Seasides and City 'Scapes

Like many students as soon as I have a break from university I am straight back on that train home. Train journeys are an event I thoroughly enjoy, I give myself plenty of time and get to the station early, grab a starbucks and something to read and hopefully get a seat far away from other passengers. In the past two weeks I have taken four long train journeys and read two books - perfect.

I went home for six days, days spent enjoying Devon as only someone who has lived away from the beach and countryside can. After two and half years of London life I can now seriously appreciate everything Devon has to offer, the same can be said for my parents kitchen after student kitchens. A hobby I have enjoyed for much of my life is baking so going home means one thing, BAKE OFF. I could bake all day, everyday and my favourite days are the ones where my family drift in and out of the kitchen chatting away to me whilst I cook, with the football on the radio in the background, the smells of cake and bread wafting through the house and an apron covered in smears of cake batter and bread dough.

I spent much of my time at home cooking and to me this is pure relaxation. I made soup, paella, baguettes, lemon and blueberry drizzle cake, banana muffins, portuguese tarts, banoffee pie and white bread loaves.



Something about the sound of the sea and splashing waves on a Sunday soothes my soul. A visit home is never complete without a walk, chips and afternoon tea down by the beach - even in the depths of an English Winter. Especially if I am accompanied my family and friends.

A fun fact for you is my love for Waitrose runs deep, almost as deep as the two friends who ran around the supermarket on a monday evening looking for dinner with me. Indian food in the oven and the chatting began, a good catch up is all anyone needs to put a smile on their face especially if it is with friends as lovely as mine.

And then suddenly I was back on the train to London with the countryside blending into the city before I could blink, but only for one night... I was off to Dorset the next day. And then suddenly the city became hills again and I was in Dorset. In need of a long catch up with a best friend, I was happy to see her waiting at the train station.

Sat on her bed, just like we spent many a day in school holidays and weekends for many years, the chat just flowed. We happily talked on piers, in cafes, on the bus and back on the bed. There are not many people who I could watch solid BBC ONE daytime TV with, she is most certainly one of them. Albeit brief the trip was filled with much laughter and reminiscing, and those pesky life worries most final year university students feel.

Once again I was back in the City, bright lights always blinking and never fading.

On the bus to work, back to the daily grind, thoughts fell to the final push at university with a little more than four month left...