It’s been a busy few weeks. I completed week three at my new job, and moved out of ‘induction’ mode and into ‘do real work’ mode. Due to the commute, I bought an electric bike and have been adjusting to the wonderful world of cycling. Recently I took a course with Bike Right to gain confidence in managing junctions and roundabouts as a cyclist–I would...
I have been through the wonderful experience that is job hunting and landed a new role! I start on Monday, so I’ve been preparing for those initial few weeks. As part of that, I’ve been thinking about what advice is out there for setting yourself up for success and preparing for a new job. I’ve switched jobs a few times now, and worked in a variety of situations; fully remote...
It’s been an interesting week. I’m counting down until I start my new job (only one week of freedom left!) and trying to make the most of my time off. On Tuesday I collected my new e-bike. The New Job has a commute that’s a little tricky by public transport and too far to walk. Since I am committed to staying car free, for financial and environmental reasons, I decided to bite...
Two decades or so ago, I decided to sell some used books. At the time there was a small online book retailer called Amazon. You may have heard of it. It was a useful place where you could buy books, but also where you could easily list used books for sale just by logging in and entering the ISBN of the book you wanted to sell. At the time I remember being delighted with making a few quid from...
I have a single weekend left in the USA. These three months have passed quickly and strangely. There were difficult personal things to deal with, as my husband dealt with the sickness and then death of his father. And I was burned out from two long years of stress, anxiety, bad news. There is no doubt that I was exhausted. When I first arrived I felt like I couldn’t get enough sleep, I...
Three pieces to this: Firstly, I read a travel newsletter called about a trip to Istanbul. I have had a love-hate relationship to travel writing for a long time. The best travel writing utilises scenery to highlight aspects of personality, philosophy or history. The worst reads like an Instagram post sponsored by Sky Mall. This particular newsletter mentions Ukraine refugees and the presence of...
I’ve recently started using Obsidian, and wanted to share my initial thoughts on this interesting note taking tool. Why start using Obsidian? One of my ‘projects’ I wanted to carry out during my sabbatical was a digital de-clutter and tidy up. I started with photos: I had over 20,000 photographs stored in my cloud photo account, most of them quick snapshots of food or things I...
I’ve explored a lot of ‘side-hustles‘ over the years, from Fiverr to this very blog. Most have earned me a little bit here and there, but been a lot of work. However, Prolific (not a referral link) has been a steady earner for me over the past few years. How much do I earn on Prolific? I earn between £20-60 a month, depending on the studies that come up and how much time I...
I’m currently on a sabbatical: spending three months in the USA with my in-laws. I’m extremely lucky to be able to leave my job knowing I have the savings to cover us while we prioritise family. However, I am mindful that I need to line something up for when I return to the UK and as such I’ve been poking around job websites and trying to figure out what’s next. Job...
We have started our journey. I am a big proponent of slow travel. If I can take a boat or train instead of an aeroplane, I will. This is partly about the environment, of course, but it’s also to take the stress out of travel. What good is a holiday if the day before and the day after are spent stewing in stress? When I have to take an aeroplane–such as on this journey–I take my...
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