January is Blog Swap month on Mellow Mummy with the theme "New Beginnings". This is a guest post by Siân from 'You're not from round here' as part of the January Blog Swap. Siân writes about life as a parent, wife and full-time student, along with recipes, tips and 'how to' tutorials.
I am very good at new beginnings. Well, the planning, the diving head first into something new and exciting. I am not so good at fully thinking things through, the actual implications, the impact it will have on our family. Before we had children, big life decisions were simpler. They only impacted on the two of us. We moved from London to Yorkshire without much thought. It was exciting, and I still love it up here, so definitely a good decision. It helped that I was born up here and that we have family here, but it was a pretty major move. We also got married a month after we moved up here, so it was pretty full on, but worth it.
When I was pregnant with my daughter, our second child, we realised that if I were to go back to work, my salary wouldn't cover the cost of childcare. I was studying for a degree with the Open University, having gained certificates and a diploma already, but it was hard. Working full time, being a parent and also being pregnant meant I was struggling to put in the required effort. It was suggested that I apply to university, to see if I could study there. I left school at 16 and really hadn't ever considered going to university, it just wasn't something I thought I would ever do, but it was a chance, and it was also the last year to apply for university before fees went up. I applied to Oxford, Durham, York, Lancaster and Manchester, receiving unconditional offers from York and Lancaster. So that was it, I was off to university, another new beginning.
I started when my daughter turned seven months old. I was desperately sad to be leaving her with the childminder, because I felt it was too soon. Her brother was there though, and she barely even noticed I had left. Fast forward two years, and in six months time, I will be facing another new beginning. This time I don't yet know what it is! I will admit to being slightly unsure about an unplanned new beginning. Initially I thought I would simply get a graduate job and start work. In my second year I realised this would be near impossible to navigate around school pick ups when we live in a small town. So the future is uncertain. We have ideas which may become reality. They would mean moving again, and running a B&B in the Yorkshire Dales. This will probably be the option we choose. It would involve as little money as we have survived on while I am at university, but we would be together as a family and get to spend far more time with the children, and have a garden.
My blog is also going to have to undergo a change. I will no longer be a student, my tag line will have to change. I'm a bit unsure about what to do with it yet, but I have more important things to worry about first and foremost! If you have new beginnings that you are facing, whether through choice or not, I have found that the only way to deal with them is through embracing them, hitting them head on and running with it! The future is undecided for us. What is certain is that we will be facing our new beginnings together.
