Since I returned from Europe I’ve been bouncing between my hometown and London on National Express buses trying to see everyone before I leave on my big trip. You don’t realise how many friends you have until you announce you’re leaving to travel the world. Everyone wants to see you, recommend their favourite places, confess how jealous they are and wish you the best of luck. I really felt like the most popular gal in town =D This past week has been particularly hectic due to my graduation from the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, which of course my parents attended. Spending days with them, crashing on various people’s sofas and squeezing into small spaces where I could fit in the evenings (my folks weren’t gonna shell out on a hotel room for me) and of course organising my leaving party meant I had about 12 seconds of free time. And even then I didn’t see everyone I would have liked to!

I did manage to go into STA travel again, where I booked a welcome week thing for Brisbane (because I found out Freddie arrives in Australia three weeks after I do… nice one Barkins!) and also a 6 day island hopping tour in Fiji, all transport and accommodation included. Very plush. However I’ve still got a million and one things to do before I leave, as is the nature of things; made more difficult by the fact I’m wretchedly hungover from my party last night. And before you accuse me of wasting time writing this instead of doing other arguably more important tasks, like booking accommodation for Monday night in a foreign country or buying tickets for domestic flights I’m taking in 3 weeks time, I’ll tell you that I’m sat on a bus. It’s something I seem to spend half my life doing, which maybe isn’t such a bad thing and might explain why I’m so keen to take greyhound buses across the USA (see earlier post for my thoughts on that).

But yeah, saying goodbye is sad, I mean one person cried, it was like super dramatic. (the culprit shall remain Deanaless, I mean, nameless) Many of my goodbyes took place last night on a crammed dance floor in a gay club, which I suppose sounds about right. It’s funny though when that moment comes. I mean the “goodbye” moment. You just look at each other and smile, cus there aren’t really any words to say besides the cliché obvious ones, which of course do get said. But it’s kind of that look you share that communicates “I actually really like you, and surprisingly I think I will kinda miss you” but obviously no one says that cus it’s too soppy and I’d probably tell them to shut their face. Ain’t nobody got time for such sentimentality. It’s difficult to comprehend the amount of time I won’t see these people for. So I try not to think about it. Besides it’s not like I’m spending 18 months sitting around moping. I’m off to have the time of my life!! Although if you are reading this and you’re a friend of mine, I will obvs miss you lots, just doubt people wanna read anything so mawkish or sick making…