It has been 2 weeks since I came back from the Canaries, and that time has seen quite a change in my situation. Namely, the two major pieces of the OE puzzle have been locked into place - I have a job; and I have a flat.
The Job - I was warned before coming over to the UK not to expect much before Christmas/New Year but things should pick up in January. I didn't realise how true that was - absolutely zip interest in the lead up to Christmas; come the new year, it's all go. The day after coming back from the Canaries I had an interview and at the end of it, they offered me a position. I started the following Monday - pretty much straight into it! It's IT work in a school (technically a group of 4 schools but for the most part I'll be based at one of them), so much the same as before. It's a permanent position too, not a contract - so that is a surprise as I was told permanent positions for people on temporary visa's like me are very few and far between. It does mean I have a certainty of income that I wouldn't otherwise have if I was going contract to contract, and also I can plan trips and holidays with a greater degree of certainty. The thing that gets me most so far? They supply me with a buffet lunch each day during term. It's quite possible I'm going to end up fat! But the job itself so far is good and involves s lot of exercise running around so it will be a matter of how much exercise I get at work vs how much of their food I ingest. Watch this space (waistline?)
The Flat - no sooner had I got the job, than it was time to start looking for a flat. As I have mentioned a number of times, I have been staying with Rachel and Jeremy who ever so kindly let me stay at their flat in Holloway until I found my feet, however long that might be - and had agreed that finding a job then a flat was the right order to go about things. having got the job, it seemed sensible to try and find a place closeish to it - which meant South of the Thames. Much sooner than I had expected, I was offered a place on a flat in South Wimbledon - which is very much South London (possibly South South London even) but a very large place that is tidy and modern inside. My commute is less than half of the time it took to get to work from Holloway, which is a huge plus but the flip of the coin is I'm on the other side of London from Jeremy and Rachel. Maybe that's to their advantage - I'm sure they're glad to have their space back and their place to themselves again! I cannot thank them enough for putting me up, and putting up with me during that time. Meanwhile I'm very much taken with sleeping in a real bed again, not having to live out of a suitcase anymore and the hot-water heating system the flat has (which is apparently normal for the UK) - there is no getting cold in this flat! So last Sunday, I moved in - trundling my over-heavy suitcase and lugging my bag on my back across London with all my worldly possessions. I'm living with two others - a Brit and an American, both about my age.
So I'm now settled, in a manner. Flatting in London is expensive, but that's just the nature of it - as for the job, being a permanent position I get paid monthly which is an adjustment. As a result I don't think I'll be having any grand travels anytime soon, but they will come in time. However some smaller, domestic trips shouldn't be off the cards and I'm keen to not let some months go by without going out and about - and not letting tiredness from work get the better of me.
So far, so good - but we shall see what happens from hereon in!