Graduation!!!

Open University have contacted me let me know I can book onto my graduation ceremony (officially for my Foundation degree in Business).  However, it falls a month after I finish my final course for my BA (hons), therefore I am going to use this as a celebration.  I will be inviting my family and a few close friends to see me graduate on 23rd November - I got this e-mail yesterday morning and I spent the day feeling quite emotional that such a long journey and such a big part of my life for 6 years is finally coming to an end.  I will attend my ceremony for my BA (hons) in Business Studies in June but just with me and Dad and we will go out for dinner afterwards - a bit of Father/Daughter bonding.

I can't help but feel sad that certain people aren't here to see me acheive this success, I wish my Grandad Bob could have been here to see my Graduation photo go up on his living room wall alongside my dads and my cousins, I wish my Grandee Reg could do a little success jig and give me the tightest hug but most of all I wish my mom could see me (trip up!) on stage and hug me and tell me she is proud of me.  It will never be the same without her there, but without the strength I gained from losing her I might never have acheived what I have, who knows.  I will put my photo next to hers and hope she can see it and share in my successes from wherever she is.

However, in true Jayne Porch style, I will be having a graduation party (and I have convinced my Dad to pay for it!) the week after my ceremony - me and cousins are already planning dance routines for the event.  Fortunately, due to the timing my one cousins should be back from uni in time to celebrate and it will be before my other cousin goes off travelling for a year.  So hopefully everyone will be there in good spirits and I can get drunk with my family and friends without worrying about reading or writing an essay the next day. 

I assume I will look something like this:

Onwards and upwards

So, after well over 6 months of not feeling myself, not being excited about anythng, not feeling happy and certainly not feeling motivated, things are finally changing!!

Whether is the sunshine, the plans I'm making or the changes about to happen, the counselling, I don't know, but I'm feeling better - I'm feeling better than I have in months.  I feel like a cloud has lifted and it feels amazing!

I'm not foolish enough to believe it's all over and I will never feel depressed or down again, what is does prove is that you can change things.  I could have sat around and wallowed in my own self pity, whined about the friends I'd lost, the things I didn't have and cry about the things I couldn't do....but I didn't!!  I stood up and took action, I changed my life and my outlook!  For a long time I genuinely believed I couldn't change anything, but they were excuses not to try:

• I can't change my job because they are funding my degree
• I can't have any fun because the friends I used to spend most of my time with have gone
• I can't look forward to things because I have nothing to look forward to
• I can't date because boys hurt you

and the list goes on!

Therefore, at this moment in my life at 13.14 on Monday 22nd April 2013 this is how my life looks:

New Job
This time next week I will be in my new office in my new job with different people and a whole new role to learn and I can't wait.  I can't wait to be challenged and to learn new things and make changes and get stuck into a permenant role.  It's closer to home, longer hours but its a permenant job that could/will involve international travel so I can see some of the world and get paid for it!! Who could ask for more?

New best friend
My creative, wonderful, insane, bested friend Lou is having a little Lou, her due date was last Thursday and now we are just waiting.  I wait in anticipation every morning for the 'still pregnant' text and hover by my phone all day for updates - just in case!  Knowing instantly that shes in labour will be no benefit as I will then have to wait anxiously by the phone for the 'She' here' text before I can plan a visit to meet my new best friend (we will have around the same mental age so we should get on great!)  I cannot wait to meet her and get to know her and watch her grow up and I feel very proud to be a part of her life and her parents!!

New holiday
I am finally booking my holiday to San Diego to go to Comic Con, the Comic Book Convention.  I am extremely excited and its not until July 2014!!  However, I decided to go with my Dad who like a good Comic Book movie but is not interested in the convention therefore we have had to make the holiday for him as well!!  We have a jam packed 2 and a half week trip planned including Las Vegas, LA, San Francisco, Yosemite National Park, Lake Tahoe, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Disneyland, Universal, San Diego Zoo and Seaworld.  and breath!!!  I will be shattered, especially after hiking in the national park and the Grand Canyon but it will be so worth it and the photos and memories will be ones to keep forever.  This also includes 2 of my 30/30 list :-)

Festival going
According to my 30/30 list I need to go to a festival, it's never appealed to me before but now I really want to do it.  So I have got my cousin on board and next summer we are going to festial it up, not sure where yet but it's all very exciting!!

