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Hi everyone!
It has been a long long year, and I'm already a month into my big post-A-level summer! I have no idea what I've been doing for this last month (except helping my parents host lots of guests), but I thought I'd share with you a few ideas for what I want to do for the rest of it! Of course, I will be off to uni at the end of September (fingers crossed!) so there are a few things to do with that too!
1. Read, read, read.
It has probably been around four years since I properly read for leisure, and I can tell you right now, it is a great feeling to drown right back into it! There is absolutely nothing like having your nose in a good book - I've got ones that I've been dying to read, but I would love it if you guys commented down below with some of your favourites/suggestions. The more the better! I've been reading All The Lights We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, and it is a hell of a good book so far! It's set during WWII (I love war and postmodern fiction) and I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves some good ol' fashioned characterisation!
2. Learn how to cook (sigh)
The time has come. As much as I hate cooking, my mum is adamant that I must learn before I go to uni, otherwise I will never bring myself to do it and probably starve within a week of being there! So far, I've learnt four or five different dishes (when I say learnt, I've written their recipes down and watched my mum cook them...) but it is an excuse to make my recipe book look nice and pretty so I can whip it out at uni to make my fellow students jealous (I am sad).
3. Learn some basic human skills
Right, let me explain, as this is a bit of a weird one. Neither my mum, or anyone in my life really taught me how to do my hair when I was little - because I just wear a headscarf all the time and it seemed pointless to learn how to do much more than tying a bun or a ponytail. But I have quite long hair, and I do want to do something with it sometimes, contrary to what y'all might think. Whenever we go to Pakistan, my cousins have all these hairstyles that they whiz out in under a minute while I'm stuck with the old grandma bun. Do you guys have any suggestions with how I should get myself into it? I'm struggling at the moment, my arms just start aching - and I can't do a plait to save my life. HELP PLS!
4. Take my theory test (at least)
I'm procastinating this one hard. I have all the books, my provisional licence came through the post a couple of weeks ago, but I just can't seem to sit down and study for my theory test. It just looks like a lot to remember, and to be honest, I am done with heavy revision for now. Nevertheless, I'm gonna have to do it so I can start learning the basics of actually driving, because it is kind of an essential skill and I would be nuts not to take the opportunity of this long expanse of time to learn it.
5. Prepare for Uni! (SHOPPING!)
This is probably what I'm MOST excited for! Although a part of me is sad and a bit scared, I am mostly just buzzing to pack up my things, buy some new clothes and just emerge at uni as a decently dressed Memoona who is cool as a cucumber. I got given a gift card for WHSmith's by my volunteering group, so I can't wait to go on a stationery spree in there (I will show you guys, don't worry!), and having my own spice collection is kind of exciting! I've already got my bag and my bike sorted - and one of the only productive things I have done is turn my room upside down. I got rid of so much crap, and found so many useful things that I want to take with me! I also want to get a really cute planner and start doing funky notes and dates - that is my stationery lover's dream.
6. Binge watch all of my favourite TV shows
Oh, yes. This is gonna happen. I'm talking GLEE, Once Upon A Time, Outlander, Gossip Girl....you name it, I'll watch it. I, as you know, am a very emotional person and I have EXTREMELY emotional responses to whatever TV show I'm watching. If you know me pretty well (or even just follow me on twitter), you'll know that GLEE is my favourite show of all time and I have to stop myself from crying at every single episode because I love it and the story it tells SO MUCH. I love stories, in any way, shape or form and really well-written shows or movies are bound to get me in the heart. I am also excited to rewatch OUAT, which I haven't done at all! I've never gone back and watched it again from the start, so I AM READY. This summer is for the binge.
7. Music!
I want to learn so much more on my ukulele, and once I get my keyboard, on that too! It is difficult getting chances to play music at home, because my parents rarely leave me alone, but I find opportunities here and there and I can't wait to learn more and more! I don't just want to learn though, I want to find a lot of music that I haven't discovered yet, to add it to my growing inner music bank. I already know that 5SOS's new album, Youngblood, has cemented its place there firmly, as it's been out for a month and I haven't listened to anything else since! No lie, I really haven't been listening to anything else, I just have it on repeat all the time! I identify heavily with so many of the songs on there, and the ones I don't identify with I jam to so it's just the perfect album for me.
8. Writing!
I love writing. You all know this. I'm working on so many different little stories at the moment - and it is so brilliant to have so much time to spend on it! I never write in a linear fashion, which is annoying - I always have lightbulb cinema moments in my head where I visualise a certain scene happening and I have to get it down, no matter where it is in the story! It also so happens that I write according to my mood - if I'm feeling particularly in good spirits, I like writing quite happy, or romantic scenes. When I'm very down, I write the angst, the sad bits, the long passages of description. I love immersing myself in the details of a setting! I wish I could show you guys my work - but it's actually quite embarassing and nonlinear so I couldn't show you even if I wanted to! I've always always wanted to write a beautiful novel that really moves people - because those are the ones I love best and I really want it to have an effect on people, but I haven't come up with an idea for that yet, as hard as I'm trying! One day, though. One day.
9. See my friends!
I miss all of my friends so much! They're all off doing incredible things but I really want to spend some time with them this summer! We've always had A-levels looming over us, so I want to take this time to relax and do some fun stuff! Time spent with friends, even if we watch a movie at my house, is really valuable to me. I've got plans to go the fair, the cinema, bowling - and to Bowood House because my best friend Samreen has never been! We're going to own that massive tree-house.
10. Blogging!
Now, I've been so busy over the last year that I've never really got a chance to blog consistently, but this summer I really want to up my blogging game. I want to engage more with other bloggers, read more blogs and post more on my own! I have a lot of ideas, but one problem I find with blogging is that it really doesn't make me happy unless I have good photos. I'm here with my iPhone 5C camera, poor lighting, and nothing to photograph a lot of the time. I wish I had someone who would take cute pictures of me, it would solve so many of my problems! Despite this, I fully enjoy writing, and I'm focusing on that at the moment. The photography will come. Eventually.
What are your summer plans? Are you going away on holiday? Or are you holing up in your bedroom with a book, like me? Either way, let me know down below, I'd love to chat to you guys more!
Hope the summer is treating you well, and thank you for reading!
Love,
SS xx