad out my notes as it will help me later on! I haven't had any practicals yet-but that's okay because as soon as I do I'll have more assignment deadlines looming (I've already done one small assignment, and am starting a group assignment!).

I don't really have time for joining the drama society-because its an awful big commitment and I feel that my priority is my course (seen as though it looks like it could get time consuming and tough and I need to concentrate on it!) and going to CU nights. I've debated whether to join the Volleyball society but I've only been once because the past two Tuesday nights I haven't felt like going! I know it'll get worse the longer I leave it but I'm kinda reluctant to go when I don't know anyone because the starting again making friends is not fun!!

But so that I at least make an attempt to have another dynamic to my time here I am having an audition to sing in the National Chorus of Wales- I may not get in but at lease I tried!!

I still miss everyone back home. It was lovely to see a few people over the weekend. Nice to check in and catch up with people even for just a little bit. It was hard to walk away from the Mission and to leave home Sunday evening but my folks are up this weekend for their half term (I don't get a half term!) and it was nice to come back and see my new friends here.

Can't wait to see the rest of them at Christmas when others are back for the holidays!!!

Much Love and God Bless

xxxx