Post-Holiday Blues

I arrived home from my holiday last night, at around 9pm, after a full day of travelling (1 hour drive, 4 hour flight, 3 1/2 drive, and all the waiting in between). Had a nice lay-in today, as thankfully my Auntie had offered to cover me at work for one extra day, so today I could recuperate a bit. I had to take my mum to the garage to pick up her car this morning, but after returning and a spot of lunch, I have been completing my Online Activities for the DD101 Introducing the Social Sciences. I am up-to-date on those now, which is a good weight off my mind, as the module site opened when I was on holiday, so this is the first chance I've had to take a look at it.

Whilst away, I also received my first tutorial date, which is this coming Tuesday (9th October) from 7-9pm in my local town of Ipswich. It means that I'll have to go from work to babysitting until 6pm, then straight to the tutorial, but I think it will be worth it. So far I know that there will be me and two other ladies attending, which sounds like a good amount of people, as we will all be able to have some one-to-one time with the tutor, but it's still enough for a group situation. I am rather looking forward to it, and have decided not to start TMA1 (Tutor-marked assessment) until after the tutorial. It's not due until the 29th October anyway. PLENTY OF TIME :)

My holiday was a rousing success in terms of fun, tan and laziness. We went to the Canary Island of Lanzarote, where I have been a few times before in my childhood, but not recently. The weather was GORGEOUS, and I have got some pretty impressive tan lines/white bits! The landscape is absolutely stunning- the island is purely volcanic, so no grass ANYWHERE. As you can see below, it looks pretty bleak, but I thought that it was amazing!



We visited the National Park of Timanfaya Volcano, which is one the of the biggest on the island and has been converted into a tourist attraction, with a cafe, bus tour, gift shop and the like. They actually had some pretty interesting things going on, like a room where they have dug a hole into the volcano, and to demonstrate the heat, there are various food stuffs cooking over the hole.

There was also another hole, into which a man came and rested a pitch-fork into with hay on the end. The searing heat from inside the hole promptly caused it to dramatically burst into flames.


I had a quick peek in the gift shop on the way out, to find some goodies for William and Oliver, who had asked me to bring back some photos for them to look at. I found a really cool panoramic photo of Timanfaya, as well as a large postcard and a teeny-weeny cactus that you can grow yourself (pictured) Hopefully they will be pleased with them!

























I have just this minute received an email from my Tutor (I will all him Mr. M for privacy's sake) introducing himself to me, and clarifying the details of Tuesday's tutorial. Definitely excited now!