Only one more term…

As I write this it is 39 days until the end of the final term at college and 68 days until my ordination to the diaconate. In my last blog post I shared two major things I still needed to sort out: passing my driving test and finishing all my academic work. So I guess I should probably update you on those…

So, I passed my driving test back in January and am now enjoying the freedom of being able to go anywhere whenever I want. I was fortunate that I had already taken ownership of my Grandmother’s car, so was able to complete my first solo drive the day after my test. I now have two trips to Devon (1 via Oxfordshire) and a trip to Walsingham under by belt! But just knowing that on my days off in parish I’ll be able to escape and explore the surrounding area and visit friends is so refreshing and making me feel a lot better about returning to village life!

The academic work is very nearly done, the end is most certainly within touching distance. 3,000 words more on my dissertation (plus edits) and one final 2,500 word assignment. The assignment is due on the 4th May and then I can concentrate fully on getting the dissertation in by 25th May. Following Holy Week I booked a mini retreat with the Community of St Mary the Virgin, where I locked myself away in a monastic cell to get the bulk of the work done without any distractions – the remainder of the reading and 6,000 words were completed in those 48 hours… so it clearly had the desired effect.

Today is the first day back of the final term, and it feels a bit odd. It’s the shortest of the terms and has the potential to either go extremely fast… or ridiculously slow… and I’m not sure which I would prefer. Fast – because I feel ready to go or Slow – because it means I get more time to spend with friends that I’ve been through this crazy experience with before we all go to our different parts of the country. My Spiritual Director reminded me in our last session that wanting to leave at this point was natural, as ‘you came here in order to leave’, and I think there is a lot in that. People will laugh or comment when you tell them how long there is left, joking ‘not that you’re counting’ but actually that is the point, this was a 3-year part of a bigger journey and I’m excited and ready for what comes next – which those who know me well will tell you is quite a big deal in itself – that’s not to say that I’m not terrified, it’s a big change and I’d be naive to think it was going to be easy. But, I’m ready… I’m ready to get stuck back into Parish life… I’m ready to grow more… I’m ready for new adventures and new experiences.

So Yes, I am counting the days, the days until the next part of my adventure starts.

#Ordinand