But getting your freedom is one thing - what you are going to do with it is a whole other.
I marched down the stairs and out the front door (with an enormous smile, that I couldn’t wipe off my face). I strolled around Victoria Square several times, and texted various people to tell them about the morning's antics. Eventually deciding to grab a coffee and take some time to think seriously about what just happened.
Now, according to my friends, I’m a bit of a curious being, one such reason for their conclusions is that I talk to myself a lot, but apparently that’s not the strangest part, it’s when I start answering myself back that its an issue - an oddity that frequently gets me some bizarre looks and strange reactions depending on what the topic of the day is.
Anyway, on this unfortunate occasion, I found myself standing in the queue at Caffé Nero having just been pondering the mornings’ events, the woman in front of me (a formidable looking character if I might say so) had just ordered three slices of the lemon cheesecake and one of the chocolate.
“I can’t believe you just did that,!” I said chuckling to myself, an unlucky coincidence to say the least.
She swung around with a fearsome looking stare.
“Oops, I said that out loud.” making myself look all the more guilty!
As you might imagine the situation did not end well! Anyway as I sat drinking my coffee that almost cost me my life, as far away form Caffé Nero as I could get before the coffee went cold, the replies to my original “Just quit my job, I’m free!” text began to filter in.
“Haha, whatever Lou! ;)” that one came from my friend Christine.
From Chris - “Are you being serious? If so, have you lost your mind???”
And particularly droll was the one from my Dad. “Right, why? Oh and by the way, freedom’s just another word for; nothing left to lose.” (Big country and western fan, in case you hadn’t guessed).
It was true. Suddenly the enormity of what I had just done began to sink in, and my brain went into overdrive. As quickly as I could convince myself everything was going to be fine, I began to panic that I had just made a massive mistake.
What do I do next?
Calm down, its going to be fine!
How long have I got before I run out of money? The answer to that one was, not long…
Though in the end even with the shadow of uncertainty, the thought of having some control over my life and the chance to spend quality time with my family did massively outweigh the risk.
But when I arrived home, it was to some kind of ‘intervention’. My family had come to the conclusion I was having a melt down.
“Louise we need to have a chat, what exactly is going on here? We are all quite worried”
“Em, sorry to disappoint folks I am completely fine, oh, and guess what? I’m going to have a career change!”
“Right, okay. And what are you going to do?”
“Veterinary!” I said with a beaming smile on my face.
“Sorry, WHAT?”
“I’m going to be a VET!” Needless to say, that earned me a few concerned sympathy laughs.
“So how exactly are you going to go about this, Louise?” My mum asked, with a look of dismay all over her face.
“Actually, that’s the bit I haven’t quite figured out yet…”
Anyway for the next couple of hours, I was bombarded with various pieces of evidence that may have suggested I had actually lost my mind (which, if I’m honest, was quite convincing) and that I needed to seek some ‘help’. But to be honest if one of my friends had done the same, I would seriously question their state of mind. In the end I gave them all an abrupt “Good night!” and just about left the door on the hinges.
The next morning I got up all the more determined in my quest, fired off my formal resignation in an email before we set off on a week’s holiday; time which I definitely needed to clear my head.
Though, once we returned, I knew I had to get my act together.
First thing’s first, a job! I wanted to work in mixed practice, but, without any relevant qualifications, these jobs are quite difficult to come by. So, I decided to apply for a part time degree, distance-learning - it was in equine science (perfect!). First of all, you complete the Cert. then Diploma, and eventually, after the final year, you got a degree. I also began studying to become a SQP (and for those of you who don’t know what this is, basically, it’s short for Suitably Qualified and Perfect - exactly what every practice needs, haha!) Okay, it’s not really - it’s just an ambiguous name for someone who can prescribe certain veterinary medicines.
Anyway, I wrote my CV, which, as you might imagine, proved an unusual read, posted it to literally every mixed practice within a 60 mile radius and hoped that, if all else failed, statistically someone was bound to give me a job. But the weeks went by without so much as an acknowledgement, one week rolled into the next, and as the days elapsed so eventually did my optimism. I began wandering if this was all a huge mistake. Things were really not looking good at all, and I had no plan B.
Then, some four or more weeks later, out of the blue, I got a phone call from a gentleman asking if I was still interested in a job in their veterinary practice!
Halleluiah!
“Yes, definitely!” I shouted down the phone, sounding far too over keen.
“Oh, okay, great! We are currently looking for a trainee Vet Nurse, and we would like to offer you an interview.” he said.
“Ohh.” I should have known it wasn’t going to be straightforward.
Veterinary nursing! I thought, that takes three fairly intense years of training and study, without any guarantee of even getting paid!
“Would you be available this week?”
“Urm…yes, I think so,” I said, at the same time wandering why in a month of Sundays did you just agree to that?
“Okay, great, would Friday at 11am suit?”
“Yes, perfect!” I said in an attempt to sound cheery, but now fully convinced I had, in fact, lost the plot.
“Okay, see you then.”
So I had somehow got myself an interview to become a vet nurse, in the furthest away practice I could find, while already having signed up to studying two fairly intense science based courses. It could only happen to me!
There was nothing else for it.
Ring ring. “Hello, Redmount Veterinary Nursing College.”
“Hi there…I was just wandering, do you think it would be possible to study veterinary nursing whilst already studying for a part time degree and an SQP, and if so, how do I apply?”
“Sorry, what?” said the voice on the phone, sounding understandably, utterly bemused. I took a deep breath.
“Well, if you have a moment or two, I can explain…”
