It's been a long time since 22...

On 21-11-2002 I started my very first diary. And since then, many followed. It's a lot of memories in those diaries. A lot of thoughts, too. I don't quite remember why I started, but I was 16 and probably a confused teenager who needed something to make sense of it all, haha. I didn't think I would keep at it for so long. Thought it was just something for teenage years and teenage fears... But here I am, no longer a teenager, and I have just started in my 23rd notebook. Guess I'm still trying to make sense of it all :) But they're all so precious! Because of all the memories they keep, good and bad. Because of all the frustrations I've been able to write away on so many pages. Because of all the love and laughter stored on just as many pages, if not more... :)

So what has been written down on those pages recently, you might ask. Coz it has been a while, once again, since I last wrote a new blog. It's been a lot of uni-stress since mid-October, as the first week of November was the last week of the first term of my masters, which meant a lot of studying for exams. And I wouldn't be me if I didn't leave it all to the last minute, haha. But I passed both subjects, so it's all good :) Of course there was some time for fun as well (there's always time...), like a random night out in Amsterdam at this salsa club. I can tell you, even though this guy was trying to teach me how to dance salsa, I have no natural talent for it. Funny night though :)

Then November brought plenty of good times, or at least after exams had finished. They started straight after exams actually, as we all went out to dinner with everyone from my masters degree (about 50 people!!) right after the last exam. A very good chance to get to know some people a bit more, so it was nice.

Of course November also brought my 23rd birthday and the celebrations for it! Maaike (my housemate) and I have made it a tradition to celebrate our birthdays together, so we had a few friends over on Friday the 13th. Not an unlucky day at all, I tell you! Many a laugh was shared, and it's just always so nice to have (most of) your friends all together for one night :) It doesn't really happen all that often, especialy not with my highschool boys who all pretty much live in different cities. So I was a very happy girl that night! Even when Maarten made an impromptu speech at the start of the evening, and even when they started singing happy birthday just after midnight, just when I thought I had gotten away from it! I hate being the centre of attention like that, haha. But it was nice too, the speech and the singing I mean :) The party ended kind of abruptly when the downstairs neighbours were starting to complain about the noise... Next time we'd better leave a note beforehand, haha. But all in all it was a really good night and I loved it!

So the 14th was obviously my actual birthday, which started with a lovely breakfast with the boys, who stayed the night. And then in the afternoon my parents came over as well, which was very coowl. They had never come to Utrecht for my birthday before, I just always went back to Hengelo on the weekend closest to my birthday. So it was really nice to have them there, and on the actual day as well! Even if I was a bit tired from the night before :)

I guess the rest of November has just been the usual, nothing really exciting to grant a special mention right now. Just uni and friends... Maybe 'just a few' episodes of Grey's Anatomy and That 70s Show too, haha. And now at the start of December we're gearing up for Sinterklaas... I actually already had the Sinterklaas celebrations with my housemates last night (plus 3 ex- or 'adopted' housemates). Again, plenty of good times were had :) I just love the whole Sinterklaas tradition with the poems and everything. At least, once I either have a great creative idea, or once my work for it is done :) It was a good night with the girls for sure! This weekend I'll be celebrating Sinterklaas with my family, so I've been busy making a surprise and writing the poem for that as well this week. I think it'll be fun :) And then it will probably be time to knuckle down a bit again for uni before the start of my Christmas break! Holidays can't come soon enough :)

Anyway, that's it for tonight! I'm getting better at keeping these updates a little shorter, I think :) At least I'm trying! I hope you're all well and happy too, and enjoying whatever's keeping you busy. If you want to tell me about it, I always love hearing what all you guys have been up to! Miss you... My love to you all.
xx Carine

PS. Apparently from now on I can only upload 10 photos to this blog instead of the 25 I was used to :( So these are only photos of the b'day party. But the rest will come some other time... or they'll be on facebook :)