2021: A Summary

Hello!

Wow, it's already nearly 2022! Very eventful first two decades of my life...

The years keep on coming

January

Well, in January was LOCKDOWN...again. So I was stuck at home, attending university remotely. Very disappointing, as one of my modules had seminars in the Agriculture department, where my great-grandmother did her degree, nearly one hundred years ago. On the other hand, it was nice to spend time with my family. We also spent a week with the heating in our house torn up - in January!! It was so the heating could be fixed/replaced - the pipes were old, so they kept bursting. 

Oreo and Pippin sharing a bean-bag

February

In February, it was still lockdown. I continued doing university work from home. My then-prospective housemates and I started looking for a house together - we were able to meet up via Zoom. We weren't able to meet up in person until the following September!

A picture of Charlie, because why not?

March

March - the one-year anniversary of the end of Year 13, the anniversary, in a way, of the end of the blog... Fitting, therefore, that it was in March that the blog rose from the ashes like a majestic phoenix! Fittingly, the first blog I wrote was all about a movie which explored the theme of reincarnation. Actually, looking back, it was a blog about my final year in Africa. The Last Airbender wasn't until June. Though there was still something symbolic about that - it was a blog dedicated to looking back, 

while the next blog was looking forward, in a way.

Phoenix imagery

April

In April, we had some plasterers plastering our house. Also, I was finally able to return to Reading, around the 19th. I also embarked on one of the most difficult challenges of my academic career thus far - writing a 3,000 word essay on a project of my choice. My choice was on the Wars of the Roses. If memory recalls, I got the essay itself done in about 4 days, then spent the next week or so editing it. I got a 2-1 (upper second-class) on the essay. My parents, meanwhile, started walking along the Thames. Every two weeks or so, they walk for a few hours along the Thames - from the source to the mouth. It's officially 2022, and they still haven't finished...

My sturdy parents...(This was a different walk)

May

First thing that happened: little Rio's birthday. One year old. On the first of May.

Another thing that happened was exams... Each exam was 1,500 words. As they weren't face-to-face, we had 23 hours to do the exam from the comfort of our cramped halls accommodation. (So, prospective undergrads, don't be thinking you won't have to do exams if they can't be in person!) They went reasonably well. Though I have a confession to make - I had to pull an all-nighter to finish the first essay. But I ended up getting a 1-1 (First class) in that exam,  so it wasn't a total disaster.

I was also finally able to meet my housemates in person...two of them, anyway. The third didn't return to campus until the end of May, by which point one of us had already gone back home.

Campus, yay!

June

June continued the wave of exams. I did the last one at home, with my dad working in the same room to make sure I didn't get distracted - perks of online exams! Not that I got hopelessly distracted with my other exams...

Another thing that happened was my cousin Christi had a baby! He was born on the 7th, so he's six months old now. He's called Immanuel.

We also celebrated my sister's 18th birthday by going on holiday to Sheringham, Norfolk. Quite literally - we travelled to the place we were staying on her birthday. We spent a week there, and it was a lot of fun.

June also saw the continuation of my blogs, with special mention to my series of Doctor Who blogs. Something else that happened was Granny discovered that she has breast cancer. She's doing OK at the moment.

Sheringham beach!

July

Starting in late June, I began looking after peoples' pets. The first job was little Oreo, as my sister went on a holiday with a friend. The payment was a chocolate waffle from a waffle shop.

Later in July, I looked after a family friend's pets - two dogs, a cat and several fish. Several times during the month. It was a lot of fun!

Another returning pet (or duo) were Frodo and Sam, who were as delightful as ever.

I attended an Oxfordshire Friends of the Young Deaf event towards the end of July. It was a Big Day Out, with lots of fun sports games; it was a lot of fun. One of the highlights was getting to ride in Zorb balls (I think that's the name); I'd never done that before.

I also visited my cousins in July - it was nice to see them.

Another big thing in July was that I got a job! I started an internship at Wycliffe Bible Translators, which mostly involved writing articles and teaching materials. It was fun!

I got my exam results back - I got two first-classes, six upper second-classes and one third-class.

Pippin in the shade after a long walk

August

At the beginning of August, I looked after my godmother's cat, Coco. Coco is a sweet cat. Half-way through looking after Coco, I wound up also looking after Oreo and Fern! 

Over the course of the month, I proceeded to also look after George and Alby again several times, and Frodo and Sam again. I also looked after the most hyperactive dog in existence, by the name of Pip. Combine the reality-breaking infinite energy of the spaniel with the liveliness of the collie and the ebullience of youth, and what do you get? Pip. She is unbelievably full of energy. I took her on a seven-kilometre walk, and after getting home she spent about three hours waiting patiently in the garden for a game of fetch. 

