What I did during the Summer Holidays 2025: Milestone Birthdays, Turning Positives In Negatives & Darting Delight!
- Lucy Moon
- Sep 6
- 13 min read
Hello world!
Welcome back to another blog. With everyone starting back at school or at university, I would like to take you on a journey through what I got up to during the summer. There is a lot to pack in, so what I’m going to do, is I’m going to break it down into small titles in bold, so then anyone reading this can read one section at a time or skip certain bits to one particular moment if you want to. So without further ado, here is what I got up to during the summer holidays!
Professional:
Acting Class:
Throughout the summer I did many stuff for The Actors Workshop Nottingham. Through July we learnt all things Meisner. I did this before back in 2024 and I’ll be honest, it’s not my favourite topic. However I decided to stick at it, as because there were some bits that I enjoyed more than others, I can take those bits and use those snippets in my work. During the month of July I also had the chance to be part of an improvised audition for a promo video for a singer aim which my teacher knew. Yes I didn’t get the job but the chance to do it during the session was something to be proud of. Here is a link to the scene below taking everything I’ve learnt.
In August I took part in a voice class. This was unique as after having this lecturer last year, it was refreshing to see the tips he gave us for when exploring voice, in this case, in poetry. I’ll admit it was a lot to take in, and the warm ups on my face were sensations I’ve never felt before, but it was a great class where I did learn a thing or two. Keep an eye out on my social media channels for performing the poem itself which we learnt in the class, and the title of that poem is in the picture below!
I also looked at some scripts for my teachers screen school (a separate course where you learn the ins and outs of screen acting and even get some material done in the process). We did this in the style of an audition, and because the scripts involved sword fights, we had the extra challenge of joe to capture it whilst keeping in the frame. And because it was a difficult week for me, it was good to let out all of those emotions via that self tape, which if I am going to send to casting directors, I’ll definitely mention as it how it’s helped me mentally.
Content Making:
During the summer I continued to make some content on my socials. After the events of my friends birthday (which comes under the title “Personal” if you want to skip to that bit) and watching a certain Netflix KDrama, I definitely had some newfound inspiration.
Acting Jobs:
During the holidays I still worked hard to get into some more acting jobs, and I even had an audition which led me to getting an offer from one! Yes it was a good sign but I needed to think of other factors outside of my control that might’ve hindered me from doing the job. In the end I decided to take on the offer, knowing that yes it may be low paid and yes it might be tough knowing I’m slightly further away from home, but sometimes it’s having that challenge that’ll hell me grow. But I’ll mention in a weekly highlights to gain the conformation of the job as due to those reasons beyond my control I have to wait for a certain period of time until I get a definite answer.
Writing:
During the summer I’ve finally managed to get my script as part of a course I did with the National Youth Theatre back in January completed. But after much deliberation and after remembering to letting ideas go if need be, I’ve decided to adapt it into a straight acting play, as even though I’m all down for a good musical, I know I’m not the strongest singer, but also doing it that way will enable me to adapt it easier into a 90 minute play and also add moments of breaking the 4th wall which is what I’m currently doing now. And let’s just say that I’ve got a flow that I’m going to adapt to, and as I’m posting this, I’ve completed the musical version, and now working on the straight acting version.
Act On This:
This summer I also continued listening to some brilliant Act On This content. One of which was with actor Christine Tremaco, best known for playing Manda in Adolescence, one of the most talked about dramas of 2025. She was a real sweetheart, and someone who you’d get along with immediately. That session was definitely my favourite out of all the ones I listened to over the summer.
Shows:
I would put this segment under both professional and personal. As mentioned before, the reason why I added it there is because whilst it’s good to go out for a day trip/overnight trip for self care, it’s also good to keep yourself in the industry to help not only see the shows you see yourself in, but to also gain some newfound inspiration (which is something I’ve needed during the summer holidays). I saw a variety of shows, from Shakespeare, to a unique rock band and a musical based on a legendary Rock and Roll star. Click the link below to see what theatre shows I saw during the summer period.
Films:
During the summer, I also managed to watch three films, mainly whilst I was housebound (but I'll get onto it in a moment), which were these two films below. I honestly miss watching a film, and its moments like this where sometimes a good old film is what's needed. I should really do this more often, as back during the pandemic, every Friday I would watch a movie with lots of cinema style goodies, and I definitely need to do it again. I'll be doing a review of these two films along with others I saw this year in a few weeks, so keep an eye out for those reviews coming soon.
TV Shows:
I also watched a lot of old and new tv series on the box set. I won’t go through all of them as there were lots to watch, but let’s just say I had some interesting thoughts on a few of them. From comedy to KDrama, I practically watched everything. Please see a link below to my latest reviews of the three shows I’ve been watching.
