Here’s the third annual “lets look back and think about what actually happened in the past 12 months post”, but time I’m going to take a slightly different approach…

Lessons learned this past year;

1. Flat hunting with limited time is stressful.

2. It’s less sunny in the UK than the US

3. …is a crowd

4. It doesn’t matter what you do, your Acer laptop will die at the most inconvienient time.

5. Take advice from those ‘in the know’ with a pinch of salt.

6. Searching for a placement with limited time is also stressful.

7. You don’t get a private jet or escort to uni for being an ambassador for the faculty.

8. A Canon SLR is better than a Sony point a shoot.

9. Exams are also stressful.

10. No matter what you do to fix a problem with your car, another problem will develop.

11. Regret hurts.

12. Memories don’t fade… quickly…

13. Starting a new job is less stressful than you’d think…

14. It doesn’t matter if you know you have all the cables - because you wont.

15. Friends come and go…

16. Have a plan.

17. Pink stuffed pigs are actually good fun at an office christmas party.

18. Taking photos of fireworks is actually quite difficult

19. Residents are not allowed to park in visitor parking on the street without consequences!

20. Hope is a good thing…

That was 2007, and this is 2008… and hey…. day 1 down, and so far, it’s been pretty damn good… lets just hope the next 364 days will be just as fine……..

Well, what can I say? 2006 has been a hell of a year, full of events and occasions which I’ll hopefully remember for a long time… So, this time last year I was writing a blog looking back at 2005, and after summarising what to me were the most life changing events month by month, I came to the conclusion that at the end of 2005, like the end of 2004, I had no idea where I would be the year after, from where I would be living, to doing, to pretty much anything, so, has this year been any different?

Well, the year started off where the previous one had ended… travelling back up to Kingston in January to take exams from my first semester, and generally getting back into life back at university after being home over Christmas. And that was it, getting back into things at Kingston and that was life, generally continuing work for the next few months with the highlights of having my uni halls flat attempted to be broken into, and my car hub caps stolen…

Then, in spring came the announcement for students to be able to study abroad for the second year of their university course. Well, after some consideration I decided to take the plunge I was so long looking forward to. Charlotte in North Carolina was the choice I chose out of a list of possible American universities. Why Charlotte? Well, it’s something a few people have asked, and keep asking me even now, after all, it was the university out of the list which caught my attention more than the others, other than it just being good for Computer Science, I seemed to be drawn to it, something which I hoped I would take action with once I got there… I hoped…

So, after a few induction lectures at Kingston, a couple speeches from students who had already been to Charlotte who had loved it, it was time to sort out Visas, flights, accommodation, everything… it was going to be hectic, we all knew that, it wouldn’t be the same if it wasn’t really. So, that was the summer, dealing with the upcoming study abroad exchange, and settling down and having a long needed rest from the work and stress, as well as leaving my university halls at Clayhill for one last time.

But, in a flash summer was over for us at least, American universities begin their 1st semesters at the end of August (as opposed to the end of September in the UK), and so the summer was cut a bit short! So, after packing up my life into two suitcases it was off onto a jet plane around to the other side of the world to experience a new way of life.

America - Sun, heat and humidity! So, for the final four months of 2006 I spent my life in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a great time, a truly fantastic experience which I would recommend to anybody thinking of doing the same thing. For four months I made new friends, went to a whole host of attractions, saw Washington DC and New York, America! Everything about it was amazing, (well - apart from a couple of lessons!), but nevertheless, something I wish I could do all over again, but I did it, I’ve got the memories, the photos, the souvenirs; that’s what it was all for - right? An amazing part of my life wrapped up and tucked away for a rainy day for me to look back and remember at?

If you’re still wondering the other reasons why I lobbied for Charlotte to be the first choice of university, and if I ‘took action’ as I had hoped… well… I didn’t. The short version of the back story is, I was good friends with someone who lived not too far from Charlotte, in Winston-Salem NC, who sadly passed away with a heart condition in 2003. Anyways, I kept in contact with his parents for a short while after, but, you know how it is, people drift apart. But, this was my chance, probably, my only chance, to go meet them, all it would have taken was a phone call - or an email… but, it didn’t happen, and I’ve only got myself to blame… the weird this is though, after 2 years of not hearing from them, on my arrival back to England, I was handed a Christmas card and letter from them from my mum which they had posted to me to Torquay back in November. Weird hey?

So, here I am, back in Torquay, its 3.30am on New Year’s Eve morning, and I’ve been back for nearly two weeks… good to be back? In some ways… In nearly 20 hours it will be a whole new day, a whole new year, or, just another day, depending on how you look at it… and where am I this time now, compared to last year, and the year before that? Well, I still have no idea where I will be this time next year. In six months or so I’ll be 20, and about to start my placement year at a job somewhere, only time will tell where though, determining where I will be this time in 2007, and what the next bunch of 12 months will have in store for me…

Ask anyone who knew me two years ago; back in sixth form living to what some people would have been their dream, studying further education with some great friends and have some great times. But I had my sights set on something more. We were all at the stage of sorting out our universities and where we would all be a year from then, I wasn’t even sure what university I really wanted to go to - but there was something I was sure about. I wanted to go abroad, go to the states as an exchange student during university. I’m not really sure why, I guess a multitude of things, from experiencing a new place; something different than the same old same old, to proving to people in my life that I could achieve something - with or without them, something to show for my life I suppose.

