Chapter 1: a wobbly start

I'd like to say that the last month or so has been a rollercoaster of craziness and fun, but it hasn't really. I've struggled to scrape enough money together to move into a new flat, I've struggled to get a job and I've struggled to cope with being a real-live-certified grown up. Finally though, I've achieved all three. I am now happily ensconced in my lovely new apartment (on the 7th floor and smack bang in the city centre no less!) and I've found my dream job (events management in case you were wondering) and it finally feels like things are really coming together. So many of my friends agree that the transition from final year student to 9-5 working adult is a weird one.

It's a very bumpy ride and one that has made me feel a little lost at times. You wonder what you really want to do with your life and if you're making, or indeed, have already made the right decisions. When I was in my old flat I was so excited at the prospect of staying in Manchester and getting a job and living it up really. So when I moved into my new flat and the enormity of what I was doing really hit me, it took a while to adjust to. Suddenly, there was no student loan to look forward to and I had to start paying council tax (£92 a month between two of us thank you very much!!) and I couldn't survive on a part time job and I actually had to, (get this...) GET OUT OF BED AT A DECENT HOUR!?!?! I mean, c'mon, what is that all about?

People often say that youth is wasted on the young, or you don't know what you've got til it's gone but I appreciated being young, and pretty much free of responsibility and I knew what I had and how much I was going to miss it, but still, it hit me hard when I realised it had gone forever.
What has hit me hardest though is not seeing my friends as much as I'd like. I no longer see Hollie every day which makes me feel like I've lost a bit of myself, Lee seems to be working all the time, Mark and Kim have moved back home and I seem far too busy to see friends from my old workplace. But things are settling down slightly. Our graduation ceremony is on the 17th July though and I can't wait - we'll all get to hang out together again!

The best thing about change? As you experience new challenges, you grow as a person and as the saying goes, a change is as good as a rest.
And the worst thing about change? I liked things the way they were :)