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| A new chapter in my life |
I've been ill for the past week. Cold, flu or something in between, I don't really know. All I know is I feel shit. The weird temperatures haven't helped I think. One morning it was 18° and the following day it was 5°. Apparently we had the warmest Halloween on record, and we'll have the coldest winter ever. Sounds familiar?
Anyway, between the odd weather and 3 boxes of Lempsip, last week was pretty eventful but I was so stressed and anxious during the day that I was shattered in the evening and therefore not very prolific with the writing.
So what happened?
So what happened?
At the beginning of the year, I took two big resolutions: Buying a new car, and finding a new job (I like putting pressure on myself, I know!).
I bought a new car back in March, a bit by accident. Well, because of an accident, really. In short, Fabrice was involved in a crash. Fortunately, he escaped uninjured but his car had to be written off. Mine had to be changed for a while, but I kept postponing the big purchase. A couple of years ago, my job moved 15 miles further and I knew I would have to buy a diesel car eventually, especially because my good old Citroen C3 kept giving up on me with all the extra daily travel. So, when Fabrice had the accident, although it was a shock, we realised it was actually the sign we had been waiting for. We decided he would keep my old car and I would get a diesel. I saw the difference in the petrol bill straight away and it gave us a bit of relief financially.
However, since my job has relocated, I have to drive an extra 20 mns each way and pay the M50 toll bridge (4.20 euros a day!). Even if my hours are good and I don't get stuck in traffic too much, I am very tired. I'm up at 5:30am to start at 7am and I'm not home before 4:15pm once the kids are collected from the childminder. And of course, it's not like I could just crash on couch after a long day. The afternoons are usually a mix of housework, homework battles and constant toddler entertainment! Add a mix of flooding when bath time gets a little to exciting, multiple story telling (of course none of them want the same story!), bed time fighting and I eventually get to put my feet up at 8pm. By that time, all I want to do is go to sleep myself, but that's when I take on the laptop and try to write a little something! I'm usually asleep by 9:30pm as I need my 8 hours of beauty sleep to be able to function the next day.
I had been looking for a job for a long time, but even more since the move. I have to admit I was always a bit picky. I didn't want a job where I would speak French (even though there are plenty of them), I wanted a job closer to home, with good hours, but still in line with my studies (I have a degree in International trade and worked in logistics for the past 12 years). I had quite a good few interviews over the years. I had a couple of job offers but the hours or the money didn't suit. Sometimes I didn't get the jobs I applied for and at times I was just too comfortable in my position to look for something else.
In French we say "Tout vient a point qui sait attendre", which means "Good things come to those who wait". After all those years of waiting for a good opportunity, I have finally come very close. I just landed a job 15 minutes drive from home, with very good hours, where I'll be able to put into practice different things I've learned in my studies and during my working life.
Needless to say I'm very happy. Of course it will feel very strange to say goodbye to the people I've worked with for the past 8 years but I think it's time to open a new chapter in my life.
And for once, it comes at the right moment.
However, since my job has relocated, I have to drive an extra 20 mns each way and pay the M50 toll bridge (4.20 euros a day!). Even if my hours are good and I don't get stuck in traffic too much, I am very tired. I'm up at 5:30am to start at 7am and I'm not home before 4:15pm once the kids are collected from the childminder. And of course, it's not like I could just crash on couch after a long day. The afternoons are usually a mix of housework, homework battles and constant toddler entertainment! Add a mix of flooding when bath time gets a little to exciting, multiple story telling (of course none of them want the same story!), bed time fighting and I eventually get to put my feet up at 8pm. By that time, all I want to do is go to sleep myself, but that's when I take on the laptop and try to write a little something! I'm usually asleep by 9:30pm as I need my 8 hours of beauty sleep to be able to function the next day.
I had been looking for a job for a long time, but even more since the move. I have to admit I was always a bit picky. I didn't want a job where I would speak French (even though there are plenty of them), I wanted a job closer to home, with good hours, but still in line with my studies (I have a degree in International trade and worked in logistics for the past 12 years). I had quite a good few interviews over the years. I had a couple of job offers but the hours or the money didn't suit. Sometimes I didn't get the jobs I applied for and at times I was just too comfortable in my position to look for something else.
In French we say "Tout vient a point qui sait attendre", which means "Good things come to those who wait". After all those years of waiting for a good opportunity, I have finally come very close. I just landed a job 15 minutes drive from home, with very good hours, where I'll be able to put into practice different things I've learned in my studies and during my working life.
Needless to say I'm very happy. Of course it will feel very strange to say goodbye to the people I've worked with for the past 8 years but I think it's time to open a new chapter in my life.
And for once, it comes at the right moment.
