One last time

Throughout the last year I've finally started going on nights out with chemists. The best nights have always stemmed from very innocuous beginnings such as chemSoc lectures or poster presentations. These inevitably lead to the realisation that it's 10pm, we've been drinking for 5 hours and not yet eaten anything. These always go on to be fantastic nights. On Thursday, Blondie and I organised another night out to celebrate the end of our time in Durham. Comprising our friends from Trevs who were still around and as many of the chemists as we could muster. Starting out in the New Inn we moved on through The Court Inn, perenial favourite the Swan and 3 before the survivors moved onto Chase and finally Walkabout.







The New Inn and the Swan and 3 have been favourites since our undergrad days whilst Chase has become our favourite post-11pm haunt over the year. My "Vote for Pedro" tshirt even attracted some attention. This is where things went to the dark side with the cheap double vodka and fake Red Bulls. How many of these we actually got through I don't think anyone knows. Thankfully, we didn't get onto the cocktails or Jagermeister like normal. What was very sad is how Blondie's group and other chemists made a big deal about him leaving including cakes and cards, where as my group couldn't have cared less that I was leaving. I've always felt on the fringe this past year (and before) - I sway wildly between feeling accepted and as an outsider and I've finished mostly on the fence between the 2.





The next day the vokda-fake Red Bulls had their revenge as I woke up a 6.30 and couldn't get back to sleep. Eventually I got up at 7.30 and wondered downstairs to be greeted by alan dancing around in his pants. I've seen it before, but this is likely to be the last time we are all so carefree.



It's been a very trying year - possibly the hardest year I've had to deal with - but it's nights out like these that have probably kept me sane in the face of a great deal of stress.