The not-so-calm week

Work is once again steering me off course and firmly into the land of detours. No dispatches last week, and a blog that has sat half-written for far too long. I’m well aware that I complain about having too much work just as often as I complain about not having enough.

The week before a holiday used to be a reliably chaotic storm of extra stress and not enough time back when I lived in the corporate world. History, it seems, is repeating itself—despite being semi-retired—as I gear up for a week in Dubai. I’d imagined this week would be all massage appointments, hair and nails, sunset drinks on the beach with friends, and a bit of last-minute trip organisation.

The reality? An internal investigation for a client with long interviews at decidedly unsociable hours, plus a “quick” check-up at the dentist that turned into a rather horrific tooth-rebuilding ordeal. Now I’m in pain, talking endlessly, and cancelling beach drinks to make space for Zoom meetings. Not quite the pre-holiday chill I had planned.

I’m determined to make it to the hair and nails appointment, and the travel admin simply has to get done. But heading off in an aura of calm? Hardly. Be careful what you wish for.