Accio Butterbeer

I went for a wander (a 5-hour coach journey) down to London for an 'inspiration day' with uni and we ended up at the Harry Potter studio tour.  And it was fantastic!  Even as a backstage technical person seeing the scaffolding holding up the other side of the walls in the great hall didn't spoil anything for me.  There's a picture of me and Voldemort circulating Facebook somewhere.

I also tried Butterbeer.  That did ruin it for me. It was nasty stuff. My poor insides will never be the same.

And I got wondering.  The studio was used to film parts of Harry Potter and there are homes all around.  It's no big secret area and yet there were never people storming the gates. Then I realised it is just like the industrial estate where I go to uni. All kinds of mad stuff happens in the arena with all kinds of people and the people in the town/village next to the estate have no idea. A bunch of students come crawling out of the estate and down to the town on a lunchtime. Very sinister.

Diddums.

I was skulking around the nether and I found an old post I wrote on my other blog which I thought I had deleted.

This post is six years old but still as relevant as ever.

"To whom it may concern,

I will love you at some point. I will. And you’ll love me too. We’ll be happy.

I can’t wait to meet you.

I’ll love you.
Nicole."

Short but sweet.

Bless, 14-year-old me, you had a few rare moments of insight.

Then they took you away.

Happy new year!

I didn't bother posting a new year's resolution this year because last year's is still applicable. And also I spent new year sat in with college friends watching Mean Girls and freaking myself out with statements like "What if you're new year's resolution was to break your new year's resolution?"

Think about it. Trippy, no? Almost stoner talk, that.

I'm checking in to document a strange change I have noticed in the past few weeks. I don't really recognise myself anymore. I dress well, my makeup is done before I leave the house, my nails aren't chewed, my hair is pink, I'm addicted to Sherlock, I like a One Direction song (a mortal sin), I've taken up sketching and drawing everything, I go to the gym four times a week, I'm used to early mornings and I feel genuinely content and happy for the first time in nearly two years.

This is madness!

I don't recognise this girl. She seems okay, she's shiny new and not very sure of what the hell is happening.

Oh well.

University is the best thing that has every happened to me. People ask how the degree is going and I can only tell them with a big grin that I have never felt more like I'm in the right place and the right time then right now. And my timing is fairly awful. Only yesterday I found out that an assignment I thought was due in for next Tuesday isn't in till the middle of February. Relief! I have no idea what to do with myself now.

My current module is all about event design, and it gives me a lot of creative license. I haven't done much design since college and I really enjoyed it then so this is just peachy. The week after next we are going to Harry Potter World in London for an inspiration day before developing our own event concept. I'm equal parts excited to share my idea and apprehensive about sharing what I think is an absolute GOLDMINE of an idea. But then I would say that... ;-)

Also I get to ride a broomstick. What's not to love?