One Week Done

So, my job of 13 years ended in quiet fashion and after a week of not having a car and not going anywhere (more frustrating than I had anticipated), I started the new job. Managed to get a lift in on the first day and picked up my car from the new office. After a full week of the new job I actually have time to think and reflect on it all.

 

Firstly, I have a new car. Its a VW Passat. Not as high a spec as the old one, no leather seats, no integrated Sat-Nav, I think its actually bottom of the range? But its red, proper bright and shiny red and I love red cars. I am sure the lack of sat-nav, or leather or parking sensors will cause me some proper annoyance at some point but for the time being I have a bright red car and I even feel the urge to clean it!

 

Secondly, I am not driving so much, after 5 days out I have done around 400 miles, the longest day was 120 miles and I can get to the head office of my new employer in 35 minutes. Compared with what I am used too, that is stunning! I will admit their are a couple of times that I missed the old way with plenty of hours to myself in the car, but I will get used to it and at least I wont feel as tired!

 

The main aim was to gain more time at home and not be away so much. The latest I have been home all week is 6pm so I definitely should be gaining on that, but it doesn't quite feel like it yet, spent a couple of hours sorting out the car and a couple of others sorting out my laptop bag and various other bits. Give me a few weeks to settle and then I might feel the benefit but so far, not quite yet

 

As for the job, on that I honestly don't know. Its just too soon to tell. the people are nice and the work seems easy. Need to get involved more and find my niche and then I will be happy. At the moment my scheduled is controlled by someone else and I don't entirely know what I am talking about. I don't like that, but I'll get there :).

Travelling done?

That's it. yesterday was the last day at my current job. no longer will I travel the length and breadth of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland chasing Sales and helping the customers with whatever random pickle they have got themselves into this time. No longer will I travel 40,000+ miles a year and no longer will I do 7 hour drives in one stretch. I have one week of sitting with my feet up and then I start the new job.

 

Yesterday was a day of very mixed emotions, happy and sad, bemused and confused. I know that I am doing the right thing but I have been doing this job for 13 years and many of the colleagues I had then I have now (or at least had yesterday). I think, or maybe I know, I will miss them. I will miss some of the customers and I expect I will miss the driving and the freedom that comes with covering so many miles. the new job will still involve a decent amount of driving, but the next few months will be a lot of sitting in an office and listening to people tell me about things. I am going to get bored. I know I will get bored. but its a necessary evil and if it means I get home every night and spend more time with my family and finally get a sensible work/life balance it will be worth it. Wonder how many times I will argue with myself about that though ;-)

 

So, the one oddity of yesterday is that I had to hand my car back. It's a company supplied car which means I drove to the office yesterday morning and had to make my own way home. Caught a train on the way back, Chesterfield to York, 70 miles in about an hour and a half, stopping at Leeds, Sheffield and a couple of others on the way. Haven't been on a normal British train for a good few years. Not like the tidy efficient Swiss one from a few weeks ago but pretty decent all the same. needs more seats though, I don't know if it was just because it was Friday afternoon or not, but the train was crammed, all the seats full and the corridor sections full of people standing as well. Sure it could be better, bit more planning and a few more carriages maybe? Not mine to sort though so I'll not worry about it too much. No car now till week on Monday, might have to have a few cycles, but I think I'll be stuck in York for the next 9 days, not too many miles.