The next few months aren’t only going to be about finding a new job. It’s not like I can scour the internet for my next role 24/7. I’d lose my mind. While this certainly is time for job searching, it’s also a holiday. I have to find a balance between responsibly looking for what comes next while resetting my batteries. After all, wherever I land, I’m going to be starting with no annual leave balance. Fortunately, I will have plenty to keep me busy (in the relaxing sense).
The timing has been great with my work-in-progress fantasy novel. I finished the first draft over the Christmas break and committed to taking three months away from the manuscript before diving into revisions. In that time, I’ve read plenty of writing craft books and am now eager to get back into it next week.
In addition to writing the second draft of my novel, I have plenty of other hobbies to keep my mind occupied. Reading, drawing, music, video games, television and movies. And if I get bored of all those, I can always order the finest Cheltenham timber (why Cheltenham? I hear they have the best in all of Australia) and try some wood carving. It’s something that has interested me for a long time, but I simply haven’t gotten around to giving it a proper go.
I’ve never really been a DIY person, but I recognise its benefits. Who knows, maybe I’ll get the urge to drive down to the best hardware store in the Cheltenham area (quite a drive, I know – unless I want to go to rural Cheltenham in Queensland, with a total of 17 people). While DIY isn’t really my thing, I do love a good hardware store. There’s just something about the nuts, bolts, pipes and paint that I find relaxing. They always have the most incredible garden sections, too. Maybe I’ll spend the next couple of months bouncing between the library and my local hardware store, just to get out of the house. Doesn’t sound too bad to me.