I’m writing this on the cusp of making what feels like a massive leap…..
I have a 10 year career in some of London’s top independent design agencies under my belt… and an 8 month old baby who I want to grow up in the countryside – something needs to change.
I should preface this with the fact that moving to London after graduating was never intended to be forever – in fact, during that first year I wanted to throw in the towel but somehow this wonderful, chaotic, cosmopolitan city got its claws in, and 10 years later I am still here.
I now find myself, halfway through maternity leave, faced with an exciting opportunity and a plethora of emotions….
My husband and I both want to move out of the city and give Mr Small the opportunity to grow up with a garden and the freedom of space – the wheels are in motion and we are househunting – I’m excited but also terrified…
…Moving precludes me from returning to my job as it was, even on a reduced number of days – freelancing could be a possibility but it feels like the end of an era, and potentially the end of a way of identifying myself with ‘what I do’ – I am torn between wanting to spend as much time as possible with my baby and also needing to have some of ‘me’ back, the ‘me’ from before I was ‘Mummy’
…Whilst the fresh air and greenery beckon, London has been a fantastic place to be on maternity leave… coffee shops, walking everywhere with the pram, more mum and baby activities than one person (and a baby) can possibly attend, no need to lug the Mr Small around in the car all the time, friends on the doorstep, I could go on…
WILL THE GRASS REALLY BE GREENER?
It’s hard enough to find flexible working in a company that knows and rates you, how do you go about finding a new job (not in an urban hub) that will cover childcare costs and also offer that all important balance with raising a young family?…. and how employable will I really be if employers assume a second child in the not too distant future could be a possibility?
This blog is the start of an adventure and the end of an era.
It is an outlet for all those thoughts whirling around my head and hopefully a few tips or at least a shared experience for people who have already made the leap or are pondering their opportunities…
