Tag: life updates

London Update

I’m getting quite annoyed with myself when it comes to this blog. It brings me such happiness, but I’m having such a hard time keeping it up.

To be honest, I’m having a bit of a hard time overall right now, which I think is making it a challenge to get anything extracurricular done. I was trying to wait until I felt a bit more positive before coming back, but that just feels dishonest and not a real reflection of my life right now. So, hi internet. I’m (trying!) to be back. I’m a bit down right now but I have a lot to update you on, and such a huge backlog of travel I barely know where to start.

As I said earlier, I’m living in London now, and quite honestly I’m finding it hard to adjust to life in England. I miss Spain a million times more than I thought I would. I feel my Spanish rapidly slipping away–I’ve signed up for two Spanish courses here, one was far too easy and one was canceled just last week. Still looking for the right fit/any fit.

Life is hard – we’re living in the midst of grief and also adjusting to living together (or even in the same country) for the first time, I’ve unexpectedly moved countries, started a job in a new field, and everything just feels hard and sad and a bit hopeless right now.

I’m also struggling because instead of traveling, or planning on traveling, I’m having to put down roots. I have a job in a field I love, that could lead to me working abroad in international development. That is a huge goal. But it was an eventual one. After I had traveled and learned a few languages and experienced so much more of the world. I also never planned on ending up in London, once I did settle down. Because I’ve always thought it was a hard place to live, and I don’t think I’m wrong! All my friends who live here have plans to move in the next few years. London is where the jobs are, but not where the housing is, or any real room for growth. It’s overcrowded, overpriced, and and usually raining–everyone just kind of struggles to get through, and that’s not really my ideal tone in a city.

I also know it’s one of the most exciting cities in the world with everything on offer, but my reality is I can afford to live in a suburb miles outside where we can barely find more than two or three places to go for dinner. The pub culture that was so fun when I was a student feels repetitive and draining now. I think cities have personalities, and Boston and London remind me of each other. A bit tough, a kind of “grin and bear it” attitude. LA felt like everyone had a dream and a goal and so much hope and enthusiasm. Spain was like that to an extent, and I was also living out such a dream that nothing could really get me down. Logrono was tiny but I was in the very center of everything. London is huge and I am on the outside. I spend three hours a day commuting to/from work, and it’s dark all the hours of the day I’m not in the office.

I know I need a major attitude change. I’m sitting here complaining when what I need to be doing is finding a way to like it here, to see it as the opportunity it is instead of feeling like I’m stuck in a situation I don’t want to be in. But the thing about roots is they go deep. It was so, so hard to leave LA, and I wasn’t even in a job I loved. I’m so scared if I settle in here, in the right career, I’ll never leave, and I’ll wake up in a decade wondering how I let my life pass by without doing the things I have so desperately dreamed of doing. Then I wonder what I’m doing here, if I’m planning on leaving, because all I’m doing is investing time into a job and a life that I’m not planning on making permanent. I feel confused and homesick for Spain, or LA, or back to a time when I had an idea of what my future would be and felt like I was actively working towards accomplishing my goals. Like I said, attitude adjustment needed!

GR-93 SAN MILLAN DE COGOLLA to anguiano

Updates

Well hello there, it’s been a while, no?

After such a long absence I think it’s best to start with an update. I’ve moved to London. I’ve started a full time job working at an international NGO that deals with sexual and reproductive health in the developing world. And I got another kitten.

It hasn’t been an easy few months. Gareth’s mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer in early June and she passed away just a few weeks later. I moved to the UK on June 8th to help Gareth, and other than a quick trip back to Spain to get Brady, my time in Spain has ended.

While London feels familiar, and like the closest thing I’ll get to home while not living in America, I do miss Logrono like crazy, and often find myself imagining I’m back there, walking the familiar streets, easily speaking in Spanish, and eating iberico jamon.

That said, my move was made all the easier because I was in the happy position of finding a job unexpectedly easily, which meant I needed to get my Italian ID card quite urgently. I came home from my first interview with the realization that things could move quickly, whether for that job or another, and getting my proof of right to work was quite urgent. I booked tickets and was on a flight to Pisa the next morning.

Because I bought the tickets so last minute, I had to go with the cheapest options available—which meant I would be spending 5 days around Pisa—which just happened to be close enough for a trip to Cinque Terre, a place I had been longing to visit for years. I planned for a night in Pisa, a day in Vernasca, getting my ID card, and then three days in Cinque Terre. It was a whirlwind trip and definitely one of my all time favorites.

On my way to the airport to fly out, I was told I’d gotten a second interview, and upon my return was hired for the job. Job hunting is one of the most stressful times in life, and I’m so happy to have mostly missed out on it this time around.

