The Countdown begins...

Over the course of this week, we’ve been doing a lot of preparing for our holiday.

You know, the usual. Trying to succinctly pack for all activities/weather possibilities.

Hoping to remember everything you need and inevitably forgetting something. Hoping that the thing you forget isn’t that important.

Planning for a holiday post lockdown is a little different I’ve found. Instead of all the things you would usually do, you have to cater for the new circumstances. Like not taking your elderly relatives to a café just in case, so having to bake all snacks and sweet treats yourself in advance. Or thinking of ways to do the things you love whilst social distancing.

I tell myself whilst writing this post before we leave that we’ll have fun no matter the new things to navigate safely. It’ll be nice to get out of the house for a few days if I’m honest, especially when we’ll be able to walk on the beach and see the sea. Yes, definitely worth the hassle.

And it was when I was formulating and checking off my mental to-do lists that I had a fleeting thought of something I had to do before I went back to university. Pulling my notepad out of my bag and scribbling down the thought before it drifted out of my head, I returned to my initial task.

But later that day, I thought of a few more things to add to the list, and by now, it is fairly substantial.

All of a sudden, I realised the countdown had begun.

Now, the countdown, for those of you who are not familiar with what I mean, as I assure you that you will have experienced it at least at one point in your life, is the sudden realisation of how little time you have left of your holiday and how much you’ve still got to do.

And once you’ve turned on the switch of back-into-work mode, it’s incredibly hard to switch off. All you can think of is how little time you’ve got to do all the things that you need to.

For me, the countdown is me starting to check my school/uni email pretty much every day, worrying about getting up early again, and thinking of all the things I could do before I start back, such as using the time to finish writing one of my stories or reading some books from the syllabus for that year to get ahead.

When I was younger, I often got around to the first day without having completed everything I had planned over summer. As I always looked forward to going back to school and learning something new (yes I know I’m a nerd), it never particularly bothered me.

However, when I graduated high school last July, my French teacher imparted one of her final pearls of wisdom. She said that the summer holiday I was about to have would be both one of the most nerve-wracking times of my life and the freest holiday I was likely to have ever again. She told me to make the most of every single minute, and so that’s precisely what I did.

As usual, she was spot on. Although there was the constant overshadowing worry lingering at the back of my subconscious about my exam results and the next three years or possibly whole future of my life which they would dictate, that summer was the first summer I could remember where I had nothing to prepare for.

I didn’t need to do the “back to school” shop. I had no homework to finish, no assignments to prepare for, no specific reading to do. I was free to read, write, sunbathe, do anything really.

And as she had advised me, I did my best to do all those things I had always wanted to do over summer.

For me, the countdown began on the day I got my results. From that moment on, as I knew where I was heading in September, it felt like time was running away with me. Exeter seemed so far away from home. I probably wouldn’t have chance to see all my friends for months. What did I need to bring with me?

I knew uni wasn’t going to be like school, but there were so many things I didn’t know. So many questions. So many worries.

And naturally, there were plenty of things to be excited about. Would I like my classes? Would I finally start going on nights out? Would I meet someone special? Would I make great friends?

One thing I did know; it would be an exciting adventure whatever happened.

Thankfully this year going back to Exeter, I’m not as worried. Granted, there are a few new things for me to be anxious about, but it’s overrode by… well I don’t really have a word for it. Happiness, I suppose. To go back and see all those people I love. To embark upon another intriguing year of studying (nerd alert again). To have a whole new adventure.

So yes, my countdown has begun, but I’m ready for it. Excited for it, even.

For everyone getting their results on Thursday – I deliberately didn’t make this post about results day as I didn’t want to add to any anxiety you may already be having. Many of my friends are receiving their results on Thursday, and obviously I know first-hand how nerve-wracking this last week can be.

However, I do have one thing to share with you:

As Anna says in Frozen II, some things never change.

A lot of things do, and although I would say that naturally humans don’t embrace change and often fight against it, change is good for us.

No matter what happens, no matter if it feels like your whole world is changing, there will be some things which will always stay the same. Your family. Your friends. Your favourite hobby whatever that may be.

Hang on to those. They’re what matter.

In a year’s time, as clichéd as it sounds, no one will even ask you what you got at A Level.

Some days, if I’m totally honest, I forget what I got in the end :)

It’s just a little stepping-stone to get across to reach the other side of the river.

I wish you all the best luck in the world. This part of your life is going to be awesome, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. I encourage you with all my heart to make the most of it, despite the tough circumstances you face at the beginning of your first year – I know that you will have a life-changing year regardless.

As ever, if you want to talk about anything, or even just to vent your feelings, message me on Instagram @roxyelle01 or use the contact at the bottom of this page. I’m always here to listen and help if I can.

P.S. Check out my wallpapers - below this post :)

#countdown #resultsday #advice #roxyelle