Term One // Update

An update since my last post: 

I've moved to a new country! 
I've hopped over the border (plus some 300 miles) and moved to Oxford! 
Now that I've settled in and adjusted to my new life here - it has mostly involved spending the majority of my time in the library, and the other 10% cycling to the library - but I love it? 


This post has been sitting in my drafts since July:

I am officially a university graduate! I have a degree!, and as I am waiting to start my masters I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I learned over the past four years.

In the past I have written about what I learned in my first year and in second year, but the hectic nature of honours (my third and fourth years) meant that writing as a hobby was put on the back burner.

Fourth year was hard, really hard, but also a year of incredible growth and opportunity. It was by far my busiest year both academically and socially, perhaps taking on a new job and new society responsibilities was not my smartest idea but I learned a lot and had loads of fun!

It sounds ridiculous to say but the fact that I got into Oxford, and will be a graduate student there, still hasn't sunk in. It still blows my mind that I got in, I still tear up when I think about it. Yet despite this, or perhaps because of this, I am anxious and a little scared about moving there and starting my masters. I don't know if the sheer intensity of the course, or the fact that I am moving to a very unfamiliar city is more anxiety-inducing.

I can't wait to study and research more of the topics, periods, and people that ignited the passion for ancient history and archaeology that fuels me. I will be in a school and department with world renowned experts, and that is intimidating but also absolutely incredible. My hometown has less than 5,000 people, and St Andrews has approx 15,000 - in comparison Oxford is enormous. I'm excited to explore a whole new environment and meet a whole new host of interesting people. Thankfully I know a few people studying and working in Oxford so I won't be completely alone when I first arrive, plus there are only twelve people in my masters so I'm certain we will become fast friends.


I've developed healthy and productive habits over the past year and I am excited to continue seeing how they change my life for the better.

Just like that my first term in Oxford is finished!, and I think I've survived!

I'm not going to lie and say that the first term of my masters has been all sunshine and happiness - it's been challenging, scary, and lonely. But it has also been incredible, beautiful, and inspiring. 

Something happened over the summer between my undergrad finishing and my masters starting, as I am somehow better at writing essays and having my own thoughts about topics. It is currently the winter break and in less than two weeks I have two 5,000 word essays to submit, and I am working on an extended research proposal for a course that I am doing in Rome in springtime - I think I've become a bonafide baby academic? 

I spend most of my time in the library or alone in my room, and sometimes go a couple of days not talking to anyone but my flatmates and the cashier at the local shop. I definitely phone my parents more than I did in St Andrews, but I have made friends here and thankfully they know firsthand how hectic life is here. 

This coming term I am studying a topic I am really excited about - sex and gender in Roman art - and I'm excited to explore more of the themes I've become more interested in. Especially potentially the topic I want to write a masters thesis on, but that's a post for another day since I don't know if I am going to switch programmes yet. 

Regardless of the choices I make or the opportunities I am given I know that 2019 is going to be really exciting and challenging - and I can't wait. 

Mykonos 2018

A beautiful week spent in Mykonos - June 2018.

Minimalism + Less Waste

Image by Sarah Lazarovic

Most likely you've come across the term 'Zero Waste' before. In the past year I've been doing more research into the topic and figured out a way to make my lifestyle more sustainable. In all honesty a fully zero waste lifestyle is unachievable and unrealistic for the majority of people. If you've got the funds, resources, and time to lead a fully zero waste life then kudos to you, I definitely couldn't do it.

There are a few reasons why I've decided to become more minimal and less wasteful in my life, and the biggest is that I have too much stuff. It's so easy for me to hoard sentimental items and keep things 'just in case'. I think as I become older I am becoming more aware of the impact my life has on the environment and on other people. I also just want to be more responsible with where and what I spend my money on, and in this thread, I'm trying to buy more from small local businesses.

The plastic bag charge has been in effect in Scotland since 2014, so I am very accustomed to bringing my own reusable bag or one of the many plastic bags that live in my kitchen. I've only ever bought one canvas tote bag, the others have been freebies from various events and organisations. If I can promote a student society around town whilst carrying my books then I definitely will. I make sure I always carry a reusable bag if I know I am going to go grocery shopping, and even if I don't have one I usually wear a backpack which holds a lot.

