Roaming with Red

Moving countries is no small feat. As any big life change, it can come with plenty of challenges and nerves and cold feet about whether you think it was the right thing to do or not. But it can also bring new opportunities and excitement. I count myself so incredibly lucky to even have the opportunity to do something as big as move overseas for work. Not everyone is as lucky as me and it means I will never have to think ‘what if’. In light of this, I thought it would be worth putting some words down on what it has been like so far (and then we’ll check back later in 6 months and see if anything has changed!).

The last 5 weeks or so have felt like an absolute world wind! I honestly can’t believe I’m sitting here, in my new apartment in London writing about having actually moved overseas. Seriously mind boggling!

One of the best decisions I made when moving over was to take two weeks off before starting work. Number one, the jet lag is a killer. Having not left Australia for over two years, I’d forgotten just how much a long-haul flight can knock you about! But it was also nice to be able to be a tourist in my new city. The first thing that falls off the list when life gets busy is exploring your home city. Happened all the time at home in Melbourne and I can already feel it happening here. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it means life is falling into a rhythm. It also, however, makes having some time to be a tourist in my new city that much more important.

One other interesting thing I’ve found is how quickly you just settle into normal life again. Not necessarily in a bad way, especially considering this is home for at least the next two years, but it seems to have just happened without me noticing. There was a house to furnish, a new job to start and life just went on. I’m settling into what life is here and that’s oddly exciting and satisfying. While I love the prospect of travelling, I’m also ready to settle into whatever the next two years will look like.

While it has been an exciting 5+ weeks, that isn’t to say it’s all been easy sailing. You do miss family and friends and the things you aren’t around for. While it was my choice to move, and I don’t regret it for a second, it doesn’t mean I don’t miss being able to have a wine with my best mate on a Friday night or eat a home cooked meal in the middle of the week. I think the distance will be something that will take some time to get used to and that’s ok. These things never happen overnight.

The other daunting thing is making friends. I’m lucky enough to know a few people here already so the loneliness that people sometimes talk about isn’t something I’ve experienced. But I do feel that lack of having strong, established friendship groups in the UK. It’s an exciting prospect, of being an adult and being given an opportunity to rebuild your friendships, but it’s also scary at the same time.

Well, I think that’s enough rambling for one post! Moving my life to another country was never going to be easy but it’s already been such an exciting adventure! Let’s see where this leads me now.