I’ve had the notion recently that I’d like to start blogging again. After college, proper adult life set in and instead of having tons of free time suddenly I was working, fulfilling my cat-mum duties, moving house, finally kicking my arse into gear with getting my driving licence…
So yeah, it’s been a busy (almost) 2 years since I’ve last come on here and blogged! I have lots to tell you – if anyone is still reading, that is. I find it hard to believe how much my life has changed for the better in not even 2 years. Global pandemic aside, a lot has happened. I think the last time I blogged I had just finished college. I got a temporary job that went from being a 6 week contact to 6 months. I graduated in October 2019 with a First Class Honours Ordinary Degree in Digital Marketing. In December of 2019 I had my exams and interview for a permanent position in the Civil Service, which I’d applied for back in 2018.
In February of 2020 I started said job, and have been happily working there ever since. I genuinely love my job and I’m extremely grateful to have secured a job weeks before the whole Coronavirus thing got real and we went into lockdown. I have to say it was daunting enough starting a new job let alone working from home a few weeks later with a whole new system. This is my first permanent job so you can imagine how much of a shock to the system it all was! Still, I got through it, and here we are over a year later.
What else do I have to tell you? In the summer of 2019 Laurence and I got another kitty to add to our little family. We now have two cats: Luna and Seamus, the latter of who is a nutter, to put it politely. After he eats his breakfast and dinner he’ll meow at the top of his little lungs downstairs as if to say “Where are you?!” and then will run around, usually bashing into things and jumping on to the shelves in my wardrobe. We’ve also had to start cat-proofing the kitchen after cooking because he eats EVERYTHING. And I mean everything. He’s a bit of a fiend for garlic mayonnaise, curry sauce and tofu… He takes after his human mother I guess 😉
In the summer of 2020 Laurence and I moved into a house in the estate we were already living in. We moved from an apartment to a proper house with a garden which in the middle of the pandemic was a lifesaver, especially with me working from home. Going from a small apartment to a proper home has been amazing. We’ve had immense joy from doing up the garden and doing various projects around the house to occupy our time. I’ve been upping my upcycling game, which I’ll be sure to blog about soon! If anything sits still for long enough in this house it gets painted, it’s an unspoken rule now.
In the winter of 2020, after a few cancellations, I finally got a date set for my driving test and it was all systems go. With the help of an amazing driving instructor in Roscommon (Derek’s Driving School if you’re looking for an instructor in the area), and my wonderfully supportive boyfriend who stepped in as co-driving instructor every day after work, I practiced and practiced and practiced. It was my second test, the first of which was in 2019 in Sligo which was one of the most horrific things I’ve ever done. This time, I was desperate to get my licence so I didn’t have to wait around after work for 2 hours for a lift home, or walk in the rain to get shopping. In the build up to my test I was so nervous I could barely function. On the day of my test I’ll never forget how doomed I felt. Despite feeling like I had done plenty of practice and acing my reverse around the corner every time, on the day of my test I felt like I’d completely forgotten how to drive and I was sure I’d fail. Not to mention it was a lunchtime test, the younger kids were finishing school and the older ones were on lunch, and it was the rainiest day we’d had all year. Also, Roscommon has about 50,000 roundabouts…
After getting over the fact I had to wear a mask provided by the RSA and couldn’t wear my special mask that didn’t fog my glasses up, I reluctantly did the driving test, which took about 50 minutes but felt like it was about 4 hours. I made a couple of mistakes during the test, and at a few points when I saw the tester tapping on her iPad I just thought ah feck it, I’ve failed already, may as well just get it over with. When we got back to the test centre the tester said to me “Well you can relax now…”, I thought she was just going to say “…because the test is finished”, but to my surprise and delight she said “…because you’ve passed your driving test”. I nearly collapsed, cried and hugged her all at the same time. It was like an immense weight had just been lifted off my shoulder. This huge roadblock that had been hanging over my head was finally over!
Because of the restrictions Laurence couldn’t wait in the car or at the centre for me, so I hadn’t seen him since before my pre-test lesson. I walked out of the driving test centre and saw him in front of me. He’d watched me drive back to the centre and made sure he was there when I walked out. As soon as I saw him I said “I passed!!” and we both started crying happy tears and hugging. And the rest, as they say, is history! I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my newfound freedom, driving myself to and from work, the shops, wherever I please (COVID permitting of course). Due to the restrictions and the fact I got my licence in November I unfortunately haven’t been able to go on roadtrips or go properly shopping, or even bring my friends places, but I’m looking forward to those days whenever they may be.
Aside from all of that, last year Laurence and I resolved that we’d both start a weight loss journey for real this time. We joined Slimming World and he lost 2.5 stone while I lost 1 st 11lb. We slipped off the slightest bit due to lockdown struggles but since January of this year have gotten back on the horse. Since January I’ve lost 1st and Laurence has lost 1st 10lbs. I still have around 3 stone 5lbs to lose but I feel extremely committed to it now. I don’t want to go back to the way I was and how I felt at my heaviest. I’m thoroughly enjoying coming up with new recipes and new meal ideas and incorporating them into my weight loss plan. Stay tuned for more on that also!
So I think that’s all my news. If you’re still reading after all that I commend you! Like I said, a lot happened since my last blog in 2019…
I hope you’ll come back and continue reading. And I hope I’ll come back and continue writing! I have content planned based around food, weight loss, fashion, upcycling and just general random ramblings. After all, that’s what this blog is all about.
Until next time, and take care in these crazy times.
L x
life according to lucy 