I recently became the owner of a KeepCup (hooray for freebies from training days!), and I also have a thermos which I love. I love my Contigo travel mug, it is definitely pricey but it is the best travel mug I've ever had. I can make my coffee at 8am, chuck it in my bag, go to class and it will still be hot when I get home at noon, and it hasn't leaked all over my notes! Although I don't trust the KeepCup to not leak in my bag, it has been great to use instead of a throw-away cup in coffee shops.

Since I've been at university my stuff has been split between my home and my student house - which means I have way more items than it seems. I've gone through all my clothing and donated multiple full black bags to charity shops, and I've sold stuff online. I used to buy sale items all the time in the hope that it would one day suit me, fit me, be warm enough for it etc, but I've since stopped that bad habit and try to only buy clothes when I need them. 

I've not quite got a capsule wardrobe - in the sense that I only have 20 items, but I do have a small number of pieces that I wear all the time and in all seasons. I still have pieces such as nice dresses and summer clothes that don't get a lot of wear but are important parts of my wardrobe. The same goes for shoes - I wear boots for the majority of the year and have the essentials ie, trainers, sandals and nicer shoes for when I need them. 

I've also made an attempt to be less wasteful in my make up and skincare, which has mostly involved me trying to use up all my half empty bottles before I buy new ones. I'm still using cotton wool rounds, mostly because I have a lot to use up but also because I am yet to find a good replacement.

Whilst this isn't necessarily related to minimalism or a less waste lifestyle, I have been trying to live in a healthier, and cleaner space. This means I've got plants in my bedroom and I've been using a humidifier - and I've noticed it's made a significant difference with my asthma. I've also been using chemical free cleaning products, namely Method, in all rooms of my house. I've noticed my productivity and general mood improves when I am working in a clean and tidy space, thus I've got into the habit of making my bed everyday and tidying up each evening. 


Although I have made a conscious effort to be less wasteful there are some exceptions. When I am on excavations baby wipes and plastic bags are my saving grace for travelling and keeping myself clean where there is no running water. For the same reason when I am in Greece I buy and throw away many plastic bottles as there is not drinkable tap water and, on the islands I was on, there was no means of recycling plastics. 

One of the standout issues that I have noticed with the 'zero waste' movement is the idea that in order to start you have to buy a number of items such as canvas bags, metal tupperware, or beeswax covers. Whilst the ultimate goal should be to use these reusable items instead of single-use or plastic items, it is much more eco-friendly and economical to first use up the single-use items first. As with any social movement there are the trendy and idealised items and products that are popular, but old jars and other re-used items are just as useful with no extra cost. Now this isn't to say that I won't eventually buy metal food containers or a nicer water bottle, rather I will use the items I currently have until they can be used no more, and then I will buy the new shiny items. 

Andros - Summer 2017

What better time than the next year to write about my summer? 
I had an action-packed seven weeks and then went head first into my busiest semester of university - now I finally have time to write for pleasure.

In July I set off for my first ever excavation on the sunny island of Andros in the Cyclades, Greece. We were excavating a neolithic site (about 5000 years old) which involved a lot of animal bones and broken pottery. The site was on a promontory of the island which meant most of the time it was very windy, which meant it wasn't unbearably hot, but it also made it hard to work sometimes. I'm not allowed to show pictures of the site itself so instead here is the incredible view we had each day.

Weekdays were spent waking at 5am and getting to site for 7am, which meant on most days a nap was required when we got back to the accommodation at around 3pm. Luckily Andros is small and Greeks eat dinner late into the evening. Many late afternoons and evenings were spent wandering through tiny streets of blue and white houses and petting a seemingly infinite number of cats. I developed a love of fresh bread dipped in olive oil washed down with a few glasses of the local wine. 

On weekends we explored more of the island including a monastery perched high in the hills and an ancient city at the bottom of a ravine. Some highlights of the three weeks included getting thanked by the mayor on stage and then doing traditional Greek dancing in front of a huge crowd, finding a tiny bead amongst a lot of dirt, and making new friends wherever I went.