Life Update

It is Friday afternoon and two hours ago I finished my first working week in over five months. As blogs are so public I will not go into what I do where, it's more to let my readers know my change in situation. I'm glad of it. It is nice to have an income again that I earned myself, rather than have one handed to me by the government. It also adds a structure to my life that I believe will force me to make more effective choices in my free time.

The drawback is that since last night, my back is once again very sore, and I must presume that all the longterm sitting at work is responsible for this. I contacted an osteopath I have seen before but due to a history with a herniated disc, he does not feel confident that whatever he can do will have a positive effect. And I would so love to get my back sorted out so I can do everything from sitting at work to an active day outdoors without having to worry when my pain is going to ruin my concentration or my fun.

Another effect of being back at work is that it really makes me think about the future. When I was on my own for most of the time, I did my own thing whenever I wanted, which allowed for much more living in the moment. Now I see people around me from all walks of life and it makes me thing about what I can do and what I want to do. I am very insecure: if I hear of one person failing at something I have not done before, I become convinced that I too will fail. It's a very irrational thought because although I have certainly failed where others have succeeded, I have more often succeeded where many have failed. I passed my driving test the first time, got my degree in the three years that are in it, roasted a perfect Turkey last Christmas and have many other achievements and talents under my belt. My husband says I can do anything I put my mind to and he may not be 100% right but when I really apply myself, I do not tend to fail. I also have to believe that when I do my best and I fail, the situation was not right for me, rather than me not being right for it. As Einstein said: "Everybody is a genius but if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree it will spend its entire life thinking it is stupid". And I am still searching for that perfect fit, that water to my fish. Currently I am considering graphic design as I hope it could provide me with a career that combines the stability of working for a company with the creative outlet of art and design. I also like the idea of publishing: I love to edit, in fact I can't help but edit when I see a grammar or spelling error. Perhaps technical writing or translations (being bilingual helps here) are options to consider. Other things I love are art, animals and products. Hopefully the situation will present itself when I am ready. For now I can develop myself in my current job. I would just like to work toward something.

But the next best thing is looking forward toward something! This week my husband and I booked a B&B in Bath, a place we have been before, but this time will be different. Instead of flying, which I hate, we will be taking the car across the Irish sea by ferry which will provide us with unlimited freedom in what we want to see! Glastonbury town, Exmoor and Exmoor Zoo, the Cotswolds and many other sights are on the cards. There is something about the area of the UK I just love so I am convinced it is going to be fantastic.

  Our holiday is not until October though so there is a lot of time to fill in Ireland! There are a few festival I want to attend around the country and I'd really like to be a bit more social. My unemployment made me something of a hermit and made me intolerant towards people but being part of a team again has made me realise that I can enjoy the company of people and people enjoy my ocmpany in turn. I just need a bit of a push.

I expect that from next week I will want to go out and be seen and smelled because I have a Lush Cosmetics order on the way, courtesy of my dear husband! It includes mascara, lip colour, a shower gelly, and two bath items AND a bottle of shower gel for the mister himself. All the items I am getting will be my first time using them, so I will definitely review them here as part of my cruelty free lifestyle.

The last thing I want to talk about it my art. Spring has sprung in Ireland and I am feeling heavily inspired by bird song and flowers. I am thinking a brightly coloured Art Nouveau or stained glass style piece with snowdrops and long tailed tits.

But for now I am going to give myself a much needed manicure with a neutral polish by Elysambre. Hopefully I will update again soon with some images.

Thanks for reading!
Dutchess

Escapism

This is the view from my sitting room window right now:

 

It looks pretty nice and normally it is but the rain and wind don't come out in the photo. For that and so many other reasons I could really do with a trip away. It is absolutely not an option right now but sometimes dreaming about where to go can be just as nice. So I reckon blogging a holiday wishlist will give me something to look forward to. So here goes, in order of achievability:

Dingle, Co. Kerry, Ireland. One of the few places in this country I have not even come close to visiting yet. I hear fantastic things about Dingle as well as its surrounding countryside. And I really want to see Fungi the dolphin while he is still within this plain of existence.

Castlefest, Lisse, The Netherlands. Or really any other medieval fantasy festival in my home country! The costumes, the music, the mead...magic. It is in August so gods willing, I might be able to go this year.

Dartmoor, Co. Devon, United Kingdom. Speaking of magic, look at this tree! Just one of the things the mysterious Dartmoor has to offer. Its zoo, its ponies, its plains, its forests...I wanna go there so bad.

The Black Forest, Germany. Forests are pretty much my favourite kind of place and I would love to again visit a large one. I have never paid my home land's biggest neighbour a proper visit and I think the Black Forest would be the perfect way to change that.

Scandinavia and Finland. Particularly an Ice Hotel in one of those places. It just looks so...cool!

Transylvania, Romania. North and East Europe are still decidedly undiscovered by me. Transylvania just looks so beautiful and it tickles my imagination. There is a place to stay that has an actual count for a host!

New Zealand. Middle-Earth itself. It's the dream. I don't even know that much about the place because I think too much research would make the want to go there unbearable. Typing it into Google Images speaks for itself.

So there we have it. The list I will turn to when I'm in the mood for daydreaming.