Am I going to have to tell my Dad how many men I've slept with?

My father is a brilliant man. He is wise, passionate and brimming with self-confidence. I find his dedication to his field awe-inspiring and only hope that one day I will find something that I love as much as he does. He is a great mentor, and a great friend to me. The one issue we disagree on is that of one's personal life. In other words... he hates all my boyfriends.

I suppose I'd better mention the key element to mine and my Dad's relationship... he lives 10562 miles (16997 km) away in Sydney, Australia. Since I was 10, we have evolved a somewhat complicated, but surprisingly close relationship over email, facebook and now skype. It is amazing the things that you can confide when typing. This has meant he has very little control or say in who I date, but it doesn't stop him offering his opinion.

Over the years, there have only been a few guys who I've dared to introduce him to on his trips to the UK. Each of which as soon as they walked through the door I'd see that look and know the poor guy didn't stand a chance! As soon as the usually gangly adolescent was out of ear-shot I'd get the same line... "He's a wounded bunny Annie, you always pick the wounded bunnys but you can't fix this one... He's got reaaaallll issues!". Annoyingly, it would usually turn out that he was right. This would shortly be followed by "You need to spend some time being single, get to know yourself, don't get caught up in relationships."

However, what my Dad doesn't realise is that these are not the only guys I've dated and that in the past I spent plenty of time enjoying the freedom of being single, usually while not single. Due to the self-constructed safety boundaries of the Internet I've managed to construct this image of a nun-like village girl, having had only 2-3 boyfriends, when in reality that couldn't be further from the truth! Now I'm not accusing myself of being a mega-slut-atron here, but let's just say I've had my fair share.

As my friends all know, in the past I had issues with being faithful. It wasn't something I was proud of, I just felt no guilt and so felt I must be some sort of robot. As it happens I've met a wonderful man, who despite my insistence that I will be unfaithful, insists that I won't and refuses to not give me a chance. This is turn has somehow resulted in us being 10 months down the line and me without another man in sight. It's fantastic! I have no idea how he's done it but I'm cured of my immoral disease!

I've decided to bring said saint home to Australia to meet my Dad. This may be a hideous mistake or a stroke of genius, if he can cure me maybe he can win over the Dad?

All I really need to work out now is how to explain to my Dad how unique and special this man is without shattering his image of his nun-like daughter...

Hi I'm Annie and I'm a grown up now...

So it's been a while since my last post and things have certainly progressed.

I'm now a full-time Account Executive for the Mustard Agency, having successfully negotiated £2 more an hour than was offered. I've said my fond farewells to Triibe and I'm feeling really positive.

It's been six months now since I left Uni and though I still miss the people, it suddenly dawned on me this week that I wouldn't want to go back. I had just got home from work and went into my sister's room and there she was up to her eye-balls in coursework, as usual, stressed and feeling guilty for coming down to eat dinner.

I realised I had nothing to do all evening other than relax completely and utterly guilt free after 8 hours of well paid work... it was an bizarrely liberating feeling as I realised homework/coursework/assignments/dissertations and the guilt of never quite feeling I've done enough is no longer a part of my life! And hell I don't miss it one bit.

I'm also really enjoying the structure and purpose to my life that I haven't experienced since school. I have made a commitment to work 9-5, 5 days a week and I enjoy the weekends more knowing I've accomplished something and will be rewarded financially for having done so.

I have a wonderfully fulfilling relationship, a true companion and my friends, god its truly like we're not apart. Everyone is so dedicated to meeting up and making it work I couldn't ask for anymore.

So there we are... I'm a graduate and I'm OK!

Would you spend £25,000 on Booze?

With the Bournemouth Bubble truly burst it's time to look to the future. Post-uni life usually consisting of one over-riding element... the pursuit of a career. With the current economic state of the world it presents itself as a difficult task to 2009's Graduates.

I consider myself one of the more fortunate, having secured two jobs in the media industry, one paid and one slavery (work-experience).

Firstly I present you my job title for new drinks company Triibe.... the Brand Ambassador! Sounds impressive doesn't it... what it really consists of is dealing with small time bar managers with big time egos, arranging events nights which everyone in attendance is too drunk to remember and generally sucking off whoever seems influential in the bar industry this month.

The frustrating thing is that I genuinely believe in the product. I like Triibe, it really does taste good, I'd drink it when I was out as an alternative to Sambuca or Tequila and when people try it I'd say 9/10 agree with me.

I also believe Triibe have great schemes to support a new product. Once a bar have brought in stock, Triibe provide a portable bar, shot girls, free entertainment along the triabl theme (facepainter, dancers, fire performer) as well as free photo keyrings for every shot sold (these normally cost £4/keyring). All of this is completely free to the bar and adds an extra special element to their otherwise normal night... so I don't get why they don't jump at the chance.

I've been doing Triibe since February now and my moral is at an all-time low. It's sad to see that a product so well received by customers is still not being taken on by bars. I feel it's time to hang up my hat and let someone take over who is excited about the prospect of Triibal domination in Bournemouth as apposed to myself who is fed up of being spoken to like I'm an idiot.

Secondly I present you with my other amazing opportunity... The Account Assistant...an unpaid work placement for a month (now 5 weeks in) at a local marketing and design agency. I was amazed when the opportunity came up, as where I live is hardly centre London, and after being accepted on my first interview (with no mention of my CV) I felt really positive.

Today is D-day as to whether they will take me on paid for the future. But the truth is, I'm not actually that bothered. Since I've arrived, all I've done is data entry and phoning up people who are not interested in taking my calls. I feel like I'm back in the call centre I worked in while travelling last summer.

I know I've been lucky to have found jobs related to my degree... but neither of them seem to get me excited. I want to be challenged and to suceed, to feel as if my contributions to a company are having an impact and to look forward to work on a Monday morning.

It may seem a lot to ask, but wasn't that the point of University? So that you could come in at a higher level than when you were 18, because you've been educated. If not and I must still work my way up from the bottom rung of the ladder then I'm beginning to wonder if I've actually just spent £25K on booze...

The Bournemouth Bubble

I've just graduated from Bournemouth University with a Degree in Communication and Media. I had an amazing three years educating myself in more ways than academia could ever begin to categorize into tidy boxes. I've emerged the other side a better person for the experiences I've shared with my peers, but am now discovering that I'm not quite sure where I fit having finished my seventeenth and final year in Education.

The other side of University is a tough one. It feels lonely, without purpose, and bewildering. Within a week I lost my home, my friends and was thrown back into a life that I'd spent 3 years growing out of. The worst part is there is no date to look forward to when I will get my life back... that chapter is closed whether I want it to be or not.

I'm very lucky to have a wonderful family, my Mum went through the same experience after leaving Uni and will happily sit up commiserating with me while I try and work out my new route. I have a wonderful boyfriend who doesn't moan at my hideous mood swings... always resulting in a bursting into tears and a blubbery 'I'm so sorry I just miss my friends.'

But I'm 3 months in and still feel completely lost... the only solution I can come up with is to win the lottery and live in a 20 bedroom house with all the people who make me feel like me again.

Someone once described University life to me as living in a bubble... it becomes you're whole world... the Bournemouth bubble has truly burst.