Vacation Photo Teaser & Scattered Thoughts

* I know I've been holding out on the Kenya photos/stories, but I have just been so busy! I really hope that this post marks my return to the blogging world. I miss it loads, but I just don't want it to be a procrastination tool. Anyway, the photo above is a little teaser. It's the first photo I took on our trip: the view out of our airplane window while flying over the Alps. Unreal, right?

* No trip to Edinburgh, thanks to Eyjafjallajokull. But I think it's for the best because I would have been really stressed out during the rest of the week had I gone.

* My earbuds broke while running on Monday. The wire had been fraying for sometime but five minutes into my run the last piece decided to snap and there they went! I'm finding it a bit depressing walking around, working, studying, and running without music or audiobooks. Last night I came home to find a pair of earbuds hanging from my bedroom door handle. My housemate James had left them for me to use. Isn't that nice? I think so. I'm in a better mood this morning because I know I'll get to hear more of Nineteen Minutes, my current audiobook.

* Kate Nash released a new album yesterday!!! I was excited, but I've listened to a few samples, and so far I've only realllly liked one of them... I'm not sure whether or not I should buy it. It seems a bit too mellow or something, but maybe I should give it a try. Decisions, decisions...

* School is pretty crazy, but I think I'm getting into the swing of it. I've been quite productive the past few days. Thank goodness. Hopefully I keep it up!

* Oh, I started my new job on Monday. It's really good, I'm enjoying it. My co-workers are really nice, and the work is sometimes slightly monotonous (which will be amended by my having a listening device again!) but some of the work is interesting and fun.

Enough procrastinating for now, I think. I woke up this morning at 6:45 and did my reading for today's Metaphysics & Epistemology seminar, so I thought, "Hey, I've gotten a lot done. Time for some blogging." Anyway, sorry for the long post. I need to write more often so I don't force huge amounts of text on my readers! Love you all ;.)

P.S. The weather this week is GORGEOUS!!! If it is where you live too, don't forget to appreciate it!

<3

Jambo!

Jambo!!! I'm back from The Continent. I left Tuesday, got back yesterday morning, hopped on a bus to Bristol, & went straight to the Progress in Medicine Conference being held at my university. The conference ended this afternoon, & then some friends & I had a barbeque on the Downs. I'm now starting to catch up on all my favorite blogs.

So, let's see... updates...

My oldest friend, Heather, who I've known since age 6, happens to be in the UK & is coming to Bristol tomorrow evening. I haven't seen her in about three years, so it will be nice to catch up. We'll be going out for my friend Katie's birthday, including popping in at a secret bar. We're quite different people now (different from each other, I mean--as well as different from who we were at age 6, haha), & I hope that fact doesn't hinder our interaction. My fingers are crossed for a good time.

One of my best friends, Rachel, got engaged yesterday! I found out this morning, & got a Skype call from her & her fiance (whoa, weird) just a few minutes after finding out. I'm really happy & excited for both of them! And I can't wait to hear all about (& maybe input in) the wedding plans. Hrm, but even when talking rings, etc with her, it never occurred to me that it would be weird to think of her as engaged. But yeah, seeing on her Facebook profile "Engaged to..." instead of "In a relationship with..." is a bit strange. In a good way though :.)

My trip to Kenya was so good, & I miss it already. Stories & photos will come soon.

Currently reading Memoirs of a Geisha. If you haven't read it, I highly highly recommend it!!! The narrator (the person the memoirs are about, true story) has an amazing way with words. I'm such a fan of it, & I'm so thankful for the recommendation I got from Isabel (Jonty's sister).

My Couch-to-5k progess is at a standstill. A few days before leaving for Kenya, I starting feeling a bit unwell. Then, on Easter, I couldn't even finish my run because my stomach hurt so bad I thought I'd throw up. So I took Kenya off. I need to start again, but it's hard to get back into it! Hopefully tomorrow or this weekend I'll be able to restart. I think I'll do Week 6 over and go from there.

It's nice to be back in Bristol. I missed my bed & my room & my friends. Tomorrow will be a schoolwork day. I really hope to get a lot done! I'm so very behind!

I start my new job on Monday, yay.

Oh, & Edinburgh with Katie on Tuesday & Wednesday, yay!

Wow, what a long post, eh? I hope you didn't get bored by this point...

I'm still on Kenya time, mentally, so I really need to hit the hay. Yawn!

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Leaving on a Jet Plane (to Kenya!!!)

We're up before the sun to hop our flight to KENYA!!! It's incredibly early, but we're excited already! I promise to take lots of photos & to tell you guys all about it when I return next week. Have a lovely week!

<3

Updates from a Bad Ass

* Today I finished Week 5 of Couch to 5k (I'm starting my weeks on Wednesdays). The workout today was to run 20 minutes straight, which I thought would be really tough for me. But I MADE IT! And I wasn't dying at the end! That's right - I'm a bad ass.
* I haven't been getting much done in the way of schoolwork lately. I freaked out a bit this morning, but I got it together. I feel like tomorrow will be a very productive day!
* I haven't heard from my Sissa much recently... I'm sure she's busy, but I miss her.
* I spoke to my grandma today and felt a bit bad for not calling her more often. But it's nice to talk to her. She got the Internet recently, which is bizarre in my mind (considering I just gave her her first computer - my old one - when I was there for Christmas) but very cool.
* I'm excited to see how Jonty's family celebrates Easter. I'll miss my family a lot though. Yet again, I may say thank goodness for Skype.
* I leave for Kenya in just over a week!!! We'll be staying with the family of a friend of mine in Nairobi (the capital city). His dad is an MP, & I'm excited about chatting with him about politics in Kenya. I'm also just excited to see how their household is run & how the neighborhood & city are set up. Jonty & I were looking some things up today, & we're possibly planning a weekend trip over to Mombasa (the beach)! We're going to play it by ear & be last minute little travelers, which hopefully will turn out amazing rather than stressful, haha.
* At the moment, Jonty & I are about to watch some Firefly & maybe a bit of Curb Your Enthusiasm. I hope you all have a nice evening too!

<3

Music of the Day: Sara Bareilles

I've been obsessing over Sara Bareilles' music for the past day or so. These two songs ("Undertow" & "Bottle It Up") especially have been on repeat.




Sara Bareilles - Bottle It Up (Official Music Video)


Today I cleaned out a junk drawer & it felt really good! But it also helped me procrastinate a bit. So I am now (as you can see...) trying to make up for it in the next couple of hours before I head to my friend Katie's house for dinner and then to a party made up of all the best philosophy postgrads. I hope you all have a great Saturday night!

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Song of the Day: Ingrid Michaelson

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this song?



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Quite a Quote: Look on the Bright Side

This evening I made Cauliflower & Cabbage Soup for my friends Syano & Daniel. It was so delicious!!! Then, Syano & I headed down to the city centre to meet Katie for Alice in Wonderland in 3-D. Despite hearing so many criticisms of the film, I actually quite enjoyed it. While I wasn't too impressed with the story, the characters (especially the Red Queen) were fabulous, & the design & ideas that went into it were very interesting. Now, I'm going to hunker down and watch last night's episode of LOST, which I heard was a great one. Then: sleep, that thing which I am so unaccustomed to lately.

Here's a good quote for you before I go:

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

-Abraham Lincoln

I hope everyone has a positive outlook this week/weekend. Try to find the beauty, or at least the humor, in all you see.

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