Homely, work-filled, fun-packed Bristol

After spending much of the summer in Bristol, the summer transformed into my third year at university almost without me noticing. It is truly where I call home now – given that I’m living in the same house and working in the same restaurant that I did last year everything has become very familiar, and yes, homely! I’m well and truly settled and would be happy to stay here after university if such circumstances presented themselves. Spending the summer here gave me the opportunity to meet a variety of different people and really get under the skin of Bristol.
The academic side of things has seen a shift up in gear in terms of content. I find myself spending less and less time in lectures and seminars and increasingly more in the library – with an increased focus on independent study in third year, this is the certain result. I’m taking two taught modules (Phenomenology and Philosophy of Perception) and one extended essay, which is almost entirely independent and untaught. My essay’s focus is metaphorical aptness, which at first was quite abstract and very daunting, but the deeper down the rabbit hole I go the more interesting things become. I’ve also found that some of my most valuable research is done in the ordinary conversations I have with others – they constitute first person experience of how pervasive the phenomenon of metaphor is in everyday life.
Despite the increased workload I’ve still found some time for fun. I went to Simple Things festival last weekend – an event where many venues in Bristol are open with acts performing all day, all accessible with one ticket. A friend had come down for the festival, and it was quite liberating to get out of the student bubble for a day and have a good dance!

Max