Sunday 5 December 2010

10 hour round trip




On Saturday we woke up to sunshine and whiteness.
It felt quite a bit warmer, so we quickly got things organised for our 10 hour round trip.

I haven't told you about this yet, but my son E, who is in university in Toulouse has decided the course is not for him, so he wants to come home and earn some money until September next year, when he hopes to be able to find a course and an apprenticeship in sales. This means he has to find a company that will offer him an apprentice position. He is very positive about it and is happy to take any job that comes along between times to gain experience and earn some money.

So, on Saturday, at 10.30 we set off, MOH and me, a flask, some sandwiches and everything you can think of in case we got stuck in the snow. We had snow boots, a blanket, coats, calor gaz cooking stove and even a bucket of sand, in case we got stuck. How well prepared is that in just 30 minutes.



Yes, I know it was last minute, but that is how things seem to happen in our house!!

I checked the weather forecast in all the cities en route and thay all said the same, sunny but cold.

So off we went.



We didn't stop. Ate our sandwiches on the go. The tea was made and drunk in the car and a good juorney was had. We arrived at my son's studio in just under 5 hours.

The weather had been lovely all the way. There was a lot of snow everywhere but thankfully the roads were clear. The sun was shining and the sky was blue.

As soon as we hit Brive there was no snow anywhere and by the time we had reached Toulouse the temperature had doubled.

After giving him a big hug - I hadn't seen him since August - we quickly loaded up the car. It was a good job MOH had taken out all the seats except one in the Espace, because it was soon full to the roof with bags, bedding and a new settee that we had bought, etc.

I went to see the landlady and apologise for the change of circumstances. Understandably she was not very happy because she said she would not be able to rent the flat again this year. But she was very nice about everything.

It is likely we will lose most of the deposit because my son went to Paris last weekend to stay with his friend and left his house keys there. His friend put them in the post, but they have not arrived, so we will have to pay for the new locks!!

Then we set off home again. We arrived back home just after 21.00.

It is a difficult situation - E says he is most upset about all the money that has been wasted for the studio etc and says he will pay us back. When I asked him what he had learned from the whole adventure, he said that he should not have jumped into taking the course as it was not what he really wanted to do, but that they were the only ones who offered him a place and his girlfriend was going there - by the way - they have split up too. He says this is not the reason for him leaving but I think it probably did help him to confirm his decision.
He said he enjoyed living on his own and taking responsibility for himself. He didn't eat enough but I do know that he ate properly, even if it was only pasta carbonara or pasta with tomato sauce. He has a friend who is in university and does not have any money, so he hardly eats. E said his friend was really excited last week because Super U (supermarket) arrived at his door with food from his mum. Thankfully E had found a job straight away and did have enough money to eat.

So he is home.

Complaining about the cold. Our house is heated to between 14° - 16° (if we are lucky). he has been used to living in a small space and just wearing t-shirts because it was so warm!

Moaning about his desk being full of rubbish - it has been used as a dumping ground for the last few months.

But it is lovely to have him back. I did not realise just how much it changes the dynamics of the family when there is one missing.

He and D are getting on well. We'll see how long that lasts but last night was very nice.

He is going to visit Manpower and Adecco this morning to see if there are any temp jobs around that he can do. Last year he he was quite successful at finding jobs with them.

For me - I am happy to have him home again. I have the feeling this has been a good learning experience for him and I hope he will come out of it stronger and more sure of his decisions.

Who Knows?








4 comments:

Diane said...

Oh dear. I know how you feel though as my daughter has decided that her course is not for her (but I really think that it is the fact that the boyfriend is in another city and she is spending all her time there instead of in Salford). She says shes going to stick it out till the end of theyear and then transfer to Leeds. Its been really disapointing for us and very frustrating as I know she really hasnt given the place a chance. I hope your lad finds something he likes. Who'd be a mother! - at least we now know we are not on our own. xxxxxx

Wally B said...

At least he seems to be hoest about his decision and is aware of the upset and financial impact. I thinl all youngsters should take a year off full time education just to get grounded in the realities of life.
This may be a blessing. Let's hope.

Manchester Lass, Now and Then said...

It's a very hard decision trying to work out your career path when you are so young. I like the above mentioned idea of taking a year off from full time education. At least D knows that he has got great supportive parents. I'm sure he will find his path soon. Linda xx

Susie said...

Best of luck to your son - he sounds like he's thought about it and he's got a plan for what he's going to do now. If something's not right for you, I always think it's positive to realise that, and move on (I know it's not always that easy though!).

Best wishes x