British Expats - Just popping in to say hi!

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Just popping in to say hi!

Hello everyone

Not been on here for a while so thought I'd drop by, lots has happened so here I go with the latest!

Well its been nearly 4 months now since I lost my Dad, I'm still grieving and I still miss him every single day BUT I am truly grateful I came back when I did and got to spend that last precious year with him. I spend a lot of time with my Mum atm, she has been so brave but she needs support so my sister and I take it in turns to stay over during the week. We have organised a family holiday for next year as well, we still feel completely shell shocked but we will cope, we are so close and are always there for each other.

So work, what happened there I hear you ask?! Well thats a bloomin tale and a half let me tell you lol! Went for that job in Leicester and it was awful, they were SO rude to me at the interview and told me the promised uni course would only be available if "they got funding" - hmmmmmm! I was so peed off when I left, waste of time and petrol tbh but I know things have a way of working out so I just had to ride it out, being careful with money and picking up a few days teaching as and when.

Then out of the blue my former company phoned, could I please do a last minute emergency job for them leaving in two hours???!!! Wanted to tell them to poke it but it was in the Caribbean and great money so I swallowed my pride and was on the 1700 flight to New York before I could say @#$##@#!

It was a great trip, lovely American crew and I had so much fun with them, especially the divers who were a bunch of lunatics! Had a wonderful crew change drinking cocktails in the rooftop pool in Trinidad and then, as I was flying home via St Lucia, I asked the company to stagger my flights and I got a three day stopover in SL on my way home! One of the girls from the boat came with me so we had a lot of fun :thumbsup: They wanted me back but I actually got into uni to study to be a Paramedic Practitioner so,sadly, I had to say my goodbye to them.

I had a month off when I got home so I went to Biarritz, which was wonderful, then I went for another job and........... I only bloomin got it! I'm currently training to be an NHS 111 Clinical Advisor, only working part time once the training is finished plus the odd teaching gig to pay my way through uni. My course is part time as well so its quite doable, I just have to be organised and make sure I get plenty of rest on my days off! Its not too far from home either so alls well that ends well! As a quick aside two people on my course got the job that I went for in Leicester and they hate it so there you have it - it wasn't meant to be ;)

My social life is picking up, my (gentle!) persistence with calling/texting/coffee mornings with friends is finally paying off. I have made a lovely new friend through another friend who only lives 15 mins away from me so we hang out, do lunch and the three of us have a few plans for concerts/pub nights etc locally which is such a blessing! Still heard hide nor hair from my former bestie but not that bothered anymore, she was so high maintenance its probably for the best that friendship finally came to an end after all.

Atm I'm quite contented, things will settle down and I'll have more time to myself once this initial training is finished, its 5 times a week so I have very little time off right now but thats only temporary. This time next year, if everything works out, I'll be a qualified paramedic/offshore medic/paramedic practitioner/NHS Clinical Advisor and first aid/FAW/FPOS trainer. I've learnt the hard way not to put all my eggs in one basket and to be able to diversify as a freelance medic.

My yearning for Oz rears its head now and again but that is becoming less frequent, I'm slowly making a life for myself here and things are improving. I've lost a fair amount of weight and I feel much healthier than I did a year ago, I bought my first pair of skinny jeans last week which made me feel like a million dollars!!! :nod:

So lessons learned? Well expect to have a bit of a crisis at some point, when things go Pete Tong its very tempting to look back through the good ol' rose tinted specs. Everything works out eventually, you always end up where you are meant to be and whats for you won't pass you by. Its ok to strive for what you want but if it doesn't feel right/work out have a bit of faith, let go and see where life takes you - leap and the net will appear!

Well hope you are all doing well and enjoying life, my life isn't 100% perfect and its been a proper rollercoaster ride this year but its all kinda worked out ok really!