Life Lately - Catch Ups, Assignments and Sunrises
I arrived back in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday afternoon after taking a couple of days off to head home to see my Aunt. This week has honestly flown by at such a pace and knowing that things are only going to get busier and busier over the next couple of weeks, I thought I would do a little life update of sorts. I think it's so important to stop for a while and just check where you're at. Take note of what's going on with that precious soul of yours. I'm sounding so Psychologisty it's making me sick.
So anyway, what has been going on with me lately? To be honest, not an awful lot. And my word I couldn't be more grateful. I mean, I actually have SO much going on in so many different areas of my life right now, but I'm at peace. I'm happy, I'm feeling in control and things are a lot better than they were a month or two ago. Lately my posts have been somewhat depressing and I'm not going to apologize for that. Never, ever apologize for your feelings. But I'm in a good space right now. I used to get annoyed with life if things weren't happening at a quick pace or if life was pretty calm. Oh but how I've changed. I no longer take the boring days, the days without drama or commotion or general busyness for granted. I'm soaking up every moment of this calmness while it lasts.
As mentioned above, I just got back from a long weekend at home visiting my Aunt. She has lived in Australia for the last 17 years and I last saw her in 2001. It was so special to see her and to almost get to know her again. She has two children - my cousins - who are a year older than me and a year younger than me. We were extremely close growing up and I wanted nothing more but for them to come home for a visit as well.
We spent a lot of time together as a family. We had lunches and dinners together. We spent the day at Sani Pass eating ourselves into oblivion and taking photos. We sat on the couch chatting and laughing. We FaceTimed the rest of the family back in Australia. We swopped stories and memories made over the last 14 years. We realised just how much you miss out on when one family moves across the world. We had so much fun and the love was almost tangible. I wish I could have been home for longer - 5 days was not enough.
Chatting to my Aunt and my cousins about Australia and their lives has left me with all sorts of day dreams. In the next couple of years I'm going need to make some massive life decisions. I don't know what my future holds and it's something I've spent a lot of time thinking/worrying/getting excited about. Could Australia play a role in my future? Could I spend a year or two working there? Or perhaps even move there permanently? Everything sounds so wonderful and I have so many opportunities available to me. Really, I'm just one big ball of excitement and day dream. Could I really leave my entire family though?
I left home early on Tuesday morning. This little trip was the first time I've ever driven from Grahamstown to home and back again by myself. I was rather proud of myself - 1400km's and 20 hours altogether and I didn't even get lost/have a panic attack/hit a goat. The day greeted me with the most amazing sunset on my drive back to Grahamstown on Tuesday. It was just me, my little car and the road. It was as if God was saying "this one's just for you, Shan."
University has been crazy. I had to do some serious cramming in order to make the trip home to see my aunt possible. This month has been filled with tests and assignments and I've worked harder than I have in months. In the last three weeks I've had four tests and four massive reports and essays due. I only have four lectures of Second Year left though. I cannot wrap my head around how quickly this year has come and gone.
On Wednesday I head home once again for my study leave before final exams begin. I'm so blessed to be able to head home so often - I've only just got back to Grahamstown! I'll be on study leave for about 10 days before heading back to Grahamstown to face a month of exams. My timetable is really nice - I have 5 exams spread over 28 days. All of my friends finish about 10 days before me and I'm here until the bitter end. This place is going to be like an absolute ghost town, but I'm not complaining at all. The quieter it is, the more studying I'm able to get done.
Other than trips between home and Grahamstown and a pile of assignments, nothing much else is going on. I like it that way. In a couple of days I will be back home, loving on my sweet baby brother and highlighting the crap out of those Psychology notes. But for now, I'm going to take a hot shower and hope the ache in my upper back eases up - spending 19 out of 24 hours hunched over a desk and a laptop does wonders for the shoulders!
So anyway, what has been going on with me lately? To be honest, not an awful lot. And my word I couldn't be more grateful. I mean, I actually have SO much going on in so many different areas of my life right now, but I'm at peace. I'm happy, I'm feeling in control and things are a lot better than they were a month or two ago. Lately my posts have been somewhat depressing and I'm not going to apologize for that. Never, ever apologize for your feelings. But I'm in a good space right now. I used to get annoyed with life if things weren't happening at a quick pace or if life was pretty calm. Oh but how I've changed. I no longer take the boring days, the days without drama or commotion or general busyness for granted. I'm soaking up every moment of this calmness while it lasts.
As mentioned above, I just got back from a long weekend at home visiting my Aunt. She has lived in Australia for the last 17 years and I last saw her in 2001. It was so special to see her and to almost get to know her again. She has two children - my cousins - who are a year older than me and a year younger than me. We were extremely close growing up and I wanted nothing more but for them to come home for a visit as well.
We spent a lot of time together as a family. We had lunches and dinners together. We spent the day at Sani Pass eating ourselves into oblivion and taking photos. We sat on the couch chatting and laughing. We FaceTimed the rest of the family back in Australia. We swopped stories and memories made over the last 14 years. We realised just how much you miss out on when one family moves across the world. We had so much fun and the love was almost tangible. I wish I could have been home for longer - 5 days was not enough.
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| Selfies With Dad |
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| My Little Beep Beep |
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| Lunch at Sani Pass Hotel |
I left home early on Tuesday morning. This little trip was the first time I've ever driven from Grahamstown to home and back again by myself. I was rather proud of myself - 1400km's and 20 hours altogether and I didn't even get lost/have a panic attack/hit a goat. The day greeted me with the most amazing sunset on my drive back to Grahamstown on Tuesday. It was just me, my little car and the road. It was as if God was saying "this one's just for you, Shan."
University has been crazy. I had to do some serious cramming in order to make the trip home to see my aunt possible. This month has been filled with tests and assignments and I've worked harder than I have in months. In the last three weeks I've had four tests and four massive reports and essays due. I only have four lectures of Second Year left though. I cannot wrap my head around how quickly this year has come and gone.
On Wednesday I head home once again for my study leave before final exams begin. I'm so blessed to be able to head home so often - I've only just got back to Grahamstown! I'll be on study leave for about 10 days before heading back to Grahamstown to face a month of exams. My timetable is really nice - I have 5 exams spread over 28 days. All of my friends finish about 10 days before me and I'm here until the bitter end. This place is going to be like an absolute ghost town, but I'm not complaining at all. The quieter it is, the more studying I'm able to get done.
Other than trips between home and Grahamstown and a pile of assignments, nothing much else is going on. I like it that way. In a couple of days I will be back home, loving on my sweet baby brother and highlighting the crap out of those Psychology notes. But for now, I'm going to take a hot shower and hope the ache in my upper back eases up - spending 19 out of 24 hours hunched over a desk and a laptop does wonders for the shoulders!
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