So many plans!

I'm far too excited for Christmas! It's almost December, which means it's almost celebration month. December has always been a succession of birthdays for me, mine, my Dad's, and my Grandad's; they're all pretty close together. My friend Lucy's has been thrown into the mix as well, she's born the day before me. Then there's Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year's Eve. I feel exhausted listing them, let alone actually partaking in them. 

I have so much to look forward to this coming month, other than these dates. I have a sea rowing race in December in Norwich, which I cannot wait for, even though it'll be bitterly cold. It's going to be fun getting back into one of those big gig boats and rowing with my club back home! Then with the university there's the Welsh Indoors (which I won't say I'm looking forward to, we have to do a two kilometre test on a rowing machine - painful!) and also the Monmouth Head Race. I'm working over Christmas too, and whilst that may not sound exciting, it is slightly, because my shop back home gets so festive in the run up to the holidays - plus I'll get to see all the girls who work there (I say girls, some of them are my mum's age, but nevertheless they are brilliant)! Plus, I'll get to see all my friends back home that I am missing huge amounts at the moment. I have a Skype date with two of them tomorrow night!

Some things are even nearer on the horizon than I expected, too! I am going to London this week to see my friend from home - I have my fingers crossed that we'll go to the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park and do some skating or something. Well, I don't really have my fingers crossed. I just know I'll whine and whinge about it for long enough that he might give in and we'll go there because he'll want me to be shut up about it. Actually, just walking around London to see the lights will do, as long as there's a bakery stop at some point. Cupcakes in London are the best. It's a ten hour round trip on the coach though. I am going to have to invest in some kind of entertainment - I'll probably end up buying some trashy magazines. You know the ones with the ridiculous stories; 'Aliens stole my toe,' 'Big Macs made me go blind,' 'I got married in a giant shoe' or some other nonsense. They're my favourite for long haul trips.

I guess the point in this post is that it's not all bad. It might be dreary outside, with the constant drizzle (or if you live in Wales, the flood-like quantities) of rain might be less than appealing, and everyone is experiencing the winter blues (it's mostly homesickness from what I've gathered), but thinking of all those lovely things you have happening to you is definitely going to cheer you up. 

My Dad is a very wise man. I am definitely one of the ones with the winter blues, because I'm calling home everyday! But he gave me some very good advice - to focus on what's happening now, and what good things you have coming up. Not to dwell on things that have happened, or what might happen that you're worried about, just to focus on the here and now. My Dad is wise for more reasons than that, though. 

So that's what I'm doing. I'm getting all festive. I want to wrap myself up in fairy lights and bake gingerbread, cutting it out in bauble and tree shaped patterns. Christmas definitely makes me crazy.

I am doing an essay right now though. That's less exciting. Much less. 

I wonder if they'll ever decorate the library with tinsel? They definitely should. 

Big love, xo