In a different place.

I’m back with a blog! Of course, it has been a considerable amount of time since my last account but the painstaking task of dissertation and final year have kept me away from a lot of the social enjoyable things. I do really enjoying blogging as few and far between as they appear. I wanted to come back to blog something now I’ve done all I can towards my degree; my essays are submitted, group work is over and my dissertation will be submitted tomorrow. It has got to the stage where there is nothing I can do to affect my grade or the final outcome.My dissertation has been printed and bound, never to be looked at again! Well, I might scan through the copy I’ve printed for my own book shelf but I cannot bring myself to look at it until I’ve submitted it on Monday with no chance of making changes.

I always feel disappointed in myself sometimes for not giving or setting myself the goal of uploading at least every month but at the same time I feel I’d be blogging for the sake of blogging. Personally, I wanted these blogs to be genuine and only uploaded when I have something I really need to say, remember or get down in print. Looking back to the blogs i’ve done in the previous months,  I am proud to say they are memories that I will cherish. I want all of my blogs to be something I can go back to in a couple of years and remember my university days, travels around Europe and how I’m changing as a person. I can definitely say that’s true; since my first game review blog to now I can definitely say I am in a different place surrounded with a range of new people that have affected my life in different ways.

The last few months have been filled with new and older faces. A significant part was spent in Örkelljunga, my home from home, on Erasmus Plus projects and training courses. Each was an uplifting and exciting experience with its own collection of objectives. The first being NET NET- NEw Tools for NEw Targets: a challenge for youth workers. It was a 3 day event of productive meetings, meaningful discussions and plans for the future so we can collectively create a board game for youth workers to use around human rights and EU citizenship. It is a 2 year Erasmus plus project so i’ll more than likely be involved in other ways and update on its progress throughout the next year. If you want any more information then just visit the website: netnet-project.eu.

As soon as those 3 days were over I was immediately into another project. This time I was representing my university; Leeds Beckett. The project; Sensitization for Action was a short term project, lasting only a week around the topic of refugees, immigration and the stereotypes, discrimination and generalisations that come with it. There are moments that will remain with me for a significant time, if not forever! Taking away from the workshops and sessions was a new method “non-violent communication” which is something i’d been introduced before but not had that much of an impression on me. I’m not going bore you with the mechanics of it all as I know there is plenty of reading and information online but within this context it really did have an impact on me and since then I have definitely rethought how I speak in certain situations or even how I write an email! I reconnected with some good friends also and met some truly inspirational people who work with refugees and asylum seekers.

In April I made a fleeting visit home to visit the family. Even though I’m travelling so much nowadays I still always want to touch base with my Staffordshire routes every now and again. This might sound cringy to some people but I definitely appreciate the few days I spend with my relatives. The phrase “Distance makes the heart grow stronger” comes to mind as I try to balance work and travel life with family time. I feel I’m managing well at the moment and don’t ever get home sick. I kind of see myself with several homes. There is also something I’ve heard before, so i’m not claiming originality here, that people make a home rather than the physical structure of the house. As my parents moved out of childhood home a few months ago I came to the realisation that I was between homes a lot of time, not really knowing where I felt the most content.  I don’t fully know the answer to that question yet and maybe I will never know. I guess I feel happy in quite a few places at the moment as I haven’t fully settled in a place long enough.

Things have changed a lot since I’ve come to university. I guess in my own naivety I didn’t think anything would change that significantly but once their house was sold it made me realise nothing is static  or guaranteed. Everything is constantly changing.

Thanks for making it through the whole blog! I wasn’t quite anticipating such a long “summary”.

Until the next time.

Charlotte Elisha X