So today is the one month mark of my being in London. I am sitting up in my bed in my little room - which I have grown to love despite its small size (that's what she said!) - and I can't find the words to express my feelings about this adventure. I suppose that's why it has taken me so long to update this blog. I have sunken into the routine of (almost) daily work, and so the honeymoon stage, if you will, of this whole adventure has sadly come to an end. Instead of that vacation-y feeling I had for so long, I now feel like a part of the fabric of London, like I have been here longer than a month. The cold morning walks to the Tube, reading the Metro, grocery shopping, living paycheque to paycheque...With all of these things now routine, I really feel fully immersed in this crazy, uncertain, wonderful new lifestyle.
Last Wednesday I had a pretty bad cold, and so I decided to take care of myself and avoid work. I slept in, but then got an invitation from a couple other teachers to accompany them to Brighton. I was feeling sick, but I wanted to see the ocean, and so I agreed. We trained to Brighton and the city was unlike any I have ever seen. Whitewashed buildings peppered the coastline for miles and the Brighton Pier was almost surreal. It's a massive pier that extends out into the ocean and is covered in rides, arcades, shops, and casino-type games for adults. It was really neat, and it felt great to throw some stones into the ocean. There is something meditative about that. I also got a phone call from Classroom asking me for an interview for a permanent grade six teaching job. It was a fantastic offer, but I had to pass it up because I only intend to stay here until May, and this job would have extended into late July. Still, it's nice to know the agency has my back. We wandered back through Brighton, (which has a really cool Bohemian feel to it,) and into a guitar shop. I had to buy a guitar, or I would go insane here, and I found a cheap, decent one, so I bought it. We hit up a pub and then trained back into town.
London is expensive. The groceries are cheap, but that seems to be it. Though I work fairly often, it seems nearly impossible to make any financial headway. Luckily I don't have to pay rent again until January, and I have four more paycheques before that expense. Still, it is discouraging and a bit disconcerting. Maybe I won't be able to afford life here beyond April anyway. I sort of arrived with the expectation that it would be expensive, but my main goal now is to just break even. I don't have money to travel in December, and my parents are arriving during the February break, so I won't be traveling then. I plan to do a bit of globetrotting at the end of May, so fingers crossed I can sustain a comfortable life here with money to spare to travel Europe a bit before flying home. November was an expensive month, but now being set up with everything I need to last me, I think I should be able to pocket more of each paycheque.
Yesterday I met up with Katie and Stefan, a couple friends from Victoria who are visiting London. Katie and I wandered Oxford and Regent Street before meeting up with Stefan and going our separate ways for dinner. After dinner we reconvened at a nightclub where an old high-school classmate (Alissa, for all you St. Andrew's people) was throwing a party for her boyfriend. They are also living here temporarily. A few other teacher-friends came along, and we had a GREAT night. We hung out in a lounge for awhile, drinking gin & tonics and free champagne before heading to the club downstairs and dancing the night away. Some random girl at the club grabbed me and started undressing me. Hilarity ensued. It was a wicked night that I will remember for a long time to come.
Well, I think that's about it for now. A friend is coming over soon to play some guitar with me, and then it will be time for my Sunday routine of laundry and cleaning and skyping with my parents.
Take care.
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