Yesterday I signed my life away to ‘the man’. Or so it felt. In reality I have signed a three month employment contract and there weren’t any men involved in the process.
It wasn’t planned to be this way. We were originally planning to spend the summer in Scandinavia, bimble around Spain for the winter and then look for work in February/March, but we are still waiting for a new rear axle to arrive and our summer window of opportunity is getting shorter and shorter. By the time the axle has arrived and has been fitted it could be the end of July. Our discussions turned to alternative travel plans and then to options that don’t involve travel.
Looking for a job was not really our number one preference, but we decided to have a few exploratory conversations with local employers. If we found something then we would take it. So it was that I found myself rummaging through the storage unit for something that didnt smell too musty and was suitable to wear to an interview, including a handbag and a pair of smart shoes (with heels for goodness sake, when was the last time I wore heels?). A friend had hooked me up with the company she works for, the office is close enough for me to cycle, it seemed ideal and I was quite revved up after the interview.
Then I didn’t hear anything for nearly three weeks and I had talked myself out of any excitement. Did I really want to work now? How would I cope with the 9-5? Where would we live? When I got called in for a second chat I had almost talked myself out of it and needed to turn my attitude around.
My questions still remain. I don’t know how I will feel going back into full time employment, getting up early in the morning, joining the flow of commuters backwards and forwards to work and having things that I ‘must’ do dictated by someone else. It will be a shock to the system, but it will probably be like any return to work after a vacation, give it a few days and I will have forgotten I ever did anything differently. I am looking forward to a different type of mental stimulation, a new subject area to learn about and new people to work with.
We have decided to live in the motorhome for the time being while we look for some accommodation that will suit us. That will bring it’s own challenges, especially once Paul has found a job and we’re both trying to get ready for work first thing in the morning in a small space.
I will definitely miss the exploration of new places on an almost daily basis and we have promised ourselves at least a weekend away each month to try to retain some of that feeling. The return to a more scheduled way of life will have it’s benefits though; a regular routine will allow us to join some clubs and classes. We will be close to friends and family and be able to socialise more. We will have more money to spend (although we will still be squirreling a lot of it away for future travels).
In the mean time I have one last week to enjoy my freedom. It’s a shame that we cant move Bertie at the moment and have one last little trip, but we’ll continue to enjoy exploring the nooks and crannies of the local area and I’ll prepare myself for work by winding the alarm clock back by a few minutes each day.
I will continue to blog, so expect some posts about living and working from a motorhome as well as updates about our short trips away in Bertie.
Just caught up on your blog. Hope going back to work is okay. It will certainly feel strange at first … don’t lose that feeling even when you get into the groove, then the nine to five won’t be forever. Fingers crossed the axle has arrived by now and you can firm up future plans.