A week into the new life as a Londoner!

Soooo, this is my first go at this whole "blogging" thing. I have always been warm to the idea, but never felt that people needed to know that much about my life, until of course, I decided to pack up and move across the world to a foreign country. My life in 2009 has taken more unexpected turns than I could ever have anticipated and the level of personal growth I have gone through still astounds me when I reflect back on months past. In many ways, I just want to share my journey with anyone willing to follow along, because if you ask me, it's been pretty awesome as of late.

I have moved from my beloved home state of Connecticut, USA to the South East corner of London, UK known as "The Docklands", more specifically "The Isle of Dogs". My experience here has been a dichotomous one, with one half of me happy as a clam to be living in such a diverse metropolitan area and the other half on the cusp of a complete and total nervous breakdown because of all the things that have gone awry since our arival. I will spare you the details of the horror that our letting (which is the Brit word for leasing to clarify for my fellow Americans) agent caused us, but simply say that homicidal thoughts were pervasive in my body, soul, language, and inner most desires for several days. With the exception of two broken toilets, plaster strewn and dried in crusty piles all over my bathroom from the builder, four rooms not being painted as promised, and the FIFTH key that we did not recieve to get into the outside gate, things are actually on the upswing with this whole flat thing. Ha ha! And thats just the tip of the iceberg folks.

I am still jobless but am remaining optimistic. I have been offered two jobs, one was not enough hours as it was only part time and the other offered me a postion ten minutes after the interview, only to call me back in another five minutes to basically say that I was too qualified for that particular position and they would not be able to sponsor my Visa. Bitches. I took that particular let down surprisingly well... but perhaps in my heart of hearts I just know that my destiny is and always has been pointing to the job I WILL get on Monday when they call (finger crossed...very tightly).

People that I have met thus far have asked "So how do you like London?" and the first thing out of my mouth almost every time is "I love the diversity". This is honestly the most diverse place I have ever seen in my life and quite frankly even a bit overwhelming when first exposed to it. And yes people, even more than New York City....my roomate said it best when she said "New York is not a real melting pot like London, NYC is more like a tossed salad". I'm not just talking about ethnic diversity either, although that particular category of demographic is a spectacle in and of itself. You walk down any street and hear ten different languages, see different styles of dress, gay couples, interracial couples, differences in ages, traditional attire from the Middle East and Africa, etc. An inconspicuous blend of humaness with a general understanding that this is just the way life is. And then there is me of course... with my jaw on the floor half the time because it is all so different from what I know. Even in the Northeastern US, life can be considered pretty liberal, but I'de argue with anyone who said they couldn't feel tension in a room when an interacial group walked in, or a gay couple was holding hands, or a girl with a purple and lime green mohawk came around. Like I said, that tension doesn't happen here...it's just part of every day normalcy for your average Londoner...and I love it more than words can describe.

I have met a couple of people, mostly from local stores and church. Yes, I know, for those of you who know me well this may be a little jarring bit of news for you. But hey, I am embarking on a new journey and I am not limiting myself to any experiences, including religion. I want to be a well-rounded individual and feel a bit stunted in the area of spirituality...so really, why not? Oh and I should mention that my flat is just about the most mind-blowingly gorgeous place on the face of the planet...prepare for an influx of pictures and videos...cause honestly, yall need to see how I'm living!! For now I am hittin the hay and looking forward to a day at Mudchute Park tomorow which is apparently a sight to see in my hood. Keep it real and feel free to check back in to see where the wind takes me... which will hopefully be to some sort of employment real soon! Word.