Oh, the irony

I’ve been made redundant. The very day after I had finished a miraculous prototype which showcased a new era of flexibility. Oh, the irony.

Representative example of how I spend
my days of unemployment
(note: the beach is on the right)

So what happens next? Back in March I saw my life going splendidly well – and now I’m on the lookout for a job. Not quite what I expected... or, with hindsight, was it? There aren’t many interesting and decently paid positions about in this lovely area of England, which is a real pity. So I’ve had to widen my horizon slightly and consider relocating. It’s a scary thought letting go of my comfort zone, especially with the beach being a mere spontaneous 20 minute walk away. 

On the other hand, isn’t this just why I wanted to move countries? To protect myself from becoming narrow-minded and rigid? What I want to be is like water, not rock¹. So my stay in Bournemouth seems more like part of a bigger idea. It’s all good then after all. A wise friend of mine, whom I call ‘the pirate’ as he lives on a boat and owns two parrots, recently said his flexibility had become his comfort zone. This statement felt so very much like what I had initially set out to achieve for myself. Sometimes it is such simple words that can put you back on your path.

And so it seems I will be swapping life in the UK's happiest place with life in the EU's largest city. A city which has the world's busiest international airport, oldest underground railway network and which happens to be the most surveilled place on the planet. To me this sounds like ample potential to feed any urge to discover and explore.

Although I prefer informed statements over speculation, sometimes I have a gut feeling about things. My gut feeling right now is ‘Why not? Just do it.’, teamed with the assertion that my future will be more rewarding and diverse than where I’ve been set free. And what's more, I might even be able to get a cat or two.

¹ Well, maybe not quite so extreme. Jelly sounds like a compromise.