From Holidays to Harvests: 28 days that changed my career 🏝️🌾

Hello, welcome back to my blog!

Today, I’m sharing a pretty big life change, one I definitely didn’t see coming but one that has completely changed my perspective on so many things. I’ve recently changed careers and decided to share my journey through my blog..

If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that I’ve worked in travel for several years now, around five years altogether, on and off. Travel has been a huge part of my working life and for a long time, I genuinely thought it was where I would stay. Sometimes life has a funny way of changing your plans.

Where it all started...

I started my journey in travel in 2019. I hadn’t worked in travel before so I joined what was essentially an apprenticeship style programme, although it wasn’t officially classed as one because we were paid the same as everyone else. It was much more like learning on the job. My role was part of the Travel Academy, where our targets were slightly lower to give us the opportunity to learn while we worked. I spent three years there, from 2019 to 2022, helping customers book all sorts of holidays from package holidays, cruises, flights, coach holidays and UK breaks. I absolutely loved it. It was then that I started to realise that travel could genuinely become a career for me, Travel hadn’t always been the plan...

The career I thought I wanted...

Since I was about 10 years old, I wanted to be a social worker. After having social workers involved in my life during my parents’ divorce, I decided that I wanted to help other children who might be going through similar experiences. I went to college to study Health and Social Care but when it came to going to university, other things were happening in my life and I didn’t feel like it was the right time. So, instead, I went into full time employment and that’s when I started in travel. Looking back, I think it’s funny how life takes you down completely different paths to the ones you imagined.

From travel to supported living...

After that, I started working in a supported living facility for adults with brain injuries. It was such a rewarding job and I really enjoyed being part of the clients’ lives every day. At the time, I had made the move partly because it was closer to home. I couldn’t drive yet so it saved me money on travel costs. The pay was also better, which seemed like the right move at the time. I was trying to save money so I could start my driving lessons. Most of the time, I walked to work, although I did have a push bike too! I worked some long shifts from 7am until 10pm, I also did my fair share of waking nights. That job taught me a lot. Most importantly, it taught me to appreciate life and recognise how lucky I was. The people I worked with were amazing and I met some genuinely lovely colleagues too. Overall, it was a really positive experience but deep down, I knew I wanted to find my way back into travel.

A little detour to Sainsbury’s...

From supported living, I moved to Sainsbury’s for a while. I’m not even entirely sure what made me want to make that move! I think once I could drive, I felt ready to try something different and the long hours in my previous role were really starting to take their toll. I was also struggling with PCOS and standing for long periods was causing a lot of problems with my hips and back. I was living with quite a lot of pain at the time. I met some lovely people at Sainsbury’s, many of whom I’m still in touch with today! I did a bit of everything while I was there but ultimately, I didn’t feel fulfilled in the job. So, I started looking again. That’s when I found my way back into the travel industry but this time, through coach travel.

Back to travel...

I realised just how much I had missed travel. An opportunity came up for an experienced Travel Consultant with a coach company. I didn’t really consider myself “experienced” at the time but I suppose you can learn a hell of a lot in three years! I applied anyway because I had nothing to lose, I got the job! I was SO excited to be back working in travel, although the coach side of the industry was quite new to me. I learnt so much in such a short space of time. From organising schoolchildren’s battlefield tours to arranging day trips and I really felt like I was in my element. That role opened up so many opportunities for me, for that I will always be incredibly grateful. I was able to go to Belgium on familiarisation trips, have days out in the West End, even visit Thursford Christmas Spectacular two years running, where I got to see the show before it opened to the public! One of the biggest highlights for me was visiting Ypres. I have family members who fought in the World Wars, so being able to visit Ypres, learn about the history and then use what I had learnt to help organise itineraries was incredibly meaningful. I loved it. I also went through the Eurotunnel for the first time in my life, travelled on the ferry, I got to take friends and family along with me a lot of the time too. It really was amazing. Unfortunately, then things changed.

When things started to feel different...

My manager left due to family illness and other people in the office moved on to new jobs. Suddenly, a lot of pressure was placed on me to help run the departments while new people were being employed. It was incredibly stressful. Something that I had once loved started to feel very different. A lot of the enjoyment was taken out of the job and I began to feel extremely isolated. The new team were employed for a different site so unfortunately, that feeling of isolation didn’t really go away. Eventually, I moved into the operations office, where I met some amazing people who became friends for life. I am genuinely so grateful for the people who helped me through what was probably one of the toughest periods I had experienced at work. Despite that, I felt like I had outgrown the place. I didn’t feel like I could really become the person I wanted to be there. After COVID, the adult holidays also stopped, which became another factor in my decision to move on to my next adventure. I packed up my desk and moved on. I thought this was going to be it. Unfortunately, things didn’t work out the way I had planned or the way I had been promised.

The 28 days that changed everything...

