mid-year round-up

This blog has been off radar for the past six months, which pretty much reflects my state of being for the first half of this year. As I emerge from this recent chapter, blinking into the sun (SUN! At long last!) I though it would be worth taking stock of how 2013 has passed by, seeing as it seems to have done so alarmingly fast.

(At this point I actually got up from my desk to find my diary, in order to figure out exactly how it is that we are now in July, and to try to work out what the heck has been going on in my life since January...)

As I leaf through my diary, I can see the main theme of the past six months reflected in the frequent entries made in thick red pen: 'CASE REPORT DEADLINE', 'EXTENDED ESSAY DUE', 'HAND IN 3RD RECORDING', etc. The past six months has seen me working my little tush off toward the completion of my 18-month Postgraduate Diploma in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT). This has meant taking on a third job, seeing extra clients in the evenings, losing many a weekend to coursework, and generally feeling over-saturated in terms of brain capacity and emotional output. A week from today, I hand in my final portfolio and wait to see if I've worked hard enough to pass.

Doing this course has been incredibly challenging and an absolute privilege - my brain, heart and clinical skills have been stretched and honed and I can honestly say I have utterly relished the opportunity to take on this course of study. I'm ten times the clinician I was going into it, and I've had the privilege of working with some incredible clients, which I look forward to being able to do more of now with this degree. That said, I am SO VERY EXCITED to re-enter normal civilisation, reconnect with friends and family, read a novel, and run around in the sun at the weekends! I can feel a new energy building in my body and new space opening up in my mind, and I'm excited to get out and use it.

To that end, I've been making the most of the improving weather to get back on my two -wheeled companion, Sister Mary Clarence, and taking to the roads. I once again took part in the annual London to Brighton BHF ride a few weeks back (above), which was fantastic despite ending up in A&E later that evening after a driver knocked me off my bike just as I was within half a mile of home! After a swarm of paramedics, police officers and a very long wait to get some stitches in my finger, I was amazed to find I came out of it all with not much more than some very sore bones and bruises. After a few weeks to let things heal up, I'm so happy to be back on the bike and rode out to Cambridge last weekend in the glorious sun to celebrate. I'm really enjoying the longer rides and am now trying to work on Andy to persuade him that cycling holidays are the way forward... :)

What else? The past six months has been punctuated with the usual collection of the weird and wonderful events that make up life: the wedding of one of my very best buds Emma (above), the dedication of my unbelievably cute niece Kayla (above), trying out acupuncture (jury's out), getting burgled (they stole my favourite umbrella?!), and settling into some well-loved routines in our little corner of London (Friday night felafel and beer, hits the spot every time). I'm excited to see what the next half of the year will bring!