However, this weekend I've had a lot more than just my year abroad on my mind.
First, there was the birthday meal for one of my friends and fellow salsa-addicts. We went to a Marco Polo (on Grey Street) and had a good few laughs, as well as some delicious Italian food, followed by salsa dancing and shimmying in Vineyard bar until the early hours. Standard.
Saturday morning I met up with a very close friend of mine for brunch, and we spent hours and hours just chatting and drinking tea. There's virtually nothing I enjoy more than that. I also discovered what a 'Stottie' is (for those who aren't from this part of the world, a Stottie is a delicious Geordie version of a bread bun absolutely packed with fillings- mine had a full English breakfast in it. Complete with black pudding!).
Then there was the black music conference. The whole of Saturday afternoon in a lecture theatre watching 19 presentations, one after the other, and all on various topics under the umbrella of 'Black Music'. From Beyoncé to the Lion King- and everything inbetween! My brain definitely hurt after that one, but I had no time to stop...
... I went straight from there to the Latin and Ballroom society's "Summer Ball" (or "Summer Saturday Salsa Shimmyfest" as I like to call it). What a fun evening that was- takeaway pizzas (long story... the caterers didn't turn up), champagne, line-ups and even more dancing. For the second night in a row, I didn't get to bed before 2:30am- and I certainly knew about it the next day!
I had extra coffee before church, and even surprised myself by being there on time (!). It was a great time of singing, prayer and teaching, and I certainly gained a lot by being there, despite having to fight to stay awake.
Following church, a group of us wandered down to Quayside (a really iconic, pretty part of Newcastle along the bank of the river Tyne- google it!) for the Sunday market and to see what we could see.
What a gorgeous afternoon it turned out to be! Bright sunshine, blue skies, contemporary art, a live jazz band, hog roast lunch (with applesauce AND gravy!) and hours of entertainment from watching a man in sandals standing on what looked like a surfboard, paddling painfully slowly up-river.
You never know what to expect in this city!
I guess, reflecting back on this weekend, seeing everything that I've got up to makes me truly grateful to call Newcastle my second home, and also to be called a child of God. Simply knowing that no matter how busy our schedules are, God can always find time for us if we find time to seek him. He loves to listen to us, and (this is the truly exciting part) to respond to us in return. Amazing.
Alles liebe,
Louise :) x
