Since I've got back I've spent the majority of my time trawling the internet looking for jobs, catching up with friends and trying to restore my health and fitness once again.
I can honestly say that this has probably been my favourite Christmas, lots of eating and drinking go without saying, but the friends and family with whom I've shared this festive period, are the ones who've made it special.
I'm not a winter person at all, I long for a 12 month summer, but I am a sucker for the atmosphere at Christmas time. Everyone is in such high spirits and at their most social and socialising is what I've done a lot of lately.
It's fair to say I'm looking forward to a detox and a health kick as we emerge from the dark depths of winter.
Looking for jobs is a painstaking process as anybody who's spent time unemployed will testify. Page after page of often irrelevant listings have to be searched through on the off-chance that something appropriate may be there.
It's fair to say after being laid off through no fault of my own on two separate occasions, I haven't had the best of luck when it comes to employment.
I've also suffered numerous setbacks with unsuccessful interviews and this was once again the case in early December when I attended an interview regarding a job of copywriter and PR guru at a Cornish company. I came away from the interview feeling that it went well and not so much confident, but not pessimistic about my chances either.
Although the company were impressed with my writing they felt that I did not have the necessary PR skills desired for this role.
My search continued and after emailing every newspaper and magazine in Cornwall I eventually had feedback from a well-known title and I was asked to drop by for an informal chat. After turning up armed with my portfolio and an eagerness to make a good impression, the boss seemed suitably impressed and offered me a trial with the potential to cover a six-month maternity contract.
So fingers crossed, my luck may have changed and my employment curse hopefully lifted and I'll without doubt put in 110% this coming Thursday and Friday to try to get this break.
I'm still heavily debating going down the teaching route, but if this trial passes successfully, I could have my foot in a very important door.
