An Overdue Life Update

Wow, hi guys. It’s been a minute since I’ve sat down and written a blog post! I’ve really not got much of an excuse other than I just needed a break. This year has been so strange for so many of us. Here in London, we were in full lockdown from January – April, and it was hard to find the motivation or the creativity to post. I was barely managing to keep up with Instagram, let alone my blog. I was also working on finishing my masters degree at that time, which was taking up most of my energy outside of my day job. I finally finished my degree in June (yay!!) and spent the summer enjoying being done with school and getting out and about again as lockdown restrictions eased.

I also spent a good part of the summer contemplating what my next life move was. Now that I was finished with my masters, it was time to think about what I wanted to do. As some of you may know, I got a Master of Arts degree with a focus on education. I thought I might be interested in teaching, as I worked as a nanny for 6 years and greatly enjoyed it. However, after taking on a few teaching assistant roles last year, I came to realize it might not be exactly what I was looking for. I even received an amazing full-time teaching offer earlier this year, but it fell through nearly as quickly as it came together. I was upset at the time, but as always, there was a reason why it didn’t work out. One of my favorite quotes is “sometimes what didn’t work out for you really worked out for you”. It’s never easy in the moment, but in hindsight many of the things that we wanted in life that didn’t work out have led to something much better for us.

Mid-summer I saw a job opportunity available at one of my favorite shops in the Cotswolds. The opening wasn’t my dream job, but I loved the brand so much that I figured I’d apply and see what happened. I very quickly received a request for me to come in and interview. A few weeks later I drove up to interview and was able to meet the team and tour the office space. Afterwards I spent the day exploring the Cotswolds and it ended up being one of my favorite day trips of the summer. The following week I was able to speak with the owner of the shop, and she told me what I already knew – I wasn’t very qualified for the role I had applied for (as I mentioned, it wasn’t my dream job). However, she then went on to say that she was impressed by my resume and asked if I would be interested in joining the team as a buyer & social media manager.

Buying is what I got my undergraduate degree in, and thanks to my blog I’ve spent the last 6 years learning the ins and outs of social media. The role felt tailor made for me. I jumped at the offer, and over the next few weeks we began to work out the details of the role and what my job responsibilities would look like. As I mentioned, the shop and office are located in the Cotswolds. Initially, I had asked if I could work remotely from London for the first year or so and commute into the Cotswolds as needed (I wasn’t ready to give up my dream flat!), but understandably her preference was that I re-locate to the country. Many of you probably know how much I’ve come to love the countryside, so I agreed that I would make the move. I began searching for properties to let and put in my 2 months notice at my current place. This was at the beginning of September.

Fast forward to last week, and I still hadn’t found any suitable Cotswolds cottages to rent. The pandemic caused many Londoners to relocate out of the city, and countryside real estate is still a hot commodity. I was also really limited in my property search as I needed to be within walking distance of the office. I’m still working on sorting out my driver’s license and buying a car, and until that happens living out in the country was going to be a bit difficult. For these reasons, and a few others, we decided it might actually be best if I stay put in London after all. I was so happy about this decision (it was what I had wanted initially!), but I was also really worried since I’d put my notice in on my flat over a month ago, and I knew an offer had been put in. The thought of having to move within London, especially when I love my flat so much, was a very stressful thought indeed.

I called my landlady the next morning and explained the situation with my fingers and toes crossed that she hadn’t yet signed a contract with a new tenant. By some luck, she had run into some referencing issues with the prospective tenant and hadn’t signed anything. Her and I have a great relationship (we were both so sad when I put in my notice), and she was more than happy to renew my lease instead. I signed the renewal contract later that day and immediately felt a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. It was a bit of a rollercoaster to get here, but it really feels like this was how it was all meant to work out. I’ll be spending 1-2 nights a week in the Cotswolds and working from home at my flat in London the rest, so I’m really going to be getting the best of both worlds.

This year hasn’t been an easy one for many of us. It’s been a lesson for me to trust in the timing of my life, and to remember that when something you really wanted didn’t work out, it’s usually because something even better is coming for you. Looking back, I’m so grateful for all of the no’s and the disappointments I received over the past year because they led me to where I am now. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that where I am now is where I’m meant to be.

I’ll be starting my new role on 1st November, and I’m so looking forward to beginning this new chapter. I’m excited to take you guys along – it’s definitely going to be an adventure! Be prepared for lots more country Mollie content 😉

xx Mollie