Right now I’m trying to focus on making London home. I’ve signed up for Spanish lessons, and found a Pilates class right by my work. I’m also starting to book some trips, which I’m very much looking forward to. I’m leaving for Norway in about a week, and think I’ll try to fit in Sweden, Estonia, and maybe Latvia before flying home to Boston for Christmas.

SPAIN UPDATE

Wow. Well, time really got away from me here. I have so much to belatedly update this blog on. Thanksgiving was AMAZING. The weekend directly after, I left for Berlin, Amsterdam, Prague, and Poland, which was one of the best trips I´ve ever taken. When I got back from that, three days later my mom arrived from Boston, and we had a wonderful week in Logrono. It was honestly so amazing to be able to show her where I live, and watch her experience Spain/Europe for the first time. Spoiler alert, she loved Logrono and wants to retire here. After that we left for London and Cornwall, which was too good to even sum up accurately. Basically I spent 6 weeks making 2016 end in the best possible way.

That said, I´m back now and living the post Christmas, post holiday, post family, and post Gareth blues. This is the first time Logrono hasn´t felt like home, or that I´ve felt homesick. I´ve had days where I´ve really missed specific people, but never where I felt out of place here. And that feeling is already fading, but getting back into the swing of things was harder than I expected it to be.

Things haven´t even really calmed down though! This weekend my friend Lee arrives, and we have two weeks with her in Spain and a weekend in Brussels to look forward to. Right after that it´s my birthday, Gareth arrives, and then the Super Bowl (let´s go Pats!), so the excitement and complete craziness will continue for about another month. Time is flying.

I have so much more to talk about–I renewed for another year here. I have MAJOR Italian citizenship updates. I have to figure out what my life will be this summer. But I just wanted to check in and say happy 2017, and that I´m still here.

IN 21 DAYS

I’ll be in Portland! I found out I was going to have a few days off the week before Gareth gets into town. Which was kind of the worst timing ever and felt a little like the universe was mocking me. He’s always worked when I’ve been in London, but he has much more sociable hours (if I’m also not working–if we were both working with his crazy schedule, we would literally never see each other). But he’s come to the states three times, once in May of 2015 after my job had ended, once to LA before I found a new job (during the dark months of unemployment), and once over Christmas (which I guess was still during the dark months, but I could pretend it was just the holidays). Never when I’ve been working. And I work like 12 hour days, which is going to feel like pure hell when I know he’s just down the street and I’m sitting in my office, trying not to feel like I’m wasting his whole trip working.

BUT! The extra days off. Before he was set to come. Well, he changed his plane ticket–only by a day, because all the flights were booked before then–but then we suddenly had a long weekend together. So we did the only rational thing–immediately booked tickets to go on what is shockingly our first proper trip away.

We’ve spent time in Cornwall with G’s family, gone to a few Crossfit events, had the best new years ever on a secret island with all our friends, hung out on Martha’s Vineyard with my mom, spent a weekend in Boston, and NH, and a night in Santa Barbara –   but none of those places felt like getaways really. They were either spent with family or places one of us had already been. There was no mutual discovery or exploring together. We never had that feeling that it was the two of us out in the middle of the world, far away from “real life.” (That’s a lie, I’ve felt that in his mom’s house and in my parents’ houses, but it’s still different.)

We had to take a boat to get there!

And it was crazy beautiful

So we’re doing a jam packed long weekend in both Portland and Seattle. We’re going to fly to Portland at 6:00 am on Friday, getting in around half 8 in the morning. We’ll spend all of Friday and Friday night in Portland, before eventually taking the train to Seattle, where we’ll spend Saturday night. We don’t fly out until Sunday at around 8 pm, so we’ll have a little more than a day in each city. Definitely a quick stop in each place, but we are happy to just stroll along the waterfront, have some delicious donuts, take a photo booth picture at the Ace, maybe go to the space needle, and definitely check out Powell’s Bookstore (but not spend the whole day there!). Also find as many happy hours as we can, obviously.

I’m SO excited. That we get to go somewhere neither of us has been. That I get him a day earlier and a day longer. That this four month (minus my last minute whirlwind bday trip) separation is finally over. We’ve done four months once before and it was horrible and I insisted we’d never do it again, but here we are. Thank god, almost on the other side of another one. But I mean it for real this time. Never again. It’s just too long.

NO SMOKING? NO PROBLEM!

I did it!!

Way back when I used to keep track of my goals on 43things.com, this was near the top of the list. It didn’t make my 30 before 30 because I found it too hard to quantify. When had I really quit?

I’d gone 4 months without smoking a few times before, but always cracked at the first real opportunity. Like going back to London, or the person I quit with starting up again, and at least I beat them, right?

That said, March 2nd was my 6 month anniversary without smoking(!!!!), and this time really feels like the last time. I made it through moving back home, away from Gareth. I made it through two trips of Gareth visiting. I made it through four months of unemployment. Through the holidays with my insane family and my terrifying cancer scare. And I made it through a (short) trip back to London. And by this point, the idea of it grosses me out again. All appeal is lost. Though I will say I do miss breaking up a night out with quick trips outside, and the talks I’d have with other smokers. It was also a great way to strike up a conversation with a good looking guy.  ?

