Coming to you today from Sydney Airport as I prepare to fly to Adelaide for the last time! (well for a good long while any way) flight delays give me a nice window for an overdue update!
OK... so yesterday it was officially one month till I fly out. the last few weeks have been very up and down in many ways. I had a week off work in which I managed to sort out loads of my stuff and work out exactly what I'm shipping.... only about 8 boxes plus some clothes and pictures.... Wow its liberating to free yourself of "stuff" I tell you!
Also Leo had his Rabies jab, which I discovered is quite painful poor love! Still he's all set now, ready to go.
On the whole I still feel really positive about the move, I have had a few 4am moments when I've had moments of terror, but they really relate more to having no job or anywhere to live, understandable really, and experience tells me that eventually that will all be sorted. I'm lucky because I can stay with mum in the interim, I have a bit of cash to keep me going so I'm feeling ok about it at the moment.
You know that point just before you go to the hairdressers where you decide that in fact your hair looks fine as it is??? and that a change might not be a positive one? what is that all about? anxiety of some sort I guess. Its a bit like that for me when I ponder on living in the UK again, Things that were weird to me when I got here seem normal now, so obviously the reverse will also be true, what was normal, taken for granted will now seem a bit weird.
I was watching an old episode of Graham Norton the other night. the actress Anna Friel was talking about living in LA. She said that at first all the cheerfulness and friendliness seemed false, but that after a while she decided that it was quite nice... I know exactly what she means, it used to be confusing to me how people in shops would ask "how I'm going?" but I'm used to it now, I quite like it.
In 7 years I've changed and I'm so I guess I feel that if I'm friendlier, more laid back, my experience of the UK and of London will be different. But if all else fails, I know I can adapt!
Another thing I'm sure of is that I don't regret this experience. people have said to me, "so it hasn't worked out for you then?" Well the older I get the more I realise that life is in fact all about the journey, I just don't think I'm really one of those people who is going to find their place and just settle in. I've been extremely lucky to get the chance to live overseas on the other side of the world, my qualifications just happened to match what Australia was looking for in 2005, things are different now.
What an experience to work in two different states and with people from all over the world, especially here in Sydney. To study for a masters with some of the top in the field of therapy here too. If I'd stayed in the UK would I still be working for Portsmouth Social Services? Probably..... I'd probably have paid off most of my mortgage, have a good pension... but hell I could be dead tomorrow! and if I am Ill know I squeezed the pips out of life as best I could!
So what am I hoping for in my new life? I want to go back to London because I left 20 years ago and part of me always regretted it. I had a relationship break up (notice a pattern here?!) so returned to Portsmouth, my default position! But I always wondered what it would be like to go back and be earning reasonable money, I was always a student or a low earner before, you know? so I could actually really enjoy the city. I have no definate plans of where Ill live because another one of my resolutions is no more than a 30 minute commute, maybe 45 if its very easy! The commuting here has finished me off.
Ideally I'd like a 3 day a week job, so that I can really work on building up my private practice in the UK, having practiced here for 2 years I've got good experience, but of course there'll be differences in the UK. Ill probably be sharing at first at least especially if I'm working part time till the practice takes off, that's ok my experience if sharing here in Sydney has been positive, I've quite enjoyed it.
I'm wondering how it will feel saying goodbye to Adelaide? have to say that since moving to Sydney I haven't missed it, I miss the weather though! But I do have a big soft spot for a lovely town, and it is a town.....Adelaide was good to me and I'm thankful I landed there first!
To be continued! :)
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