Call Me Nauczycielka...

Three weeks, countless clicks of the ‘refresh’ button,  a couple of tantrums and one email later I discover that I am officially going to be teaching in the beautiful country that is Poland in NINE weeks time!!! Pretty big jump for the girl who was dead set on moving to Edinburgh just five months ago...

I know that when I handed in my notice on my Aberdeen life I made this huge announcement that I was going to teach English in Poland and travel the world being fabulous, but a large part of me didn’t believe I actually would. For a minute there I had resigned myself to carry on being a receptionist bored out of my skull and settling here (this was in week two of clicking the ‘refresh’ button and losing all hope). Even now, as I sit here exhausted because I spent all night reading the Poland Lonely Planet guide, I don’t believe I’m going. Even getting the cutest card ever from my best ones and telling them all about it this weekend just passed hasn't let it sink in, nor did telling my boss today what my last day will be. None of these things are making the fact real. But the reality is bloody fantastic, i'nt it? I AM GOING TO TEACH IN POLAND.

So why Poland? Why not China, Japan, Korea, Thailand? All those places that seem to be crying out for EFL Teachers? Well I'm using my heritage as the main reason, but also this: I bloody love winter. You saw my blog last year, I am so excited for properly cold weather, fur hats, mittens, mulled wine, the Christmas markets in Krakow, a log cabin in the Tatra Mountains for a family Christmas. The only thing that might dampen my spirit is if Polish Starbucks don't do red cups.

It sounds cheesy, but for the first time in my life I am doing what I said I was going to. I'm pretty good at procrastinating, as we all know, of having an acute sense of 'I'll do it later' and 'I'll save up some money first', and the doozy of 'I'll just stay in Aberdeen one more year'. The most exciting and amazing thing is that 4 months ago I told all you lovely Aberdonian lot that I was going to move to Halifax in April, do my TEFL and go and teach in Poland. Well would you look at what I've gone and done?

But putting my love for Poland and it's prettiness aside, I will be devoting an entire culture-based lecture to butteries and crumpets, and just British food... whilst I eat pierogies.

Nom. 

Adventure Kat Goes Forth

So it’s been three weeks since I became English and I have learnt the following things:

1. The English/Scottish hatred seems to only be on the Scots side, the English love a Scottish accent.
2. You can’t beat the simple things in life, like the ability to go home and sit in front of the telly with a cup of tea.
3. Life isn’t the same without daily emails filled with cat memes.
4. The world isn’t as grey as Aberdeen led me to believe. In fact, there are other stones in the world other than granite.

It’s weird, it feels like my Aberdeen life was decades ago, and I am still having difficulty believing that I have actually moved. I know it doesn’t really seem like a big deal, but giving that I spent near enough 24 years living in Aberdeen and the shire it still doesn’t feel real. But you always get used to this sort of thing, I can’t remember now what it was like having my mum live in Ellon, her being in Halifax just feels natural, and one day, hopefully soon, not living in Aberdeen will no longer be this new thing I’m trying out, but just life. And also hopefully soon I will stop having dreams about butteries and no longer dread walking up a hill (which by the way is what Halifax is completely made up of.)

So yes, it’s been interesting living here. It’s kind of all fitting into place now, I found a job within just 2 weeks, and ok it’s not my dream job but it beats the dole queue any day. I have a routine with gym, swimming, TEFLing, and making pretty things in place. My room is fully unpacked (thank Christ for the 40 odd bin bags of crap I threw away in Aberdeen) and I’m ready to get a wriggle on and do something with my life other than administer other people’s gripes. I can’t help but wonder if I’m having some sort of quarter life crisis and I’m only going to live until I’m 96. I read a friend’s blog about them and the phases feel all too familiar to me;

Phase one: feeling 'locked in' to a job/relationship.

Phase two: growing sense that change is possible.
Phase three: building a new life.
Phase four: fresh and exciting commitments.

So basically, I’m in the middle of phase 3, and planning for phase 4. I’m not doing too badly considering I didn’t even know I was having one. In my opinion this crisis is inevitable for most twenty-odd year olds coming into the real world in this day and age. It’s great that we can do and be whatever we want to, but with so much choice out there the possibilities can get confused in our minds. Do I want to be a writer like I always said I did? Do I want to teach like everyone assumes I do? Do I want to follow my childhood dreams and become a ballerina/post lady? I don’t even know any more  I have very exact desires about how I want to look, and how I want my personality to be perceived, but what I want to do with the rest of my life? The jury’s still out on that one.

