Saturday 18 July 2015

The Holidays Are Here!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

If I really could be bothered to do so, I would probably never lift my finger off the exclamation button on my laptop's keyboard, but there are much better things that I want to do today. Well, I don't know - maybe actually getting on with writing a new blog entry? 

In case you still believe that LikeATeen has been seized by a cruel little enemy known as insanity on this beautifully bright Saturday morning, I am sorry to disappoint you with the news that I am indeed well, only wishing that I hadn't wasted so much time browsing the internet on my phone in bed earlier. As always, I'm feeling quite tired, which I've gradually accepted is the norm on Saturdays as I refuse to give up my late nights - an appreciated treasure when my whole life seems to revolve around going to bed early during the week. 

However, if you dared to glance at the calendar on the bottom right of your Windows desktop (for those oh-so-lucky Apple users, I haven't got the faintest idea on where you should look), you will find that today is 18th July. So far, nothing very special; like yesterday, it's pretty much the same as any other day, is it not? For most people, I'm sure that the answer would be an absolute yes, yet I'm fortunate to be in the position to declare that no, today is unlike yesterday, the day before that and beyond the day I just mentioned (as you can see, I've already lost count!). 

To you, it might not make much sense, but it represents so much more in my lovely little world - pleasure, excitement and plenty of spare time. Haven't grasped it yet? Hmm, maybe there is somebody out there who is sleepier than me for once!

OK, I'll stop beating around the bush and reveal the juiciest bits to you - I broke up for the summer holidays yesterday!!! 

Typically, I wouldn't get so excited about breaking up for the holidays (even though, deep down in the dark, blackened pit that is my heart, I do still dance around like a six year old high on Haribos) because, even though two weeks off here and there over Christmas and Easter is great, you know that the time is going to speed by quicker than a motorbike racing down the street. Therefore, holding onto that excitement doesn't last a long time because, before you've even placed your head onto the pillow and transported yourself to Dreamland, you're back in the classroom, wondering whether you were away from it for a week or whatever within seconds of returning. 

Meanwhile, the summer holidays are another story: for six or, in my case, nearly seven (the so-called 'lucky' number - perhaps it represents some good fortune for the new year ahead?) weeks, I'll have all the time in the world to relax, revise and enjoy myself in whatever ways I want. Now that's why I feel the ultra-strong urge to celebrate! 

Well, unless you have been keeping a close eye on my activities of late, you might not be sure as to what I'm celebrating, some of which is crazy, beautiful or just plain boring (but strangely seems very fascinating to me for whatever reason). Therefore, I'm being overcome by the powerful feeling of reliving this past school year to you in hopefully one paragraph - depending on whether I can restrain my fingers from typing too many words! Here goes...

Weeks after introducing myself to a secondary school environment, I was tossed into the lion's den - a.k.a. GCSE studies which, despite being slightly nervous about whether I'd be up to it or not, I was determined to complete as my future relied on those oh-so-important grades. Although I hadn't had much time to realise my abilities, I knew that throwing myself right into the sheer craziness was the only way forward which, to this day, I still do - if I can do it once, why not adopt that view for everything else in life? To cut a long story short, I immersed myself into my studies, absorbing information like a sponge soaks up soapy water, yet I couldn't shrug off this sense of deep unhappiness; it irritated me like a nettle, stinging me with its sharpness and careless cruelty. At the time, I was attending a school where I didn't feel as though I belonged and was appreciated, which forced me to ask myself whether that was all that I was worth - as no escape seemed to be within reach. And, for a short while, I truly believed that I would never get out the prison that was my school...

Then, like magic, I was transported to another environment, containing classrooms, fields and hundreds of pupils: in many ways, it shared the same elements as my previous school, but I instinctively knew from the moment I walked on its grounds that my future was destined to be a brighter one. Within weeks, I had set up home there, catching up with all that I had missed, in addition to discovering skills whose existence I had never previously known - or perhaps had never allowed myself to realise. And, probably most importantly, I stopped feeling like I didn't belong because there were people who shared my values, believing in the precious power of staying true to yourself, regardless of what other people - blinded with ignorance and stupidity - thought. With those matters sorted, I could finally breathe - and focus all my heart on everything I was determined to achieve. 

To be honest, I've completed the hardest work by now: breaking the ice that, if left unshattered, could have prevented me from developing the passion I've reserved for learning, affecting my confidence, happiness and, vitally, my overall performance. By banishing my worries over having no time or doubting my abilities, I can truly be happy, which I appreciate more than the best words in the world could ever describe. And you know what? Happiness is only really achievable if you work hard to obtain it - hence why I never let myself to do anything less than 100% in everything I do. From school to friendships, there are no excuses for not making an effort; since when has laziness ever brought people good fortune and respect from others? If I know that I'm trying hard, I will hopefully not become complacent and lose my appreciation for what I have, which will certainly help me to keep my head screwed on during the rare occasions when it might come off!

Therefore, I can't help but feel so relieved that the summer holidays are here because I'm truly going to appreciate not having to get up before 10am until September, in addition to doing plenty of fun things for myself. All year, I've felt as though I've had to put off certain things because of a lack of time; over Easter, I revised quite a bit for my mock exams which kicked off on the day I returned to school, so I never really let myself 'slack off' for long as those exams kept playing at the back of my mind! However, I'm now going to apply myself the challenge of learning a bit of Spanish - a language which I have long been interested in studying - along with catching up with certain TV shows (cough, The Vampire Diaries), which will be made much easier when I sign up to Netflix soon. Something is telling me that Netflix will revolutionise my life this summer...

For now, I've got several things to do, most notably helping out backstage for a junior production of High School Musical in the nearby town's theatre tonight, which I have been doing since Thursday evening (definitely not the best way to finish off a day spent on a trip, but it could not be avoided!). I'm hoping that I might be able to do similar work during the holidays because these experiences could boost my Performing Arts coursework grade, especially if I write about it - Little Miss Blogger will certainly love to discuss it, wouldn't she? Considering that I've been getting home after 9pm for two nights running - with tonight left to go - it is hardly any wonder that I'm constantly dreaming of being in bed, is it? 

There are almost seven weeks for me to enjoy as I wish - here's hoping that I'll know what to do with it!

No comments:

Post a Comment