Nothing like a beautiful week in sunny Scotland to clear ones mind and put into perspective ones goals.
There comes a time in every girls life when she needs to decide. Decide who she is and how she wants to live. Until now I have pretty much sailed my way through school, failed my way through college and faked my way through university. Not having ever really given a thought as to why I'm making any of my choices other than because someone said I Oort to.
It was a bright cold Scottish afternoon, high up in Cairngorms National Park on Wednesday the 19th of September 2012. I don't know quite how I had gotten myself into the predicament of telling a complete stranger secrets which I'd kept so buried before now that even I didn't recognise their impact. But I had. And there they were. Suddenly. Right in front of my face. I finally realised it is MY life. It's not that I hadn't heard the saying before or talked the talk. I knew the rhetoric; like a well rehearsed politician I fitted in and was elected as friend and lover. I acted out the speeches in social situations and passed each 'moment' with flying colours. I was loved and praised, and cheered and admired. And that's the tragedy. If you can be so great while your being so fake dealing with the surface then why learn? Why scrape off the polish, why dig through the dirt and find your inner diamond? Well I'm not actually sure what the answer is yet... or if there is one, but I'm digging anyway, because something happened on that mountain. Something that had nothing to do with anyone else but me, and it set my mind a racing.... So NOW, now I've seen, I'm making a plan (not just one), I'm making a plan with purpose and I know WHY.
This Blog is about making small steps (or Shufferlin') towards my big goals in four main areas of my life so that progress is slow and steady like the tortoise, and falling backwards is not very far and more like landing on a white fluffy cloud. Don't you just love flying above the clouds? My four areas of interest are Career, German, Vegan and Style and I'm giving myself a week to decide how I'd like to approach each area of interest.
Week one: Career
The biggest problem right now in my life is that at 28 I'm living at home paying a pittance to my parent's to cook, clean and part-dictate my life plan. The first step out of this somewhat charitable and somewhat tragic arrangement is to find myself a Career. A Career is not just a job that earns money; it's a vocation, a calling, something you can't stay away from. It's a love that drives you wake up everyday and the money comes easily, because you'd gladly show up on your day off. A Career is defiantly NOT selling chocolate bars, it is certainly NOT doing what someone else tells you and it really isn't boring.
Monday's shuffle: hand in application for Swimming Teacher job to remember the joy of teaching again.
Tuesday's shuffle: research study/work options in Germany. Cities, courses, universities, jobs
Wednesday's shuffle: Research house share options Germany. Cost, facilities.
Thursday's shuffle: Research study/work options in London
Friday's shuffle: Research house share options London. Cost, facilities.
This weeks small step: to decide by Sunday what I want to do. Work or Study. London or Germany. Nurse or Teach.
Week two: German *Introduction coming soon*
Monday's Shuffle: Research learning German in England
Tuesday's Shuffle: Research jobs I can do now in Germany
Wednesday's Shuffle: Research courses to take in England and the cost and location
Thursday's Shuffle: Research courses to start in Germany, cost and location
Friday's Shuffle:
Week three: Vegan
I am and have been an omnivore all my life. My parent's were omnivores and my Grandparents too. Or am I just behaving like one? I have always eaten what ever was prepared or given to me without much thought about where it has come from and with more thought placed on upon how it tasted. I have often met people (and even have a few friends) who are vegetarian or vegan and always been interested in their views and why they choose to think about what they eat and stick to certain rules, which of course sometimes can put you out of the social loop when it comes to ordering in restaurants or eating with friends who have given food no second thought. I have always enjoyed trying new things when it came to food, again more for taste than for health or kindness to animals, and when with vegan or vegetarian friends I would prefer to follow suit rather than eat meat in front of them. Over time I have (albeit by accident) discovered that enjoy a wide range of vegetarian and vegan alternatives. I like soya milk, I enjoy cooking with tofu (when i don't mess it up), I couldn't live without salad and vegetables. Working in a book shop has it's advantages and thinking more about broadening my diet I found some books on healthy eating as a vegan and eating raw foods. I now plan to research these food options and find out for real if I'm an omnivore, vegetarian, vegan or all three depending on the time of day ;). There is of course some consideration about the welfare of animals is this decision. I also aim to find out how I really feel about animals being farmed and used for human consumption and dairy products. As this may have an impact on what I deem to be acceptable. My health is important and I don't want to become anaemic or at risk of contracting osteoporosis as I get older so if there are changes to be made in the future they will be slow and with a nutritional alternative.
Tuesdays shuffle: Find out where the shops I shop at get their milk and eggs and how these animals are kept.
Wednesday's shuffle: Find out if there any cases of women being vegan for a prolonged period of time without health compromises. Find alternative sources of iron.
Thursday's shuffle: If women of my age really must eat meat occasionally for optimum health find out where I can buy organically and humanly raised and butchered meat. And how often/scarcely I have to eat it.
Friday's shuffle: Make a week long meal plan including vegetarian, vegan and raw food options (meat too if applicable) and then go shopping!! :D
Week four: Style *Introduction coming soon*
