Sun after the snow

10.30pm- Hello everyone! I'm in a rush but today has been a good day. I woke up early this morning but instead of going to breakfast decided to go for a walk in the sunshine. It was definitely the right decision as this beautiful city looked wonderful in the snow. The photo below does not do it justice but does give you an idea of the wonderful views I see as go about my life every day.

On another note, today was extraordinary as we finally found a house!! We're very happy and excited and feel that we have found somewhere we all love. Bring on next year! Night all.

Snowy Days

Hello! Durham somehow seems to have managed to escape the snow which is affecting the rest of the UK. I find it rather ironic that the South suffers its worst Winter in a number of years when I move up North! We've had snow on the ground here for over a week now but from what I've heard it's nothing near as bad as the amount that's fallen down South. I'm getting rather fed up of the slush and grey skies and would really appreciate a little sunshine now! I've spent the past couple of days house hunting, which is proving to be both rather hard and exciting in equal measure. We went on a long wander around some popular student areas of the city yesterday and are now trying to settle on a house which offers the best value for money. I think the tea and cake break that we had in the middle of our trip is an indicator of things to come next year! We then had an unplanned house bonding party last night- lots of good music and games before heading out to town. I'm having a busy but great week spending time with lots of different people. Even my 10am seminar after a night out wasn't too bad this morning! Tomorrow I have two lectures, instead of the usual one. My BWS lecture was postponed from last term will be at 4pm tomorrow. I'm meeting a friend for our now traditional 'Friday lunch'- a sandwich or panini and a good chat somewhere in town in between my two lectures. As I write this I can hear the usual sounds at this time of night- drunken voices from Cuths trailing off down the Bailey as well as cars turning because of the dead-end outside my window. Add to this the cathedral striking every 15 minutes and it makes for quite a performance! I'm happy to be snuggled up inside with a cup of tea and listening to the Les Mis soundtrack whilst slowly falling asleep. Night all.

Epiphany term

7.30pm- Hello everyone! I have been back in Durham for almost a week now. I was not especially looking forward to returning after spending a month at home for Christmas. I had a lot of time to reflect over the break and eventually managed to overcome some doubts I had about uni life. I have come back re-energised and determined to make the most of my time here. It has been rather strange getting back in to the John's routine but I have started feeling more settled now. I am going to ensure that I'm involved in a wider range of activities than last term. I have just completed my CRB check and will start helping out with a project that is being set-up between John's and a local hospice in the next few weeks. I also attended my first Durham Union Debate last night (which, incidentally, was on gender equality in the workplace) and a few friends and I have decided we are going to make it a Friday night routine to go to the Union. This week I have spent time having coffee and cooking with John's friends and also catching up with people in my lectures. I am determined to be more organised in regards to work this term however I have not got off to the best start. We're having to sort out houses for living out next year which is quite time consuming. My housemates and I are going to start arranging viewings on Monday but it is difficult balancing budget limitations with location requirements and requires a lot of patience! I am very happy with the 5 friends I will be living with however and that is the most important thing. Ironically it appears as thought the North East has escaped the worst of the snow which is affecting the rest of the UK. There has been snow on the ground here all week but it has been a little heavier and more consistent since last night. Walking down the Bailey as snowflakes gently fell in the orange glow of the streetlights must be one of my highlights of my time in Durham. The weather has affected the catering in John's and so we had a "picnic" dinner- soup and salad (served by the Resident Tutors instead of the kitchen staff) on polystyrene plates with wooden cutlery. It was quite amusing trying to eat soup with a tiny wooden teaspoon! I am off to watch Chicago in the college DVD room with friends now. Love to all.