Either way that was two years ago, since then as well as sorting out a barrage of problems with everything imaginable to get me where I am now, I chose Kingston University, got through my A-levels, dragged myself to uni, and survived it for a year and passed, got visa’s and plane tickets and jetted off to the other side of the world. The dream I had of going abroad to the states to study was becoming reality - finally I was here, in another university, in another country, scary yet exciting all at the same time.

Surviving through the heat and humidity of the first couple months now seems quite some time ago. Getting settled into classes, meeting new people and becoming use to a different way of life were all part of the experience I guess. Nothing is ever quite text book though, and the experience was cut short with what seemed to be nothing more than a blink of an eye, when the year long trip would only be until Christmas due to complications and possible problems with the course and the following placement year back in Kingston.

However, I’m here now, in my room bracing myself for an onslaught of exams to come, while being able to look back at all the places I’ve been and seen and what I’ve done over the past four months of being here, it has truly been an amazing time.

Yet, it seems as though I’m waking up from the dream I spent so long wishing for, it’s hard to think that in little over two weeks it will all be over, another part of my life consolidated into my history books. It’s weird when you know the end of something great is coming and you just can’t stop it, you want to hold on, just for one more second but the breaks just won’t work.

Well, what can I say? It’s been a hell of a year, packed full of life changing events, situations and outcomes, one of the most hectic years of recent times.

But I’m getting ahead of myself, the New Year as it was then a year ago had a very daunting outlook, I had no idea where I would be, or what I would be doing this time now. Full of mock exams, never-ending ICT coursework and the constant expectation of my UCAS application kept me on my feet to say the least.

The A-level work continued to pour in throughout the next few months, and the UCAS replies trickled in, one by one until eventually I had my offers - and I had to choose, either way which ever I chose I knew I would be leaving everyone, after all, it was my choice where I picked the unis anyway, and with them all being far from home, it was an inevitable outcome - but at that time, the prospect of all of that was ages away, nothing to be at the forefront of worry anyway at least, even if it was always at the back of my head.

March saw light to new personal works, I started the ABC1 site for one, which still continues today, even if Disney have their corner of their eye on it… I also continued my work of helping to assist with performances and filming activities throughout the school, with the much anticipated Talent Show, and the Torbay Sports filming competition, in which our team won first prize for the school.

Revelations came forth throughout April & May, or could it all have been called confirmation? Either way that was then and you all should know about that, was it all a good thing it officially came to light? I still don’t know really, and I guess I never will. By this time too, my Media & History work had all been done - only the mind numbing ICT work to continue with, and another filming project with Critch gets underway!

June saw me turn 18, finally complete all my ICT coursework - even if it was in the nick of time!, sit my A-level exams and realise that the life I had known for the past seven years was over as I knew it, I would never be with all my friends again most days like it was ever again…

…however I strived on, July was a time to relax away from all the pressures - but, they were still there, probably even more at the forefront of my mind than ever, but I was fine, they were my problems, and no-one else’s…

August was much the same, going out with my friends, and receiving my A-level results, and as always in true Westlands / AQA style they mucked them up beyond all expectations, eventually my correct grades were given, which I was very pleased with, and which got me into my first choice University - and that was it - confirmation for me - in little less than a month, I would be up London, at Uni - and that would be my life for the next four years.

September came round in a flash after that, and the next thing I new I was saying goodbye to everyone I had come to know as friends over the past few years, ad as Myles correctly stated, they were the best years. Then I was off, not knowing what to expect I set off to Uni… after an ‘interesting’ fresher’s week the university routine began, even with a slow start in my opinion to the class and no-one knowing anyone’s names, it seemed to get better slowly over time, and after I got into the work and such it started becoming the norm.

With the flat mate hunt in full swing, October was much the same I suppose, getting used to Uni life, starting the midnight Monday Tesco visits, oh, and trying to see every TV studio within an hour’s drive of me of course!

The end of October, beginning of November saw my first trip back down home for reading week, even though ridden with fiascos and flaws, all in all it went alright I guess after all I met up with most of my mates, and it was ok. But soon enough it was back to the daily grind of Uni life, with more work than before we truly learnt the meaning of deadlines!

With Midnight Mondays Tescos becoming an obsession it would seem, life continued like that, work, deadlines and expectations. Then, December was upon us, the second half of the term definitely seemed to go faster than the first, however, with the final work all handed in, the trip to Lee Evans and My Hero over with, it was time to back home again, this time for Christmas, much the same as last time the plan was to meet up with my friends, and generally just relax back at home, and much the same happened like last time too, but I met some of my mates again, went out and caught up with them and such until next time.

Click here for some of the Best photos and moments of 2005

So here I am, still here, waiting to go back up to Uni in a week or so, and with the same as this time last year, I still have no idea where I will be this time next year, and with even more decisions for me to make in the next few months and with exams looming in January - I guess 2006 will be as hectic as ever, and while everything can change around you, I guess some things also stay the same too, even though in the end after the new years night, January 1st is still yet another day, and not everything’s going to just change for the best cause its a new year, you still have to never give up trying to be what you want you want to be.

 Amicitiae nostrae memoriam spero sempiternam fore