The boy who stole orientation

"You eventually come to the realisation that you have two homes. One you were born with and always feel fond of; the other you choose as your own..." (ad lib adopted Camilla, 2010)

Since my last blog, this one small piece of advice has been repeating itself around and around my head. Today was the first time, I kind of realised what it meant. I shall explain why. Today I was (un)officially an honorary undergraduate. I was invited down by a couple of my newly acquired (awesome) friends to experience (again), what it would be like to be a fresher. I had joined the ranks of the 2014 class arts faculty. I learnt the chants, donned a U of A shirt and marched all the way down to Hawrlak Park for the grand finale of the two day orientation (fresher's week equivilent for those back in the UK). Unlike loughborough students are divided purely on the basis of faculty. The big three at the U of A comprising The Faculty of Engineering, The Faculty of Science and The Faculty of Arts (temporarily my home). Boy was their a lot of engineers, like you wouldnt believe. Although my undergraduate days are well and truly over, this event offered two things: a new beginning (albeit not 'officially' mine) and huge levels of nostalgia. There is something inherently fun and heart warming about it. Yes, I know its corny and classic. But I liked it. It was fun and life should be about people coming together, celebrating and feeling good. They had a ballot box with prizes, cheerleaders, mascots, hundreds of volunteers and get this... a candle ceremony. Oh yes, a candle ceremony (I shall see if I can whack a picture or two I took into this blog...wait).



I found it really nice to turn back the clock four years now and remember once again what it was like to come to university, all those mixed feelinsg, all those expectations, anxities, hopes, fears and excitements built up in side. I found it equally fascinating to see how somewhere else did it. I remember and recall my 'freshers week' fondly. Oh and yes its true, Loughborough really does 'walk on water' and yes...so we f***ing oughta', but the U of A takes students on its own journey. Tomorrow I start my first classes and the fun well...begins. Today I realised that this place offers something quite remarkable. It offers everything I ever really wanted in life. I get to do exact what I have always wanted to do, study what I want to study, exercise as much I wanted to do and also be surrounded by some really awesome people both academically and personally. U of A, U, U OF A, U of A, U, U of A...yyyeeaaa wooooo! This is the home I have chosen. It's not where I am from or where I have come from. Nothing can ever replace home, cambridge, the barn and my family will always be deeply embedded in my thoughts and feelings. But, nonetheless, this is oil city, this is edmonton, this is the U of A, and this is time to shine whilst having fun doing it and it is now home. Time to enjoy it a little more I feel.

x9