Granny had an operation, which went well, and my mum went to Devon for a while to look after her.

We also returned to Jackfield Mill at the end of August.

This isn't Pip, but she does look similar. You can almost feel the infinite energy...

September

We stayed in Shropshire until the 6th. One of the highlights of the holiday was watching Black Widow in the cinema; it was a good movie. Another highlight was rowing down the River Avon.

Also: really exciting news! I had an ear appointment around the 8th of September, and they found that the hearing in my right ear has actually increased!! By about 10 decibels, but it's still something.

I returned to Reading on the 12th. I arrived early enough to be able to go to church, and my dad came with me. When we got back, we found that the car had been given a parking ticket.

In the first week of my time in my new student accommodations, it was just me and one other person, who at one point went home for a few days. We were not a full house until the 23rd, just four days before term started. To celebrate, I cooked roast chicken and we ate together! We don't usually do that, only on special occasions.

Nana was always fond of roast dinners, whether self-made or cooked by someone else. 

October

Term started in earnest in October. It was fun! I did a module on History in the public eye, a module on reform and revolt in modern Egypt and the Middle East, and a module on Kingship and Crisis in the period 1199-1327. The Kingship module had seminars in the Agriculture building. Thanks to my inability to read a clock, I set off for the first seminar there about two hours early; upon realising, I decided to stay there anyway. Later in the term, I continued to head over two hours early, as working in a more academic environment than my bedroom allowed me to get less distracted.

In October, my dad went to Africa for three weeks, leaving my poor mum all alone in the house. Well, alone except for Pippin. And Karys still came round for supper regularly.

Here is my mum's loyal companion.

November

The first week of November was Reading Week! And it coincided, once again, with my birthday, so I was able to celebrate my birthday at home. It was a fun birthday. Among other things, I got the first book in the Mistborn trilogy, by Brandon Sanderson. It's very good! In the evening, my family and I went to the cinema to watch Eternals, then we had a meal out at a Chinese. I enjoyed it.

The week after my birthday, when I was back in Reading, my housemates celebrated my birthday as well! We had Chinese and a Marvel movie then, as well. The movie in question was Spider-Man: Far From Home. It was good!

I had a Careers Report due in November, on the 19th. It was probably one of the most stressful assignments I've ever had to do - and it was only 1,000 words!

I went home again, for the night, to celebrate my dad's birthday on the 16th; it was nice to visit.

Also during November was another Oxfordshire Friends of the Young Deaf event - this time, pizza-making! We got to eat the pizzas after making (and baking) them.

A birthday card for me, as designed by Neve and Huw. I like it.

December

In December, I submitted two more assignments, one for Kingship and Crisis and one for reform and revolt in Egypt. It was rather stressful, as I'd spent weeks stressing over the Careers Report while somewhat neglecting the others. Ultimately, though, I was able to submit them both on time. I also, while writing the second essay, read a 700-page book, over three days.

I returned home on the 11th; the next day, we went to visit my cousins again. It was good to see them. We spent the weekend there, and it was a lot of fun.

I also looked after Oreo in December, because my sister was away for a few days. And let me tell you, he is no longer the 'little one'. He's not overweight, he's just finally reached the average size for a cat. He's as adorable and friendly as ever.

That same week, I watched Spider-Man: No Way Home in the cinema with several friends. It was amazing! Honestly, if you haven't watched it yet, you absolutely should!

The following week, my parents got Covid, so I was stuck inside, apart from when I was walking the dog. They tested negative in time for Christmas, though! Christmas was fun; we played games as a whole family.

We've spent the week clearing out all of Nana's stuff from her old house; even though she died three years ago, my parents have never quite found the time to clear out her loft. Happily, they now have that time! My sister and I have been helping them.

Kitty cuddles!

It's been an interesting year. One of the strangest things to happen was the shipping container getting wedged in the Suez Canal for weeks. And I've been alive for exactly two decades now - it's something of a milestone, in my opinion. Moving into 2022...it's scary. It feels like an ending, in some ways. In exactly a year, I'll almost be finished with my university degree. I don't know what I'll be doing with my life after that. My biggest fear is that I'll waste my life lazing around, rather than spending my time with the people I love. The way I see it, there's a crossroad in my future, a series of choices which will define the path my life takes, and it's fast approaching.

Though it's a common experience, I think - a lot of people at my age don't necessarily know what will happen in the future. Indeed, practically nobody knows. All we can do is go forward in our beliefs, and trust that we are making the right decision.

Until next year, and have a great year!