Personal:
Friends 30th Birthday Celebrations:
This summer at the beginning of July I went to my friends 30th birthday gathering. And boy I had more fun than expected. The last social event I went to it didn’t end well for me, but this time because I had more rest beforehand, I managed to have more food down me before I went and I knew a lot of the people already (meaning I didn’t have to mask as much) I was able to enjoy myself. I also met knew people which my friend invited, and I was also fully open about my autism with them, and even made it through the happy birthday song. To some it might be silly, but for me it was a win for me. And despite getting a blister thanks to some new shoes, I had a good night. And I knew when my social energy would run out and as much as I did want to stay longer, the last thing I wanted was to collapse from exhaustion.
Exercise:
During the summer I managed to keep my exercise regime going on a regular basis. I had to miss one I normally did due to it being abit sensitive on my back, but towards the end of the summer I slowly added it in back into my routine. This was an achievement for me, and it’s moments like this where you need to take a break and then when you do come back to it, it’ll be the best feeling ever. I also had my fair go on the exercise bike, and here is my latest results of how I did in 15k. And I also got to watch segments of Animal Park whilst I was at the gym, and I really have forgotten how good that show was, and need to watch it more, especially if its in the morning.
Archery:
This summer I developed my skills in archery. Some sessions were good some were not so good, and some days I had to miss due to not enough people or auditions that came up or it had to be called off early due to the extreme weather. But to go out and develop a new skill outside of acting is always great. I’ve even started scoring and noting how many ends I do in each session. Not only was this good for me stamina wise, but to also see how many points I scored with the help of the coaches. And as seen below, I’ve got some good scores throughout the summer.
Books:
During the summer I managed to do alot of reading. At the time of posting, I’ve finished one of the books in the form of “I haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You” by Miranda Hart, where I’ve found her vulnerability really powerful, talking through the struggles she went through in her life. But she still managed to add in her usual sense of humour throughout it, so it’s not all doom and gloom!
The second book I’ve been reading was “Are You Really Okay” by Roman Kemp, who dedicated it to his late friend Joe, in the hope to help those who struggle with mental health. At the time of posting this, I only have a small chunk left, but so far I’m finding it very fascinating. These include what happened on the day of Joe's death and also the little nuggets in Romans life that impacted his own mental health, which I’ll definitely take on board in the future.
Short Stories:
This summer, mainly towards the end, I managed to finally recap on some short stories, and when I mean some I mean one. At the time of posting this I am on draft 2 of one of them, and even though for the rest of the year I’ll mainly focus on my blog and acting career, it’s good to know that every now and then I can go back to something like this for some creative self care. But I’m glad to at least go back to it, and a little bit of work on it is better than no work at all.
Darts:
I managed to get in a good few practices, where I did 6 lots of throws in every practice I do. Towards the end of the summer, I found out from someone that there was a darts club in my hometown, which depending on how far it is to travel and if it’ll align with my other factors in my life I may consider. But again the fact I’ve managed to get some practices in is a good thing.
World Matchplay of Darts:
One of the sporting tournaments I watched was The World Matchplay of darts. It was a tense competition, and even snippets of it on social media when I couldn’t watch a whole match was exciting. But it was no surprise that Luke Littler won the tournament, which was a remarkable comeback after failing the first round stage last year.
Women’s Matchplay:
I also watched the Women’s World Matchplay of darts even if it was on catchup. And I must say, Lisa Ashton did a brilliant job, and she was a fine example of how girls can also play a male dominated sport like darts. I also loved the friendly rivalry between her and Fallon Sherrock, and I’m glad that they also have a laugh about it as well. Out of all the darts tournaments, apart from going to the premier league, the women’s world Matchplay is one I do hope to go and watch one day.
Women’s Euros:
Now I may not be a fan of football, but I could not miss the opportunity to see our lionesses bring it home for England. It was a tense game but they certainly did us proud, showing the men how it’s done! It also shows that even though I would not pursue a career in football (mainly because it’s not the career path I want to go down), they have proved that if a girl wants to choose a certain career path, particularly if it’s one where it’s mainly seen in men’s sport, then they can do it! Everyone on the team did a brilliant job, but a special shoutout to Hannah Hampton for proving doctors wrong after reading her backstory, Chloe Kelly for scoring the winning goal during penalties, Lucy Bronze for making the autistic community proud, and Sarina Wiegman herself for making history as a football manager.
