Ok so I’m finally going to tell you part of what happened with The Move (Sydney to London).
The Plane: was that I was going to move to London and stay with one of my brothers friends and his sister and girlfriend and I’d work and live there until Sept when my mates where coming over and we were going on a month long Contiki tour which would bring me home mid October 2007.
What Happened: I freaked the fuck out. It was such a culture shock. I don’t think I was ready to go from the start and I should’ve listened to my instinct before I went rather than while I was over there. Within a few days of being there I had booked my flight home. I’m a strong believer of doing what feels right. And London just didn’t feel right. I was so sick from stress over there that I lost 7kg in 10 days!!! (Perhaps I should stress myself out more often. Haha).
The Result: As disappointed I am, in myself, that I wasn’t able to stay and didn’t give it longer – I still don’t regret my decision to come home. I think I needed to travel more before doing something that huge. I could probably go back to London tomorrow and be fine because it wouldn’t be so much of a shock. I know some people think that I failed as much, but I don’t feel that way. I do still hope to go back to London and try again – but I’ll wait until I’m 100% ready this time.
That of course is the long story cut short but I really have gotten so over explaining that whole thing =)
I’ve been thinking about materialistic things lately – and I think that played a huge part in how uncomfortable I was over there. But that's a whole different story!!
In the meantime I can’t wait for my Contiki tour in September where I will venture back to London and hope round 2 is more enjoyable. I don’t know that I can spend the next 5 and a half months doing what I’m doing now. At the moment – New Zealand is looking like a mighty fine option to spend the new few months…
15 comments:
Agreed. I will email you all about New Zealand (what it's like to live over there as a non-Kiwi) tomorrow.
But I must say, before I packed up and moved to NZ, I had spent 6 months a year of two before traveling on my own.
I know that if I suddenly moved without doing any traveling before, I would have been in shock too.
Personally, I think you should just travel around and that's probably what you wanted...only setting up residence in just one place is very much the opposite! No wonder you freaked :)
Maybe after the Contiki tour, you might see London as a better place.
But that's easy for me to say - I moved to the US for 2 years by myself when I was 18, and to London for 2 years when I was 24.
I'm going to be in London in May...we'll have to share stories when we're through!
New Zealand rocks.
But then I'm biased ;-)
Good on you for standing up for yourself and backing your decisions, and good on you for giving things a second go.
Kudos.
JLS
Fail!!
Naaah, just go with the flow.
London is just another fucking city of many in this world.
So you go there and then what?
Is it meant to mean something to go there.
You can go and see the tourists sights and then what?
Maybe it is people that makes it happen.
Contiki with the crew sounds good.
Oh, what's with the materialism comment?
Graffiti
New Zealand... Isn't that like moving from America to Canada? Or is there seriously that much of a difference.
All I know about New Zealand is that I partied with three NZers while I was in Ireland. Those guys were off the fucking chain. That was three days of the most intense partying I've ever done. Ever.
Stormin Mormon,
What's wrong with moving from US to Canada, or Oz to NZ?
Baby steps - better to build up bit by bit and get some practice travelling and dealing with a culture that is a little bit different and THEN moving on to a bigger change. At least Del is working on her problem, don't slam her for it!
I've never had any desire to visit London, there's no enticement from this post hehe
I'm getting itchy feet i really want to plan a holiday - considering i've just started a new job, not going to happen in a hurry...
Details of Contiki please. Countries?
I could totally pass for Canadian. Just not French Canadians. I'm not fond of the French.
I can understand that you felt stressed. Sometimes things like that happen. If you go contiki I am sure you will find it more relaxing, and then you will get used to it, then you will love it!
I lived in the UK for a year when I was 18, but then I had my mothers family over there to take care of me.
London is AWESOME. I'm sure with the right people, you'd have a blast.
Wanderlusting: I agree - I think i just need to travel for a while!!!
Sufercam: I think London will be so much better this time around with my two best mates to party with me.
Wisco: Definitely - I'd luv to know of any cool places you recommend
JLS: I agree - NZL does rock! And thanks for the words of support both comments =)
Graffiti: The materialistic comment just meant that I have been very lucky back home and have it pretty easy - and I knew in London I wouldn't have half the luxuries I have back here
Stormin Mormon: Its not a huge difference but to me culture isn't just about food and the language etc its the little things that you have to work thru the culture barrier - something as simple as buying a train ticket was hard in London becoz I had no idea. Ditto trying to find a post office and knowing how they work over there etc. NZL is prob the closest country to Aus tho.
Todd: NZLers are possibly even crazier than Aussies!
Natalie: London is def somewhere you should see eventually - but if its not on the top of your to see list I wouldn't go there in a hurry
I'll put a link up to my Contiki tour in the next post
Simon: I think Contiki will be a breeze compared to what I went thru over there. I'm really looking forward to it
Steph: If I went with my mates I think I'd prob still be there - and probably even more of an alcho by now =)
No worries Del, I totally believe in what you're doing.
Have fun in both countries!
There is a quite a big difference between OZ and NZ.
A big difference between Scotland and England.
And a huge difference between Canada and the States. For one thing, Canadians can wear (and do we ever abuse it) our flag on our backpacks while traveling abroad. Americans can't and often wear our flags so they aren't mistaken for Americans. I think that's a clear sign right there that there is a big difference between America and Canada....
...though maybe not to Americans, but to Canadians and the rest of the world, there sure is.
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