Wake up and smell the coffee
There are times in each of our lives where we come to an epiphany, this may be through a momentous event or it may be a slow burn, happening without notice over weeks and months only to suddenly become clear. I have had one of the second of these.
I moved jobs in January, one corporate world to another. I had hoped that this would be a great move; a well-known company, good ish-location and an opportunity to get on while getting a good salary. Sadly, these things are not always as they seem.
Personally, I have issue with some of the cultural norms present in the firm. I loved my previous company dearly as integrity was at the heart of all that they did; the same is not true of this firm.
On top of these concerns over the company, the more I age the more I feel that I want to be true to myself. The corporate world has looked after me for a good number of years and, don’t get me wrong, you enjoy the perks that come with working in big business. However, I want to be able to dress how I wish, have my tattoo’s on show, dye my hair whatever colour takes my fancy and know that it won’t cost me my job or that next promotion.
I know what my ideal job would be (organising tattoo conventions and/or working on the marketing for an “alternative” magazine or brand) but I also know that these are rare. Maybe this year becomes the year that I focus on finding the career that I really want to do rather than achieving success in a corporate world that I care less and less about.
Conflicted
My friends and I have reached the age where engagement, marriage and babies are the norm. Three engagements in the last nine months, two pregnancies in the last five and one baby already this year – and that is all just between 10 of us!
One of my very good friends recently got engaged, so recently I haven’t yet managed to see her face to face, to give my congratulations and coo over the ring. She sent me a message this morning, double-checking our wedding date as her and, her now, fiancé are planning to wed three weeks before.
Am I being childish by feeling a little put out at a good friend choosing a date within the same month as our wedding? Our friendship groups have a great deal of overlap; I would estimate that more than half of the people attending our wedding, will also be attending hers.
Two weddings in one month seems to be a large expense to ask of people as well as the potential clashes of our hen do’s and other preparations. I am overjoyed that they are getting married and can’t wait to go to their wedding but… and that says it all really… but.
I will only have one wedding, one special day that is all about me and he and our lives together and with a close friend getting married only three weeks before, I can’t help but feel we will each distract from one another’s day. That feels like a great shame to me.
Plus it means I better get my butt in gear and get the save the date cards sent out!!
Spread sheets, as far as the eye can see.
I have been mocked by many so far for having spread sheets for our wedding planning, currently (given we are over a year away from the big day) there are six pages within my “Planning” document and I have come to realise that this simple little (ok well actually quick complicated) file is my saving grace.
By having everything listed in one place, people, costs, deadlines and a tracker of what has and hasn’t yet been done, the pressure is off. I know that by mid-December I will need to have ticked of numbers x through y on my list and that I can print it out and stick it on our fridge for the final few weeks of planning. The time may come that I share this doc with the wider world but for now its like my little crutch, along with this blog, that are the digital notebook and mood board that I would have pulled together if I was doing this ten years ago.
The exciting news, which is what has made me remember to write an update for today, is that today will see a new sheet start – honeymoon planning options and costs. Since Comic Con 2013 sold out within about thirty minutes, we will now need to think of other options, we can’t just book a trip to the USA on the off chance that this time next year we would manage to get tickets.
Unless one of us becomes a TV or film star or writes an amazing comic book within the next six months then I think Comic Con will remain an unfulfilled dream.
