About

I am Suzie, Destroyer of Worlds.

Er, I mean, I am Suzie. I’m a woman in her late thirties who lives in Liverpool, England.

I work in digital marketing and operations.

I’ve had numerous past jobs. I’ve worked in pubs, and done several stints as a waitress. I’ve been a freelance comic book colourist, and a web designer. I’ve taken thousands of calls whilst working in a call-centre (the best way to overcome a fear of the phone). I’ve done admin for a local council and communications for an environmental charity.

My biggest achievement is that I consider myself mostly happy, though happiness does seem to take more work than I expected.

About Cinnamon Sunrise

I wanted a place to write up many of the lessons of adulthood that I have to keep relearning. It’s a blog about living a happy and fulfilled life, while still meeting your responsibilities. In short, it’s a blog about how to be a grown-up.

Being a grown-up is about figuring out what you want

To me, being a grown-up means taking responsibility for your own life. It’s about achieving what you want. Not what your parents want, or your spouse, or what society says you should be doing. A grown-up says “This is what I want, and this is how I am going to make it happen.”

The world is full of distractions and temptations. It’s easy to live life by picking the default option. You go to University because everyone does. You spend money on a credit card because it’s easy. You join Facebook because everyone else is on it. You drink wine at a party because that’s what you do at parties.

Being a grown-up is about living with intention, and not just taking the path of least resistance.

Being a grown-up is about doing what needs to be done

Being a grown-up is also about doing the shit that needs to be done. Paying the bills. Doing the washing-up. Ensuring there are basic staples in the fridge. Not spending more than you earn. These chores are the unglamorous foundation of adult life.

I’ve spent plenty of days like this:

I wake up late because I keep hitting snooze. I rush to work without eating breakfast. I’m tired, so I drink coffee. I didn’t pack lunch, so I spend a fiver on a mediocre sandwich and packet of crisps from the corner shop. I spend three hours on work that should have only taken an hour, because I’m tired. I leave work late as a result. I get home to find the sink full of dishes from the night before. Irritated, I dig through the freezer for a ready meal to microwave. I eat it in front of Netflix, and then drink some wine because ‘I’ve had a hard day’. I finally go to bed – and sleep badly because of the caffeine and alcohol.

Wake up, and repeat.

Nobody wants to do chores. Packing your lunches and emptying your rubbish bins are mundane tasks. They are also fundamental to your happiness and sanity.

Bring a grown-up is about being part of a community

This one has been the hardest for me to learn. As children and teenagers we strive for independence. We are figuring out who we are. It’s normal and healthy for us to pull away from our families and try and do things on our own.

At some point, however, we have to understand that becoming part of a community is essential. We all need other people. Learning how to give our time and energy to others is an essential life skill. Just as essential is learning how to ask for and accept help.

Cinnamon Sunrise is a way for me to challenge myself. It’s a way for me to remind myself of the things I need to do to keep my life in order. It’s also a chance for me to find a community, a chance to (I hope!) help others – but also to ask for help.

I look forward to meeting you all 🙂