ABOUT ME

Having been lucky enough to grow up in the English Lake District, the travel and tourism industry has always been a factor in my life. My parents owned and operated a guest house in Keswick from 2002, until they sold it in 2021. Unfortunately, as children are wont to do, I took this golden upbringing for granted for such a long time. As a kid, I was dragged up fells, bribed into days out and I whinged all the way through every bike ride. 

 

As a teenager, I worked many customer facing jobs in Keswick town. I learned early on that I am a horrible waitress, but I have always enjoyed the local knowledge and rapport with visitors that comes with customer service. Pub work was something I was good at, but was not good for me. The drinking culture was way too enticing for me, and I became a functioning alcoholic.

 

When I was 20, I moved to Derby and then on to Ironville. I spent three miserable years working in finance. I found the whole experience to be horribly toxic, and it changed who I was as a person. Depression, anxiety and a general dip in quality of life were a central theme, which led to further heavy drinking and a constant search to escape reality. 

 

Moving back to the Lakes at the end of 2019 saved my life, I am sure of it. Nobody is ever keen to admit that they need to move back in with their parents, but I don’t quite know where I would be now if I hadn’t done just that. I found a job in tourism with a team of the best people. It was here that I realised that you really are a sum of the people you spend your time with. The team offered more support than I think they even realised. 

 

I found a new lease for life, and a readiness to get out and get to know the area that I grew up in. The subsequent lockdowns only exacerbated this need to explore, and I used my daily exercise sessions wisely. 

 

Alcohol remained an issue for me until August 2020, when I was finally strong enough to make the further life-changing decision to get sober. It’s now over four years since I last touched a drop of alcohol, and I have no intention of returning to the bottle. 

 

In June 2021, my line manager phoned me and told me that the company I worked for was being bought by a national company. This news could not have come at a better time. I was ready to start making career moves, and I was really excited to be part of something bigger. There was a little umming and ahhing about applying for a new position (self-confidence is something I think we are all still working on!), but with Mr H’s encouragement, I applied and landed myself what has turned out to be my dream job.  My job lets me travel all around Cumbria and the Lake District looking at some beautiful homes and meeting some wonderful people. 

 

This year I was able to do something that I never thought was going to be possible for me: I bought a house! Mr H, the dogs and I moved to the Scottish Borders in May. I get to look out my window every day and see the Lake District Fells, Criffel and the Solway Estuary. 

 

This leads me to where I am today - ready to do more, and keep learning about myself, my job, my home county, the UK and beyond. Travel and experiences are so important to me, and I want to share that with other people. Starting a blog is my way of offering something more, as well as giving myself some perspective and a little room to express myself.