Dissertation done and dusted

So last night I handed in my dissertation!! I've been working hard on it all year and it was so good to finally finish it. Now that it's in, it's kind of hit me that I'm about for finish uni for good.

J :)

Five things that made me smile

I thought I'd try out a 'five things' feature this week, so here are five things that have made me happy in the past week or so!!

1) Going on day trips - last week I went to Manchester for a night to see a friend from uni, went to London with my sister and had a shopping trip in Bristol with my best friend. 

2) I'm going to Reading Festival - I applied to be a volunteer at Reading and found out on Wednesday that I've been accepted!! I really hope I get to see my favourite band The Pretty Reckless.

3) Having a surprise boat trip and party for my grandad's 80th birthday - the whole family got together and there were a lot of smiles all round.

4) The rain - finally the weather has cooled down and freshened up. Now I'm able to wrap up in my duvet again.

5) I laughed so much at this picture that my make-up ran, much to my sister's amusement.

source: Dawn French Facebook page

What's made you smile this week?

J :)

Who says you can't go home

It's all over!!!

I flew back to England on Wednesday, which means that my study year in Malta has now finished. I had mixed feelings about coming home. I was excited to see everyone again, but at the same time I was really sad to leave. I had an amazing time in Malta with some great friends and I'll cherish the memories we made out there. 

It's strange how things change but also stay the same. I felt like a different person leaving Malta, compared with when I arrived, but as soon as I got home it was like I never left, and it was all just a dream. Does any one else get that?

I don't know what this summer may bring as I haven't really made any plans yet, but I can't wait to find out!!

Also what is going on with the weather?! It's actually been really nice!!

J :)

Sun, fun and friends

Since we finished uni, my housemates and I have been making the most of our time in Malta. And so have our friends and family!! We've had so many people visit us in the last few weeks it's been great fun.

The weather's been perfect for trips to the beach!!

Tigne Point, Sliema
Our local beach is just down the road from our apartment. There's no sand or pebbles just rock, it's good for chilling out for a few hours. There's even a cocktail van nearby that makes yummy cocktails from fresh fruit. On Monday I had a Strawberry Daiquiri, Friday a Long Island Ice Tea and a Strawberry and Banana Pina Colada on Saturday.

Mellieha Bay

Last Tuesday we headed over to Mellieha Bay for the day. This is a really nice sandy beach with really clear, shallow water. Perfect for people with kids. We took bats and balls and played games in the water.

The Blue Lagoon, Comino

We've done a few boat trips to Comino now, and on Thursday we took my housemate's friends there. The view is beautiful and the water is so blue. We swam from Comino over to a small island nearby and then through a cave. It was tiring, but well worth it and such a good experience. 

The first time we went, they we doing crazy sofa rides from a speedboat. It was so fast and bumpy it was like being on a roller coaster and we got absolutely soaked. IT WAS SO FUN!!

The island we swam to.

Spot the lizard.

I hear the weather was good in England last week!! Hope everyone enjoyed the bank holiday weekend. What beaches would you recommend from other parts of the world?

J :)

Lower Barrakka Gardens, Valletta

On Monday my cousin came to visit and on Thursday we went to Valletta for the day with my housemate.

After wondering around for a while we made our way to the Lower Barrakka Gardens. They are so beautiful, particularly when the sun is out and the sky is clear.

There are lots of pretty pink and lilac flowers around at the moment.

The perfect spot to have our sandwiches.

The lower gardens are quieter than the upper gardens, I'd like to come here to read at some point.

  I took this photo of a couple the first time I visited the gardens:

Opposite the gardens is a bell tower. Some plaques read:

"This bell tolls in memory of those who gave their lives in the Siege of Malta 1940-1943"

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them"

Many people don't know about the significant role Malta played in WWII. They sided with Britain and were heavily bombed because of it, yet they never gave in. In 1942 the whole country was awarded the George Cross for their bravery.

We ended our day trip at the Valletta Waterfront for cocktails. It's a hard life ;)

J :)

Make way for summer!!

So..

I've finished my university experience in Malta!!

I really can't believe how fast these past 8 months have gone. It seems like only yesterday I arrived in Malta for the first time, stepping off the plane into a new country, not knowing what to expect. Now it doesn't feel like I'm abroad at all, it feels like home and it will be weird to be back in England.

I have enjoyed every almost every minute (could have done without the coursework related stress) out here and I will miss Malta very very much.. However I look forward to making the most of my last five weeks out here and soaking up some sun.

Thursday evening my three housemates and I went out for a really nice meal at Barracuda in St. Julians. We'd been planning it and saving up for a while and it was a really special way to celebrate the end of uni. This weekend was also the last time it would be just the four of us in Malta, as the first of our family and friends arrived on Monday and now we'll have a full house right until the end.

#

Then on Saturday we went on a boat trip to Comino and went on a crazy sofa ride, which was awesome!! In the evening we ordered pizza and watched West is West, which was just as good as East is East.

In the next few weeks I'll be trying to visit as much as Malta as I can, so I'll be posting about what I get up to and putting up lots of pictures on my intagram.

So have you finished uni yet or do you still have exams? What are your plans for summer?

J :)

Nearly there

So i'm nearly at the end of my university experience in Malta. In five days there will be no more presentations and the last coursework will be in (I hope) and I can enjoy the last six weeks in the sun.

However in those five days I've got to finish two essays, write a report and do one or maybe two presentations. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So for everyone else who's out there trying to get through the last few days of uni or just in general need of motivation, here's a few songs that might help.

If you like these two songs, check out Art of Dying:

And of course Survivor's Eye of the Tiger performed by the lovely Jensen Ackles aka Dean from Supernatural:

All video rights belong to those who uploaded the videos to YouTube and/or as outlined on YouTube by the video up-loaders.

I haven't added videos to a post before so I hope they work OK. Let me know if there's any problems viewing them.

Good luck with all your exams and coursework!! We're nearly there!!

J :)