Two cities. Two sets of regulars. Two different energy landscapes. Some weeks I'm barely keeping up, other weeks I'm sailing smooth like the Tawe River on a quiet morning.
Logistics are always the killer. Train times, hotel bookings, making sure my overnight bag is packed, checking which clients know me in which location. Cardiff feels slicker, more professional. Swansea feels like home, softer edges. I know every coffee shop, every back street.
Burnout creeps up slow. One minute you're handling everything, next minute you're staring at a wall wondering how you got here. I've learned to read my own signals now. When the spark goes, when interactions feel mechanical. That's my cue to pull back, reset.
Good bookings keep me going. Not just the money, but the connection. Clients who see me as a person, who understand this is work but also something more complex. Those interactions recharge something inside me.
Today was a Cardiff day. Tomorrow might be Swansea. Always moving, always adapting.