MOUSTASHIE: Back In Manchester...

BACK IN MANCHESTER...

I don't remember the last time I posted, but it feels like quite a long time ago now. And the reason for that is because the last week has been one of those whirlwind weeks with a lot of things going on. After enjoying a surprisingly busy and absolutely wonderful summer back home, and getting back into the swing of the rhythm of life there, you could say that I was feeling pretty comfortable. Obviously that didn't last, and it wasn't long before the rollercoaster of life started up all over again. And so came a rather busy week full of lots of ups, a few downs, seeing lots of people and spending time with them, going here, there and everywhere, volunteering, watching Michael McIntyre live, drinking cocktails, eating delicious food, lots and lots of packing with a bit of stressing out thrown in too... It was like the world was spinning increasingly faster, carrying me and my life with it, and it's only now, as I write this post, that I feel like it's all beginning to settle down again. Except that this time, as I get ready to begin my second year of university, it's all settled down in a completely new way. Everything feels the same, and yet everything is very different.

The main thing that has changed this year, and what was worrying me most of all, was moving into my new house in Manchester, which I did a couple of days ago now. My first ever house. It felt like a massive deal. A lot to think about. A lot of things needed doing. Living with less people. Living in a new area. Getting used to all the changes, one after another. After finding the whole house situation to be a pretty stressful and bumpy road, from the initial looking to moving in day, it's quite relieving to know that it's all over for now. As is it wonderful that everything is going well so far. I'm settling in well. So far, so good. And even though I had those dreadful surges of emotion every now and then, especially when my Mum was soon to leave and during my first night (I'm the first person to move in!), I didn't cry. I kept it together. I took note of all the good signs that made me feel like everything was going to be okay. I tried to be positive, and I let all the emotions and worried thoughts just pass through, do their bit, and then leave. After all, this time in my life is so exciting, it's a big part of growing up for real, and I'm lucky in that this house already feels like home. It felt like home as soon as I walked through the door, something I wasn't actually expecting. I didn't think that I'd be starting second year in this way, living here with some of my closest uni friends, away from my first year stomping ground, but then that's just it with uni. I've found that there's this intense pressure to do everything a certain away, or this idea that you need to do the uni experience a certain way. There's a right and a wrong. If you aren't doing it the set way, then it's wrong. But I have to keep reminding myself that that isn't true. That expectation, that pressure, that set way doesn't exist. Anything goes at uni, you do things your own way, however you want to do them, and that's completely okay just as long as you're happy. And so far, I couldn't be happier.

I have no idea what to expect from this second year of my university experience. As I found out last year, literally anything can happen. So much changes from start to finish. This moment in time feels like a transitional stage, the calm before the fun, the work, the real stuff, begins. It's a time for adjusting, getting used to my new life all over again. Coming back to Manchester is always something I find hard, as the city can be pretty scary and intimidating when you aren't actually living within it, and especially if you tune in regularly to the media. As I'm a relentless overthinker, I find it easy to freak myself out. So that's why I decided to come back early. Force myself out of my comfort zone and just get on with things. Jump into my new life head first and allow myself time to adjust. Part of me knew it was all going to be okay. I just needed to get out there and prove that to myself. And that's exactly what I've been doing now I'm back in my second home. Manchester is a really beautiful, electric, vibrant city with so much within to explore and discover. Bad things happen, yes, but you only need to walk around for a little while to see that on the converse, there's so much more good. It's a wonderful place to be. I love Manchester so much that it almost surprises me that a city could mean so much to me. I personally find it almost soothing for my soul, and so incredibly inspiring too. The trick I've found, is to give the city time, give it your trust, get to know the city inside and out, allow yourself to become a part of it, Any time I start freaking out about being in the big city, I find that all I need to do is to take a trip into the city, walk around where I live, and everything is suddenly alright. Wonderful. Good again. I'm so happy to be here.

The last few days I've been making this lovely little house a home. I've been re-orientating myself to my new environment. I've been enjoying having a TV this year. Listening to the radio lots. Talking to my family regularly, to let them know how I'm getting on. Making plans with friends. Fixing things around the house. I bumped into someone from my course who's living just down the road. I devised a new running route and found that I could still go for a run in my favourite park, even though I don't live as near to it as I used to. I went for a walk all down the Curry Mile and back again, passing all the Magic Buses and all the people. I took another late afternoon walk up to uni and all around the gorgeous campus, taking note of what's changed, what's the same, enjoying the rare peace before everyone comes back and it comes to life all over again. I came home feeling inspired. Excited for the new year that's about to start, and what I've got to look forward to in the next few weeks. I've been walking here, there and everywhere, helping myself to get used to and feel comfortable in this new area. It's working really well so far. And though I still find I'm plagued with the odd bout of worrying here and then, and even thought the uncertainty and unknown still has the tendency to freak me out, I'm feeling so much better now. Everything is clicking back into place. I love being back. I love being here all over again. I'm ready to take on whatever this next year has in store now. I just know that everything is going to be okay. This marvellous city, which changed my life irreversibly for the better, that made me so unbelievably happy, that changed me as a person, which led me to meet so many amazing, amazing people, where I get to become the person I want to be, where I've already made a vast amount of precious, wonderful memories, that continually inspires me, won't let me down.

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HELLO MANCHESTER, IT'S NICE TO BE BE BACK...