The sweaty hand clasp.

The handshake-meets-hug.

The double cheek kiss. Or even worse – the triple cheek kiss.

It’s uncomfortably familiar. And it’s where I find myself now. Smack bang in the middle of an awkward greeting.

You see, I’ve been here for over a month now and I haven’t introduced myself. Mumbled hello. Squeaked a peep.

I just slipped into the office on day one, gobbled down a welcome-to-Reed-Words croissant and got down to business.

But now – one month later – it’s getting awkward. So this is me, making amends.

I’m Jade, the newest writer at Reed Words. (Well, until yesterday – but that’s Andrea’s story to tell.)

I lived a past life in Australia, before trading it in for the bright lights of London. Since then, I’ve chalked up a few years in design, brand and ad agencies, for clients in retail, banking and entertainment. I got a dog too. His name is Ned, and – unlike me – he’ll make himself known, instantly.

And that’s that. A brief, long overdue hello.

The blog-equivalent of head nod. Friendly, comfortable – and definitely not awkward.