Why that Back To School feeling is so much better as an adult.

By Farhana Rahman

It’s the first Sunday of September.  The sun is shining, the air is feeling a little crisp and the evenings are drawing in noticeably earlier.  Across the country, parents are quietly rejoicing, children are brimming with excitement and stocks of protractors are running low.  It can only mean one thing.  Yes, it’s Back To School time.  New school year, new start, new goals. 

Yes, admittedly I’m 34 years old, haven’t had actually had a summer holiday and am not going anywhere, other than back to work.  Where I was 2 days ago.  But that nostalgic feeling of good intention - this year I will do my homework on time – faithfully returns at the end of my summers, well into adulthood.   It’s like New Year’s - without the Christmas food baby and with better weather.

That Back To School feeling is just so much better when you’re a grown up though. Now, I can indulge in all those good vibes without the accompanying dread of bleary-eyed bus journeys to school, endless lists of homework and…gulp… P.E (*shudders*).  And my secret weapon against these childhood foes? STATIONERY.  Armed with a shiny new pencil case, sharpened pencils and some snazzy gel pens, I was ready to garner academic success for the year ahead.  Indeed, I was ready to TAKE ON LIFE.  Inevitably, two weeks later my eraser would have snapped in half, a pen would have leaked all over my bag and my pencil case would be lined with an inexplicable layer of crud.  But no matter! Teenage Me was on fire!  I was ready to go, at least for another couple of weeks until I’d start counting down the days until half term.

Grown Up Me now largely spends her days in clinic, tapping away at a keyboard.  There are some rogue pens in my bag and some scraps of paper on my desk.  Patient-related admin is  destroyed at the end of every day in the confidential waste bin at work.  I do not have own a pencil case.  So when I do actually put pen to paper, it’s for me.  In a world where we’re all starved for time, especially time for ourselves, this has become something of a luxury.  Whether it’s journaling, writing my to-do lists or jotting down ideas, it feels like an indulgence and I love it.  It helps regulate my thoughts and organise my life.

And so Teenage Me gets her kicks come this time of year when I feel I need a pick me up, some inspiration and some fuel to get me going.  Whilst WH Smith is still the king of any high street, for unique and thoughtful stationery I turn to the creatives at PaperchainG. Founded by two female powerhouses and designers, Alex and Brigi set up this eco-friendly paper and design brand which uses only recycled materials and their own hand-drawn designs.  In fact, we love their ethos, as well as their products so much we had to get in touch to see how we could collaborate and get creative together. 

So it is with great pleasure that we share this little secret with you all.  Get your grown-up back to school fix with some guilt-free inspiration and check out their store on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/PaperchainG?ref=l2-shopheader-name#about

We are thrilled to be getting our design on with these gals with some exciting projects coming in the near future! For now, we’ve secured you lot a discount.  You’re welcome.  The coupon code HAPPYWISEWELL is now active with 25% off all orders in their Etsy shop. 

This is going to be a great school year…I can just tell.  Not just because there’s no school involved.