Perhaps the last 9 months could be one way. Yes it has been that long since I updated this site. It has been a relatively insane 9 months. Who would willingly choose to do what I did last year.
Let’s start at the beginning I created Jinjerli because I had an epiphany, and A LOT of spare time to dedicate to it. Why did I have a lot of time? Well, I think the universe knew I needed that time, and therefore work dried up. Unfortunately work drying up isn’t great for the bank balance and after a wee while I started looking outside my self-employed status for a job. This was back in April I think. All the while I was continuing to exercise and be healthy in general.
I applied for many jobs, as you do. But this one job was especially appealing. Teaching and Research assistant in design. I got an interview. YAY! At the interview they mention there is another position available as a lecturer in web design. This would be a considerable promotion from the job I applied for. What’s the issue then? Well, ME!. I am quite scared of public speaking, I would never stand up in front of a group of people voluntarily and generally I would avoid it at all costs. But I said yes. I was in a yes frame of mind. ‘Yes’ was leading me forward.
But, it was not to be. I got a call, I didn’t get the job. I don’t know if you’ve ever been through the job hunting emotions, but it is hard. Really hard. You scrawl the ads, you find something you think you can do, you adjust your CV and write that selly cover letter, then you may or may not get a call, or an interview, and then the rejection. See, the interview went well. I was pretty sure I had the job. And then the call that said I didn’t. I was like if I didn’t get that job, where to now, I’d exhausted the current offerings in my market. I cried, I went into problem solve mode, hubby and I got pretty deep into our options (this was over a 30 minute period), and we floated the move back to OZ idea. We started to get cemented on it, the financial benefits were there, me being closer to family was there, it set my mind down that track.
Then – 30 mins later – I got a call. It was an apologetic call, I had got a job, just not the job I had applied for. I got the more senior role – the lecturing position. I got off the call, and I was all, now what? I had just gone through all the mental gymnastics, to solve the problem, and now I had a job. I liked that other plan. Going back to Oz, it was a good option. But now wasn’t the time. And the position was a great opportunity. That’s what I kept telling myself as I freaked out over the months to come. I was going to be a teacher. Eeek!
I won’t go into much detail about the job apart from to describe what it meant for me over the next 6 months.
- 7 day a week intensity of lesson planning, research and teaching - I really do mean 8 hour+ days 7 days a week
- Confronting fears, facing imposter syndrome - High stress for weeks on end
- Learning I can do anything - If I did that, walked into a room and taught, then I really am capable of so much
- Loss of fitness - I had made so much progress, but then my work schedule, and injuries plagued me.
In amongst all the teaching, and a few more pushes from the universe we found ourselves planning to move back to Australia. The logistics were intense, as we went through the process of selling and packing our possessions, all while our rental was also on the market.
The crossover time, to finish teaching and school (for the kid) , and then pack, fly, find a rental (in this market eek) and get kid enrolled for the new year, plus keep up with our client work was trying but we got there.
At some point in there I realised I could now rest. I truly had not had a full day off in more than 6 months. I could stop, breathe and realise I had got through, I had survived, I was clear, and I know it’s a bit clichēd, but, yeah I’m stronger for it.
I did have a lot of support during this time. Hubby as always there for me, but I also had another new form of support that I will talk about soon.
So there’s my wee update. More to come on some developments, where I am fitness-wise, and our new abode.
