charlotteblueHave you ever wondered what happens after graduation? The movies make it all look so fluid. You study hard (or not), you get a great job, you are recognised for your strengths, you are promoted to the head of your department, you marry a wealthy, tanned and freakishly attractive person in their 20’s and eventually pump out a couple of over-privileged kids.
Unfortunately, having suffered through four years of noodles, sweat pants and a fear of the words “transaction declined,” I can tell you that life is not going to turn out all Fifty-Shades-of-Grey for most of us. I doubt I will ever have an Audi, or a property in Aspen, or even a dungeon with an endless supply of drop-dead-gorgeous bedfellows. Which begs the question; what really happens after graduation?
The answer is, I don’t know -yet. But I’m about to find out. To my relief and disbelief, I have passed my last two papers while working full-time overnights AND have still found time to play house with a Welshman. We met while he was on holiday; I was on Bourbon. After a one night stand that lasted two years, I am heading over to his side of the world to see what mischief I can make there.
Intriguing, inspiring and quite possibly idiotic, my life after Uni will be a working holiday where I leave the familiarity of New Zealand (and a relatively secure income) in search of the great unknown.
I have many questions, the most important being why a six dollar (three pound) pizza from Domino’s costs four times as much over there?! And in typical touristy fashion I want to see all the over promoted things such as Big Ben, Stonehenge and The Emerald Isle. I especially want to gaze upon the beauty of Loch Ness in that great land that produced Gerard Butler.
I spend far too much time thinking about what could go wrong with this plan, mainly as I’m still coming to terms with all the free time I now have. I am one of the lucky few who genuinely enjoys their University job, but I too had dreams of what I would do once classes ended; I planned to learn the guitar, take up Spanish audition to be an extra in The Hobbit (fat chance!)
So far, all I have achieved is joining a Gym in an attempt to re-work my noodles and Dominos body.
In any case, our flights are three months away, and I have all the excitement of graduation, visa’s, biometric testing, job seeking and flat hunting to look forward to. Perhaps University is just a test run for all the bureaucratic crap we have to fight through to make our way in the world.
Until we meet again
X Charlotte