Self-Portrait Tuesday: British Summer Time

Beautiful day here in Belfast.. wait, did I say beautiful? I meant horrible. A cold, wet, miserable grey day, the kind of day Belfast does so well. A day for curling up in bed wishing that the alarm would just disappear. A day for reminding yourself that next week, Tuesday's self-portrait will be coming from sunny Crete!

This coat has served me well over the years. I bought it with one of my first student loan cheques and at £300 it was a huge purchase for a poor student. But it's still going strong, almost 7 years later, and I dread to think how many millions of gallons of water it's protected me from. It's been on countless mountains, bogs, cliffs and beaches, all around Ireland, the UK and the Alps. Sometimes when I'm walking to work I wonder if I really need the compass and emergency whistle that live in one of its many pockets, but I suppose it's always wise to be prepared; you never know what Belfast's weather will throw at you :)