Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb
- The Climb by Miley Cyrus
Last week I went for a little climb. I strolled up Holyrood Park and climbed up to the top of the famous Arthur's Seat. (Arthur's Seat is an extinct volcano and it has had its name since the 15th Century!) I chose this song for this post for both literal and metaphorical reasons. Climbing up to the top of Arthur's seat was quite a task but it was breathtaking (in every sense of the word) the whole way up. As I started up the gradual slop no matter which direction I looked there was beautiful scenery to be taken in (and photographed). As I looked forward, I saw the beautiful green landscape with so many hills with all these different paths winding around behind to places that I wasn't able to see until I walked further. As I looked on either side of me I saw many other people walking around too - some were clearly tourists taking it all in for the first time like me, and some were clearly local residents who use the beautiful park to their full advantage as a location for exercise and leisurely walks. Every once in a while I would stop to look behind me only to be taken completely by surprise not only by the fact that I was getting so high so quickly but also because the I was able to see so much of the beautiful city. The path behind me just kept looking better and better as I got higher and higher. Meanwhile, the path ahead kept getting shorter as I came so close to my goal to be on the top. (Do you see where I am going with the metaphorical meanings here?)
But these are the moments that
I'm gonna remember most, yeah
Just gotta keep going "
Last night two of my friends from Canada arrived to crash at my place while they look at flats to move into in Edinburgh. Today one of them asked me how old I was and when I said "23. 24 in 2 days! Yay!" she said "What an exciting age we are at right now, eh?" And it made me put my age into perspective for a minute while I thought about how I am now living the years that I am going to remember most when I'm older. Then I thought about how glad I am that I am in Scotland for part of that memorable period in my life.
So getting back to "the climb." I turn 24 in two days. That's almost 25. I feel like the age 25 is just so close to being a grown-up! If I look at my recent climb to the top of Arthur's Seat as a representation of my life, the top is where I want to be when I have a stable career and a home and a family and all that normal life stuff. So I feel like at this age I should be getting really close to where I want to be. I am still able to stop and look back and see all the great things I have already seen and done while simultaneously realizing how far I have actually gone without realizing it. In addition to that realization, I am able to look on either side of me and see my friends who are at the same point in their life and realizing these things along with me. But the most important thing right now is reaching my goal. Just like on my walk in Holyrood there are all these paths that lead in behind hills and around bends that I am unsure where they are leading, but I know they all end in the same spot - the top. I don't know which path will lead me along shorter or longer routes than the others so I just have to go with my gut and take the one I think is best for me.
"There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be a uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose"
Yesterday I decided to take a new path. I quit my second job at Footlights. It took me about a week of humming and hawing about it before I actually made my decision. Mostly because I felt like this was a very big decision to make and there wasn't anybody here who knows me well enough to help me weigh the pros and cons in regards to what suited me best. The fact of the matter was that after I got hired at Cloisters the manager told me he was able to give me full-time hours but since I had already taken employment at Footlights I decided to do both. I made this decision because I thought I would enjoy having two different jobs with different atmospheres and staff members, etc. But after working at each place for the past few weeks I have realized that I took on a bit too much. I was working at least one double a week - working 6 days a week too. I am a bit exhausted. The manager at Cloisters has also been very adamant in trying to convince me to become full-time. In the end though, I like Cloisters better. It is a more mature place where the staff show a lot of respect to their customers and vice versa. I have been working in the bar industry long enough to know what kind of bar I want to work in. I appreciate the sociable aspect of a pub more than the rambunctious excitement of a bar - which is more the feeling of Footlights. So, all in all I am happier with my job at Cloisters and I feel like it suits me better. Also, Cloisters pays higher wages, which was also a major factor in my decision to stay with their company. Finally, another selling point for me was that the company that owns Cloisters has three other sister bars that I could potentially pick up shifts at if I feel so disposed.
So, I did it! I was nervous and scared that the manager at Footlights would be upset with me but I just kept telling myself that I had to do what was good for me and not care so much about what others will think of me. They get so many CVs in that bar on a day-to-day basis that I knew I wouldn't be ruining anything if I quit. Plus I offered to stay on the schedule until they find a replacement. I think it will all work out for the better in the end. Stay tuned to find out if I regret this decision!
In the meantime, take a look at my pictures from my "climb"!