Degree
I have now finished my Foundation degree and I just waiting on my classification.  I am doing my final course now to get my BA (hons) - I have less than 6 months to go and considering it is a 6 year degree that is quite an acheivement!  I can't wait to be finished and start learning some new things I will enjoy learning rather than things I feel I should do for my career...

BSL Level 1
I have booked to start a BSL Level 1 course in October, I am really excited. I think it's a great skill to have and can be useful in many situations, I will post updates once I have started!

Gym
At the end of this week i am joining the gym again!!  This is a posh gym that is part of a hotel and it's all very fancy with proper changing rooms and shower cubicles so I am quite looking forward to it.  I will be taking part in mostly classes as I find the most motivation in going to these.  I want to tone now that I am finally losing weight, so i'll be doing things like Body Pump and Pilates.  I'll let you know how I get on :-)

TTFN

30 things to do before I'm 30

This is a list I compiled when I was 25 and at the time I went crazy trying to acheive as much as I could but then I drifted off it and got a little bored, so I am going to blog it to try and motivate myself to achieve it all (although it could become rather expensive!!):

1.  Skydive
I did this 2 years ago and it was the scariest but best thing I have EVER done by far.  It was an amazing day and a time when I realised what a true friend was...someone who would jump out of plane for you in honour of the Mom you lost but she never met!!

2. Orbing
I did this with Louise as well a few years back, I found it realy funny but struggled with the lack of control shouting 'Lou, why are we speeding up, we're not slowing down!!!' panic!!  But it was fun nonetheless!
3.  Go to Blackpool
I have now done this more than once, in fact about 5 times!! I love the Pleasure Beach because I love Rollercoasters and I love the cheese of the Blackpool strip and lights, reminds me of being a kid again!!

4.  Route 66
Maybe not the whole route but I would love a photo with a Route 66 road sign at least - I hope to do this on my travels to the states at some point!!

5.  Get my degree
Officially, this is done as I am just waiting on my classifcation for my Foundation Degree but I am doing another year to achieve my honours degree - I will be finished in October then it will be time for a Graduation Party :-)

6.  Comic Con
When I wrote this I meant Comic Con San Diego however, this may be difficult now as I am running out of time so it may end up being Comic Con London or Birmingham!!

7. Get a new piercing
I did this, I got my Tragus pierced (the inner bit of your ear!) but it wouldn't heal and got a little infected so I had to take it out - I will be getting it done again though!

8.  Go to a football match
I have been told this is something we all should do in our lifetime but it doesn't appeal to me at all so I have been putting it off!!

9.  Paris
I have no one to go with :( so I haven't done this yet!!

10.  Hot air balloon
This is quite simple to book and do so I don't know why I haven't done it... Maybe I will book it for my birthday?!

11. Empire Top 500 Movies
This is hard as it is going to take a long time as I have only seen about 100 of them, I need to get a wriggle on - with my 28th just around the corner I running out of time!

12.  Buy a house
Too expensive!!

13.  Go to Disneyworld, Orlando
I've done this and it was my faveourite holiday EVER.  I loved every minute and I can't wait to go back

again if I get to do my trip to the States.
PHOTO
14.  White Water Rafting
Again this quite easy to go about and not too expensive anymore so I don't know why I don't just do it!! Lazy bugger!!

15.  Plan a surprise party
This is what reminded me of my list and got me thinking about it again!!  Another item checked off!!

16.  Dress as sperm in public
There was a reason for this.  I used to have a group of friends and we wanted to dress as Sperm and have our friend Emma dress as an egg and we could just bump into her all night - it should have been hilarious, now it just seems silly!!  I think I may need to replace this one with something more feasible!!

