Made It!

Im here! It was an adventure to get here...you see, Viv booked my flight a month ago, and I never really looked at the flight info...so Tuesday, the day I was to leave, I looked at the flight info. I was flighing Virgin Airlines, a British airline. My flight said it left at 18:00...well, having not gone to Military school nor being taught anything about Military-ness in school or life, I thought 18:00 ment 8:00?!?!?!...I was wrong! Viv called me around 3:00pm on Tuesday to see how I was doing, and what I was doing...I answered and was like, Oh, I'm curling my hair getting ready for the flight, which I thought I had ample time for...he was a little confused, and after a brief conversation, for which he informed me my flight left in 3 hours, NOT 5 hours!..CRAP!!!!! I wasn't even done packing....I called a cab up, and within 20 minutes had thrown stuff into my suitcase, gotten dressed, and was on the expressway on my way to O'hare. (no, i didn't have the luxury of time to finish curing my hair...half my hair was literally curled, the other half straight..nice look!?) After telling the cab driver I would throw in an exra $20.00 for him to speed, I made it with a moment to spare to the airport. It was close, but I made the flight (Viv thought there way no way I was making it and had already looked into another flight) The good news, I made the flight...the bad news, I didn't get to say goodbye to my Mom. So sad, but I think it was better this way, her and I would have been a royal mess had she driven me to the airport.

The flight was great, I slept the entire time. I was almost home to my new London address, but still had one more obstacle...customs.

When you enter a new country, they have you fill out this info sheet on the plane and ask questions like, how long are you staying in the country, why are you here, and where are you staying while in the country. Well, I was staying in the country a little longer then they would like, until Sept 6th, I have a return flight to attend a wedding. When I stepped up to the podium for them to "interview" me and see if I'm acceptable to enter the country, they came at me fast. Right away, the fact that I was staying in London for longer then 3 weeks made them a little suspicious. The customers officer asked for another, higher, officer to come over, and he asked me questions like, why am i here, who am i staying with, why am i here for so long...well, he must have not liked my answers, because he asked for someone else to come question me...so here I am, a little dozed over from an 8 hour flight, trying to get into the Uk, and i have 3 customs officers asking me crazy, detailed questions. This third guy asked me where Viv and I met, what I did for a living, how was I able to take a leave, when was I going back to my job, and long had Viv and I dated. It was a little scary, i will admit...but I'm totally legit! Well, they let me through...FEW!!

So my first day in the UK wasn't off to the right start, in fact, I almost didn't even get in! Viv picked me up at Heithro, and we took the tube home. I was so tired that all I wanted to do was go back to sleep (it was about 4am US time) Viv decided to go into work, which was perfect because I need a cat-nap. I took a lovely nap and woke up fresh and ready to unpack. Keith had cleared out a lovely wardrobe for me. I unpacked and got myself settled in a then left for lunch and a scenic tour of shopping with Marchella. Marchella is Viv's flat-mate, and so lovely that she deserves her own blog. She took me to Chelsea, a posh London neighborhood that had amazing shops and restaurants. Just a walk away, we had lunch at "farmers market" It is one of the few restaurants that you can eat outdoors. I had a salad of roasted butternut squash, feta cheese, and some kinda nut over baby greens..delish. After lunch, we walked to Kings Street, down the road. Marchella did some shopping at Reiss, Zara and a cute shoe shop..I watched her shop, giving her fashion advise! (It was a little painful, not shopping for myself, that is....but overall, not so bad) We, meaning Marchella, stopped for a cigarette break at a park, where Londoners were basking in the hardly-ever-see sun. It was 30 degrees today, which means about 70 degrees, I think. After a short walk home, Viv and I went to the store to make a dinner of sear-roasted tuna with fresh green beans and rice...delish!

It was truly a great first day!

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Well..here I am and have only 2.5 days until I leave the good old US of A.

The countdown has been bitter-sweet (more sweet the bitter, of course) To start the countdown, last Saturday my buds from work, Cute Katie, aka the roomie, and, we have more inside-jokes then we can even count buddie Amy, threw me a going away shin-dig. It took place at our homestead. The drinks were flowing like the River Thames and we were all trying to avoid getting completely arseholed (Im trying to speak "english") Amy created the cutest card and had everyone sign it.........It read:

We've watched you blossomand watched

you grow; now it's off to London you go.

Will you come back? We just don't know...

But we've heard you like a talent show! (sorry folks, that's an inside joke)

We'll miss you much, your charm and wit,

And know you'll be the best dressed Brit!

To happy ever after with that bloke called Viv,

Here are our favorite memories to give......

That Amy, she is such a poet....

Anyway, Friday the 19th was my last day at work, again, sweet yet bitter...

and today I'm starting to really get my things together, which is proving more time consuming then I had imagined.

For starters...Its not like Im moving to Boston, no, its like I'm moving to Mars.

