Baked Beans and Beer - My First Few Days as a Student

When I was packing all of my clothes into suitcases last week it was quite possibly the strangest experience of my life. To have all of the things that you wear and use fit into a few bags really plays with your head; and not in a good way either. It really is a surreal thing when you see your DVD collection packed in beside underwear and socks - in fact it kinda sucks. But when everything was ready to go I was psyched because it looked like I was going on holiday (with a box of Cheerios). The funny thing is that I wasn't at all excited before I left or for the few days leading up to the move. In fact my sister was more excited that I was moving out than I was and she doesn't even live at home. So last week was a little crazy but if I thought that the process of moving out of home was weird then I was going to get a hefty punch in the chops when I moved into the other end. I'm not going to lie, I just laughed at that sentence for its innuendo qualities which can only be a good sign because it means that I've not yet lost my terrible sense of humour yet - university will never change that.

So this is the basics of what happened when I got here: you get your keys, you go to your flat, you unload your life into your room and then you realise that there are other people doing a similar thing - it's kinda weird to see these parallel lives crashing together in one big mash. So that's pretty much the way it has been for the last couple of days. Your basic plan of action has to be to ask three questions (What's your name?; where are you from?; what are you studying?). If you get through this part of the conversation unscathed then its a free-for-all thereafter. It's all about trying to find some sort of common ground (the subject of alcohol usually suffices) and then try and build from there if you can. Otherwise you just have to turn to your right and start the whole process again which it seems is everyones game. In fact the three questions are starting to become this sort of dogmatic approach to socialising which I can cope with I think. 

In three days I have been through the wringer emotionally (ok that's maybe a bit of an exaggeration but has been tough). I woke up on the first morning and felt crap then about an hour later I was all enthusiastic again and soon found myself up on top of Arthur's Seat. Nobody ever said it was going to be easy and if the truth be told, I didn't know what it would be like at all. Now I have seen a tiny slice of this new life I am starting to learn a bit more about it which is the only way to adapt. I am enjoying this new chapter in my life so far and as tough as I'm finding this situation, I'm relishing it at the same time. Bring on the rest of the week!!!