pieces of ria

So here I am, it's a Monday afternoon, and I'm free. No office to cage me in, no computer I don't want to sit behind, no work I have no passion for, no subconscious fear of the dreaded beast (read: ex-boss) to make an appearance and spoil my day. I'm free, I'm unemployed, but free.  With a million plans to fill my time with! Things I'm looking forward to in the next few months: Starting classes at the University of Stellenbosch on Tuesday, 26 January 2010.  Post grad diploma in Translation, here I come!  (finally) Finishing up all the little details of our wedding. Getting married on 13 March 2010  :) Going on honeymoon to Mauritius straight after! Settling into my new (our!) home. My 30th birthday on 29 April 2010. My first winter in our home (think loads of cosy evenings around the fireplace...) Starting up my own freelance translation and editing business and working from home from now on. Putting some well-overdue love into our garden! Being ...

Wow, look at this, I'm back again, in record time! After a tedious day at work and Day 1 of my new year detox plan I have very little energy and I'm barely clinging on to the precious holiday feeling which came so naturally a few hours ago.  I don't even have the energy to put on my running shoes and get moving! It's hard to stay positive, motivated, disciplined and nice when you're couped up in a small, dark office, doing repetitive, unsatisfying work at a company you have no feeling or passion for.  I can imagine it's almost like being caught in a net - I can picture a spirited, free insect flying into a sticky web or a slippery, shiny fish swimming into a net - you're caught, you can't move, you have to wait, you have no control over the situation.  That's kind of how I feel a the moment!  The next 9 working days are going to take a lot of patients from my side.  Patients, energy to stay positive, to stay NICE, to tolerate whatever comes my...

I was lucky enough to start my year off with sandy feet on the bank of the Orange River, under a glowing, full moon. It was the end of a wonderful 4 day river rafting trip, and after a first shower in days, our group of friends was ready to welcome the new year with a big, festive night. I think we missed midnight by a few minutes, but the ultimate freedom of not wearing watches and not being tied down by time was indescribable. The fireworks were beautiful, the champagne a bit warm, but the vibe magical. Maybe the last few days of 2009 were a sign of what's in store for 2010: Hard work, pushing boundries, conquering the elements, but as reward a fantastic feeling of personal accomplishment, closer relationships and having a lot of fun in the process. A change is a good as a holiday. So I've made sure that 2010 will be a year of change. I have ten more working days left before I'm officially unemployed. At the end of this month I'll be a full-time student again....