Posts tagged life

Soon I’ll be moving house, and not just a change of walls but also a change of place. I’m finally leaving Lancaster. Well I say finally, there are a lot of people who have stayed longer than I and still not left, but I think 8 years is good enough for me. 

I’ve been trying to work out what I think about leaving, what I’ll miss and what I’m looking forward to leaving behind, but I actually think it’s affecting me less than it feels like it should. It isn’t like I’m moving a million miles away to a place I don’t know, I’m moving to an area that give or take 10 miles, I essentially grew up in. A place I spent many holidays, roaming free over the hills and fells exploring. It doesn’t feel like a scary place to be moving to, and I don’t feel like there will be a lot to learn. 

It is going to be a change though, and I think a change for the good. Having to do things a bit differently, seeing new scenery, meeting new people. It’s what I’ve needed to do for about 2 years but have been unable due to academic commitments. I’m glad that’s nearly over.

I’m finding out more about my new job and the people I’ll be working with, and the things they have planned for us to do in the induction week sounds like I’m becoming a fresher again. I’m a bit too old for that kind of stuff these days. Trying to decide if I want to go to the graduate ball in October, there are apparently hot air balloon rides… that might well sway it for me. 

All in all it’s an exciting time. Not least because I’ll be living very close to a zoo with giraffes.

I haven’t posted here in a bit, and a lot of stuff happened. I sort of intended to write at length about each thing, but I lack the resolve and that’s stopping me from writing anything. So in order to get back in the swing of things I thought I’d post a catch up entry. I don’t really know who I’m telling these things; really I think it is more for myself than anyone else, but it gives me something to do while Andy is off cycling the width of the country without me so I shan’t let that bother me.

Live Roleplaying

I did some. A weekend of CP with Stef. I played a healer who didn’t remember her spells, and it was good fun (if cold standing outside all the time). Half way through just as I was getting into the swing of things I went over on my knee while attempting to evade a werewolf. A month later and it’s still not better. I’ll try not to let that experience colour my judgement however, I did enjoy myself and I met some lovely and interesting people.

Job Interview

I had one. Well technically I had two if you count a telephone interview. Really though only one mattered, an assessment centre for BAE Systems. It was over two days at a posh hotel in Preston, and happened very soon after the roleplaying event. I was quite stressed about it, but it did give me the opportunity to wear my nice suit and limp around with my bad knee. There was a group work exercise, a one-on-one interview (in a hotel bedroom..), a written exercise and a presentation. I felt like I aced the interview and the group work (though I got off to a quiet start), was meh on the written exercise (unlike me) and completely stuffed up the presentation.

Job Offer

The next day at 9.20am they offered me the job :-) It’s a fantastic opportunity and I grabbed it with both hands. The salary is higher than I was expecting, and working hours are really intriguing (Friday afternoons off!?). It means I am 80% certain I’ll have to move to Ulverston in the next six months, but I am more or less happy with that. Nearer the Lake District.

PhD Viva

I had it, I passed with minor corrections. The week/weekend preceding it will probably go down in my life’s history as one of the most horrible, stressful and painful times ever known. I was a nightmare to deal with, I couldn’t focus, and Andy was a complete and utter star. I would never have made it to the actual event without him, and without his help during the last year or so I don’t think I’d have ever got to the point of submission. Basically he owns my doctorate. Anyway, it means I’m now (pending corrections) Dr Sara, and that feels really very strange. I don’t really want to talk more about this. I’m very glad it’s all over, and it was an experience. I loved the travel and the people, but I don’t think I could recommend to past me that it’s a good idea. Without having done it my life would be very, very different, so it is hard to put things into perspective, but I’m very glad that chapter of my life is coming to an end.

So, yes. I don’t know what’s next. There’s going to be some big changes coming up, new house, new job, probably lots of other little things. I intend on using this blog more regularly again, and starting to take some more photographs. I want to do some more travelling, and carry on learning Japanese. Other than that we shall see what comes.