Profile
Me: The Potted Version
Born 1973 in West Midlands to furniture designer father and Danish mum. One older brother (now North Yorkshire science teacher and cycling fanatic).
Happy countryside/small-town childhood climbing trees, making soft toys, riding bikes.
Educated at small Shropshire girls' school with excellent academic reputation. Hated it; too much of a smart-arse.
Became obnoxious teenager; bored, antagonistic and too often drunk. Found outlet at 17 with local rowing club. Took to it obsessively. Met Roj there, aged 18.
Umm-ed and ahh-ed over future, saw no particular path and decided to go to art college. Completed art foundation course at local technical college, despite numerous tutors being absent or intoxicated. Struggled to find direction and an art college which would take me. Ended up on Printmaking degree course at Loughborough College of Art & Design.
One year in, decided that fine art was too self-indulgent and that rowing was more fun anyway. Transferred to Nottingham University to study Art History.
Loved being at Nottingham, but agonised over failing to make important rowing squads. Didn't comprehend the need to physically apply oneself for several years before expecting pay-off. Gave up rowing and turned to mountain-biking.
Didn't see much future in Art History so introduced myself to computers and joined University magazine publishing team.
Spent obligatory post-university year doing barely-paid publishing internships and temping work. Took job in similarly non-lucrative East London contemporary art gallery Flowers East. Moved to London flat with Roj and got engaged in November 1998 over kebab and chips. Hatched interest in websites and learnt HTML to build Gallery website and find exit.
Took production job at web agency Bluewave in early 2000. Married Roj in May. Moved to Manhattan to become team manager and later Information Architect at Bluewave New York at start 2001 and spent 3 amazing years (notwithstanding harrowing events of that September) in best city in the world.
Spent all money and time doing an abundance of adrenalin sports around the US, until falling pregnant in autumn 2002. Bluewave NY followed its UK counterpart and disintegrated in February 2003, in perfect time to enable me to become full-time mum to baby Jody born June 2003. Spent ensuing 6 months deliberating over whether to stay permanently in US but returned reluctantly to London in January 2004.
Got immersed in Marylebone mother/toddler community while doing minor freelance projects in 'spare' time and coping with a more exhausting second pregnancy, culminating in the birth of Miles in April 2005.
And the rest, if not history, is certainly described at length in my blog.
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