Keswick & boring moving stuff.

The move is creeping ever-closer...

After my initial burst of activity (packing some stuff, moving some stuff to the parents, buying a new car, writing the old car off and finding a new place to live), I've not really done anything for a week or so and I still need to work out how to fit the rest of my worldly belongings into a Nissan Micra - I have a policy of "if it doesn't fit, it's not coming". But equally I'm a total hoarder so I should really start packing and make a more concerted effort to sort my things out.

I think now I'm on the home stretch, I'm less stressed out about the move and am focusing less on what I'm leaving behind.

Last weeked was hard, however. D came up to visit and we met up with some of my friends from Lancaster, Carlisle and Kendal. We went to Keswick on the Saturday and met up with my friend Jenny and her lovely dog which was amazing - snow on the hills and lots of fun exploring around the Bowderstone and tea at Temporary Measure - but I felt bad that I've found all these really incredible places around the county that I want to share with D  and, well, everyone in the world really and I might not get that chance. I know we'll be back, but coming up to visit for a few days at a time means that the little places might lose out to big day trips.

But that's fine. Because travel is fun, especially jaunts up and down the country to visit friends. And I'm starting to get really excited about the new job and the move. As work Oop North is quietening down it's giving more time to think about possible shenanigans with the new job. I don't think I'll really appreciate exactly what the new job entails until I've gotten started but from what I know of it so far, it's just really exciting. And as much as I hate leaving places that I love, I really love moving to new places and all the possibilities that come with it.

Guy Fawkes Night was excellent. This is the view of the castle fireworks from my roof. Lovely stuff.

also...

I also came across this amazing door on the lighthouse in Whitehaven harbour.

I want to know what's behind it. I hope its not zombies.

Strong and courageous

It's hard to know what to do with my time now that I don't have to spend a stupid amount of it applying for jobs and preparing for interviews. Packing probably makes sense. As does reading all those books I haven't read yet and going for nice autumnal walks. As the queen of procrastination I'll probably end up doing none of that and will just waste away the next 5 weeks sitting on the sofa looking slightly bemused at how scarily soon I'll be leaving Cumbria and moving back to the south to do a job with a lot more responisbility in a field I have some (but maybe not much) experience in.

It'll be great. It's three and a half years since I last moved across the country to a job I'd never done before in a place where I didn't know anyone and it was amazing. And excitingly I'll be living so much closer to the Chappy which is great. Of course it is mildly terrifying taking a big step careerwise and moving somewhere where I don't have any friends, but I keep getting a fantastic passage from Joshua 1:9 turning up in my head every time I start feeling a bit worried about the whole thing:

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Isn't it a great verse? Write it down. Stick it on your fridge.

I went for a jaunt around West Cumbria today. It felt a bit like the last Dr Who episode with David Tennant as the Doctor where Russel T. Davis has his saying goodbye to everyone and it just goes on and on and on. I said goodbye to Whitehaven and the beach at St Bees. I also went to Workington and Keswick but didn't say goodbye to them as I'll be heading back to them before I leave. West Cumbria is a weird place.