That 'So... what now?' Feeling

March has been a pretty busy month for me, I'm not going to lie. There was a lot that I had to get done for Uni and as a result, blogging and writing took a back seat. As they should, I think, given that I am supposed to be a student first and blogger/writer second.

But now it's March 30th, I've just handed in the last of my essays before the three weeks of the Easter holidays begin and it's sort of left me feeling a bit... strange. Do you know what I mean? When you're whole life is focused in around one thing and when that one thing happens, in the aftermath you feel kind of... dead? That pause and then 'What now?' thing? Yeah, that's what I'm talking about. It's happened me a few times recently.

The first was right now when I handed in my essay. I had two of them, both 2000 words long. English and students of the arts will laugh at me right now for complaining about 4000 words because, let's face it, that's their lives! However, as a science student, I'm really not used to writing essays at all. Most of our work is based on practicals and lab reports of very limited wording. So essays were a bit of a shock to the system! For the past 3 weeks all my house mates and friends have got has been: "Nah, I don't think I've time. I have these essays for next week." I kinda looked like this for a while:

But  I've been so focused on getting these essays done that now they're finally handed in, I kind of don't know what to do with myself! (I should probably start working for my exams in May, but I can't begin to even think about those right now!)

The second was in reference to this movie that was kind of a big deal recently. You might have heard about it. Something about Hunger Games? Yeah. That one. As you may or may not know, I read these book a long time ago. I think Catching Fire (book 2) had just been released when I read them, so in terms of the fandom, everyone's been jumping on my bandwagon. I saw it for the first time on the night before it was released in the UK. (It was an advanced screening!) And it was amazing. There were some few subtle changes from the book, but they were so well done that I didn't mind. The majority of it was so damn faithful to the books, it was like watching what had been happening in my head while I was reading the book. I think I may have a girl crush on Jennifer Lawrence. She's amazing.
But again, that same thing happened when it was over. I felt kind of... empty inside. I had been waiting for years for this movie to come out, and I got so into all the hype in the run up, that when it was all finished, I had no clue what to do.

They're all so beautiful. Damn you Hollywood.

The third and final type of this feeling will be the one probably most familiar to my readership. I have never had the fortune of finishing my own original piece of fiction, but I have finished a fair few fan fictions in my earlier days. And it was always the same with them. As I typed, or penned, that last sentence the first feeling was, "Oh my gosh, I've finished!" followed soon after by that crash of "my life no longer has a purpose." Yes, very melodramatic, but for a short period of time after finishing something that has taken over your life, it does kind of feel like that?

Or am I on my own? Perhaps it's my obsessive personality that leads to me feeling empty after finishing goals that I've set myself.

Do you ever feel like this? Or if you don't, how do you feel when you finish something big?

Sarah x

p.s. this post is nearly 700 words and has taken me a little over 30 minutes. Why on earth cant this be my speed of output when I'm doing school work? Life would be so much easier...

My favourite reads of 2011

Between University and reading, and my dalliance with jewellery making, I didn't get as much reading done this year as I normally do, but I do have a few favourites that I'd like to share with you!

1. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins



I had read this book a year or two ago, but with the movie coming out in March next year, I wanted to re-read it to remind myself why I enjoyed it before all the hype clouds it. I finished it in 6 hours. It is an amazing book. I have bought several friends this book for birthday and Christmas presents just to spread the Hunger games love. EVERYONE should read this book.

2. Redeeming Love - Francine Rivers



I haven't read very much Christian fiction, because in my limited experience it just makes me feel guilty for not being a better person who's stronger in faith. This book though completely captured me. I devoured it in every spare moment while away with my friend and her family for a week for a Christian convention called New Horizon. It's just so good. I'm also making my way through the Mark of the Lion series by the same author, which is fabulous.

3. Game Of Thrones - George R.R. Martin



I bought this book in the airport on my way to see my friend in London. Then, the TV show started and I really enjoyed it, I decided I wanted to read the book. Of course, it was in the middle of my exams and I had to discipline myself and only read it one chapter at a time; one for every hour spent revising. It's a great book and I wouldn't have been able to put it down under any other circumstance. I raced through the second book in the series, but I think I ran out of steam somewhere in the third because I haven't touched the ASOIAF series since the summer. It's not that I didn't enjoy it, I just got distracted. From my limited experience, I defiantly say that the first book is the best. I hope to get through the rest of the books sometime in the new year. AND, the TV series is filmed mostly in Northern Ireland, which makes me proud of my country!

4. Virals - Kathy Reichs



I read this in a few days flat. The author, Kathy Reichs, has written a series of forensic books that inspired the TV series Bones. My parents are a fan, and Kathy came on her book tour to my University. I went to see her and get a book signed to give to my mum and dad as a present and when she was giving her very interesting talk, she mentioned her new YA project. I had forgotten about it, but when I saw it the other day in Waterstones, I knew I had to get it. It didn't disappoint. The only criticism I have is that for a 14 year old, Tory (the protagonist), has an awfully advanced biology class. Sequence DNA? I'm only doing that now in my 2nd year of University!

5. A Great And Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray



My University book shop was closing down and having a very large sale. On top of that, we're given a card by the University with money loaded on it to spend in the shop. It's supposed to be on text books, but I had some money left over. I got this book, and the two sequels mostly because I thought the cover was very pretty. I confess, if I buy books on the spur of the moment, it's usually because I like the cover.  It worked this time, and I really enjoyed this book. I'm currently trying to finish the 3rd one. Similar story to GOT, I read the first two so fast that I couldn't manage the 3rd. It's still sitting on the window sill of my digs at Uni. It is also on my list for the new year.

So that's it! If you enjoy reading, then I would really recommend all the books above. Most of all The Hunger Games. Stephen King recommends it. What more proof of it's awesomeness do you need?

Sarah xx