Manchester signified the beginning of 2014, I had some research for my Dissertation to carry out and I wanted to love life that January weekend. University was coming to the final frontier with a 10,000 word Dissertation keeping things interesting I used the experience to my advantage. Let's just say that Canal Street hasn't seen the last of me! I wanted to graduate with honours but I was on a mad traveling hype during the final semester of my closing uni year in Birmingham. Bristol and Bath impressed me much with its realness, those Roman Baths served up exactly what I wanted. Birmingham life got me crazy, into the flow of my uni work I couldn't control that urge to shake my cakes on the dancefloor at the Village Inn within Birmingham's Gay Village! Nicki that's just the way I am! Downing another drink at the bar on a usual Saturday night I wasn't ready to give up my Cider fueled nights out! No! It was a family affair due to my younger brother loving life in his first year at University College Birmingham, he enjoyed his first throw of university life but we turned it up every once in a while! The fire was burning bright in my eyes, I had a dream to become a Flight Attendant for Emirates. I obsessed with the application, driving everyone near me to distraction with the fine details because I wanted that gig so much. My friendship with Kelly grew with our Chinese New Year celebrations in Southside, she knows I will throw shade on others. February and March took a change for this blog, I fancied myself as a hotel, food and theater blogger with the small writing gigs I secured during the first throws of my final semester at UCB. I stayed cool at the Rotunda, ate well at Coast To Coast and critiqued a show at Wolverhampton's Grand, endorsing those businesses through my independent hype! Graduation was in the back of my mind but I should have just stopped stressing!
Modules kept me going, it was a celebration to hand in the next assignment. I chilled my approach towards lectures because I had my game on! Cheltenham and Dursley took me away from Birmingham to reunite with a dear friend from freshers 2010, I will no longer desire the taste of Pear Cider. I don't brag, I serve and inform and if you don't like then get gone! OK, I got my European hype on because you know I was tripping when I got that bursary fund. Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen showed me a full packed five day city experience. I bow down to Germany, she's a fierce competitor who has a story I listened to. It wasn't a joke that I didn't get a job with Emirates, I'll stay nice for I had a plan to execute. I knew that 2013 afforded me the summer of experience with multiple foreign trips so I took a trip down to Stonehenge with a pit-stop visit in Bristol, yes I embraced my situation.No I didn't regress to no high school student I loved my life down in Birmingham's Southside. After joining the UCB LGBT Society at the beginning of my final year at university I worked it out in the clubs that I approved of. Intermission, I hit Coventry and Lichfield for the afternoon to prove the haters wrong! Handsworth and Benefits Street opened my eyes to a side of Birmingham I had ignored. We celebrated the advent of the legalisation of same sex marriages in our rainbow style, donning our hen attire whilst marrying the night because we rejoiced. My workload from university needed some let up, I would work on 4,000 words then turn it up on a Friday and Saturday night at the Village Inn. Birmingham Pride 2014 beckoned, filling my cup I enjoyed my Pride weekend to the fullest with a class act hangover that lasted three days after the weekend. I wasn't looking for any approval, the hands of time moved faster than words could say, I was on with the grind!
Looking for the main attraction I took my life down to London for a quick minute, reconnecting with my parents and seeing another side to the city of my birth. School was out, the bags had been packed and my Thomas House room had been locked. London gave me some breathing space to seek that adventure out! My summer took me back to Bilston, living with my Grandparents until the next phase commenced. I called upon some sources to afford me a summer to remember. I got my 2;1 degree from UCB, I booked up a shameless weekend to Blackpool. I reported on the first arrival from China into Birmingham Airport, memories sure did reignite from my Newark placement year! Life changed so much but I wouldn't let it go up in flames!I returned back to Birmingham in August prior to my Geordie getaway, I missed that trick! Student life disappeared without any warning! The Angel of The North showed me which way to go, her cast iron self instilled some strength within during that Newcastle time. I snapped a shot with Beauty Killer at Eazy Street and appreciated the Tyne Bridge with time burning like a raging fire. Feeling free for a small period of time I silenced the crazy with an afternoon in Shrewsbury, you know I was on that Ramen Noodle hype! Autumn pounded the alarm, I owned the streets but didn't break any dishes in Stoke-On-Trent. I had to challenge the ordinary because I was getting crazy as the month progressed. London I thought we had a deal?! You know there's always something new in my life!
September brought my time, I had a duty to 'sissy that graduate' making my way across the stage at Birmingham's Symphony Hall to collect my degree. I had kicked up some fuss to get my paper sooner to get my ass onto the next hype. Striking up the band I said farewell to my university journey, making peace with Birmingham to realize the wait was completely worth the drama. Feeling like dancing I returned to Wolverhampton for Wolves Pride 2014 to enjoy a day and night of celebration for my home city. Since July I have blogged about the comeback city from my own perspective. Blogging has been hard due to my location and lack of funds but I have made my mark no matter what! This year might not be over yet and this entry isn't a sweeping judgment of whats already happened I just want to recognize whats gone down because I have a whole lot more in the pipeline! I've got this!The time is now for a change, I want to challenge myself with a move to China. I worked in America without the knowledge of creating this blog so I have every intention of taking this blog to the Middle Kingdom that is China. I have been looking for jobs teaching English since July but I couldn't apply with a serious intent until I had a copy of my degree, That's why I got mad! Why on earth did I decide to make such a choice?! Either I am mad or I will unknowingly have another stellar year abroad. I have love and admiration for Bilston but that West Midlands town doesn't inspire or give me life so I've got to fly. I don't want to tempt fate but I'm interviewing at this current moment to hopefully embark on my next chapter in early 2015. I don't want to jinx anything but I've worked for this and I have waited impatiently for this moment. I look to the stars with a passion and drive to take my life to the land of Pandas, Neon cities and chopsticks or whatever screams China. OK, I'm done!
Trust and Believe!
Joseph Harrison
