As One Era Dies…

As I handed in the very last project of my four year course and felt a huge burden lifted, I realised that I had come to the end of an era that had lasted four very tedious years. I am now about to put this whole “education” palaver to bed (at least for now) and begin a new chapter.

I must say the last four years have taken so much out of me as a person. I’ve had to give up luxuries, sometimes without choice, to ensure that they haven’t been a waste. So as my examinations draw ever closer I can’t but imagine I’d have to give up a bit more.

I’ve lost incredible amounts of weight due to the stresses of the last four years. I can’t say I don’t eat often and well enough but for some reason I’ve shed a great deal of mass (both muscle and fat). But maybe this is because in the time I’ve been studying Civil Engineering, I have developed a spinal condition. I suffer from lumbar stenosis and scoliosis which is probably due to a degenerated disc or two and is covered in a previous entry.

I’ve had to therefore give up football, as my fitness levels dropped further and further. I actually do not know how long it will take me to get fit again after my situation is resolved as recovery from surgery to repair my spine will take up to a year. I’ve missed all of the football season and had only featured in a handful of games prior to my injury on October. I miss the feeling of waking up on a Saturday morning with football on my mind. I miss rushing home from university after lectures to get to training. These days when I wake up on Saturday, I am thinking of getting to work at 6pm, coming home to watch Match of The Day, The Football League Show, Doctor Who and The Ricky Gervais Show.

So as Spring/Summer nears and the football season is ending, I feel it’ll be a very different summer to the ones I’ve had before. I usually split my summer between working more shifts and staying fit before pre-season training. This time however, I’ll be spending it looking for a graduate scheme whilst working more shifts. I won’t be doing anything fitness wise and will be seeing a neurosurgeon about my condition.

But all things being equal, I’ll be enjoying the time off before I start my life as an adult. So this may be a good time to take a holiday trip away for the first time in forever. I’d really love to go to America for a week or two – not for the sun but I’d always wanted to go play sports there – but I guess that’s pointless now.