What a year!

Thursday July 1st 2021

A year ago I left full time employment knowing that I didn't want to continue what I was doing but not sure what to do next. What an amazing year it has been. In some ways I was a bit of a Covid cliche - I bake bread, go open water swimming (even in winter!), grow tomatoes on the patio (very successfully last year!). I became a grandmother for the first time to a gorgeous girl - she is almost walking now! Our youngest son had to come home because of Covid and has lived with us since March last year - that has been a special time that we would not have had otherwise.

I also started at the Royal Agricultural University in September to take a degree in Wildlife Conservation and discovered a love and passion for nature. When I started the course I was worried - would I be able to cope academically (averaged 77% in first year so all Ok there), would I be able to manage the work physically (so far all OK and I am getting stronger!). Would I feel out of place, am I too old? I have been interning recently with a lovely lady who is younger than my youngest son - we get on fine and I learn so much from her! I still do work too hard - old habits take a long time to break!

It took a lot of time to persuade myself last year that I could stop working and it would be OK. In the end I took a leap of faith and it has been even better than I could have imagined. Roll on the next few years!