A mum reflects on a work trip away

When was the last time you had some time away, just you on your own? Mum, Kate Turton reflects on her first work trip away since having her children.

I just got back from my first proper conference in over six years. By ‘proper’, I mean it was a two-day affair, which meant I had to stay away from home for two whole nights. As a part-time working parent, these sorts of opportunities don’t come along very often (goodness me – it’s been six years!), so I decided to embrace this one with open arms:

Travel time

The conference was in Liverpool, so I had a three-hour train journey with a connection/wait in Birmingham. This was solid gold ‘me-time’! I read a book (what a luxury!) for about an hour and spent another hour or so organising my diary and planning. I’m starting a part-time university course later this year, so I began to think about what success will look like and visualise where the qualification will take me… By the time I got to Liverpool, all the stuff that has been buzzing around in my head was formulated and captured (well, scribbled) in my notebook.

Hotel

My hotel room was a quiet oasis. I had my notebook, my iPad and some books/magazines to read. I spent some more time planning and consolidating so that I’ll be ready to apply my conference learning within the context of my own work. I also set out the framework for this blog post and, of course, FaceTimed my husband and kids!

Socialising

Being a two-day conference, there was a drinks reception and dinner, which I signed up for. Having travelled alone, I had to dig out and brush off my networking skills and make some new friends. On the first day, I used the coffee and lunch breaks to start conversations with a couple of people, so I had somewhere to pick up with people in the evening. It’s always a bit dry, starting with ‘so where do you work?’ so I asked for advice on setting up a project that I want to do, which neatly linked up with one of the main themes of the conference. This worked quite well and led onto more free-flowing chats about work and other interests – I discovered someone who lives about 10 miles away from my house and who also likes singing!

Down time

I used a break in the schedule to visit Liverpool’s Tate gallery. I don’t know much about modern art (I don’t even know if I like it!) but it was nice to let my mind wander about something different for an hour or so. I even had a coffee and a slice of Bakewell tart in the cafe and bought a souvenir fridge magnet for my daughters to add to their collection.

On foot

The weather was nice and I had flat shoes and my FitBit, so I walked as much as I could. Sitting around on trains, in hotel rooms and conference centres is no good for the soul – it’s important to get outside. I hadn’t realised that Liverpool was such an attractive city and it was nice to soak up some of the atmosphere. I now know why it was chosen to be European City of Culture in 2008.

Session list

I scoured the programme in advance and chose the sessions I wanted to attend. I told myself that I didn’t have to go to all the extra presentations if I didn’t want to – I could spend time networking or consolidating what I had learned, instead.

On reflection

I really enjoyed the conference and was glad that I’d asked my manager for the opportunity to go. Primarily, I enjoyed it because it was focused on my portfolio or work interests, and it was nice to be surrounded by others who are similarly enthusiastic about postgraduate training. But, just as importantly, I enjoyed it because it was an opportunity to reconnect with my ‘working self’. For a couple of days at this conference, I wasn’t mummy: I was “Me” – someone defined by my job, skills, expertise and education. Oh, and I didn’t have to share my pudding with anyone!

Kate Turton juggles working part-time in public sector policy, looking after her two young daughters, and volunteering for the school PTA and a local charity.

She holds a PhD in protein crystallography and aspirations to become a freelance science writer. You can follow her alter-ego ‘SimpleScimum’ on Twitter

 

 

 

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