But as some wise person who I found quoted on an artistic picture on Pinterest once said: we must take adventures to find where we truly belong. And to be honest, if we translate that to travelling across Europe teaching English as a foreign language for ‘a while’ (as my vague timescale dictates) then this whole quarter life crisis thing ain’t too shabby at all.

 

You can read about Katy’s quarter life crisis here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/katy-campbell/quarter-life-crisis_b_3043410.html

One Way Ticket.

Happy Wednesday beautiful people!

So it's official, the notice is in, the Facebook status is up, the TEFL is being worked on, the CV is sorted, and as of last night the one way ticket is booked.

I didn't realise it before, but there is really something so terrifying and yet so exciting at the same time about buying a one way ticket to somewhere a world away from what you're used to. I can barely even begin to imagine how getting on that train is going to feel.

You know in movies when something big happens in a character's life there is a montage moment with a seriously poignant soundtrack? Well I don't know about you but if I'm walking down a street listening to a particularly uplifting song, no matter what mood I'm in I always have a montage moment. Does anyone else do that or am I just a freak? (don't answer that)
So essentially, I know for a fact that when we're pulling out of Aberdeen station the headphones will be going in and a montage from the past twenty-four years of my life will be happening. I know I've ranted about living here, especially so in the past two years, but me and Aberdeen have had some good times, something tells me I might even come to miss it.

But for now I'm off to start a new life of adventures, changes, and a lot of jumping :) It's been fun Aberdeen, but it's time to live in a place a little less grey.

Onwards and upwards my lovelies, times are a'changing :)

Lots of love,

A very sleepy rambling Kat. xoxo

Raise Your Mince Pie to December!

At last, we have reached the momma of all months. It’s December beautiful people! And as I sit on the train to Edinburgh travelling back from what was a lovely weekend in West Yorkshire, eating a free mince pie and drinking a festive coffee I can’t help but feel a little thankful for everything this year has brought me. Sure, it’s definitely not been the best, but I’ll be damned if I don’t find something positive to take out of 2012. 

This year has been such a transition for me, it’s been about coming to terms with how life has changed, how people have changed, and it’s been about growing up. I think what’s resonated through everything I’ve done and thought aloud this year is the speech of ‘you’re only 23!’ and ‘you’re still young!’ Young and 23 I may be, but why would I let that stop me from planning my future, ensuring it’s the brightest I can make it? To me, there is nothing written in stone dictating how you should act at 23 or 43. People are different and these differences are to be celebrated rather than condemned. I’m not going to look back in 5 years and wish I’d spent more of my 24^th year of life drunk (let’s ignore the amount of wine I drink for now…) or less focussed, I’m going to be proud that my drive didn’t falter even during a tough year.

What’s comforting to remember is that as much as your life may change, those close relationships you’ve had since the beginning don’t, they evolve and grow as you do. Whether you go to China to teach, you go back to University, you become a soldier, you start an exciting new career or you continue working towards your dream, you still meet up and act as if you’ve just popped round for another cup of tea and chat as if it was yesterday. I think that’s what I’ve taken from this year the most, distance doesn’t alter a friendship, a change in your life doesn’t, only you can, and if something’s worth holding onto you bloody well don’t let go.

So we’re quickly moving towards 2013, and now would be the time where I talk about all the exciting things that are to come, but what’s different this year is that I don’t know what they are yet. But then that’s life, and to be honest, uncertainty can be the most terrifying and enthralling part. So no matter what happens in your 2013, whether it is good or bad, remember it begins and ends with fabulousness. Now go and drink some mulled wine, put on your best Christmas jumper and sit down with the people who matter. After all, isn’t that what this season (and life) is all about?


P.S. If you're wondering why the picture for this blog is Edinburgh, it's because nobody does Christmas and December quite like that beautiful city ♥  

It Should Be December.

Hello!

