Back from Training

So, I've had a week (well, almost a week) meeting up with the group of people (7 ppl in total) who i will be living and working with the next 18weeks and getting some much needed information and preparation for the trip.

I cannot believe that I only met them on Tues - feels like I've known them for so long!!
They are: (in alphabetical order) no favourites :P

Abby
Hannah
Isabel
Jenny
Jonno
Phil

Affectionately known as 'Team Wildcats (who knew that I'd find boys that were as obsessed with High School Musical as the Gilbert brothers!! seriously, there'd be no stopping them if i ever introduced them to each other! I thought that the Gilberts were complete nutters for being so into HSM - turns out they are just a few nutters out of many!!)
There will be a photo of all of us as soon as our teams co-ordinator puts them on facebook and I can nick one!

I sort of wish that we could have gone to SA straight from the training - coz we were all pretty psyched and excited.
But i know that we all need the extra prep time to pack.

I've discovered a lot of things about SA and the things that we're going to be doing which have majorly changed what I will pack.
Mainly the fact that we can buy clothes pretty cheaply out there - therefore i will pack fewer clothes and more important items such as chocolate (yes the title of the blog may have changed, but i am still the same raging chocoholic as i always was :P)

I finished my job at the hospital last Thurs (before Easter) that was really wierd coz I didn't realise quite how much of a routine I had gotten myself into - or the number of ppl I will actually miss seeing everyday! They gave me some rather lovely pressies and it was all a lot of fun!
I am glad that i do have these two weeks for head and packing space!

Still working with White Lodge till the Wednesday before I go because I love the little boy and his family - and will have a harder time saying goodbye to him and his family. Hearing about the work of the Oasis Thailand team (working with disabled kids) made me wonder how much the facilities would differ for the children out there and what challenges that would present. You look at it a completely different way when you've actually worked with children in those sorts of situations I guess.

I am absolutely loving eating chocolate again - and i have two easter eggs to eat before i leave - so all is goooood!

There are so many friends to meet up with before I go - tis insane! and the time is gonna go so quickly!
At the same time as that sucks - i can't wait to get out there and learn more about the ways i react in dfferent situations and getting stuck into the experiences that will shape the way i think about the rest of my life!

All in all a pretty unique and exciting time coming up!
Bring It On!!

open up the part of you that wants to hide away

I think all of the blogging community whom i am in contact with have been very lax in their blog-keeping recently

as have I.

but quite frankly i have missed it....so

where have i been since the 11th of August?? (a whole 7month and 3days ago...what?)
the answer to that is - ALOT of places...

Results have been recieved, cried and laughed over (personally i think it takes quite alot of skill to fail ALL three chemistry A2 units and still get a D!)

Taunton 3 has been attended with many laughs, more tears, bare jokes exchanged& amazing times had...

Much time wasted lounging in the sun and on facebook before finally securing two jobs - one at St Peter's Hospital in mid-september (which meant life unfortunately stopped feeling like one extended summer holiday)

and the second job a couple of weeks later at white lodge (and yes, it did take them the best part of two months to interview me and actually start me in the job!!)
Ironically I am now coming towards the end of my time working. I finish SPH next week and WL later on in april.

SPH has been fairly boring but is good to see how a hospital actually works& have met some pretty decent people - and some not so decent - but no need to go into that! lol!

WL has been rewarding - getting to know two beautiful boys and their families and caring for them, pushing the limit of my patience sometimes!!

Aside from work, I have:
Seen Paramore in concert twice
Had a pretty decent Xmas
and a pretty fabby new year!
also, a pretty lovely valentines day ;D
carried on helping out with church youth group and all the challenges that has thrown my way
spent ALOT on phone credit
had great times on Youth Leadership Conference(Chorleywood Week B) and Taunton3 reunion!!
Not visited half as many people at uni as i sed i would!
Carried on planning for the big trip out to South Africa which i leave for a month tomorrow (eeek!) and havent done half as much as i should have done! surprise surprise!

O yes, i have also applied to university (after much debating, soul-searching and generally stressing about what course to do...) to do occupational therapy - can't be bothered to explain it if you're not sure what that is - please wikipedia it!!
Got three offers - coventry, plymouth and cardiff and am 99% i will be going to the mighty cardiff!!

So, gap-year has been unarguably one of the best years of my life (so far!) and the best coupla months are still to come!

I would like to hear anyone arguing against the benefits of not having to do homework when you finally get home in the evening(two jobs....)
the worst thing is knowing that i'll have to back to doing "homework" next yr!


Looking forward to next week - finishing one job which will free up far more time to hurriedly get myself organised AND mark (teeter) is coming back to the UK - will be so great to see him again!

Not too sure how to end this post as it's been so long - just to say that - this blog will soon be undergoing a face-lift to prepare for it being my main method of communication back home while I'm away.....don't see the point of having two blogs!!

and will be blogging alot more in the coming months!
peace out x