Unexpected change of plans

I woke up today with butterflies in the pit of my stomach, nervous about the events that would unfold in the next few hours. I was supposed to be going to Leicester University to have a taster course in psychology and it was safe to say that I was pretty nervous! The thought of going to a university was extremely frightening, I used to imagine that high school was going to be like high school musical and it definitely didn't turn out to be that way, so the thought of university was very scary!

My friends and I were to travel to Leicester Uni by the tube and London transport is not very trustworthy so therefore we allowed plenty of time (or so we thought) for us to arrive at Kings Cross so we could catch our 8:56am train to Leicester. However it wasn't that much of a surprise that the unpredictable London transport let us down and had one of our trains arriving late, which in turn slowed down our whole journey and resulted in 7 teenage girls sprinting frantically through Kings Cross to get to St Pancras. Despite our best attempts to get to our gate from which our train would depart to Leicester, we were told that our train had only left a few minutes earlier and so then we had to come up with another solution to get to Leicester. Whilst I tried to catch my breath by sitting on the floor of St Pancras (classy) a few of my friends decided to go to the main ticket office to try and purchase a new set of tickets. To cut a long story short, we couldn't find another alternative to get to Leicester, the train tickets were too expensive and the coaches had already started on their descent to Leicester.

So, there we were, 7 girls wondering aimlessly in the middle of St Pancras deciding what our next course of action would be. I go to a boarding school and although I am a day girl, a few of my friends on the trip were boarders and so every time they step out of the school grounds they have to let the boarding mistresses know about every step they take, so to decide on what we were about to do next was essential. We came up with many ideas, for example, deciding on just returning back to school, but then we would have no lessons to go to, we even considered just parting our different ways and going back to our own homes.  We concluded that we should make the most of our time out of school, we had the opportunity, so why shouldn't we seize it? It was a beautiful day today and that rarely ever happens, so we decided to do a little bit of shopping! Everyone loves shopping and because it was a weekday, it meant that shops weren't jam packed with school children and it was the perfect opportunity to skip through the shop floors so easily without coming elbow to elbow with other shoppers.

Even though that our plans for today didn't turn out as expected, we all had a pretty good day despite the stress we all experienced when we narrowly missed our train. So if your day isn't going the way you would like it to go, don't worry because there are better things coming your way!

From Couch Potato to 5K Finisher

Anyone who knows me knows that "athletic" isn't exactly my middle name. I'm more of a "professional lounger," often avoiding exercise unless it involves a trip to the fridge. So, it probably came as quite a shock to most when I announced I was signing up for a 5K run!

The reason for this sudden burst of activity was Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity. This incredible organisation has provided immense support to my family and me over the past few years, and I wanted to show my gratitude by raising money for them.

One of the highlights of the run was the stunning London scenery. It was a fantastic opportunity to take in the beautiful surroundings, so different from what I see in my hometown. The fresh air and the act of running itself were an incredible way to clear my head after weeks of exams and revision.

Beyond the physical challenge, this experience taught me a lot. I learned that even the most unathletic among us can push their boundaries for a cause they believe in. It was a powerful reminder that small acts can make a big difference, and that contributing to something larger than yourself brings a unique sense of fulfillment. I also discovered the incredible sense of camaraderie that comes from being part of such a large-scale charity event, seeing so many diverse people united by a common goal.

The whole experience was truly amazing. If you'd like to learn more about Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity and the incredible work they do, you can click here.