I’m off on an adventure!

Tomorrow I’m getting the train to London, having previously left the west country for one day last September. That’s exciting enough, but I’m also staying in a hotel – the first time in history I’ve been able to get a room in central London for £56. Apart from that time I booked a cheap room in Shepherd’s Bush and it turned out to be a windowless basement, like sleeping in a crypt.

But a night in a Premier Inn is just the beginning of my adventure – on Friday morning I’m getting the Eurostar to Rotterdam, to spend sixteen days working with the content team at the Eurovision Song Contest. I’ll be writing blogs and articles for the official Eurovision website throughout the two weeks of rehearsals and live shows, and I could NOT be more excited.

I can’t remember how far my love of Eurovision goes back, but it’s something that has always been part of my life in one form or another. I’ve covered the Grand Final for The Guardian since 2009, liveblogging from the host city in 2016, 2017 and 2018. But this is the first year I’ve ever worked across the whole contest, and the first time I’ve worked for the official broadcaster. I really can’t wait to get started.

Most of all, I’m looking forward to being in a different place, working with different people. Like most people over the past year my circle of associates has shrunk considerably, so meeting a whole bunch of new people from all over Europe and beyond feels like a huge novelty. But also slightly overwhelming, I’m not going to lie, and I say that as one of life’s extroverts.

I’ll be back on 23rd May to start edits on Book 2, which I’ve now received from the publisher. I’m excited about getting into it, but for now I’m off to immerse myself in glitter, music and joy. See you on the other side!