So how was your summer? For those of us living in Scandinavia the summer holidays are rapidly coming to a close. The shops that shut for the summer all opened again on the first of August and most people have now returned to work.

Over the summer it feels as if life for me has been a dichotomy of fast and slow. The days have seemed to whizz past with visitors, holiday in Jutland and lazy mornings and busy afternoons, yet at the same time I feel as if life has slowed down and many things I was thinking about and doing back in July seem a distant memory. It’s funny how a break from the norm can do this. Unintentionally I have been quite absent from social media, which has been nice, but I feel ready to get back to that and writing more.

There have been a few notable things happening over the summer too. After my frustrations with the public health sector here, I made the wise decision (for me) to take my treatment privately, a choice I am fortunate to be able to make. I now see a very motivational and effective physiotherapist twice a week for one on one sessions and the progress with the mobility of my arm has accelerated and my positivity has shot up too. I am also having minor surgery in a few weeks to have part of the metal removed from my lower arm, which I hope will have an impact on my pain. I have also made a real effort to try to lose the weight I have gained this year and there is even a gym membership on the horizon (I haven’t been to a gym for over ten years!) as I am really missing the exercise I used to get from cycling every day.

We were also victims of bike theft for the second time in eight years of living here when I came home from a meeting one morning to find our Nihola had been stolen overnight. We are still waiting to hear from the insurers on this but it was very frustrating to say the least!

So, we have just over a week until the new school term starts and this year it really is a new start. My son will be starting at real school this term – a slightly bigger and more exciting place but with this come some daunting changes. We are keeping up the propaganda that this is an exciting move to my son but inside I am probably more scared than he is. I am not one of those mums who wants to keep their child a baby but I am very much aware that this change of school marks the start of a new era in my son’s life. He is ready for the next step but I wonder if I am.

Luckily my professional work is taking off. I am delighted to have a significant contract for my freelance work and hopefully a regular slot with The Local in the coming months. I just need to get my brain out of its summer mode!