Song - Everybody’s free (to wear sunscreen) by Quindon Tarver and Josh Abrahams
It’s a song that used to always be on in car journeys and it gives the best advice I have ever heard.
Film – Good Will Hunting
I do maths so…
Book - The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
The last 102 days have been nothing short of chaotic. In June this year, I started a new job, fundraising for the RNLI. I absolutely fell in love with this job, I felt like I was making a difference every single day and fundraising for such a worthwhile cause was amazing. Being from a seaside town, and sea rowing my whole life, I grew up seeing the lifeboat service is an extra emergency service. They save so many lives and they do incredible work, and I was honoured to be part of that work in some minor way.
From the age of 11, I spent most of my time rowing on the sea and I think I spent just as much time, if not more, in the rowing club. It was like my second home and all the people there were like my family. My brother and mum also rowed, so I had the unique experience of socialising with my family along with such an interesting mix of people from all ages and backgrounds. Being part of the rowing club completely defined my teenage years, and when I look back on that time of my life, all my best memories are there. However, when I was 15 years old, my dad came out rowing with us, and whilst we were out at sea, he had a cardiac arrest and unfortunately did not make it. Losing a parent is something that definitely does fundamentally change the way that you experience everything going on around you. For a very long time, I really struggled with it, I suffered badly with anxiety and depression, and went completely into myself. So many simple things became so hard for me, even just socialising with people I had been friends with for years. However, the rowing club really was my safe space. Surprisingly, it was the one place away from home that I always felt safe in, and I never felt anxious. Coping with anxiety and depression really clouded the memory of my dad and I looked back on everything in such a negative light, but in the last year or so I have really started to come to terms with it all, and now I only think back to the good memories. I can see now that, although I miss him every day, I am a much stronger person for it, and it has taught me healthy ways to cope with anything else that life might throw at me. I don’t think I would be the same person I am right now if it wasn’t for the rowing club and the life experiences I had there, and I am so grateful for it.
In September I moved back to Edinburgh for my final year of university and I was very apprehensive about coming back. I am incredibly close to my family, and so leaving them is always a struggle. Third year in covid was so hard, with everything being online and not being able to socialise, but this year thankfully has been completely different. Being able to get out again, play sports and actually attend university in person has been so much better, and it really has helped to diminish the stresses of the year.
Overall, this last 102 days have been so incredibly positive, I’ve met amazing new people, found a job I love and aspire to do full time, and I have somehow managed to stay on top of university in the process. Hopefully the next 102 will be just as good!! :))
