From Cornwall to Herefordshire to Berkshire (From Hereford Times)

So I managed to pass and finish my course!

8:42pm Tuesday 3rd March 2009

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I know every one says this as they begin to get older but I just have no idea where the time has gone in the last few months.

Back around Christmas time I discovered that my lovely dad had deleted my email account which I use for all important correspondence. His exact words were "I didn't think you used it any more." Once over the initial shock at my dad's delightful error I realised that I had lost my blog password with the email account and it has taken me up to now to sort it out!

So I have finished my NCTJ and I have just heard that I passed everything, subject to NCTJ finalising it so I better not get too excited now.

Unbelieveably I managed to pass 100 wpm in shorthand. I say unbelieveably as on the day of the big event my nerves went to pot and my hand was wobbling across the page with a mind of its own. All I could think was "Oh no I've messed this up. I can't control my hand." But apparently this was a good thing and I reached my target.

Onwards and upwards. I started to go for a few job interviews but obviously with the current climate as it is things were looking grim.

I packed up my few possessions after waving goodbye to my family who I was lodging with and pottered back up to Herefordshire.

Two days afterwards I had an interview in Berkshire for a features writer. I headed off for a trial day which went quite well but never one to get my hopes up I left feeling unsure of how it went.

The next day I heard I had got the job and they wanted me to start as soon as possible. It was all a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. It was crazy to think that I would finally be paid to do the job I have always wanted to do.

On top of that I had to think about where I was going to live and when I was going to move. I didn't get to see the beauty of Hereford for too long as one and a half weeks later I moved to Berkshire.

I have been doing the job now for three weeks. I am enjoying the pace and talking to lots of different people but it is very stressful as in the job I have at the moment I have to sell stories to women's magazines and it is hard to know exactly what they are looking for on a daily basis.

You never quite know if they are going to go for the stories you have written that day. I have learnt so much already though about things I never thought I would learn about. Just human emotions really- what people go through in every day life and it makes you realise how much is going on around us and sometimes we never even notice.

I'm looking forward to the future and what bylines it will bring.