So that little issue about the rest of my life....

4 years have gone by too fast. Some great times, some strange times and some miserably broke times (Thank you final year for that last one!). All together making up a unique experience that we'll never be able to really truly recreate again. Which is sad in more ways that I can say. However, there's still some brilliant things to come and I have decided instead of wallowing and fretting over things not done in the past  I'm going to highlight the good things (and turning the any bad things into good things, mind over matter people!) of  being tossed out into this distorted reality that people have dubbed the "real world."

Laters UCC !

My Student Card expires on the 30th of September. This thought terrifies me nearly more than my future job prospects. No more discounts or special treatment. Full price trains (seriously one needs to take out a mini mortgage to afford them regularly!) However, lets turn this into a positive and see it as an extra incentive to completely exploit it until then! It also gives us "the fear", to quote Chandler from friends "You need the fear", to find a job so we will earn enough money to not miss that wonderful card's perks that much.

Please mister don't take my card from me!

No job lined up? Brilliant! Unless you are becoming a teacher, this is your LAST proper long summer  off. It's the perfect time to do nothing serious or proactive for your future! Say yes to pyjama days, day time drinking, every sort of festival/gig, trips away, cooking everything in your (friends) house and watching hours/days of trashy day time TV!All in all a pretty sweet lazy summer. If you are stuck for things to do please click here for my post about procrastination!

*Disclaimer:Some sort of part time job/funding may be required to attend fun things like festivals or go anywhere but your house.

Sunshine, skateboards & balance may not be included.

Casual drinking will become standard and not frowned upon. While we are students and do this people just grumble about how we are wasters and disgraceful drunks. However, once we enter the working world, add some sort of power suit and a work phone glued to our ear people will know that this, albeit very large, drink has been earned and they will clearly be awstruck by how hard we must work.

Two approaches can be taken for this:

The first is the large bottle and  equally large glass combination more fitting to the "Tough day, don't talk to me" scenario.

No nonsense approach.

The second is slightly more delicate and more organised in appearance, whereby like the underwear of the day you may have had as a child, your china cups are mark by the beverage they should be used. This can show "classiness" and "superiority" etc.

Bringing some manners into the affair.

Moving out and into our own home. As much as  I like living at home I'm really looking forward to having my very own place and space with friends...Now this doesn't necessarily only apply to those of us who live at home as I am sure there will be serious upscaling with regards quality for those of you who are already "independent".

All the travel opportunities once we're employed or have finally found some miraculous funding will be brilliant. For me nothing is better than the feeling of packing a bag and flying off to somewhere full of new exciting experiences! Some might say growing up means becoming more restricted or tied down but just think about it positively, that limited amount of time off available can make anyone become more proactive in organizing weekend breaks and carefully booking those elusive few holiday weeks. On top of this the chance to travel on business trips will be amazing- On top of this how fantastically important does that sound? Also if you are anything like myself, it will be a chance to let your well worn back packs and rucksacks from eons ago retire and replace it with something that is not from the Supervalu special stamp offer of the 90's.

Hat boxes, yay or nay?

Becoming more mobile. This will mean many different things for each of us. For some it might be buying our first car, for others it will be upgrading, maybe even getting a company car. At the end of it all in all it will be  more chance of adventure and more freedom...Speaking of I should really get my full licence..

Nothing quite like throwing on a pair of doggles and jumping into the side car!

I realise I may sound very naiive and roughly about 8 years old at how impressed I am by all of this but sure that's what rose tinted glasses are for. I don't care really, because after 18 years of continuous education I have almost completed my third and final level (for now) and am on the brink of entering into the "real" working world which is what we are have been working towards all along, am I right?

The Ghosts of un-Christmas past

So today I finally received my much anticipated reimbursement letter from a certain Irish airline. I can honestly say it was quite the let down. I don't even know why I was even surprised by this as this was not the first time, or the worst thing, that they had failed to deliver as promised. Two words: Last Christmas.

Just about sums me up last year...

I nearly shudder at the thought of what an utter let down and disappointment it was. There I was unbelievably excited, actually excited couldn't even cover it, at the thought of coming home from New York to Cork for Christmas. And before you even think it: No, I am not being sarcastic. I was genuinely ecstatic to see my loved ones...and do Christmassy things with everyone- like making mince pies, eating tins of roses while sharing stories on Christmas eve about our hilarious tall tales made up when we were children about spotting Santa and of course naturally go to the pub. So anyway, on the 23rd of December I packed my bags, gave back my dorm room key and set off ridiculously early to JFK Airport. Like six hours early.

Away I went!

So I arrive up to the check in desk only to be referred to another queue. That's when they tell me our flight was cancelled due to "unfavourable" conditions. Stunned, I rang my friend due to fly on the same flight to deliver the news. After hanging around for what seemed like forever we were all packed off to an airport hotel with the promise that we would be flying out the same time the next day and arrive in Christmas morning. I held onto that hope that we would make it home in time.

The thought of Christmas at home made even this view seem almost redundant by the 23rd!

So the next day we hauled our bedraggled selves to the airport once more and queued  for a good hour with the only agreed acceptable reason for leaving it again was by getting on a plane. The staff were about as useful as a chocolate teapot with regards any sort of updates or basic information on our flight. Some were downright rude and ridiculous to us, one member of staff even claimed to the more hotheaded of our group that he didn't care, could take them all on. Not exactly the Christmas cheer or empathy we were looking for in an airport on Christmas Eve. Among-st all the confusion and raised voices the screen above us flashed: Flight Cancelled.That was it. Game over. The Grinch stole Christmas.

No Christmas for Sandra last year!

 I'd like to add before anyone thinks I'm being unreasonable and a complete brat, as there was a lot of snow in Ireland at that time, that two of my friends flew out from New York on the 23rd into Ireland without much hassle. It's safe to say I handled the disappointment extremely well. I bought myself a bottle of rum as a miserable consolation present and headed to the hotel bar with a large motley crew of Irish expats.

Stranded...but not even in the wonderful city!

So that's the story of last Christmas, the non-event that still haunts me the Christmas enthusiast or nut if you will. This year, it's safe to say that I am making up for it. I made the family traipse around after me for five  freezing hours to look for the perfect tree. I, almost to a point of obsession, make sure that Christmas songs and movies are played at least once throughout the days on the lead up. I think at this stage I may know all the words to both Home Alone movies...I even let my boyfriend convince me to go ice skating to get as much Christmas Cheer as I could . (Along with spiders it is one of the few things that truly instills fear into me, ice skating that is!)

Pretty much perfect portrayal of my ice skating ability.

Even better, on top of this there are plenty more batches of Christmas cookies to devour; a chocolate Rice Krispie Tree to build; 12 pubs of Christmas; lots of mulled wine sessions; and Christmas eve still to come.

This year is full of Christmas cheer!

Anyway, have a great Christmas everybody! I know I will! :)