Last week I had a bit of a road trip up and down the UK. It was one of those weeks where I shouldn’t have been in charge of my own diary; to be fair there are a fair few of those in this life and Mr Dr Ross, with his saint-like patience does put up with it. But I knew from about January onwards (I can’t remember exactly), that it was going to be pretty bonkers. Essentially, from the moment I said yes to going to Birmingham, via Knottingley from Wiltshire, it was always going to be a bit bonkers. Throwing a postponed assessment for a poorly kiddo into it added even more spice to it too.
But it was alright on the night!
The Gods of traffic smiled upon me, the demons of self-doubt were (mostly) abated by my usual cheerleader friend from afar, and lovely people abounded.
Time on the motorway is a double-edge sword for me. I love driving and having a bit of brain space is pretty amazing, given the daftness of my diary. This last week or two has given me time and room to think about a few things. The trip to Knottingley really did bring home how seminal my time in South Yorkshire was as a baby-teacher. I will never forget those experiences and the amazing people I worked with. It set me up on the pathway I’m on now. And I LOVE Yorkshire. It is God’s Country and I’ll take no negotiation on that!
The Dyslexia Show was one of those places that is like a comfy slipper. You meet people you know from the internet, reconnect with old friends and meet amazing people you didn’t know existed. It was amazing and I’ve had some great connections subsequently. This last few days have been equally interesting. I’ve been accepted to speak at a couple of conferences: one by myself with my ‘Helen’-hat on and the other with my amazing colleagues, Dr Elizabeth Malone and Dr Peter Wood at Liverpool John Moores University, for a project we’re working on. There have been a few tricky old things to navigate too and over the coming months they’ll work out, I’m sure.
But all these things are galvanizing things. I’m at the end of what I wanted to do when I stopped being a full-time teacher, in class. I’m not one to particularly big myself up, because frankly, I don’t want to sound like an utter douche. But I have bossed it. I have done really well. I have worked insanely hard and now new things are beckoning.
A new 5-year brain-fart is afoot and already growing. Just need to talk to my accountant and a few clever friends in the process!
