I was the teacher’s pet in primary school, the ultimate quiet girl and the slightly chubby one. I think I learned more from reading lots and lots of books and learning to spell at home than I did at school. School was just where the bullies were, but at least I got to do art. For high school, I was determined to change. I made new friends, had a great laugh and definitely didn’t fit in with the popular crowd. I was smart at high school, great at English, French, biology and geography. Terrible at maths. There were bullies there too of course. And I wouldn’t go near a boy.
At one point I wanted to become a window cleaner.
Then came the big decision – which university, and to do what? Well it was either going to be English or Geology. And it ended up being Environmental Geoscience at Edinburgh University. I’ll be honest, I didn’t enjoy the first few years of uni. The classes were long, the field trips were miserable and I quickly realised that I hated lab work. I made a few friends, but I didn’t live in halls so none became really close friends. I was slightly depressed and needed a creative outlet, so I began baking; then came this blog.
I like the hat – maybe I should have gone to flight school.
After my third year, I went to Mexico, and everything changed for the better. I made best friends for life (who had been there all along), I moved to Edinburgh, I met new friends, I became me. I also discovered outreach and science communication, and this began opening up a whole new world for me. When I graduated, I was at a loss for what to do, until I came across a masters program at Edinburgh University called Science Communication and Public Engagement. I applied at the start of summer and before I knew what was happening I was beginning a new chapter as a student again.
Or a mechanic – that could have worked.
It was the best decision I had ever made. I enjoyed the subject, I got to be creative, I met some more great friends and built a life for myself in the city. And then that year passed quicker than any year I can remember before it. It’s already a fleeting memory and it only ended a few weeks ago. I haven’t really had time to process it, because amazingly I stumbled across a job that seemed absolutely perfect. I began working as a social media manager in July for an incredible charity, and now my life is in full swing as I try to adapt to the working world.
Although I’m not a student anymore, I feel like I’m still learning so much. I still have my winter graduation to look forward to – and it’s a really special one. Because for me, I’ll be graduating on my birthday. And the very next morning I’ll be bridesmaid to my first ever flatmate in Edinburgh. It sounds sort of perfect really.
Meanwhile, I am still baking cakes! I just baked a bunch of cupcakes for a birthday party last weekend with the help of my cakey friend Laura. Here we are holding our cupcakes in front of the most peculiar sign I have come across saying, ‘don’t lick your fingers’, well, I just had to pose in front of that with my cupcake didn’t I?
I’ll be baking more cake this weekend probably, and that I will definitely share with you. But tonight I’m going to be curled up on the sofa watching the new series of the Great British Bake Off.
Happy Baking!
Eve x
Sam Loves Cake 