I have to get a outlet converter for my computer, a different outlet converter for the all-important hair straightener, and then an outlet converter for my camera battery charger...all different converters b/c they all have different voltages. Also, important to note...the cell phone. Well, Im not going to have one, GASP! My phone won't work overseas, and if I were to get a phone that would, it would create a crazy high bill,were talking 1.25 per incoming and outgoing text messages... and remember folks, I have no job, aka, no income! So I've got to switch phones so I have a tinny phone bill every month. Also a huge deal...Internet connection...don't know exactly how Im going to get it. All my research points to internet cafes and finding "hot spots" so i can surf without paying. Thats an adventure in itself!

But the absolute, most important thing left to do is...pack!

Question: How do you pack for a trip/stay-cation for 3-6 months?!?!

Answer: You pack EVERYTHING! Everything that will fit in 2 under 50lbs suitcases, that is

Here's to stuffing suitcases filled with everything from cookbooks (they are on the metric system, so i won't understand how to bake cookies using weights, measures) to Taco-Bell taco kits (no Mexican food in London..just plain wrong!)

Happy Packing!!!!

The Begining

Ok, where do I start....
So I'm "moving" to London (I will explain the quotes later) and I'm moving in 1 week, June 23rd, 8:00pm flight to be exact.

How did this happen do you ask? Great question, let me tell you...

Well, It all started with this boy (it always does) we will call him "Keith". You see, A few years ago I moved to a suburb of Chi-town. I moved to the burbs because I bought a home, with a different boy, we will call him "Richard" Upon moving to the burbs I started working a store that sells homegoods, i.e. cutting boards to sofa's...I worked in the furniture department. One evening this boy came into work looking to furnish his condo he had just bought downtown Chi, that boy was Keith. Keith was the nicest person I had ever met...he was patient, funny, gracious, honest, and not to mention cute. We had a great working relationship, I was his sales associate and he my client. After a while of him visiting the store and us having phone conversations, I gave him my digits. It was strictly business..after all, I had a boyfriend, "Richard" Occasionally, a rare Saturday night he would call me to see if I was out on the town. I was helping out at a bar that he was familiar with and I could get his name on the list...Well, after 2 years of him and I having the occasional dinner and drink, I left "Richard." (didn't leave him for Keith, just left him because, well, I did name him "Richard"...you get the idea)
Heartbroken and a royal mess Keith called me out of the blue and asked me to dinner. Now, let me tell you a little secret...I had a CRAZY crush on him! I mean, CRAZY! He was, and is, everything you could ever ask of in a person...but I had "Richard" so I wouldn't even go there. Anywho...in June of 08 we went out to dinner, and then out dancing... and here I am, 1 year later and moving to London in 1 week to be with my CRAZY crush, Keith.

So then there is the London thing...
Well, Keith works for some company that promoted and transferred him to London back in October of '08(no, I have no clue what he does, he tells me, but I still don't get it) Yes, when we begun our whirlwind relationship, we knew he was moving...and the entire time talked about how I was going to get to London. Well, let me tell you, it ain't easy! For starters you need a visa to work in the UK, and you are more likely to win the lottery then receive a UK working visa. You have to be a doctor, or lawyer, or whatever Keith does, in order to prove your worth the the British society (I guess visual merchandisers aren't important to society?!) So that was a annoying fact we had to face. Then we thought that I would "further my education" by becoming a student, therefore I would receive a student visa and be able to work...well, that plan was a bust as well...A student must have 26 hours of class time, and not to mention the bill the classes would cost me would be sky high, and plus, a small detail, I HATE school. Our third and final option was a "travel visa" a bunch of Keith's employees are in the UK on a travel visa. It allows them to work for 6 months and travel for 6months...perfect, right?!?!...um, no....Guess what, in order to get this "travel visa" you must be a resident of a country that participates in this treaty that the UK is apart of, and of course, the US isn't...but Canada, the Bahama's, even Saudi Arabia is...but no US. We couldn't believe it!!! After months and months of us trying to come up with a plan so I could work in the UK and live there as a resident, we had nothing! After trying the long distance thing for a few months I had had enough... Upon a short trip to the Uk over the Easter holiday, Keith and I were sitting in a pub, drinking a cold one, when I came up with a plan: We decided I would take a leave from my job.
It was brilliant! Upon works approval, I'm able to leave my job for an "undetermined" amount of time. I am going to be keeping in contact with a upper manager who will let me know whats going on in the company, and if say a position opens up that I want, I can give up my summer/fall in London and come home to a job. GREAT! Oh, but I forgot to mention...One other reason I need a visa is so I can live in the Uk for longer then 6 months...But I don't have a visa, so my stay in maximized to 6 months of time, unless Keith and I get engaged and married..but thats a whole new blog...

Conclusion: So Im moving to London for a "undetermined" amount of time...6months at the max. And I'm moving there to be with this fellow named Keith. I also like to call him "Cute Keith", and" Viv", and maybe even "jerk." We will see what happens...I'll keep you posted!