Where Has the Time Gone?!

I keep thinking, "I REALLY need to write a blog post!" Then a week disappears, then another... and somehow it's been SIX MONTHS! I honestly don't know where the time has gone; it just seems to trickle through my fingers!

It's not that I've had nothing to write about; in fact, it's quite the opposite. Life has just been so hectic that I find it really tough to find even an hour to sit down and gather my thoughts. In fact, it's Tramlines TOMORROW- and I've just realised I've only written three blog posts since the last one. That's how bad it is! I get loads of ideas while I'm walking to work, sitting on the bus, or drifting off to sleep and by the time I get a chance to open my laptop, something else has happened. There genuinely don't seem to be enough hours in the day. In one way, it's a good thing; I'm building a rich and fulfilling life, and being busy keeps me out of trouble. But in another way, my blog is important to me, and I really didn't intend my entries to be so sporadic, so I NEED to dedicate more time to it. I wanted it to be a record of things I do, something for my kids to read one day, and even build up some resources that might help other people. I'm a little disappointed that I've let it slide so much.

Soooo, what have I been up to? I passed my first year studying Sociology at The University of Sheffield. I survived deadlines, exams and university strikes! For my final exam, I had some really difficult news the week before and struggled so hard to revise. I was convinced I'd failed and was all ready to resit in the Summer. However, just before I walked into the Banksy Museum in Krakow, I got the text through that I'd passed and had actually done pretty well. This is a massive achievement for me. I've started a degree twice before and never even made it through a semester, so to be sticking to something and succeeding is huge for me. I'm really enjoying studying, using my brain (realising it still works!) I'm excited for the second year, where the marks actually count. Again, I'm committed to staying on top of readings and other work; let's see how well I manage to stick to it.

I'm still loving my work with young people, and I honestly can't believe I've stuck at a job for almost a year! I've also been busy with the Waythrough Life Experience Council, helping to shape projects, meeting with senior leaders and even starting discussions around bringing harm reduction work and naloxone into the university. If you'd told me a few years ago that people would be asking for my opinion because of my lived experience, I honestly wouldn't have believed you. This year I've also had opportunities I never imagined I'd have. Speaking at Sheffield's Citywide Naloxone Conference, meeting academics and professionals whose work I've admired, and being invited into conversations about shaping future harm reduction work has been surreal. Every time something like that happens, I have a little moment where I think, "How on earth did I end up here?"