Firsts and Lasts

I haven't posted in ages! (Well, just over 2 weeks.) So here's an update on things.

I realised that there are a lot of lasts for me this week: my last day of teaching (singing) on Mondays; my last ballet lesson before I move back home to Scotland again, where there aren't adult classes for 50 miles(!); the last performance of the opera tour I'm in; and my last day living with my Aunty Anne and Uncle Steve in Yorkshire. I suppose I could get quite down at the prospect of all these, but I've had such a great few weeks and feel really content, so I'm focussing on the positives!! (I'm pleasantly surprised at how long my positivity has lasted to be honest!)

So I do have a couple of firsts this week too:

Me and Vicky

First Uni Reunion

This past weekend, I travelled down to Markfield, near Leicester, to meet up with friends that I made at uni and lived with for the 3 years whilst there. We made it Friday to Sunday to make it a proper get-together. Now, I have to be honest, although I was pretty sure that it was going to be good to see everyone, I did have some reservations, as our living together was a bit of a rollercoaster: I had some of my best times with these guys, but also some of my worst, so I wasn't completely sure as to what to expect, as things were left on good terms, but not on no-doubt-about-it great terms.

Nigel and Mark

Buuut… I had such a great time. I'm so, so pleased that it was as good as we'd hoped it would be, and I think we were all relieved that things just went right back to how they were at the best times we'd had at uni. Although I literally hardly ever speak to them, and we all have pretty different lives, we're going to try and keep a reunion quite regular (a suggestion was every 3 - 4 months, but I think that won't really be possible because of our different schedules - it took us long enough to organise this one! - so I'm estimating maybe once or twice a year), so I really hope that we stick to it and keep it up.

First Day of my 6th Season at Glenfiddich

Zocia, me, Still House, 2011

Every summer I go home to work as a tour guide at Glenfiddich (Single Malt Whisky) Distillery. I started the summer before I went to uni and have gone back every year as, quite frankly, it is one of the BEST jobs EVER. Now, a couple of years ago (after graduating uni) I had hoped I wouldn't have to return to the 'Fiddich as I hoped that I would be working too much as a performer for it to be feasible. However, last year at the last minute I got in touch with my GF boss and pretty much begged for a job (with lots of strings attached in terms of my working hours to accommodate commitments I had already made), and he sympathetically took me on again even with all my requests, and I worked my 5th consecutive season. It was during this time I realised that I actually didn't want the time to come that I wouldn't be able to work at Glenfiddich, as I have made some amazing friends there (including one of my best, Zocia >>), I have such a wonderful time in the job, I get to be at home with my family for longer than 2 weeks, I learn so much and I generally have a great time in every aspect. So I can't wait to start back at the end of the week for my 6th season! I may write a whole post about it later on in the year.

In general, I'm in a pretty good place right now. Even when I do get stressed over something, I'm literally fine again within minutes. I can only put this down to the positive outlook on life I have tried to maintain recently, my wonderful friends and amazing family.

I'll try to post sooner next time!