A Little Bit Late

I haven’t really posted anything for a while, but dramatic events often provide a really good excuse to write. So, before the BBC even break the news, I’m going to tell you that there has been what appears to be a murder just along the road from where I live. You would probably think that I am taking a somewhat inappropriate tone with this, but a similar thing happened near my home in Edinburgh, and it turned out to be local feuds. Given my proximity to Hulme and Moss Side, I think the same likely applies here. To put it in practical terms, it’s really inconvenient. I had to take a huge detour to get back to my flat, and I have no chance of being able to go to the shops to get something nice for dinner.

Anyway, to put aside the dramatic news, I meant to post something, around Christmas as a sort of review of the year, but somehow the lure of chocolate, wine and mince pies prevented me from doing so.

It’s been an odd year. I think I started my last review post like that, but it still applies now. The transition from my gap year to university was quite hard. I suddenly had to do work and reading, all while trying to get used to living in a new city and a new country. It is surprising just how different England is to Scotland. I can’t really put my finger on what specific things are different, but there is a different culture, and a different attitude to things here.

Even though it’s had bad bits, 2006 was definitely a good year. Amazingly, I’ve managed to get this far without even mentioning my tour. Without a doubt, it was the highlight of the year. Nothing could compare with the freedom of just spending each and every day cycling through the countryside. Again, there were bad bits, like pushing my bike through Wark Forest in gale force winds, and cycling from Gloucester to Bristol in scorching temperatures, but I’m really glad I did it, and I plan on doing another tour again this year, so either I’m mad, or I enjoyed it!