Read time: 5 mins
Charlotte Littley shows us how to thrive in flexibility – no life plan needed.
The Great Resignation. Work from anywhere. Babies brought forward, weddings pushed back (thrice), years of Tinder productivity burned to the ground. When Covid upended our realities, it shredded any last semblance of the ‘Life Plan’.
If you feel confused, we used to talk about ‘the five year plan’ with absolute sincerity. A lot of us would have broad brush career / love life / home ownership plans set out to help attain a traditional view and vision of success. But that’s suddenly and significantly shifted, and we think for the better!
We know a tonne of cat people trailblazing new ways to live, thrive, squeeze every drop of greatness out of life and the short time we have on planet earth. Our pal (read:muse) Charlotte is one of them. Thanks to circumstance, inherent openness and spirit of adventure, she set fire to tradition and navigated a pretty different path through life.
We got her onto Google Hangouts to find out what to do now that the ‘Life Plan’ is officially deceased. From our chat we took away five main principles from the woman who’s somehow lived the good life in Dubai, seen the world as an air hostess, thrived in startups and now finds herself in her perfect home in the outskirts of Glasgow with five fur kids pattering at her feet.
Principles to guide you in the absence of a ‘Life Plan’:
1. When there’s a recession, make lemonade (as the famous saying goes)
Post university, Charlotte was welcomed into the big wide world by the dark shadows of the credit crunch.
When you get to know Charlotte as the colourful, nature-loving extrovert she is, what happened next feels incongruous.
“I graduated in 2012, just at the tail end of the credit crunch when uni attendance was super high. I was looking at grad schemes left right and centre and they were so few and far between, that I ended up applying to work for an airline. Then, just like that, I was a flight attendant.”
No animals, just flights. And a home based in super glamorous Dubai. So that part makes no sense. But the carpe diem of it all certainly does. It wasn’t her forever life path but she did it anyway – life experiences > life plans.
2. Let opportunity knock + vibe it out (especially if it’s not what you planned)
Soon enough, she closed this chapter of adventure and packed up to find solace in London, digging straight into startup life.
A self-proclaimed “dog person through and through”, cats definitely weren’t ever on the radar, especially after moving back to the UK and starting her new career. But like most innocent searches on Gumtree start, looking for bargain second hand furniture, Charlotte stumbled across her first kitty, little Midnight, being sold for just a few quid.
“I went to pick her up and that was that. I never did get a coffee table in the end.”
Midnight likes her independence and she chooses when to share herself so it’s all the more special when you do get a cuddle. ‘Hear it from a ‘dog person’: it wouldn’t be home without her, she’s the best housemate of the lot.’
3. Experiment, try things on for size, embrace different ways to live
Living the true animal lover lifestyle, Charlotte has been vegan now for four and a half years. Starting on a sort of trial basis giving Veganuary a go, she realised she wasn’t lacking anything, only gaining through a brand new lifestyle, ultimately choosing to stick with her new-found plant-based passion.
Being a full time vegan warrior, this is likely the moment her life became a sort of Pandora’s Box for pets – once it was opened there was no going back.
4. Keep things interesting – surround yourself with diverse personalities
So now the squad gets real. With dachshund Noodle and cat Midnight in place, Charlotte added two more feline siblings, Brienne and Tormund, and another pup Roo to the mix.
More pets means more personalities – Tormund is the typical tabby with the ultimate purr (though they’re considering a custody battle with their neighbours since he started kipping in their bed).
Brienne is a little less fickle, and intersperses snuggles with toe-biting. Weirdest of the 5, she’s swapped regular meow for shouts, a true individual.
Roo (described by Charlotte as being “absolutely MAD!”) was rescued from a dog shelter in Romania and after 6 months of failed cuddle attempts she finally is inseparable from both Charlotte and Luke.
5. It’s how you see it – you’re not lacking, just gaining
With all the extra paws, their two bed flat in London was getting a little cosy, so it was time for another big change. This time up to the highlands with the whole gang now based on the outskirts of Glasgow, in Glencoe.
A strict “no kids just animals” policy, the pack have settled into their new surroundings with no regrets, loving every moment.
Continuing her not lacking and just gaining attitude, the move to more nature led to a recent decision to go t-total. With so much focus on drinking at uni and socially in general, it was time for a change. Again, Charlotte has only found herself gaining from this new mindset, getting so much more out of her weekends than just a fuzzy hangover.
Globe trotter flight attendant to t-total animal mum of 5 and keen weekend kayaker, we salute you vegan Queen, surrounded by cats and thriving. We couldn’t have dreamed up a ‘Life Plan’ that could lead to Charlotte’s eclectic experiences and current dreamlife, but if we could have, we sure as hell would have.
Until next time, Cat People.
Meet the clan:
