love/hate relationship

Then. The alarm sounds and I blearily peek out of the window. Nothing but dark skies and gusts of icy wind, kicking up the fallen leaves. We all hurry into the station in the crisp air, breath frosting, heads down like rats scurrying into a sewer. I fight my way on to the over crowded tube filled with fellow zombie commuters as we all wait in silence, eyes closed as the train rattles and shrieks its way along the track.

Now. I awake to sunlight gently streaming through the window. A stroll in the bright, fresh air to the train, passing blossom on the trees and birds singing as I go. I stand on the tube, no longer feeling brain dead and sluggish. Spring is finally here!

It seems crazy to me that I have now been doing this for 6 months. Sometimes, I'll be walking down oxford street on my way home, struggling to get through the throng of tourists and fellow Londoners and I look around and think. I can't believe I actually live here! A place that I had always envisioned myself living 'when I was older'. 6 months has just flown by and it really has been a roller coaster of a ride filled with ups and downs.

The other night for the first time this year, I walked from the gym to Oxford Circus tube station in just a t-shirt!! No coat! This was very exciting for me. I also ate my dinner OUTSIDE. You have no idea how happy this made me. So I thought I'd do a little list of things I just adore about this place i now call home and forget all about the hate.

Love ♥

1. Its always busy and the there's a feeling that something exciting is going on, or about to happen at all times. Don't get me wrong, the over crowded tube and the fact that there are just SO many people here does stress me out quite a lot of the time, but its turned into something I love. I went home to Dorset over Easter and I kept thinking everywhere looked so empty and dead. London has such a buzz about it which is exciting.

2. All the different amazing restaurants and food on offer! I LOVE food and spend a lot of time thinking about it and researching restaurants that I want to visit. I have a huge list of places I want to go.

3. The markets. I love visiting them and just wandering about, often not actually buying anything (sorry market sellers, London makes me poor) My favourite right now is Spitalfields but there are still more to visit.

4. London has made me fit and healthy, so I will always love it for inspiring me to exercise and to learn to actually enjoy it. As someone who used to absolutely hate exercise of any kind, I now cannot live without it and feel wrong if I don't do my 3 classes a week. I am now one of of those dreadfully dull people who talk passionately and in detail about my circuits classes (last week, the instructor made us do a plank for the WHOLE of Roxanne by Sting, and then every time he sang Roxanne, we had to do a press up. Dear god. I nearly died. The last time I played that game no press ups were involved, only shots of tequila)

5. Exploring as much as I can and getting to know different areas. London is such a HUGE place that I'm sure I will never get to know everywhere but its fun to explore.

 

 

 

London: The beginning

So I seem to enjoy putting myself in lonely, difficult circumstances I have come to realise. Last year, I decided to up and move to Australia on a working holiday visa alone. Everybody around me at the time thought I was crazy, as I didn't know anyone there and didn't really have a clue what I'd be doing for the year. But off I went and although it was hard at first, its one of the best decisions I ever made.

 Now I have moved to London alone. And right now I'm in the 'hard at first' stage. When you look back on this stage later on, with rose tinted, heart shaped glasses you say to yourself 'it wasn't that bad at all!' or 'yeah, it was a little bit hard, but it didn't last long at all and the next thing I knew, I made a friend for life and we went bungee jumping with dolphins!' or whatever. Hindsight is a beautiful thing I guess. Your mind glosses over the bad parts and because you know what good parts come next, they don't feel so desperate or difficult anymore.

So now I'm in the 'hard part' and I'm not sure what's going to come next, all I have is a blank page ahead of me with no clue what twists and turns will come my way. And yes it is exciting but its also scary and lonely and I wonder what's going to happen. I felt like I wanted to document this stage for myself to look back on when I've got my pink, sparkly, heart shaped glasses back on. And also for anyone else who has taken a risk and is feeling lonely or scared and wondering if they have been a complete nincompoop and they should just run home with their tail in between their legs. Just keep at it. It WILL get better and one day, you won't really remember these hard parts. Or when you do, you will remember them fondly and realise that they have helped you to grow as a person. They will help you to appreciate the good times all the more when they do come. And if you are feeling that way then I am right there with you! Just keep on truckin'.

Here's a few pics of all the fun things I have been doing since I got to London. Always remember how amazing life is :)