So I’ve been here a year now. As with most things that happen with time it seems like last week when I rushed from the house on Stearns Drive with my dogs ahead of me and my friends Domi and Mimi driving me to the airport. Their BMW 325 coupe packed up with my gi-normous bags filling every space and one on my lap we made it to the airport with some time to spare. It didn’t hit me that I was leaving the warm sunshine of Los Angeles until I was pushing my bags towards the terminal.
I couldn’t have imagined how the past year would have gone, certainly not as planned when it comes to finding work. That is still a big challenge for me. I did get another call yesterday from a recruiter and we chatted about the prospects but nothing was offered, par for the course. The recruiter agreed with me that I have very strong skills and couldn’t understand either why I wasn’t able to find work. I may open a dialog via email with her to see what else I can do about that challenge.
Other challenges, space. London is compressed and strangely not very vertical. We have a very small flat on our USA standards but sizeable for London standards. I can’t tell you how much I miss my house on Stearns Drive. The kitchen alone is a dream compared to what is available here in London. We have managed to work in the things we have, yes we’re packing up things under the bed and inside suit cases, changing out seasonal clothes and using tricks to store other things.
The weather here is exactly what is expected. I swear this island is a big sponge, never dries up and always cold. We did get about 7 days during the summer where it was actually near 80F, sadly not all at once. Winter here is rough, cold and mostly wet. I got here at the start of the worst winter in 30 years. Greeeat! The Brits don’t know how to deal with snow of any measure. The streets get an inch and it’s grid lock. There aren’t many snow plows and certainly none in London. They toss ‘grit’, a mix of salt and sand on the streets to help with melt and traction. Spring time here is pretty cool, cold still but you get all the flowers and trees are sprouting new growth. More sunshine but the light is still a tinge of gray. I kept waiting for the down pours of rain but it doesn’t rain constantly, just the ground here always stays soggy. Summer is more of a state of mind here than a real season. We might have gotten 7 days, not consecutive of 80F, sadly. It does warm up enough to feel comfortable in shorts and t-shirts. Humidity is evident but not overwhelming. Autumn here is a nice, most of the leaves on the trees change colors but its mostly green to brown with little yellows or reds. Still different from what we had in Los Angeles.
I start another year here and have personally decided that 2011 will be better for me emotionally and professionally. I’m headed to the States for a few months starting in January to help out a friend and occupy my mind. It means having to leave Kevin and the dogs behind for a while. This will be tough for Kevin and me to be apart but we’ve talked about this and agreed that I could use the break from here. I know it sounds selfish but it’s only for a few months. I hope to come back renewed with the excitement I had when we talked about this move almost 2 years ago. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been really great to have Europe right there where we can hop over and visit new places. There is still loads of other places we can go and other parts of the world aren’t too difficult to get to either.
It is strange how this all worked out. I left Louisiana for California and hardly looked back, determined to make it work. This move has been harder. Maybe the lack of purpose or what I think I need will change and I’ll be able to find work of some kind. Maybe find a bigger place to live with a small patch of yard for the dogs to have during the day. I know they miss their warm sunshine in the grass with all the running and barking they did. I miss the sunshine too. Maybe the I just need to feel the sunshine in my soul and I’ll be ok.
