London Calling

  If you've been following me on this blog, then I feel like I owe you an apology for the last post. I basically was feeling sorry for myself about all the obstacles I had encountered in the previous week. It can't be much fun to read about someone's struggles although I think it's important for me to write down the bad feelings because I know sooner or late they will come out in a more destructive fashion (hello anxiety attack, how you doing, depression) if I leave them unspoken. So although I felt a lot better after having written it all down, I hope you weren't left with any residue of worry or concern for me.  You see, there are some things I have learned about myself as I tackle this journey into retirement abroad. Unlike other times when a goal seemed so out of reach, I have discovered that I am more than capable of handling the roadblocks that inevitably are faced when you're going after something you love. I'm going to let you in on some of these rev...

  This hasn't been a good week. I've had a feeling of melancholy and futility following me around like a little dark cloud. I know that a big part of this is because I feel like I'm not making any progress in my goal of teaching in London. I've had only one response this week from the numerous emails that I have sent out inquiring about Visa sponsorship (it was another no). About a month back I even reached out to a friend who is currently living in England to try and narrow down where I should be looking in London to live and haven't had any response. It is so frustrating to put so much effort into seeking information and receiving negative responses or even worse no response. In the past few weeks I've joined Facebook groups where people have emigrated to England and have posted questions that I have had. I forgot how negative people can be on FB but a few of the foul and offensive responses to my questions quickly reminded me (one particular pessimistic perso...

  We are smack in the middle of August which is the month that most of England seems to take off for holiday. Because of this I'm not hearing back from a majority of the emails I have sent out regarding teaching positions. As I stated earlier in my last blog post, I am researching areas of London through sites like rightmove.com in order to sample neighborhoods in all areas of London (since I don't know where I will end up teaching). I have found many places that look promising but it all seems like a bit of putting the cart before the horse. There is no point in falling in love with one part of London (I'm looking at you, Camden and St John's Wood!) if I end up getting a job that would require long daily commutes. One big decision that I can make now concerns my precious dog, Keeva Pearl. Yes, she has two names (shut up!). I spent so much time contemplating what name I would give my beautiful puppy. Choosing a female French Bulldog was not in the plan. I have mostly ha...

  I have received a lot of support for my intention to move to London to teach in the next school year. Actually, I expected more push back from people who have turned out to be my biggest supporters. It made me think that maybe I'm the one who is being a naysayer. After all I am a Libra, and we are always seeking balance in our lives. At the beginning of my exploration for a new life in London, I find myself searching for problems first in order to be prepared for any obstacles that may pop up. I can't help it. I did spend the first 35 years of my life being a pessimist. It's only in recent years that I have seen how futile it is to live always expecting the worst. I won't bore you with my beliefs in the Law of Attraction (although I wrote another blog about my spiritual awakening) but my change of attitude has brought some pretty great events and people into my life. But now I find myself thinking about all the hurdles between me and a life in London. The first step I...

Solsbury Hill August 03, 2024   Have you ever felt a pull towards a certain place which was not your hometown? Maybe you went on vacation and fell in love with a part of Cape Cod? Maybe it was your annual trip to see long distance family members that made you love going to Ohio? Or perhaps it was the lure of finally being able to visit an exotic place like Cairo? Well, this is how I have always felt about Ireland and the UK. By the time I was 25, I had visited the UK and Ireland over 8 times. My longest time spent abroad was the 6 months I spent studying English Literature and Education in North London in 1988. It was by far the best time of my young life, and I promised myself I would return and see it again.  While I did visit for short periods of time, it never felt like enough time. The guided tours spent 2 or 3 days in London but then it was off to other parts of the country. Fast forward a couple of long decades and I find myself at a crossroads. This year will mark my 3...