December

December was an interesting month, and it was another month of firsts.

My first assignment was handed in at the beginning of December, with a few others following not long after. College work, in general, started to pick up pace which meant I had to put my organisational skills to the test to ensure that I kept on top of it all. December also brought my first Tutor practice visit, for college. This was basically just my tutor coming out to see how I was getting on in my placement and making sure I am doing all the things that I should be. I was a bit nervous about it, which wasn’t helped by the session being really quiet to begin with, but things picked up by the end of the evening which calmed my nerves considerably.

I attended my first conference as part of the Sidewalk team last month too – one run by Perth and Kinross council. It was really bizarre as I’d never been to anything like that before. To begin with I felt quite out of place and like I was the only person who didn’t know everyone in the room. I settled into it before too long though and it was really interesting to be there and to hear different opinions on alcohol misuse and how to tackle it.

There are some other firsts from December which are considerably less important. For example, I used the phrase “I’ll just have to check my diary” while organising a meeting for the first time, which made me feel incredibly grown up. I had my first accident in the office, which was hilariously embarrassing and involved my fingers and a stapler. I won my first game of pool in the college at the games room which was mainly due to my opponent being completely off his game. I also decorated my room at the flat, which has helped me feel considerably more at home.

Aside from all that, work has been going well. I was still a bit shocked by the number of adults who are out when it is freezing outside. It was also quieter than I’d expected on the run up to Christmas, but I was quite glad that young people were not out when it is so cold. I feel settled into a routine now for work and college, which is great. I’m managing to find time for all of my studies and have discovered the ability to sleep on the train on the way home and not end up in Dundee, which is incredibly handy. My first few months with Sidewalk have been great and, as much as I enjoyed my holiday, I’m looking forward to the exciting things that this year will bring,

Pamela.