I started a business. It made me want to drink copious quantities, smoke myself into oblivion and hit my head against a brick wall. Instead I wrote a blog.
Site Launch Day: 59
User Count: 86
Going right: Daughter has started spontaneously singing 'The Wheels on the Bus' at random moments.
Going wrong: When you work on your own, by yourself, there is no-one around to pull you out of the doldrums. Although wheels on the bus is a good effort.
Comment: Life is like an endless puzzle. No sooner is one problem solved than another pops up.
In two days we will be returning to Richmond, after 3 months in Sweden. The huge adventure of spending 3 months in another country whilst running a business and working remotely, seems pale in comparison with the new challenge of moving here permanently before the end of October. I have started to compile a list of things to do, and it goes to 11:
- Run the business full-time/oversee web dev/consult for clients/write blog
- Look after my daughter because we have no childcare for the next month
- Organize the move to Sweden
- Stock up on all possible goods for coming months not readily available so I don't have to move my ass once we're here (e.g. haircare, developmental toys...)
- Organize close of rental contract in England and Check-Out
- Forward all mail/Cancel all contracts/notify HMRC
- Organize childcare for arrival in Sweden
- Register with Swedish authorities, midwife, bank
- Go to dentist (who knows when I will find one)
- Get haircut (ditto)
- Say goodbye to my friends & family
Normally lists make me feel in control. One of my best friends in university used to make lists with 'Take Shower' and 'Brush Teeth' on them, just so she could cross them off the list. The problem is that with this list, many of the tasks have sub tasks and/or are ongoing tasks. I can't cross them off easily. And the last one, is just painful.
Over the course of my life I have lived in UK, Cyprus, France, Ireland, Germany and Italy - so I am practiced at saying goodbye; but having pieces of your heart scattered all over the globe is very tiring and if you think about it too much, upsetting. But this phenomenon of me moving around the world every few years - fondly called by my friends - the itchy knicker syndrome, is ironically what has driven me more and more online. The other day a twitter tag was doing the rounds #ihatewhenpeoplesay ...
Mine was #ihatewhenpeoplesay i don't spend time on social media because i HAVE a life
How bloody judgmental! I have a life too but a lot of it is online. It's the way I keep in touch with friends and family as well as running my business and networking with new and exciting people. I do not cease to exist in reality because of it. In fact I would say that my life has an added dimension because I live in two different worlds. People are arguing about facebook and Google plus and the intrusiveness of these "Big Brother" type of services. Conspiracy theories, Facebook's association with China and Google's bid for world domination abound. I can't say whether they are true or not. But amid all the arguments, I haven't heard anyone say -
Thank you.
Thank you to Mark Zuckerberg and indeed all pioneers in social media for paving the way in this new communication style so I can keep in contact with my friends and family. Without you, I would be mighty, mighty lonesome.
If you want a peek at the business that's driving me insane you can click here.