Before I left home everyone said that by the 3 month mark I would start to feel homesick - they were right. However its not the sort of homesick that you are begging to go home. Its just when the initial feelings of excitement wears off and you start to realise that you actually arent in Kansas anymore.
I think more so its the time when you realise that this is real life. Its not a holiday anymore, its where you actually live. You need a job, a house, new friends - the whole kit and kaboodle which seemingly was handed to you back home. I came over with the notion that things would just fall into place with minimal effort required as that I guess is how in Brisbane I grazed through life. Unfortunately that is just not the case here, its tough. Its not that easy for you to get the perfect job, or house or friends straight away. For me, it was a huge shock to the system. I'm still house searching - temping here and there for work and given I have some amazing friends here - I just really wish I had my support network for when shit hits the fan because knowing me - it's a weekly occurrence.
Enough with all the negative though - London is truely amazing. Its such a big city that never really sleeps. The first week here the Underground scared the life out of me. "Why is everyone walking so fast- what on earth is the rush about?!" I could barely stop to check the map before someone would be barging me out of the way wizzing past to get to wherever it was they were going. Its funny when I look back on that first week and all the strangeness and intrigue that was going through a little twenty- something Brisbaner's head because now, that rush is mine. I don't realise how quickly you adapt to London life until someone comes to visit you and asks why you are going like a bull by the horns for really no apparent reason, it's just how life is for you now.
A few weeks ago I was sitting on the Underground on my way to work and suddenly this weird feeling came over me - I couldn't imagine my life not in London anymore. Catching the tube to work is just so normal for me. It was then I realised that London has already become home and that scares the living shit out of me.
- pondering rat.
No comments:
Post a Comment