Trine Blogs: Back in Tilburg
It’s been a busy, busy time chez Trine this past month. So busy I completely forgot to blog about how busy I was. Now that my head is (mostly) back on track, the blog can be too.
I kicked off the new year with a spectacular party, surrounded by friends I hadn’t seen in a long time and whom I had missed dearly. We managed to drop the cake which took 7 hours of preparation (and which had traveled halfway across the country without effort) right on its head before serving, which caused a minor meltdown in our Cake Master. (However, this was easily fixable with another Pina Colada.) We had a fabulous amount of cocktails, ate a delicious dinner, and laughed along to the traditional airing of “Dinner For One” right before the clock struck midnight (“Same procedure as every year, James!”). The boys also managed to set fire to the fireworks. Not just the fuse, mind, but the actual box of fireworks. We stayed inside after that.
After spending over two weeks with my wonderful, if slightly crazy, family I started missing Tilburg. Really! I wouldn’t have thought it myself, but there you go. I missed my flatmates, I missed my friends, and I missed being able to jump on my bike, go anywhere and buy anything for two thirds of the Danish prices. I missed my cozy room with the carpet that’s impossible to clean and the drafty windows, and the bed that’s really too small to sleep in properly without some limb or other sticking out over the side. Unfortunately, my return to Tilburg also meant facing the departure of two of my favourite flatmates, Aslan and Imanol. They left behind lots of fun memories (and a dirty fridge), but such is the life of exchange students, and there will be new, wonderful people to take their place.
I think we’ve all rounded off the first (or third, or fifth) semester soon, with its exams and assignments. And thank the gods for that! Remember I posted last time about being more socially active? I’ve managed to keep to it, a bit. I’ve been to bellydance lessons twice now, gone to parties at inappropriate times (such as when I should be studying for my exams), had coffee with friends, and made plans to see friends who live outside of Tilburg. I’ve picked my usual morning yoga back up (it’s amazing how tight your hamstrings will get when you don’t use them) and vowed to do more dinner dates with friends. But I still feel the siren call of my laptop and thesis work in the back of my mind. I suppose I won’t get rid of that until July.
They are small steps, but I think I’m headed in the right direction. I hope you are too, in 2012.
Trine Larsen (23) from Denmark studies Management of Cultural Diversity at Tilburg University and blogs for Univers.