17.  Sing Kareoke in public
I didn't think I would ever be able to do this - but I went to Turkey on holiday with my girlfriends and being in a foreign country gave me the confidence I needed!!  After that there was no stopping me and I did it in Blackpool as well!!
18.  Learn to Jive
I love the way they dance in the 50s - I could watch them dance in Grease all day and I would love to learn the routines!!  I wish I had someone to do this with as it would push me into it, but I don't so I need to step up and do it on my own - here's hoping its not too expensive!!

19.  Talk to someone famous
I have NEVER had the guts to do this, I get so nervous that they will think i'm an idiot that I chicken out, that is until a few weeks ago when I met Henry Winkler AKA The Fonz and asked him for a photo - He was lovely!!

20.  Go to a festival
Quite difficult as I have no one to go with - although my cousin Nicole may want to go with me so I might have to ask her if she in interested in going next year!

21.  Go to a casino
Such an easy one but I have never done it - apart from sitting outside a Casino in Brisbane Australia with my Nan because you had to be 18 to go in :(

22.  Adult Wacky Warehouse
The only one near where I live is one where you have to get so many people together and book the whole place out rather than just turning up with a few friends - I should have planned it for my birthday really! Doh!

23.  Climb Snowdon
This is not an easy one, maybe after I have completed Insanity it would be possible but at the minute my fitness levels are just not up to it.  Maybe I should plan do it in the Summer with my Dad - that way I will have to get fit in time for it!!

24.  Go to the Opera
Wish I hadn't - I was bored stupid and fell asleep in the second Act.  But I did do it so I can tick it off the list!!

25.  Photoshoot with the girls
This felt really worthwhile - had a great day lots of lovely photos.  Spent a fortune buying them and then we all stopped speaking, awesome!!
26.  Go on an all girls holiday
Turkey twice - loved it!

27.  Have a drastic haircut
FOOLISH!!!!  It looked awful but now I can say I did it!!

28.  Go to Japan
My new job involves travel so this may happen at some point - fingers crossed!!!

29.  Tobogganing at the Snowdome
I took my Nephew for his birthday and we had a great time - so glad I have experienced it now!!

30.  Sightseeing in London
I have lived in England all my life and never taken advantage of the sites we have right on our doorstep - I went with Dad a few months back and we had a great weekend!!

14 out of 30 done!!! Not even half way there yet!!!!

Dad's 60th Surprise Party!!!! SUCCESS

Well, the surprise party!!! I don't think I have ever been so stressed/nervous/excited all rolled into one.  In fact all of these emotions rolled into one made me feel pretty sick, leaving me on Friday afternoon to have to have a rest and leave the last bits of the food to my 2 aunts and cousins.  However, no matter what I did I couldn't relax, i only felt better after we had been down to the hall and set everything up then I relaxed a little and stopped feeling sick!!  It occured to me later on in the weekend that I ate nothing all day and futhermore I ate nothing at the party - no wonder I felt sick!!  My usually full stomach was crying out for food!!

Anyway, my detox fortnight worked as my dress fitted and I felt good when I looked in the mirror, it has been a long time since I have felt that way and it had a huge impact on the rest of my weekend!!  The dress is from Little Mistress at House of Fraser and the shoes are Iron Fist exclusively for Schuh - I fell in love with them both at first site and when I put them together I was soo pleased!!  Particularly, as the dress has an open back and my very favourite tattoo is on my back and I love to show it off when I can!! More than one person came up to me at the party to ask if it was real and tried to rub it off!!!  I can assure you it won't rub off!!

So, the party!!  Lots of people arrived before Dad which is always good at a surprise party and people came from far and wide to be there which I was soo pleased about.  One of my Dad's uni friends came all the way from Essex just for the party, how lovely.  After spending 30 minutes on edge with my phone permemently glued to my hand waiting for a call from my Godmother to say they had arrived - they arrived.  Dad was shocked to say the least, I really did think he had an idea something was going on, however it turned out he didnt!!  He stepped in the door, realised what was happening and took three steps back in shock - I thought he was trying to escape!!!

