Thursday 29 July 2010

Bittersweet

This week has been one of the most emotional weeks I’ve ever experienced. The fact I’ve graduated has finally sunk in as we finish off our intern projects, and the rest of the office prepares for its closure tomorrow. Thank you and farewell cards have been signed, hugs and words of encouragement have been exchanged and tears have been shed.

I have no idea what I’m doing for a living until I get a job. I’m applying for all sorts of things, I have the intention to write articles and send them off in the hope someone will publish them. I want to build up a portfolio so I can start getting paid for my work. I will get work experience in publishing houses – keeping my hand in an industry which may move up to the North West in the next coming years. I’m waiting for the BBC to commence recruitment for the Administration section of their Salford Quays development, and somehow, among all this, I will save up for my flat with James and keep writing fiction (again, submitting stories until someone publishes me. I will get published!).

Now the majority of my work for the Lancashire Cookbook has been completed, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the last few years because in all honesty, I haven’t had much time to and putting it into writing helps so I have something to look back on.

I’ve grown in confidence as far as my writing is concerned and as a person. I am more confident because I believe in myself and know that I am capable of anything. Learning to love myself is probably the highest hurdle I’ve had to overcome but once I got over it, the rest was a doddle. So many friends, old and new have helped me along this amazing journey. I’ve watched some of these friends on their own journeys, becoming mothers, wives and successful in whatever they’ve done.

I’ve fallen in love with the most amazing man in the whole world – in fact he has become my world.

And best of all; I’ve made my friends and family really proud of me and the fact I have no job lined up just yet hasn’t stirred any judgements, accusations or negative feelings within any of them. They’re just proud of what I’ve achieved and that will always mean a lot to me.

It’s the end of an era and I’m a quivering wreck of emotion which is sadness, anxiety and happiness.

3 comments:

  1. Hi Claire!

    Thanks so much for becoming a follower! I appreciate it. (Were you aware your readers have to click on the "mature content" button to get in? Just curious. Since my kids sometimes look into my followers, I usually don't join such sites, but I couldn't find anything here too racy!)

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  2. You've done really well, Claire, I've watched you mature over these last three years, and seen your confidence grow - and as for James ... well, he's lovely:-) The perfect job is waiting for you to discover it - keep looking xx

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  3. Aww thanks Christine - I think we've both grown in confidence as far as our writing is concerned.
    Betty, I don't write anything racy but I do swear occasionally so I set it to mature content to cover myself but if people think I'm writing porn no wonder I have few followers! I will get the hang of this blogging even if it kills me!

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