OK OK…I know it’s been a while! But it’s been all systems go over the last 6 months and I just haven’t had a chance to sit down and put my thoughts into coherent sentences.
In the past 6 months I have: graduated university, moved ‘back home’, moved in with my boyfriend (a whole different ball game to living with students!), started a new job (Oo the challenges!) and raising a menagerie…before I know it, it’s Christmas!!

I had no idea how difficult it would be to re-tune myself to the real world after leaving university. The first few months were great. I had independence, motivation and a smug qualification under my belt. I was ready to start a new chapter in my life, be a grown up and worry about all the grown up things in the world. But I couldn’t help feeling sad when September came around and I was hearing about all the students returning to uni, and thinking “That was me.” — emphasis on the was. But is that enough to push me back into academic life? Missing it. I don’t think I miss student life, partying, or even the student loan (well, maybe a little!) I actually missed learning more than all of that. For a while, it was hard to get excited about my job. Then after slapping myself a few times, shouting to my reflection in my rear-view mirror “SO! WHAT ARE YA GONNA DO?!” I decided to push myself into learning at work (which is called training…) It helped, a lot.

All I have to tackle now, is living with a boy. No one quite prepares you for it. The toilet seat is always up, there’s always a sturdy supply of Ginsters pasties in the fridge, and there’s no way to compromise on what’s on the tele. It’s a work-in-progress, but it’s workin’. Result.

In may this year, I rescued a feral kitten from a farm. He’s fuzzy and wild and his eyes were bright blue. I named him Blue. Three weeks after moving house and he still wasn’t taming down. My colleagues were starting to think I was self-harming with all the scratched and cuts on my hands and forearms, he was all claws. Then, I had a spark of genius. I thought that if we got an older cat, it would teach him how to behave and also be abit of company. Squirrel appeared in my life. She can open doors and tries to hold a conversation, she even buries her toys! The aim was for her to tame Blue. Did she? She tried. We now have three cats. Treacle is our third. I call her Oddball. You have no idea how disconcerting it is to have a kitten eye ball you across the room. And her eyes are so dark, it’s like she really is evil…plotting my demise…I’m getting a dog.

I have also braved the controversy and cut all my hair off, grade 3. To some people, mainly women, I am a pioneer to the feminists of our nation, to others I’m a wannabe lesbian. Whatever that means! I don’t understand how cutting your hair can cause so much conflict in society. It was supposed to be a liberating experience to shed all my issues and ‘lay bare’, without having an emo fringe or a curtain of hair to hide behind. However, all it did was cause all my friends to ask me if I was OK, was I having a (early) mid life crisis, would I start protesting at Downing Street or wailing at the Church like Joan of Arc. Well, to answer all these questions… I am OK, there’s no midlife crisis till I’m 40 and Yes, I will always stand up for what I believe in. I’d like to think of Joan of Arc as a kick-ass role model. So there.

A xo