I'm coming towards the end of my job now, just a few more days to go. It's been wonderful, I've really loved it and feel I've done a good job.
I've actually been verbally offered a very big contract (as in scale of job and responsibility, rather than length) for the end of March by the person that hired me for this, which is amazing.
She also offered me some work in December, but I already have verbal agreement with someone else about work for the same period. I explained that to her, and said I hadn't signed anything yet though, so if I I could keep in touch with her about it.
And I feel that I've managed to establish myself as my own person in this job, with a separate identity from my SBTXH. I've done it in the way Iike to do things: very gradually and carefully. That feels like a good, solid way to do things for me
Anyway, my lovely new partner came along to see me one afternoon. He came with his older sister and with his brother's two children (5 and 7). We all had a very lovely time, and I feel very welcomed and accepted by them all.
I'm planning on getting a little treat for us two, something that I've never done before: a dinner and stay in a castle/hotel type place. I don't have a Saturday night free until January now (this is a very busy time for one of my freelance jobs), but January will be good as it's generally a bit of a low point...after Christmas and the new year.
We're talking about plans for Christmas and the new year. I just get Christmas day off, so he's going to come up after he's seen his kids on Christmas morning and seen them unwrap their presents (his XW lives an almost two hour drive away, except it'll be quicker on Christmas morning).
Anyway, I'm back at work the next day, and he's happy to go and climb some hills for a few days (he's a real adventurer...ice picks at the ready for climbing hills in winter, sleeping in his car on weekend walks, that sort of thing).
He's said that he's incredibly excited that I'm happy for him to go out and do his own thing and spend time out in the wild. He said he's not had that before. I think that both his XW and the woman he was with after they divorced weren't as independent as I am and expected to do pretty much everything together, or for him to be there with them all the time (or most of the time). Maybe that's some people's idea of what being in a relationship is? I think that's what the man I went out with briefly last year was expecting (the angry, heavy drinker).
Anyway, I'm glad that people see me as independent. I got that comment from one of the people at the work I've been doing as well (someone that's worked with both myself and STBXH).
