Today is Wednesday 2nd January 2012. I am at work alone in the office for a family of philanthropic electricians and decided today was the day I would take my first steps to growing up. I intend to do this by trying to get to know myself better, to learn my strengths and weaknesses and not feel like an outcast or a cliche when making decisions, which sounds easy but I have been finding it rather difficult. My usual method of coping has lost its appeal and merely cocoons me in a blissful green smog, leaving problems to fester out of sight, but not this year.
I graduated last June after passing myself from course  to course like an unloved foster student, finally crawling out of further education with a 2:2 in Linguistics (with both the grade and the course being under appreciated) . This infuriated me as I was 0.68 points from a more respectable 2:1 and the University offered no help or apologies or hope, to be honest. It was this fury that cemented my notion of travelling, as I evidently was not set out to be the next Noam Chomsky I thought I'd bide my time with a bit of sight seeing and soul searching. But to frivolously travel the globe I would inevitably need funds.
My ability to become stoic with a warming smile ensured me an administrative job in Manchester city centre for Hobs Reprographics, an awful money squeezing company with a wheezy, morbidly obese 'catch you next Tuesday' boss and employees who would bitch viciously out of earshot and display looks of modest panic in presence of a manager. I upsold, telesold, learnt about gsm's and steadtler pens and simpered to simpletons to get them to spend more money (my role in this company was to sell ordinary stationary with a 40% increase and make it seem like a bargain). People liked me, one lady even bought chocolates and named her cutting mat after me, which I know is strange but I am taking it as a compliment. After 3 months my manager, who had been with the company for over a decade, was let go whilst on paternity leave by the regional manager who stepped in to take his place (envision a suit with a cauliflower balanced on the collar). A month later I was made redundant during lunch, I was given no reason, just 'I don't feel you are right for the position' after 4 months of me doing the job. Whilst my colleague was taken out for Starbucks I was taken out back and shot. I later found out the company was losing money and our skeleton staff was plumped up by me who earnt £3k more a year than my counterpart. As I'd say (quietly to myself) you can't spell Hobs without BS.
There is more to this tale but for now this will suffice, a week later I decided to dawdle to the job centre to sign on and walked past this office with a sign in the window saying 'Full time office administrator required'  and I walked in said 'I am an office administrator looking for full time work' feeling like a superhero revealing their secret identity, and somehow invited myself for a trial day and was employed a mere 10 days after being let go, so with holiday pay and notice I didn't miss a payment to my escape fund! I have been hiding £400 a month from myself in a separate account and have so far saved £2700. My goal is £6000 by July and I should be ok if I stick to the plan and stop thinking of myself as another travelling graduate. I should really get back to work now...Speak soon, H xoxox