Location, Location, Location

Don't you just love it when something comes up and hits you in the face? I'm obviously talking about a good idea but then again if you're into being punched then don't let me judge you - although I might just do that. I've been on the brink of writing this post for a while now but I've never quite known the right words to say. Admittedly I'm not actually sure if I yet know those words but I'm low on ideas for a voluminous post and it makes no sense for me to have it on my mind for much longer.

I should probably start by explaining the 'good idea' that came to me as I sat down to write this post a few minutes ago. It wasn't an urge to watch Kirsty and Phil (on everyone's favourite house buying show) that lead me to title this post up as I have but rather it was the subject of it. I've recently becoming very conscious of how I feel in different places, with 3 in particular jumping out at me - see how I enjoyed being struck by this idea now?

The first of those place is home. It is the place that I feel most at home in (probably a good sign) and the place where I feel like I am most attached to. That would be the case since I was born in the town and have lived there ever since, with half of my tender years being spent in this very house that I speak so highly of. Those of you that have read my blog religiously over the last couple of years will be bored of me writing about home - and don't I just know it - so I'm not going to go on about it but rather I'm going to state how I feel when I'm there. When I go home (which I would say averages out at about every other weekend) I feel like I never went to university. In fact as it goes it might well have never happened because, up until my last set of exams, I have never really done any university work in that house. In fact I've done more work in a little terraced cottage when I was on holiday last year than I have at home. I probably made up for that before Christmas but I like the idea that it is so far removed from university and (although it might seem weird for me to say this) that I can just forget about the whole thing for a few days.

At the end of the two major holidays that I've spent at home since coming to university I felt an overwhelming feeling of starting all over again, particularly after last summer. I can't decide if this is healthy or not but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. It actually took me longer to adapt to second year than it did when I started first year which was all very odd to me but I guess almost 4 months of not being at university will do that to you.

The second place (or second of the 'Locations') is the very place from where I compose this evening - my flat in Edinburgh. It's quite understandable that this place feels different from home because, well, it's not the same place - I'm quite good at spot the difference you know! Both the flat and it's surroundings are pretty far removed from my suburban living back at home and I like the difference between the two. I've certainly become more attached to this place than I was to my flat in university halls last year. That wasn't much to compete with (since it was akin to an open prison) but I rank last year as being one of the biggest of my life so it actually says a lot about this place. Something that a friend said the other day made me realise that this flat is another home to me; a second home yes, but a home nevertheless.

University work come to me much easier here. I have my shelf of chunky legal books and a lot less distractions than at home. If I was to test the amount of work I could get done here with the amount of work that I could get done at home in the same period then I think there would be a marked difference between the two. The only advantage I found about being at home during the last set of exams was that my hands didn't get cold when I was typing whereas here they do - seems like a little thing but my wee hands (and yes they are quite small) need their warmth!

The final place where I feel a completely different feeling again is when I'm in a lecture theatre or on campus in general. I talked to my Dad a few times about what university life might be like before I came here and he always said that I would use the unions a lot and that I would really enjoy being around such a mix of students - he was right on both counts (as he usually is). I guess it is because it is the first time ever that I've had the chance to be fully in control of my education and what I do with the time around about classes. The last year of high school gave me a slight glimpse of that but not nearly as much as being at the real thing - I've really come to love being at university.

It's the range of emotions that I feel in those 3 places that really got me interested in writing this post and now, as I make to conclude it, I feel slightly disappointed with the words that I've chosen. Scrolling up I can see that this promises to be one of my longest ever posts but I don't feel I've said even a small fraction of what I wanted to about half an hour ago. Maybe I can't put it into words but I hope that whatever it is that I've produced above has made you think about the most important places in your lives.

Thanks for reading tonight,

Martin

P.S. A request has been made by a good friend of mine to have the poll for the name of my next blog reinstated with new (and apparently improved) options in it. The 'winner' of the initial poll is in there again along with a few other suggestions. I know I'm being demanding but could everyone have their say again - promise I'll use the one that the people choose!