Melican goes riding

Oh. My. Goodness.

Last week I was casually chatting about hobbies, bootcamps and things my friends were doing of late. I myself then started to ponder about the idea of getting a proper hobby again.

Cut to this week and my parents searching through their loft and my childhood belongings to find equipment for horseriding and me emailing enquiring about potentially going back to learn to ride again. My riding boots, hat and crop have been unearthed (although I've yet to try said boots and cap on).

Then today the deal has been sealed. Me and my friend will be at my local stables for a 1030am riding lesson this Sunday. IN TWO DAYS. As we've been before we may even get boosted up to the 'advanced' beginners class at 1130 in following weeks.

I hope they realise I have not been riding for something like 17 years and I am about as flexible as a brick wall. At the moment I'm trying to mentally block out visions of actually getting on or off the horse itself.

How I feel about all this is rather odd. A mix of emotions would definitely be appropriate. I'm super nervous, scared and worried of how it'll go and if I'm going to make a complete fool of myself or just become frozen with fright.

Yet on the other hand I'm kind of excited to take up something I used to so love, before I became a grumpy teen insistent on dropping the swimming and horseriding lessons and instead going to the cinema or hanging round the shops with schoolfriends.

There is a part of me that wants to go out and get all kitted up in jodhpurs, riding gloves, new boots and coat, but I shall refrain. After all if Sunday is a complete disaster I may well never want to see or talk about a horse again.

I just hope my friend takes pity on me and is sympathetic and I don't shame her too much as we're going together.

Who knows if I manage horseriding perhaps I'll finally get to Zumba too.

For now I'm just aiming to make it through the day without being ill from the gone-off milk I had earlier or collapsing in a heap as my achy muscles finally give up!

To be continued...

New job nerves

We're about to head off from our mini break - it's been a nice mix of sightseeing, laughs, relaxing and good food, with great friends. However, this morning I woke up not smiling and happy, but a bag of nerves. Tomorrow I start my new job and the nerves have well and truly kicked in.

I've been at the same company for seven and a half years and had built up my knowledge so that I always knew what was going on and how things work. I really can't imagine not knowing anything. But as of tomorrow I will be that new person, the one who has to ask questions and doesn't know what's going on. When I started my last job I was a fresh-faced graduate, are more allowances made if you're young? Or are things different if you are a graduate? You're not expected to be as confident or knowledgeable? Yet now, when going to a job where you've got years of work experience behind you are you allowed to be nervous? Should you know loads when you get there?

What if the people don't like me? What if I don't like the office or the role? There are ten million questions and worries flooding through my head!

For now I'm going to continue in my mini break mist of make believe and forget about work and the real world until I get home. I've got much more pressing matters - what country pub are we going to go to for lunch??