It has come to this..

I dislike jogging. At school, between the ages of 10-13, we had to jog 2.5km (approx. 1.5 miles) every bloody Friday, rain or shine. Since kids aren’t stupid, we managed to find some loopholes (read shortcuts) and – surprise! – ended up back at the school in record time.

I have never been interested in sports. My brother has always been the sporty one, playing football (soccer, according to some), floorball (stupidest name ever) and a whole lot of running around in the woods. I do like working out, but to be honest I believe I like it mainly because it helps me to lose weight.

Zumba, gym, walks, swimming – all good. But I have never understood jogging.

And yet I have promised a friend I will begin this week – tomorrow, actually – to do just that: jog.

I will start slow, of course, doing intervals jog/walk. I can sometimes look at people jogging or running – the look more often than not envious – and wish I could understand what is so great about it.

Hopefully, come Sunday, I will understand it a little bit better.

So wish me luck and I will update you all on how it went and exactly how sore my muscles are.

Until next time.

Between Jobs

Yup, I am between jobs. Or, as my father puts it: between university and job. It’s 11pm and I am sitting in front of the TV – with the laptop on the table – looking through photos from the family road trip. It was a fun journey – I was a bit worried my mum and her sister wouldn’t get along since they both want to be the boss, but we all had a jolly good time!

One of my friends got married a couple of days ago, another is pregnant and a third has a sick father. My grandmother’s health is deteriorating and her husband – my grandfather – is not getting younger and yet he is the one doing everything: grocery shopping, laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc.

But back to my work. Or rather, lack of work.

I’d love to have something to do and it’s frustrating being constantly at home, missing out on the social and economic part of having a job. At the moment I’m living off my parents and I’m well aware of my luck: parents supporting me, letting me know I can stay until my account shows a plus instead of minus.

Graduation was good, but compared to some people I didn’t cry or break down; instead I felt relief. I can finally concentrate on finding a job, working my way towards my goal: travel journalism, New Zealand and Africa.

The order should be New Zealand, Africa & travel journalism. I want to get some kind of journalism job in New Zealand, work there for a couple of years, then continue to Africa and eventually I want to be able to support myself on travelling and writing about it.

But – like I said – at the moment I’m living with my parents, trying to spend as much time as I can with family and friends and somehow I feel as if I’m supposed to be here. My plan was to be in Australia one month after graduation (that won’t happen), but then I changed my mind – sadly too late to get a summer job at various newspapers at home – and decided to stay close to home for a couple of months.

Why?

Because I haven’t really been at home since I went to university. I’ve gone home during school holidays, but those have only lasted for about two months and I’ve been working most of the time.So I thought, why not try to find a job – a short-term thing – and spend some quality time with my people?

And due to what is happening around me: friend’s sick father, pregnancies, friends going through various things, I can’t help but feel this is where I am supposed to be at the moment. I know I will panic eventually. I can never stay here for too long; that feeling of suffocating always shows its ugly face and I feel a desperate need to flee, leave the country.

Oh well. It’s time to go to bed. But first I have to check on my sister’s cats – my sister is away and we are taking care of her furry savages.

Until next time.