I became mentally unwell extremely quickly and realised that I had made a mistake. I tried to push through it but my gut was telling me no. When your gut tells you no, you listen. My GP signed me off work for 28 days because I was starting to be physically unwell at the thought of going into work every day. Those next 28 days changed everything. It was the longest I had been out of employment since I was 16. I had always worked. I think part of that is because I’ve always needed to be doing something. Sitting still has never really been my thing! I then sat down and thought about what I could control and then decided to create a routine. I started going to the gym religiously at 8am every morning. I normally train four or five times a week anyway, but this time it was less about training and more about having somewhere to be and something to structure my day around. I’d then take the dog out for a walk. Normally, these are things I would do after work but I needed to create a routine that gave my days some purpose. That time gave me something I hadn’t had in a long time: Time to think. I had time to reflect on what I wanted from my life. I realised that no job or workplace is ever worth sacrificing your mental health for. I thought about what I had achieved and started thinking about what I wanted my future to look like. I may have lost the job I thought I wanted but I still had my life and that is worth more than any job ever could be. I’ve always been someone who stays until it’s too late. I’ve done it with relationships, friendships and previous workplaces. I knew that this time had to be different. I’ve always been a “listen to your gut” kind of girl, and so far, it hasn’t failed me yet!

Falling back in love with life...

Looking back, I think I needed those 28 days. I needed time to fall back in love with life, to fall back in love with meal prep and the gym. To fall back in love with music. To rediscover my love for reading and learning new things. I even started looking into doing a personal training course. I already have my Boxing coaches licence, so I thought maybe that could be my next adventure. They always say things happen when you least expect them. I guess that’s exactly what happened to me.

So... where does the harvest come into all of this? I hear you ask!

I knew I needed to go back to work after those 28 days. Obviously, I needed the money but honestly, I needed the routine and purpose for my mental health more than anything. The thought of having to find another job was really stressing me out. Then, one day while I was taking my sister to McDonald’s for lunch, I received a phone call. That phone call changed everything. An opportunity had come up for a role in a completely different field. Literally. Farming. Although I've been a Suffolk girl my whole life, I really hadn’t had anything to do with farms or farming. I’d been to the steam rally a few times, if that counts?! 😂 The lady on the phone told me: “It’s a family owned business with a history of farming for over 100 years.” I remember thinking... I don’t know if I’m going to be any good at this. I don't know anything about farming but I went along for a trial for a couple of days. Somehow, it all just made sense.

From holidays to harvest...

The company’s main business is agriculture, combining arable farming with pig rearing, while also undertaking contract farming for other landowners. Alongside the farming business, they also have commercial and residential properties that they rent out and a operator training business. On top of all of that, they own a rare breed meat farming business. It was a completely new opportunity for me but one that still uses so many of the skills I’ve picked up throughout my previous careers. That’s one of the things I love about it. Every day is different. One day I might be contacting potential tenants and discussing properties, processing invoices, answering emails or picking up the phone. My main role is accounts but I also get to be involved with everyone across the site and all of the different businesses. For me, that’s probably the best part. I’ve always loved working as part of a team. I’m such a sociable person when I’m around people I can bounce off and I genuinely love the phrase: “Teamwork makes the dream work.” Having an all rounder role is something I think I’ve always needed. From cleaning the offices and making tea (one of my best skills 😉 ), to dealing with invoices and wages or helping out my colleagues, I genuinely love every second of it. I’m often the person they come to when they need to be pointed in the direction of the right department or need some help. Although, to be completely honest, my colleagues are the ones supporting me at the moment! They’re helping me learn the ropes and I’m incredibly grateful for that. Two of my colleagues also started around the same time as me, I think that has helped me enormously. We all have completely different roles but we share one thing: We’re all new. Knowing that I’m not the only one learning has made such a difference, it has helped us get on really well.

When one door closes...

There’s that saying: “When one door closes, another one opens.” I think I finally understand what that means. It can be so difficult to move on from something you thought you always wanted, Sometimes you have to. Sometimes, things just aren’t meant for you anymore and that’s okay. There are colleagues from my previous jobs that I miss, of course. I’ll always stay in touch with them, meet up for a coffee or go for a walk. I’ll never say never about working in travel again. Right now, I genuinely feel like I’ve found my place. I guess, in a way, I’m still working in travel... There are just tractors and trailers instead of coaches and planes and they're transporting pigs and not people!

What I’ve learnt...

My world has felt extremely shaken over the last month or so but I’ve always believed that we should learn from everything we go through. Some of the biggest lessons I’ve taken from this experience are:

1. No job is ever worth your mental health.

2. If your gut tells you something is wrong, listen to it.

3. Every time a door closes, another one opens.

4. Trust the timing of your life.

5. Time is the most precious thing we have, don’t waste a second being unhappy.

I feel so grateful for every opportunity I’ve had. I don’t regret anything because every place I’ve worked has given me something. Whether that’s new friends, new experiences, new skills or a new lesson. I once saw something online that said your life is like a train. Some people stay on for a stop or two, while others stay with you for the whole journey. I think that’s so true. We learn something from everyone we meet in our lives and sometimes the biggest lesson is learning that nothing lasts forever. People come and go. Jobs come and go. Chapters end. Sometimes, the ending of one chapter is exactly what you need to start writing the next one. I’m so excited to see where this journey takes me from here.

There’s definitely going to be a lot of learning along the way! But for now...

From holidays to harvests, here’s to the next chapter. 🌾

Keep an eye out for my next blog!

Chloe x