Shows:
Making Squid Game 2:
A show I watched was Making Squid Game 2. I would put this as both professional as I’m learning about how a massive show like this is made, and personal as because the show in general helped me throughout the pandemic, it’s helped me to escape from reality. This was really fascinating as I got to see the insight as to why the director brought back characters, added new games and the cast explaining in depth their characteristics throughout season 2 going into season 3. I never knew that mingle was all completely real set wise, and also how for one of the games in the pentathlon, there was a body double for one of the games. I also liked why the director choose to have the Xs and Os as enemies and what they meant, and also the explanation of getting a deeper insight into the soldiers roles in the show.
Parenthood:
This summer I started watching David Attenborough’s (who at the time of writing has turned 100 years old) new documentary “Parenthood”. Now I thought I wasn’t able to watch it given the dog barking at animals on the television but given that I managed to keep her in a separate room at the time did the trick. I’m only 3 episodes in, but already I’m hooked and even shedded a tear or two, knowing what animals parents really have to go through along with the planet constantly changing. This is something I think people need to wake up and smell the coffee, and especially now that David had turned 100, it’s now more important than ever.
Squid Game: In Conversation:
I also watched a special episode linking to this iconic KDrama, where director Hwang Dong-hyuk and actors Lee Jung-jae and Lee Byung-hun talked about their experience and also some secrets that gave the show the impact it had. it was also the sign that it was really the end of what was a 10 year journey in the making (although I’m not sure if the posts about the American version of the show were being serious), and the whole cast and crew did a grand job (and Dong-hyuk's kind gesture for each actor at the end of the final shoot really showed how much of a decent guy he really is). I can’t wait to see what other projects they do next, and fingers crossed we get a prequel of how the front man or even the games itself came to be.
Challenging Times & How I Got Through Them:
There’s been a few tough moments during the summer, but within these challenges I managed to see the positives. One of them being saying no to three things which I really wanted to do but due to reasons beyond my control I couldn’t. The first one was saying no to a memorial event due to it bringing back memories of my mum, and the second was for a course which took place during my week off but due to one of them taking place during the bank holiday weekend, thinking about my own safety, I decided to not go, and the third one was missing out on going to a film festival due to needing to recuperate from my London trip, knowing that I needed to recharge my social battery. But within these negatives, there is a positive, as it will mean either an even better opportunity will take place or I can get some much needed family time. And speaking of family, another thing that gave me abit of a shock was my dad having a nasty vertigo attack. And since being diagnosed with it in March 2023 (the day after the premier league of darts came to Nottingham), despite not being there due to work, it was his worst one yet. But my dad being the trouper he is, he was not only well looked after by two of my colleagues at my day job (which was where the attack took place), but he powered through and is getting the help he needed. As I’m writing this, he’s in a much better place, and despite a number of minor dizzy spells, he’s slowly recovering. He’s also got an upcoming appointment with a specialist to get some answers, and keep an eye out for upcoming weekly highlights to hear the update he’ll be getting. I’ve also battled the dreaded coronavirus again. Even though rules are now less restrictive, getting ill is not what I wanted. But I wasn’t totally surprised, as my dad also had it as well as his vertigo attack, so I knew I would catch it. And I had to miss an acting class after suffering from the effects of it, but because it was my week off my day job, it gave me chance to fully rest. Although it did mean having to be fully housebound, I made the best out of that situation as I managed to do some creative writing (which I’ve mentioned under Short Stories and Creative Writing). Even though I felt like I could’ve done more this summer, I got abit of it done. And that’s more than some people at least. Finally the end of the summer isn’t always my favourite as it was a reminder of the anniversary of my mum who passed away from breast cancer in 2012. I knew I would be slightly on edge, given the fact that it’s a reminder that she's not coming back. And after reading about a fellow autistic individual's experience with grief and having a delayed response, I realised that I was like that. As when my mum first passed away I didn’t feel anything, which to some may be deemed as I'm not being empathetic when in fact it’s a delayed response and that because I was told it would happen, you do mentally prepared for it. But now 13 years later that’s when the emotion still hits me. But through this negative experience I turned it into a positive, as I let out my anger and frustration during an exercise in my acting class (which is another reason as to why I like the industry as it is also a form of self care), and also a piece I wrote dedicated to my mum, which is starting to become a bit of a habit now. Be sure to check out the link below for the full piece.
And that was it for my blog on what I did during the summer holidays. Keep an eye out for my first weekly highlights coming up from the week commencing 1st September where I will do them up until November time. I’ve also got more posts coming up, including films I watched this year and my thoughts, some of the other challenges I face as an autistic person, and more tv reviews of shows I’ve seen.
See you soon for another blog. Until next time…
This is The Autistic Actress signing off :)
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