Memoirs Of A Graduate

I haven’t blogged in quite some time. There’s a couple of reasons.

1.       I cut my fingertip off. As you probably know I’m no stranger to injury. I have considered asking about a Loyalty Fast track pass at A&E. But the funny thing is that I’ve felt more incapacitated with my fingertip than I did with say; a broken neck. I always thought it would be the other way round but the only thing my neck has stopped me from doing is – moshing, skydiving. Not every day stuff. My finger on the other hand; typing, cooking, bathing. Pretty much everything really. It’s much better now, bar limited feeling in the tip itself but I can use it again. Which is why I'm blogging again.

2. I've been bloody busy. Work has been arduous lately, more so than usual. It seems to never stop. Even when I come home there's always something - cleaning, food shopping, some errand to run. I think this is what adulthood is now. It's no wonder my parents used to enjoy holidays quite so much. Hell I know I need one.

But if there is one thing I'm intent on making time for in my busy little hive; it's people. So any time I do have a spare minute I'm making plans, seeing friends.

3. I wasn't sure what to say, reading back they were getting pretty repetitive. All about the ups and downs of life, the bad luck but the keeping positive. In that respect nothings changed, my current mantra is - 'fluctuat nec mergitur' - she who is tossed by the waves but does not sink; a keeping positive is working, I feel happier as a person. I'm actually learning it's easier to ignore the waves, they don't toss you as much then. Just swim into a calmer bit of sea. 

So what's been going on in the calmer seas? 

I’ve had two photoshoots both of which proved a challenge in my modelling career. The first was  Harlequin shoot which was a full body paint shoot, I spent five hours in hair and makeup. The biggest challenge presented itself though when throughout modelling there are some key basics – stand up tall, be graceful, elegant, if your bending your body should curve, flow. For the Harlequin we wanted distorted. Broken limbs, snapped out at every angle. Jointy angles. Posing didn’t come as naturally. Nevertheless I was really pleased with the results.  

The second shoot was an Avant Garde hair shoot. I had the pleasure of working with Karen Evans Hair Stylist. We met last year on a shoot, oddly she wasn’t doing my hair at the shoot in question I had a different stylist and she a different model, but we clicked and have worked together a few times since.  She’s a very positive person, and I find they’re easier to be around with the new mantra. If you hang around with negative people you find yourself swimming upstream fighting it. Anyway! The shoot itself was a challenge because I was wearing a headpiece of 5/6 layers. You’ll know from balancing anything on your head you tend to keep quite stiff. Which again, trying to look elegant while holding yourself stiff isn’t the easiest thing. But nevertheless I enjoyed the shoot and can’t wait to see the final pics.

 I spent one weekend down in Burton visiting Sam which was lovely. I’ve known Sam now for coming up to six years which is kind of weird – I always sort of thought as people I knew from Waterloo/school as old friends, and people in my life from uni onwards as ‘new’ friends – but there’s nothing new about them anymore. He’s become an old friend, but remains one of my closest. As long as I’ve known him he always comes to Liverpool for visits so I finally agreed to go and actually visit him.  It was a lovely weekend, it was so nice to have a change of scenery, and a break away. Sure Burton is hardly Barbados but it still felt like a holiday. And they serve drinks in tea cups, which is reason enough to go.

 

The final thing I’ve been doing with myself is making choices. There’s a famous poem, a favourite of mine by Robert Frost called The Road Not Taken. It’s about coming to the crossroads in life and how most people choose the same route rather than the route that’s uncertain. My own crossroads has split into three. I could keep on the road I’m on; working in a job I don’t really like and stresses me out; but it’s secure, and it pays the bills. That’s the route most would take, because in many respects it’s the easiest. 

Another fork leads off back into the world of education, and Genetics Counselling. Pursuing something I’m really passionate about;  but taking a step back financially, and not even guaranteeing myself employment.

 Then there’s option three, even more of a risk, but at the moment, what I’m veering towards. I’ve got a pretty impressive travel record; from most of Europe; France, Czech, Germany, Spain, to Russia, to Asia, both North; Tunisia, Canaries; too Thailand. But that’s a tiny, miniscule bit of the world, and there’s so much more out there. I have some Visas to apply for, some of which involve medicals which is my biggest worry – but I really want to get out and see more of the world before I choose a place to settle in it. It’s incredibly risky, and the road leasw frequently travelled. But the ones who choose that road; they usually have the best stories :)