Friday 20 September 2013

Next Chapter

I was blessed enough to go on a mini adventure recently and I fully intend on blogging about my awesome experiences in deepest darkest Wales, jelly-fish hunting in wonderful wonderful Copenhagen and of course my little splish in Eindhoven (followed by the extended mooch round Amsterdam).

However, life has other plans for me.  It is in a state of shift at the minute and everything is a little chaotic with no routine just yet. 

My secondment is coming to an end - next week in fact.  I have 2 shifts left to work.

I can't begin to explain how mixed my feeling are about this.
I will miss the kids. A very large lot. There will be a little hole in my life - I know other kids will fill it, but I have loved a couple of these kids for a long time now. 
I was originally seconded for 3 months - that was 2 n half years ago....

I have been on a bumpy journey at the Home I work in currently.  Its been hard.  There have been a million managers (slight exagggeration, there have been 756, 329). There have been battles with kids, other professionals, neighbours and staff alike.  There have been poor Ofsted reports which we have turned around to be good across the board.  There have been tears and fighting and giggles and holibobs.
There are now friendships with people who radiate warmth and loveliness from every pore - they are outstanding at their job.  I truely hope their shiny doesn't get dulled in the years to come by the cynics.

I went in with the intention of infecting some people with my eternal optimism. 
I know I have been successful on some level.  I know I have touched a few lives in a positive way.  I can see it happening and there have been shifts in attitude in staff, calmness in the kids.
I hope it lives on after I have gone - and I think it will. 

I wanted to turn the Ofsted around and that has been accomplished, the kids have left school and started college.  My work here is done.


The next chapter sees me going back to my old place of work as Residential Care Officer.  I get to play out with the kids again. Whoop!!! New lives to infect with magic and mentalness.

The team hasnt changed much since I have been away - so I know what I am going into.  I know who will bitch and bite, who will poke and provoke, who will laugh and love.

However, I am not the person I was.  I have grown so very much, I have grown in every way.
In the years that I have been away, I found the courage to face the skeletons that were living in my cupboard and destroyed the demons.  I have set goals and achieved them... and I am still growing.

Half Outlaw 2014 is entered, I am giving thought to which will be my full Ironman in 2015, I have been saving for the World Masters next year, and I have agreed to one way Windemere next year.  I need to find, no, make, time to train.... and sleep.    

My life is full.  Very full.

I have applied for another secondment as deputy - this time part time, so if I am successful, my role and buildings will be split (God knows how that will work - shifts in 2 locations?!? WT actual F??)
I have just been offered a place at Uni part time to complete a management qualification, I am starting my swimming coaching qualification soon.... and somewhere in that I need time for my friends - who of course have full complicated lives.....   That doesn't even include time for sitting in front of the fire painting, reading and contemplating why my bellybutton fluff is always the same colour.
I am a little bit sad to be leaving - but i know i will be leaving a little bit of myself behind and moving forwards - and in this case, it literally means taking a step back.

If I don't get the secondment post, that will be fine. 

I have enough going on to keep me out of trouble..... for now at least.

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