This evening I took the liberty of ordering 100, yes, 100 Moo Cards! Now, at this moment in time you must be thinking I’m crazy and what on earth are Moo Cards!?! Well, after being informed by my co-worker Myles, about a blog photographer Thomas Hawk made a while back about him ordering some Moo Cards, I was intriguied!

Moo Cards are mini business type cards, which can feature your own photos on the back of them, in full colour, for only £10 for a pack of 100 (all of which can have a seperate individual photo!)

Well, after pain stakingly choosing ten different photos (so I would have ten of each), and then making them look decent on the back of the cards, I wrote my information in and ordered them! So, in 10 working days apparently I should be the proud owner of 100 Mini Moo Cards, hopefully all looking as good in real life as I think they did on my computer screen! We’ll see…

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

Well, here it is, the blog post you’ve been waiting for… well, probably not, but hey, its not as long as some of the others posted here before… but… It’s been a long five weeks since the last proper post, and, well, since then alot has changed. My life’s changed. Your life’s has changed. Pretty much everything’s changed.

Lets get this all started, it’s been ok obviously it’s had its ups and downs and everything inbetween, but I’m here, now, writing this, so it’s been all that bad hey? I can’t deny that once in a while, every now and then, I still wish it were then instead of now, but, this is life, it’s my life, and this is the way its going to be, the way it has to be, theres no rolling back the clock, and however great something once was, theres not always a way of getting it back. Nothing lasts forever, nothing stays the same and I guess we all have to live with that.

Anyway, other than the obvious, I bet your wondering what I’m up to up here, so, like I used to, photos of trips and everything else will be put up at http://www.lloydengland.com/photos , so go explore! - project wise, as you’ve probably noticed the site has had a slight revamp, ready for whatever this uni may throw at me, so keep an eye on the homepage from time to time incase of any changes too!

Well, with three full days to go, I’m sure everyone will have last minute doubts about leaving, leaving nearly everything they know behind for what? That’s something we’ll have to work out along the way. Thinking about the whole situation, tomorrow isn’t just tomorrow anymore, it’s the future, a future of uncertainty, but hopefully for the best.

It’s hard to ignore the hurdles which have occurred while trying to get to where, deep down I guess I want to be, which have all occurred in the past few weeks, from wrong grades, accommodation problems, loan hold-ups, to even the apparent fuel protests in the coming days, which could inevitably lead to problems getting there on Saturday, will it all ever end? I’m not one to believe in fate, as rightly said in an episode of Scrubs, I too agree that every action has a reaction, so in a way, I don’t think they are ‘signs’ in a way, maybe it just shows how to get where you want to be, there will be struggles in between, after all, kites fly highest against the wind.

The goodbye trail continues to grow as well. After going to work for one last time last Saturday, I handed over the keys, and shook hands for a farewell gesture which ended three years of work, all within a few minutes. That night I went out with some of my mates, for what I have accepted could be the last time we are all together at the same time, and it’s only set to continue even more over the next few days, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens…

Three weeks to go, and the time seems to be upon us that the goodbyes are starting, no doubt slowly at first, but will all start rolling in towards the end, and this blog post is about the first, of what will inevitabilly be more to follow.

Well, after a series of text messages from Ally (Hey, when you get round to reading this) I agree to go up to Bristol Airport… with a little help from my alarm called my mum, I managed to pry my eyes open at 6.45 and get ready for my little expedition. In true Lloyd fashion I left with enough time to arrive at my first destination twice over, even managing going to the petrol station before hand, and sitting in Co-op car park trying to de-mist my windscreen, which wasn’t very successfull and I gave up…

…well, after loading up, and with my car taking the strain of 4 people and 2 pretty big suitcases, we head off, with me trying to turn up someone’s drive - I think - whatever it was I was going the wrong way and had to divert hehe… but it all went without a hitch really… quite roads, and got there in not a long time really… granted it was my first time on a motorway I think it was ok… and my new blindspot mirrors worked a treat hehe… but I must remember next time I load my car up full - not to go over bumps fast lol - a few times my exhaust scraped on bumps on the road…

well, after a couple of hours with a road cone man confusing me… and a not so helpfull AA directions sheet, we made it all there in one piece, and after a short farewell that was it… well… there was a stupid airport trolley which you had to push the handle down to move it… meh… but yea, then I had to make it back on my own - but that was all fine and dandy - just a bit more busier…

A short and sweet blog post now, just to update a few things which have happened in the past week. Firstly, after confirming that AQA made a foul up with our ICT Course by missing off 2 of our units in the final mark up, I now am 2 grades higher, originally a B/C and now A/B. That still doesn’t help the fact that to my Uni, they don’t even know I did that course… but they didn’t seem to care, as I’m already in… hmm…

…I’ve also now sent off all my uni forms and such for my accomodation, s hopefully that’ll all be fine now…

In 1 month it will all be over, it will all be different, it will all be beginning.

Today was the day I got my A level results, and apart from the usual AQA ICT foul ups, all went well, I got the grades, and can go to the Uni of my choice. Now, on a day where there is celebrating and such like, there’s also the realisation of whats to come - or should I say, the thought of not knowing whats to come.

Theres alot to take in and figure out over the coming weeks, alot of stuff which has already been flying around my head for a couple months already - but now, its more certain as I’ve been given a place. I’ve got the inevitable task of having to say goodbye to everyone, some for only a while until I return back down in the holidays and such - which I will do, but with others comes the realisation that this could be it - that this is it.

As you can tell from the title there will be a series of these posts leading up to when I leave, and in each one I’ll probably go into a different topic relating to each big issue as it may.

But for now, congrats to everyone who got the results the wanted / needed, and if you didn’t - remember, its not the end of the world, theres always retakes if thats your cup of tea, and you don’t need to go to Uni to get a good job, you just have to never give up. Never stop working towards what you want to achieve, not everything works like a script in a book, you just have to be determined to succeed.

A moment to sit back and ponder, something which I’ve been doing a lot over the past few days, ‘reflecting with thoroughness and care’, as the dictionary would put it… and, well, I have had plenty to think about, ranging from nearly everything. It’s been a different and intriguing weekend, along with being very busy - and tiring. But thats that, all of my ICT work is finally complete, handed in, sent off to be marked, and everything - nothing more to do but wait, and hope. One more exam on Wednesday, and thats all that… The other stuff I don’t plan to mention here, somethings just arn’t suitable for a public blog post.