It's been a while, again. I know not many people read this but to those who do, I'm sorry for your lack of Kat posts.
So I started a new job about (exactly) 7 weeks ago now and as mental and as stressful as it has been I am loving it. Considering my plans for the future it is the best thing possible for me now, I just need to make sure I don't put all that well earned overtime into New Look. Though I do desperately need a winter coat. I love that I am able to say that now; autumn and winter are my all time favourite months, and these dark nights and cold mornings make me very happy. I suppose this is because I associate the seasons with home. Autumn will always remind me of long walks at Haddo House with my mum and my sister, collecting conkers and playing poo sticks, and winter is all about cosiness and cups of tea, planning Christmas and it being socially acceptable to stay in on a Saturday night. But as much as I love these seasons and the months that are to come I can't help but feel more homesick than I have in the past two and a half years. Every morning on my way to work I look at the departures board at the London train and think to myself 'fuck it, let's go'. A year and a half ago it would have almost have been possible, but with the ever increasing rail fares and the fact that I actually have a job now it's unlikely it will ever happen (although I just googled how far the airport is from my work, totally walking distance!). I suppose I'm slightly shocked that after all this time of living 363 miles away from my family I still get this gloomy and homesick. But anyway, when I do eventually go home this winter it'll be worth it. I have a weekend planning at the beginning of December to see my fabulous soldier of a sister off as she enters basic training (so proud!) and then two weeks at Christmas. We just need December to come by super quickly! (all you scrooges out there, mince pies are on sale right now, go get festive!).
So sappy homesick chat aside, I am so baffled at how people can hate Christmas? I know it's still 2 months away and it is still slightly early but come on! Hats, scarves, gloves, the red cups at Starbucks, toffee nut lattes, personalised Christmas trees, present shopping, occasional snowstorms, wellies, cosy coats, 'It's a Wonderful Life', writing the cards... everything! It's my favourite time of year, and I have a few special presents planned this year, so am starting them now. This has been a really pointless blog about winter but I think I'm just very excitable.

So apart from admiring beautiful coats that make my bank balance cry and making mental lists of what to I need to get sorted for Christmas there really isn't a lot to report. It is now officially six months until I leave Aberdeen (though I think with everything that's going on I may be staying til July, but we'll see!) and I'm excited and stressed by everything I still need to organise. This being said, thinking about my leaving party is a favourite daydream of mine now.

Until I actually start having an interesting life, I'm off again. Though I'm am considering turning this into a baking blog... hmmm...

Here's to the final countdown!

So it's been a long time yet again! Sorry guys. Since that deep blog in June it's been a busy and strange month and a half. But I'm not going to get too into that.

I went home last week and my sister sat me down and forced me to watch Bear Grylls' Born Survivor programme, and as we all know, once I get into something I become a little obsessive (This has nothing to do with how many times Bear takes his shirt off in the average episode!) Anyway needless to say it's giving me itchy feet again and the desire to go travelling, something which I have spoken a lot of in recent years and yet never gone to do. But wait, I'M LEAVING ABERDEEN NEXT APRIL! I have finally made the solid decision and nothing is going to change it now. Well a few things might but it's highly unlikely.

So where in the hell am I going? Well that's the question isn't it? So far I seem to have 2 options. One is apply the hell out of the British job market and move to where ever I find one, take it as fate, and move on. However since that's been my plan for 2 years now and has never been put into action. I can't help but think that my second route would be the best one. And that is get an internship abroad, probably teaching English. I don't only think it's what I need, it's what I've always dreamt of doing. At least I'd come back ready to take on the world, more motivated than ever, and having done something totally different.

You know what? I think I just made my decision. Gosh, why don't I blog more often? So basically that's it, I'm moving away, if I regret it I can always come back, but why the hell shouldn't I take the leap now when I have no ties? And then after that, who knows? As I said in my last post, life is too flipping short.

So guys, who's done an internship of some sort abroad, which would you recommend, any tips? Tell me all!

Until next time, Kat out xx

One Day

I'm not going to beat around the bush with this one guys; life's short, and you only get one. Over the past couple of months this has been consistently reminded to me, and every time it does it gets harder to comprehend.
We spend so much of our life worrying, and planning, and waiting. I sometimes think that we forget to live. As I discuss the future and what I want mine to be I am being constantly told that I am 'still young' and 'have a lifetime ahead of me'. Well I'm sorry to get morbid here, but what if I don't? I am all for enjoying life and living for the moment, but where do we draw the line? I am getting closer to a definitive decision on what I do next in life, next step is deciding when. I think for the most part I don't want to spend my life waiting for someday, and get too used to waiting. So much so that I never do it. I also don't want to spend so much time thinking and worrying about all this that it consumes me. I just want to live.
It seems to me that life is made by the people we have around us, and I think one of our main goals in life should be spending and enjoying our time with those most important to us. We affect other people's lives more than we ever realise, even people we only know for a day, a week, or just in passing; but it's those relationships, even the slightest ones that mould our lives into what they are, and what they can be. Having ambition is good, but our successes in life and work and education would be nothing without the people we have celebrating and experiencing it all with us.
Time passes quickly and we only have a short time on this planet, and with the people in our lives, and so I think we need to find a balance between living for the moment, living for our loved ones, and living for our future.
However you find your balance I hope you manage to spend everyday with a smile on your face, because I have finally realised that life is way too short and fragile not to love as many moments of it as physically possible.
Find your balance, find your love, and find a way to leave a bloody good legacy behind you.







For you. To our good days, let's forget the rough ones. You will be sorely missed. Much love E.L. ♥