I don’t really have a “HOW” I quit smoking. I just did. I waited until a big life event (moving back to the states) and just decided not to smoke a cigarette on American soil. Also I looked at my bank account and saw that those 10 pound 20 packs were converting to a solid $15USD each and basically had the heart attack the cigarettes were going to eventually cause anyway.

They say by this point I’ve decreased my risk of heart attack, all the nicotine is completely out of my body, and my lungs have begun to repair themselves. I feel great. I can run now without feeling like I’m going to have a heart attack or die of asthma.

Smoking also has a strong and direct link to cervical cancer, so while it was a relief to know I had already quit when everything happened in December, I’m not really looking to up my chances any further.

I’ve heard that cigarettes are the most addictive things on the planet (though this sounds like something that isn’t true). But in theory, I am a badass. Also a strong, confident woman, who does not need to smoke.

NEW KITTEN

We got a kitten! And by “we,” I mean I finally convinced my roommate to get a kitten. Her incredibly loved cat passed away over the summer, and while she is very missed, there’s been a hole in our lives (and apartment) that needed filling! My cat, Brady, has been pretty depressed being the only kitty in the house, especially since I’ve gone back to work. Now he has a friend. And such a CUTE friend at that.

We got her last weekend because we both had Monday off and could use the extra day to get her settled in. Turns out LA is currently lucky enough to have a cat shortage, and most of the five shelters we went to were completely out of cats. Which was half AMAZING because animals in cages makes my heart hurt, but less amazing because we wanted one! Eventually we found a non-profit that was having an adoption fair at a petco, and it was there we found Jack. She’s a diluted tortoiseshell kitten, and is SO friendly. She was bottle fed, and basically loves sitting in people’s laps. Anyone’s lap, really. She’s completely unafraid. When you first bring a kitten home you’re supposed to let them hide, keep them in a single room, and away from other animals. This little girl never hid, meowed until she could meet Brady, and wanted to explore the whole apartment immediately. They have become the most adorable best friends.

 

Welcome to the family, Jack. It’s so nice to have you!

Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, CA

Updates

Hey blog/blog readers (aka, Mom)!

I’ve decided to make some changes. I realize by updating only when I’ve crossed something off my list, I’m forced to wait ages between posts, and we’re missing loads of little but important things in between! It’s like when you see an old friend and they ask what you’ve been up to–because they don’t know any of the day to day stuff, the new recipe you found or the great book you’ve just read don’t matter, only the big life events. I want this blog to be like a day to day friend. So while I will continue making the big, milestone posts, I want to do smaller ones too.

For example, my amazing, wonderful, fill-in-your-complimentary-descriptor here, boyfriend just came to visit me! His first time in Los Angeles! We did really great things like see Florence and the Machine from VIP seats at the Hollywood Bowl, and road bikes from Venice to Santa Monica, and hiked the Hollywood sign, and took a quick trip to Santa Barbara, and watched A LOT of Parks & Rec. Confession: we may have spent our night in SB just hanging in our airBnB, drinking wine, eating chocolate and chips, and watching Netflix. And it may have been THE BEST.

Santa Barbara, California

This one is just to embarrass him. He was voted “best body” in high school, which is incredibly amusing and only a tiny bit obnoxious.

Santa Barbara, California

Santa Monica, California Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Sign, Los Angeles, CA I saw two of my best friends/old roommates from Boston in September. Jussie lives in Australia with her boyfriend, and Emily moved to Idaho to work at a school for kids with behavioral issues in Montana. I haven’t seen them since (surprising them at) their going away party two years ago. Jussie had to come back to the states for a wedding, and then planned to go to Emily and fly out of LA after staying with me. However, I have nothing but free time and loads of airline miles, so I flew to Emily too, and had one of the best experiences ever. I’d never been to the midwest, but WOW is it gorgeous, especially Glacier National Park. I tried to be selective, but WAY too many pictures below. It was like living in a painting.

Glacier National Park

Also we added an accent wall, and I think it has made our apartment SO much nicer. It’s just so homey and comfortable. And orange is my favorite color.

accent wall

Lastly, I’m unemployed, and that is kind of the worst. I knew it would be tough getting back and finding a job, but I didn’t know it would be THIS tough. I didn’t want to talk about this cause it stressed me out so much, but it’s also a pretty big thing going on in my world right now. I would never change anything, because living with my boyfriend and seeing more of the world meant so much to me, but I am really, really excited for when I can once more join the work force and feel a little less adrift.

And that’s it for now! Mostly because I am starving and am going to go home to make an incredibly cheap, very healthy meal that maybe I’ll blog about tomorrow!