It’s “Back to School” for everyone … except me.

September has always been about new beginnings. The start of the school year. The start of autumn. And I’ve started several new jobs in September.

There’s always a sense of optimism mixed with trepidation at this time of year.

It also feels like a new beginning for me. The summer has been about dealing with the practicalities and paperwork associated with my redundancy as well as having a break from the daily commute and the daily workload. Now it feels like it’s for real.

One aspect which will take some getting used to is the quiet house. I’ve plenty to do and there’s never really a time when I feel bored but I do miss the camaraderie of working in an office with other people.

I can understand how lonely the freelance life can be.

My solution for now is to keep the radio on – in another room if necessary so that it is background noise rather than active listening.

Just hearing other people talk is a comfort. It stops me spending too much time talking to myself.