Swings, Smiles and Steak Ranches.

The second term of First Year is slowly drawing to a close. It has been a very long term and it's strange to think that I was last home over two months ago. I think everyone over here is more than ready for a holiday - who can blame them?! The last couple of weeks have been demanding due to the fact that it's exam time and everyone is really focused and equally as stressed.

On Thursday night one of my besties, Emma and I decided to go out and have a spontaneous celebratory dinner together. What were we celebrating, exactly? Well nothing in particular... we just wanted to have a nice night out enjoying each others company. We used the fact that we had just written our second exam that day as well as the fact that we fly home in less than two weeks to justify us going out and we really did have such a great time.

Emma and I have been friends since 2008 and while we're in the same Res and we take a couple of subjects together, it can be difficult to find time to spend with each other, just the two of us.

We took a walk into town and ordered a couple of glasses of wine, rib and chicken burgers and brownies for dessert. We spent a good couple of hours sipping on our wine and laughing the night away. On our way home we found an old swing and we took great pleasure in swinging underneath an old oak tree. We felt like giggly little girls again and it was wonderful.

We had the best evening full of laughs and love and completely free of exam stress. It's the moments like those that put a smile on my face and make me feel truly blessed to have the people that I do in my life.

And one last one, just because swinging backwards on your tummy is fun!