My days as an online Biology tutor rarely have the usual 9-5pm work pattern due to demands for tutoring in the evenings, so I am flexible and guided by my tutees. With a husband and an 8 year old son, Toby, there’s a tricky balancing act to ensure we get quality time together, while earning a living doing the job I love.

Everyday has a different timetable but is centred around 4 or 5 hrs of online tuition which thankfully, due to my experience and expertise rarely requires much preparation. It’s the accounts, paperwork and marketing that take up my time outside of the online tutoring. 

I ensure I always incorporate some form of exercise into every weekday. At the moment, due to our recent move to Spain, I haven’t joined a gym yet as the language barrier would be too problematic. So online classes are doing the trick whilst I have the motivation to push myself. We’ve converted the basement into a small gym suitable for my BodyPump, BodyBalance or Grit class. It is such a stress reliever and ‘my time’ which helps me maintain an even keel and good mood with the added benefit of making me look my best!

Due to being a one car family and living in a remote area near the Sierra de Madrid mountains without train or bus services, I have to be incredibly organised regarding shopping, trips to the hairdressers, doctors and cash withdrawals for tenor horn lessons etc. Everything is planned meticulously so the week works like a well oiled machine. If not, it’s a testing cycle ride to sort anything nearby!

Tobys’ ski training schedule dictates ‘mum’s taxi’ ferrying him to Madrid Xanadu and fitness training four times a week, enduring the crazy roads around central Madrid. So work has to be juggled around his commitments as the busy race season begins!

More to follow next week……

Nicky Tweedle 19/11/2019