New beginnings!

So, today was my first day in the new job... Last night, I'd rummaged through my closet and picked out what I wanted to wear, hanging them up ready to put on, and I'd set the alarm nice and early so that I could get up and ready at a leisurely pace. I had it all planned out, I even went to bed reasonably early, well for me anyway... It was still gone midnight by the time I turned the light out and got snuggled down to head to Dream Land.

This morning, the alarm went off, the familiar tune of my other half playing his guitar filling the room, and what did I do? Bounce out of bed ready to start my day? Nope, of course not. I hit snooze button, obviously. Great start!

After arguing with the alarm for two more snooze cycles and wasting nearly half an hour of my planned leisurely morning, I got myself up and ready. That outfit I planned out last night; I didn't wear that - I totally changed my mind three times before settling on an outfit that I deemed good enough for a first day impression. I did manage to get a decent breakfast, and make my pack up to take with me. A great start, but I'm positive that it won't last.

Once ready, I was starting to get fidgety, so set off twenty minutes earlier than necessary, meaning that I made it to Meadowhall long before the shops even opened; I couldn't even call for a Starbucks with my spare time! Instead, I headed up to the shop and practised my limbo skills to get under the shutters that were only a couple of feet up from the ground. Once upright again, I took a look around and tried not to let the excitement bubble over. Books! Books everywhere.

Waterstone's has been my dream job for a long time now, but trying to get a job with them proves harder than you'd imagine. Once the staff are in, they tend not to want to leave again, therefore, the company rarely has to take on staff. Christmas however, everyone needs staff - including Waterstone's. That was my ticket in :)

Once in, it turned out that I was an entire hour early... well, at least I wasn't late. Being that early has to be a good impression, right?? After agreeing to start anyway, there being little point in me hanging around, we got started straight away. Some training on their systems and tills, and a quick tour of the store and we were off. It didn't take long to get to grips with their tills, and I feel confident enough with the rest of the system after a few customer enquires. It wasn't long before they cut the reigns and left me to it.

I think I did okay. I did an eight and a half hour shift, and didn't mess up until twenty minutes before I was due to go home... I solved it and put it right, but that didn't change the fact that I'd almost made it to the end without a mistake. I must have clocked up a serious amount of steps from walking around the shop looking for books as I have yet to get to grips with what belongs in which section. Fiction; great. Everything else needs some work!

Anyway, by the end of the day, I think I had done nearly every kind of transaction possible, including a refund, and had loaded more money onto gift cards that I could possibly wish for at Christmas! It warms my heart to know that so many people are receiving book presents for Christmas this year :)

My new work colleagues have laughed at my smile all day, and I even got called a 'book nerd' - to which my reply was 'Yeah, and?' I am proud to stand up and be counted as a book nerd, and love that my official job title now is 'Book Seller'. Even my other half laughed when I told him how much I had enjoyed my day; he still took me out for tea to celebrate my day though! He's a keeper!

Proof of my fantastic day - this was my face at the end of eight and a half hours on shift... The grin says it all!

Till next time book nerds,

Vanessa

Just in time for Christmas...

Thanks for stopping by, this is just a quick introduction and some things I think you should know about me... First of all let me explain my profile picture :)

Yes, that is me in a drum bag - the bag you keep the base drum in, for anyone who doesn't recognise it - apparently I am that small; and yes, it did get zipped up!!  Some context, my sister's boyfriend is the drummer of a band, the same band that my own boyfriend plays guitar for. Yep, we're keeping it in the family! You can check out Angry Jesters on Facebook :)

I decided to take the leap into blogging after a few recent changes to my life, and wanted to share my journey and instil the hope in anyone out there that might be thinking that life just doesn't seem to be going their way. I have felt like that for a while now - I had plans, those hopes and dreams that you always assumed you'd have achieved by a certain point in your life. Well, I watched milestones in my life come and go and the dreams I'd had still lingered on the horizon, never seeming to get any closer.

What I soon realised, was that some of those dreams weren't necessarily ones that I should be waiting for, but ones that I had to go out there and work hard for. This one was my dream to be a published fantasy fiction writer. After several rejection letters from agents and publishers about my book, I decided to take the risk of doing it myself, getting my story out there for the people who I knew wanted to read it. Since then, I have self published three books, and have tons of future plans for more. It has taken a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears and sheer determination in places to get where I am now, but I am so glad that I took that step, and can't wait to see what the future holds for Angel McGregor (my pen name) - check out the link to see my website and find my books on the bookshelf!

In other aspects of my life, it finally feels like I am being dealt a hand that I can play. I have a fantastic relationship with my boyfriend of just over a year, and we are currently putting into motion, plans to move in together. Plus, I have just taken a blindfolded step off the edge and quit my job in favour of one that I have always wanted. As of Monday, I am a bookseller at Waterstone's bookshop!! I am ridiculously excited, and can't wait to begin. More information on that part of the journey to come - promise!

I want to use this blog to empower people to take a step out of their comfort zone and grab their dreams with both hands.

Everything you dreamed as a kid is possible, it was just our warped sense of a timeline that was unreasonable, leading us to believe that we were failing to achieve. I'm here to tell you that you're not failing, you just have to take the jump, and grow your wings on the way down in order to fly!!

Vanessa x