Welcome to my new blog! My blogs will cover a wide range of topics from fashion, travel and food; to multilingualism and, of course, translation. In my first post I discuss freelance life as well as a new arrival to my area which has brought a breath of fresh air to my working day...
As any freelancer will know, working from home has its ups and downs. Being your own boss gives you the flexibility to shape your day as you see fit; on the flip side, there’s some days where you don’t even set foot outdoors. Short of having a standing desk, translating is an inherently sedentary profession, and 99% of a translator’s working day is spent glued to one or multiple screens (the other 1% is used making cups of tea). That has definitely been something I’ve had to adjust to over the past 15 months. I used to be a Store Manager in luxury retail, so if I wasn’t up and about on the shop-floor, I was running back and forth between the store and the stock room. Put it this way, I burned a LOT of calories.
Fast-forward just over a year and it’s safe to say I’ve signed up to the local gym. And although I make an effort to go on a regular basis, it’s not my favourite activity in the world (even if the lovely interior décor matches the orange of the Foxbrush logo). So imagine my delight when the concrete part of north-east London I call home gets its very own urban wetlands. Not just any urban wetlands either: Europe’s biggest urban wetlands. The vast network of reservoirs opened to the public last week, and I’ve found myself hot-footing there several days on the bounce to explore all ten. The space also has eight islands, and a whopping 13 miles of footpath and cycle track. Heck, it even houses London’s largest heronry. Best of all, it is absolutely free to visit (another plus point for a new translator just starting out and living on baked beans).
A country girl originally from a little town in the Dales, I find that despite absolutely loving the capital and everything it has to offer, I often need a large dose of green space. Walthamstow Wetlands provides that in spades. An oasis of tranquility and calm against a backdrop of gritty Tottenham high-rises, it gives me an escape whenever either cabin fever or the guilt of not having exercised for days attacks. It’s a little break from solitary office life, and gives my Siamese cats a chance to miss me. I think I’m going to be walking on the wild side a lot more often from now on...
Wetlands entrance on an autumnal afternoon
The Engine Room, an onsite cafe/restaurant
The famous heronry - London's biggest
I didn't see a heron - but I did see some geese...
The calming power of still waters
Swans in the brook
One of the ten reservoirs
My husband reflecting on life