So, once Dad was in and mingling the party kicked off!!!  The music was great (Thank you Louise for the playlist!!) and everyone was up and dancing realyl early which I loved.  We had cracker toys on the tables, masks of my dad and party poppers to add to the fun and I think everyone enjoyed it as much as I did.  I couldn't have done any of it without my cousins and my aunts, not only were they a huge help with the organisation and the food etc but they we're a great support when I was freaking out and calmed me down when I was getting stressed, I couldn't have done it without them!!

So, as a Brummie I fully support the idea that we shouldn't be allowed on microphones (or tele) as it makes us sound like we're from Dudley or Wolverhampton but I didn't have a choice and had to make a speech to thank everyone for coming etc.  So I did, I thanked my Aunts and Cousins and thanked everyone for coming.  But in my drunken stouper I forgot to thank my Godmother and her daughter for getting my dad there and also forgot to mention the people who weren't there.  There we're so many people who should have been there that I dearly wanted to be there, my Mom, my Granddad Bob, my Grandad Reg and my Uncle Paul for starters.  It's never the same without them!!  I didn't mention them and I can't seem to get it out of my head that I should have said something.  There is nothing that can be done now and I should just forget about it but apparently, thats not how my mind works :-/

All in all, the party was a huge success and everyone had a great night.  My Dad still seems to struggle to make positive comments about situations and won't stop talking about how much f a blur the night was because he was sooo shocked and how he couldn't have a proper conversation with anyone because he wasn't prepared for it.  When he highlights the negatives instead of the positives I know it's him being honest but it still hurts.  I wish he would for once say 'Thank you so much it was a brilliant night and I loved it' but no such luck....I have to guess that he loved it and assume I did the right thing but it would be so much easier if he wasn't so honest about the things that weren't that great all the time!!

Holiday laziness.....

I thought I would post a million blogs while on my annual leave, turns out if I don't have to work I get incredibly lazy!!!  So here is my recap blog for my holiday.........

Guildford...What an amazing weekend!! Thorpe Park was FREEZING and wet but empty therefore no queues, only downside to no queues is less photos due to less boredom!!!  However, even with limited photographic evidence we had a great time.  Although a tip for any theme park goer, DON'T go on the front row of a rollarcoaster (particularly a fast one!) when it is raining - this is how you come off and rain stings at high speeds....my face felt violated!!!

We even have time to go on the kiddy rides as well as the proper ones - Carousel and banana boat (which is effectively a pirate ship painted like a banana!!) which were funny!  However, it had become apparent that I am ridiculously short, I couldn't get on (or off!) the horses on the carousel nor could I get on another ride which was embarrasing!  As well as the teacups on which I made Nicole spin because of my gammy hand and she nearly lost her fingers to frostbite!!

 

We also had a characture done of some random people....you may think this is odd but when we agreed to it we assumed he would draw us, apparently we we're wrong as this looks nothing like either of us!!!

We followed up Thorpe Park with films and junk food and general laziness - we did go shopping and I found the perfect dress for my dads party on Friday so that was good news - now all I need is jewellery and handbag!!  We watch When Harry met Sally (a classic!), People like us (pretty uncomfortable and all around grim film) and The Nines (which is turned out I had already seen the end of once before!).  We also tried to watch a film called Bachelorette which we made 30 minutes into before giving up because it was AWFUL!!  No recommendations from me (other than When Harry met Sally of course!).  All in all a cracking weekend and I avoiding all the snow because they didn't have much in London at all!!

The rest of the week became a blur of laziness and final plans for the party but it is all done and ready to go and I watched The Amazing Spiderman again and remembered how much I loved it so I will be watching that again.  I also went back to my childhood and watched Cinderella and The Lion King which brought back lovely memories :-)

Soo, I will be able to give you an update and photos on the planning and preparations for Dads party as well as the party itself, which I might add I am very excited about!!  I don't think he has any idea (unless he reads my blog haha!!).  I just hope it all goes well on the night - 3 sleeps and counting!!