So, i've moved to Cheltenham. Another new job, another new living arrangement, new everything pretty much. When i first moved here i must admit i had absolutely no preconceptions. I hadn't even really heard of Cheltenham- I knew it was near Gloucester (which i had heard of in relation to the cheese) and it was on the edge of the Cotswalds. I heard it was quite pretty, and a bit classy compared to Gloucester. All of these descriptions were correct. And the cheese is quite nice.
The first week of work was different. Very different. Initial impressions: 'oh hell what on earth have i gotten myself into? what on earth am i supposed to be doing? i miss winchester! i hope i don't look like an absolute dumbass! theres no way i'm going to remember everybodies names! hmmmm that a and e doctor is pretty hot.....'.
Needless to say, tentative and worried first impressions (apart from the doctor thing- he is very hot!). There is no doubt that Cheltenham i very very different to Winchester. I had a very strained first week upstairs in the main department. They had very different protocols to Winchester and any place i have worked in back in Australia. Some of them are good, some of them i think are plain strange and a real pain in the bum! (no doubt some of you have heard my whinging about them!). Anyhow, things weren't dreadful, just different- new job jitters i suppose, it happened in Winchester too. The main thing is that people here are pretty nice, and very welcoming.
That weekend i did a little exploring- as i am known to do. Cheltenham is nice, damn good shopping for a town the size it is!
The next week things were a little better at work. You know- i got to know people, had a few laughs (usually a my expense- honestly i do not have a funny accent you silly poms!) and i was getting the hang of the protocols- maybe this place isn't so bad! That weekend i had to go back to London to do the mandatory training that i had sucessfully avoided during my first stint of work. CPR and manual handling. The CPR was really interesting, the guy was a great teacher and he really really made you pro-actively learn and get involved. Them manual handling was exactly the opposite- long, boring, coma inducing......
Another week at work. I had been rostered downstairs into the a and e part and i finally found my feet. The work is better, the equipment is better (yay DR! bloody brilliant!) and i actually felt like i was up to speeed. I like it down there so much more than upstairs and in the 3 and a bit months i have ended up staying here in CGH i have tried as hard as i can to stay down there.
More to come on Cheltenham!
