Having just created my blog I am feeling good, so I thought now would be a good time to write about something that currently makes me happy. That thing is having a free day.

A free day is a day when there is absolutely nothing planned – no lectures, no meetings, no meeting friends or going out anywhere. It’s not that I dislike any of these things but sometimes I love waking up knowing that I have nothing I have got leave the house for, or get ready for, or travel for.

On days where I have something planned, no matter how fun, I spend the time leading up to it counting down until I have to start getting ready for the activity. I think this is because a fun perk of me is that I spend a lot of time thinking about the future – I feel most comfortable knowing what I’ve got planned in any amount of time to come. On a free day, I can have a day without counting down to anything!

My favourite start to a free day is:

Wake up naturally with my phone, laptop and alarm all off and out of sight – Go downstairs and make a cup of coffee and some breakfast – Eat breakfast and drink coffee tucked back up in bed watching a bit of telly on Netflix or BBC iPlayer – Shower and brush my teeth – Spend as much time as I like on my hair and make up.

The rest of the day is spent however I feel like it. Sometimes a little walk or a run into town is what I fancy, especially if the weather is good. Sometimes I like to stay in to recharge, especially if I’m tired or it’s cold and rainy outside.

Today has been a free day spent in Loughborough with John after spending Friday and Saturday in beautiful Durham for Ellie’s 21st birthday celebrations. I woke up naturally and ate crunchy nut chocolate clusters in bed with John. John left after lunch so I went to Sainsbury’s and bought a pizza for tea, some strawberries, some chocolate and some Stork (I thought I might like to bake some cinnamon buns later on today). I bumped into a friend from LSU Classical in the cereal bar/chocolate aisle, and it was really nice to stop and have a chat with him.

I have spent the afternoon lying on my bed enjoying the cold and bright weather. It’s a cold February day but it’s warm when the sun is shining, and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. My room is cool but I’m warm with my purple blanket wrapped around me. I have enjoyed drinking some herbal tea and a coffee from my Nespresso machine, and eating some guilt free strawberries, grapes, mini Creme Eggs and a couple of squares of chocolate. Since it’s the final semester of third year I have a lot of work to do, but I’m happy to think about that tomorrow and not entertain those worries today. I miss John but I know that we’ve had a really lovely weekend together with his family, and that it’s not going to be long until I see him next.

If I’m reading this on a free day when I’m not feeling so good, this is just a reminder that today has no expectations – even if the weather’s good, I don’t have to go out. I don’t have to follow through with the same plans I woke up with (I still haven’t made those cinnamon buns). It’s really good to spend a free day doing whatever I want with it, so I can recharge to get through busier days, and days where I’m not feeling well.