Pretend and be

There's a book I got ages ago about becoming a translator, that basically concludes that you get to be a translator by pretending to be one. Not the best bootstrapping strategy.

And that's in a nutshell what I've been feeling until now... but I have had a stroke of luck that is making it feel a little more real! Someone on the translation mailing list posted a long-term in-house contract that I asked for more details on, and despite it being for a company I'd applied to the year before unsuccessfully, I asked to be considered if that wasn't a problem. I wasn't expecting much.

They contacted me last Thursday to ask if I could do a test translation, which I agreed to do on Friday between 9 and 1. Pretty much everything that could have happened did - the vegetable box arrived, the guy arrived to pick up the old bedframe, and locked himself out 3 times while taking it out. I sent it back on time and waited to hear.

On Monday afternoon, after Ree had left and I'd spent the day cleaning as I had no work on, they emailed me back. When could I start? As I said, I had nothing on - I'd had one piece of work all month so far, mainly my problem as I wasn't looking for new clients - so there was nothing stopping me taking off. Himself would have preferred the following Monday, but after the word "desperate" was mentioned it ended up being next Monday. I fly tomorrow.

Spent Wednesday and Thursday feeling like I was either going to wake up, or someone was going to contact me saying there had been a mistake and they thought they had been talking to someone else. Friday and today - with packing and letting people know I'll be out of the country - it has felt more real. I've even had time to get a bit nervous about it.

The contract is initially for 3 months, with a possibility of 6 months, which they have already suggested to me. Fine, so long as I get to pop back between projects and can be in the UK for the MA seminar and mock exam week in July and the craft fair I've signed up to do with Himself's mother.

Pay is good, furnished apartment is provided, it's great experience and a good name for the CV, plus some guaranteed income for a few months. Too good to turn down, and feeling much to good to be true.