Joanne Anderson was never expecting to be the elected Mayor of Liverpool.
Last Spring her world was turned upside down by a remarkable set of circumstances.
It is therefore perhaps understandable that she doesn't want to look too far ahead in terms of where she will be and what she will be doing in a year or two.
Read more: First step taken in process that could see Liverpool mayoral position scrapped
Mayor Anderson made history when she became the first black woman elected to lead a UK city in May 2021.
She replaced her similarly-named predecessor, Joe Anderson, who stood down after he was arrested in a corruption investigation that led to a damning government inspection of the council.
Joe Anderson has not been charged and denies any wrongdoing.
There was more drama as the original Labour shortlist of replacement candidates was controversially torn up with just weeks to go before the elections.
It left a gaping hole that would ultimately - and surprisingly - be filled by a backbench councillor who had only joined the authority two years earlier.
Prior to her election, Mayor Anderson had campaigned passionately for the removal of the position she was hoping to win.
She said the people of the city 'deserved' a referendum on how Liverpool is governed, something that was not offered when the mayoralty was brought in back in 2012.
But as the new city leader would soon find, things can change pretty quickly when you are sat in the top job.
Firstly, what should be a four-year term as mayor has been cut to just two.
The elections were delayed by a year because of the pandemic - and the government-approved improvement plan for the council means that the next set of votes will be held in 2023, when the whole council will be up.
This means that the issue of the mayoralty must be sorted this year and Mayor Anderson said that with no elections taking place in May, she cannot justify the circa £500,000 expense of a standalone referendum.
Instead the Labour group - supported by opposition leaders - is pushing ahead with plans for a significantly cheaper city-wide consultation, which the mayor believes will yield the same results (most believe the mayoralty will go).
She is already facing criticism of going back on her promise of a public vote - but she says 'she can't win.'
Mayor Anderson told the ECHO: "If we had a referendum people would criticise us in terms of the budget, and obviously some people aren't happy about doing it this way - but we believe we have come to a compromise that will give us the same results and we will make sure people have their say.
"The city didn't get a say last time, as a resident I wasn't happy about that - so everyone will get a chance to have that say on how they want the city to be run."
So Mayor Anderson still believes that people should have a say on how the city is run - but have her views changed on the substantive issue itself?
Having previously campaigned passionately to end the mayoral model, how does she feel about it now, having sat in the top office for eight months?
It would appear her stance has softened somewhat - although she doesn't want to give much away.
She said: "There are pros and cons to both, there are always going to be pluses and minuses to each model and I think it is for the city to decide.
"Sitting in the mayoral position is different, but the process is more important to me than the outcome, I want what the city wants."
She said rather than trying to influence the consultation either way, she just wants people to have all the information on the different options available.
She added: "I don't like being told how to think and I think it's really important that we just put all the information out there. What I say has influence and I think I am best staying out of it.
"Some people don't care about this but some people care passionately and I would like to see a healthy debate on this in the city.
"It would be great to hear people talking about it in cafes and on buses, this is the future of our city.
"When I was in a different position I had different information, but I think people need to decide for themselves."
Mayor Anderson is not a councillor, so if the mayoralty is to go in 2023, she will be out of a political role unless she decides to stand for a council seat again.
Again she remains tight lipped when pushed on her own future, stating: "I can't say what will happen over the next year, covid and the pandemic has taught me that.
"I could probably give an answer where I think I'm going to be, but you just never know."
"This last year has been wild."
But she says she isn't bitter that her historic mayoral term has been reduced to just two years.
Answering with a wry smile, she adds: "I say this tongue in cheek, but as a woman in the workplace I'm used to having half the time to do twice the work - it is what it is."
