So, here we go, time for another personal update to my site – appreciate it’s been an awful long while!

Few exciting things have happened this month, not least that I’ve started taking driving lessons – in a manual car!!!! Who would have thought that I’d ever see the day, eh?! I’ve had only around 5 lessons now, but already am driving on main roads, and trying to remember the basics as well as all of the other stuff – how people can keep an eye on what gear they’re in, their speed, what is happening on the road, and within the car itself is still something of a mystery to me – believe that it will come second nature one day, hoping that day is pretty soon to be honest!

Booked my theory test in the other day, but in the whole of the North West, the first weekend appointment that I could get to sit my theory test is going to be mid-March. Absolutely crazy! I’m not worrying too much about the actual practical test just yet, I’m so so far off being ready for it – hopefully I’ll be there by around April.

I’m learning with a lovely chap called Annes, who I found through booking with Apollo Driving School – if anyone else in the Manchester area is looking, I’d definitely recommend giving these guys a try. Don’t think that I get a discount, but regardless, if you do end up using them, tell them I sent you their way, pleeeease hehe!

In other amazing news, I now have designatory letters after my name – I’m Gari Davies CIMA Cert BA!!!!

The letters stand for CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting – it’s a professional qualification, and is the first foundation tier towards the GCMA management accountant qualification. Taken me a number of years and a few false starts to get to it, and so I am absolutely ecstatic that I’ve managed to do it, especially as I don’t have a degree or any other letters. I’ll probably take a year or so off studies before jumping right back in to it on the Strategic and Management levels.

I’ve also just had something of a mini-promotion at work too, moving on to a very exciting team which is looking after business transformation (we’re currently in the process of completely separating from our former owners, and having to come up with brand new technical and procedural processes for the wider business to use). Absolutely my sort of thing, and whilst there will be a lot of business travel required, I’m used to it and cannot wait to get fully stuck in.

Australia is looming large at the moment – I’m only three weeks away from gorgeous temperatures, kangaroos and lovely long days spent on a beach. I am a little bit nervous (as the enormity of the trip has finally dawned) but am INCREDIBLY excited! Adelaide, Sydney (and Mardi Gras), and Melbourne – I’m visiting you all, so if you’re in those locales, do look me up!

I’ve just bought some rather expensive new headphones for the loooong trip, and also with all the new business travel in mind,  and have to say, I’m incredibly impressed with them. I had been considering the Bose Quiet Comfort range, but found that I didn’t like the sound quality on them, so instead went for the over-the-ear Sennheiser Momentums – which I can happily attest to being absolutely AMAZING!!

Health wise, my medication for my ulcerative colitis has been adjusted following my six-monthly check up with my Consultant, which is amazing – already feeling much better in myself from the change in medication, and, whilst I was initially a little dismayed, my increase up to the maximum dosage of 40mg on my Citalopram, it has helped to level my mood out again, so I guess I can’t really complain there.  In terms of my anxiety, I’m still hating on myself a little bit more than I’m happy with at present, but hopefully if I can ride it out for a few more weeks I’ll be back to ‘normal’ – hurrah! (normality is so over-rated!).

So yeah, there’s a load going on at the moment – hence why I’ve not really had much time to be online and updating recently.

Thanks a mil for reading/checking in, if I’ve missed any big news in my time offline, do please let me know 😀

Gari x