Sunday 11 August 2013

Sunday Sundries: I went on holiday! It was awesome! Everything is great!

And such a holiday it was! A beautiful, sleep deprived, laughter-inducing, New Girl watching, spectacular 3 days of wonderfulness.
Crazy Eyes.

I considered writing a holiday post like the ones Alley and Alice have done in recent times (they are very excellent and you should read them) but the thing is that, unless you want to read about the time that I nearly fell asleep on the sofa (loljk that was all the time) or the time we couldn't get burgers in Oxford because 'we're full except for these tables outside that we're not going to seat anyone on FOR NO REASON' then I don't have a grand travel diary for you because, realistically, to get to Oxfordshire from Surrey, you just have to go through one other county and BOOM you're there (this doesn't stop you missing a train and then missing your connecting train and being 40 minutes late for work though, LET ME TELL YOU.)
Train Photography.

If any of this sounds like I'm complaining about my holiday, though, I'd like to resoundingly deny that accusation. I had the most fun anyone has ever had and I was all giddy and happy the whole time (like, even when I was moany I was still happy) because, you know, FRANCES WAS THERE! You know when you have friends where you know you can just talk about anything, and after three days of near constant talking you kind of can't even remember anything specific about what you said but just that it was definitely awesome and you're both right about all things? And you know when you go somewhere and after three days you feel both that things have always been like this AND that you just got there? That's what this holiday was like!

And we cooked vegetable lasagne (since I don't eat meat and Frances's boyfriend Paul can't eat gluten, meals were a bit of a logistical issue, but Frances planned them ADMIRABLY) and watched 2/3 of a season of New Girl (which is something that we both love and had never watched together because it started after Uni finished so YAY) and Les Miserables and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas (when I say watched... We both were basically asleep) and hair was hennaed (not mine) and Oxford was looked at, peach lemonade was sampled (it's very nice, but not as nice as the raspberry and cranberry lemonade!) Didcot was wandered around and, most importantly, good conversation and quality friend time was had.
Also, CAT! This was before he bit me.

And yeah, I did live with the girl for two years and it was basically the best time ever so obviously I knew I was going to have an awesome time and I DID, but still you forget how lovely it is to spend quality time with people you love but don't necessarily see all the time. It is SO LOVELY, especially when you haven't seen each other for more than one day in a row for TWO YEARS (ridiculous) and it's strange because it feels at once really special and wonderful, but also like it's no big deal- like this is the way things should be and it's how they are at their best. Apart from the sleep deprivation.
Oxford at sunset

So. To sum up, it was wonderful. For me, this week has gone by in basically no time, and it's insane to me that I even did two working days within it as well! (Well, minus that 40 minutes. YES I should have taken Friday off work too. Shhh.) As for things that happened when I wasn't here, my auntie had her operation and is doing really well (I might be going to see her today but I'm not sure cause I'm actually writing this on Saturday) and my nan and grandad have improved slightly (baby steps!) too, which is the actual best reason for going away- so things can be better when you get back!

To sum up: Holidays. I recommend them. But mostly I just recommend having a friend like Frances who makes everything, including yourself, feel awesome. The End.
(Favourite conversation I've ever had: Frances: 'There's an ox outside the station in Oxford!' Me: 'Oh cool!' Frances: 'It has a massive penis and people ride on it' Me: '...' Frances: 'I mean they ride on its back...')

P.S. OH YEAH- of COURSE I bought some books. Didcot is blessed with many glorious charity shops and so obviously books were bought. But really only a few, see:
SEE? And I've already read True Grit, so that one's really just for future emergencies, not for MUST READ NOW-ing. It's allll fine. (I don't NEED books man, I can quit at any time!) Also, saw this. Thought of you. 
DON'T LICK THE BOOKS.

16 comments:

  1. Your holiday sounds wonderful! Quality time with close friends is a beautiful thing indeed :) I really want to go to Oxford... and basically everywhere in Europe that I always feel like I read about but haven't seen.

    I keep forgetting that I need to read True Grit! Adding it to my library list now...

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    1. Quality time with close friends is basically THE best thing. You should definitely go to Oxford! And also London. And Yorkshire. And all of England, basically. And then Paris and Berlin and Switzerland and you see where I'm going with this. Repping Europe, big time.

      Hahahaha, I do that with books all the time, so only the ones that keep appearing are the ones I actually get! Hehehe

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  2. What a lovely holiday! Like Sarah, I want to go basically everywhere in Europe. One day? Here's hoping!

    Oh yes, True Grit! I read that last year and fell in love with it. I didn't expect that.

    Hooray for Frances :) Good friends are underestimated.

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    1. You should. You should go to all of Europe. It shouldn't take THAT long, amiright? (I am not. You should come for about a year and see all the things!)

      I think you sometimes forget how much you need to seeeee your good friends until you do and it's the best time. :) And hooray for Frances indeed! Hehe

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  3. Yayyy!!!! That sounds like an awesome holiday. I want to go away with my housemates from uni (this may be difficult as although 2 of us are living in Japan, our other housemate is currently living in India!)

    I completely get what you mean about not seeing people for ages, and it feeling special but really normal and the way things should be at the same time. At the moment, one of my really good friends from when I lived in a completely different part of Japan is staying with me, and it feels exactly the same with her.

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    1. Oh my gosh, where do you even meet in the middle of Japan and India?! I guess... China? Yeah, that's it, you should go to China. But DUDE, way to have far travelling housemates! I think the furthest any of mine have got to as of yet is Manchester, which really isn't that far.

      And awwwwwww, I love that you have your friend staying with you! I feel like everyone should have friends to stay all the timeeeeee. (Ok, that would probably get annoying. But awwww.)

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  4. Ah, I love Oxford, you've reminded me that I really should go on a day trip there before I go back to work.

    Glad you had such a great time, this whole post was so happy :)

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    1. You should! You should definitely go on a day trip there, it's so lovely!

      This post really was happy! I wrote it when I was still SO TIRED from going away, so I was basically a bit high (cause this is what happens to me when I'm tired.) BUT EVERY WORD OF IT IS STILL TRUE.

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  5. "unless you want to read about the time that I nearly fell asleep on the sofa (loljk that was all the time)"

    HUMOR.

    That sounds nice and idyllic. College roommate friends are the best.

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    1. I do love roommate friends because you KNOW you'll have fun with them because you did before, and you also know you can stand being around them for long periods of time cause you already did. Most other friendships are untested for looooong amounts of time.

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  6. My best friend and I do that. We don'ts peak for months on end - a text here and there is about it - and then we get together for 3 days and give ourselves laryngitis. It's pretty much the best.

    Your holiday sounds lovely! I went to Monterey and kissed the statue of John Steinbeck only I didn't post that picture because it looked weird. And then I sorted yarn and made Latin American soup in a giant pot because I like to get crazy on the weekends sometimes.

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  7. Hooray holiday! And good friends. HOORAY for all of it. You are forgiven for being away.

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  8. I love posts about stuff IRL, and love that you put a bunch of photos up. Sounds like a great time with great company - vacations where you just veg out and watch tv shows are also the best :)

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  9. I left a comment here DAYS AGO but it didn't work :(

    WOOO for our hoilday IN MY HOUSE :)

    I need you to return so we can watch more New Girl!

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  10. Also... Sorry for breaking you a bit..

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  11. Just fantastic. I love Oxford so much!

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