Stranger in a strange land

I am here. I actually got here on Wednesday the 18th, but I held off on blogging until now. I was just an emotional wreck...and I couldnt face it.

The build up to the move was pretty stressful, and I didn't have time to deal with the emotions as I should have. Leaving my apartment in Santa Monica took WAY more time and effort that I had imagined, and without the help of my mom and Adam and my brother and Annie and some derby pals I seriously would not have been able to do it. Even on the day I was flying out I had a million things to do...so by the time Adam dropped me at the airport and I tearfully said goodbye, I was a bit of a stressed wreck. A good note: Virgin Atlantic undercharged me for my extra bags by at least $200. HA...suckers!

Of course as soon as I got here, I was again stressed with trying to get all my bags to the flat in a train system that apparently no longer believes in porters. I guess people with lots of bags are now expected to travel by private car in the UK! Despite the hassle, at every turn I was helped out by some nice passerby or train worker or cabbie, as I had trusted would happen.

So I got to the flat...and damn is it cool. I was greeted by R and her mum, who was down for the day. Both very nice, and immediately pushed me out onto the sunny balcony overlooking the canal to have some tea and cake. This place really is cool...its like a modern architectual metal pod house, and literally sits overlooking the Camden Canal.



view from the balcony:



my as yet unpacked room:



Basically after I had been here a few hours I was compelled to rush out and A) get local mobile phone service and B) get a phone card so I could call the US and have an emotional breakdown....which I proceeded to do for the rest of the day. Seriously, I was freaking out. I talk to my mom, my dad, and Adam....repeatedly. Thank god for modern communication or else I would have been even more miserable.

It was certainly not how I expected to feel on my arrival, but I guess in hindsight I should have figured on it. I mean seriously, a lot of people make this kind of move because they are tired of where they were before. I love LA...I love my friends and the life I had in LA. I did this because I always wanted the chance to live here...not because i wanted to leave LA. For me this is a challenge I gave myself....not a reward. So it's hard. But yeah, that day I was seriously questioning myself. And I still have that thought from time to time...but it's more geared towards allowing myself the possiblity of not living here for a long spell...and being ok with going back home if thats what feels right too. People have told me that I am pretty ballsy to make this move, and I get it now...cause it sure aint easy.

So anyhoo...I did go out that first night with one of the London Rollergirls, who I knew from before, and we met up the next evening too. That was good, because I didn't feel too lonely. I also met with a local recruiter, who was very cool, and I am feeling good about my job prospects, and about having the ability to pick and choose because the market for Sr. PMs in the internet industry in London is apparently one of the hottest ones in years. Good timing, eh?

Then Friday I spent a long afternoon shopping all around Camden and Oxford street for a set of plain inexpensive sheets, and perhaps some new comfy walking shoes with a bit of style. IN VAIN. Ugh.... Everything was SO expensive and so crappy. I like good sheets, and in America I had tons. (as you do) So I was introduced to a first oddity....any sheet in the affordable line (i.e. less than 20 quid for ONE) appears to be of the poly/cotton blend. WTF? Hasn't the British sheet manufacturing industry realized that sleeping on and under polyester ain't so nice? I mean I went to fricken high street (term for main shopping area and stores...also kind of means "nicer") department stores and they had walls and walls of poly/cotton blend sheets and then smaller sections of designer 100% cotton sheets for exorbinant prices. Ridiculous. I finally ended up buying some cotton sheets for more money than preferable just because I was so utterly frustrated by the whole tiring experience. Let's not even talk about shoes. Ok, lets.... :)

I used to dream about shoe shopping in the UK. You could always find these great styles and unique stuff here...and then sometime in the last 10 years it all just got homogenous and cheap. I even went to the venerable Shelly's Shoes...where I used to get my cool Doc Martens back in the early 90's....ho hum. So for the first time since I started visiting the UK I actually said to myself "well I guess I can get new shoes when I go home for a visit". HA!

Is this turning into a "Why the UK sucks" blog?

Ok, ok....on to other topics.

Friday night was a bit rough...after the shopping debacles I had nothing to do, and all I could think about was how much fun everyone in LA was going to be having at Mo's birthday party. After a long tearful conversation with Adam, Joetta (over IM) convinced me to go out to the pub by myself. That's intimidating for a gal....especially when you are in a different country. But I did it. I actually went across the street to the Devonshire Arms, which happens to be the goth pub in Camden. And it wasnt that bad. I guess the flip side of it being hard to go out alone as a girl is that you are likely to have men speak to you. Sure enough, I spent the night chatting with a couple of nice guys and forgot to be sad.

And today, finally...my first London Rollergirls practice. It felt good to be skating again, and I was really excited to meet the gals. There are some good skaters, and I was impressed by the turnout and the enthusiasm. Lots to learn for sure, but I think teaching and sharing what I know will make me a better skater too.

After an after practice drink at the local, I headed down to Brixton with one of the skaters...who also happens to be American. She invited me to a hardcore punk show, and I had a good time with her and her Irish husband before catching the last tube back to Camden.

Tomorrow is Shakespeares birthday and I hear there is a festival of sorts (complete with free wine!) at the New Globe theatre...I am gonna check that out for sure. Got to get some culture in...

So ta ra for now!