Dear London,
I am writing to inform
you that I am not ready to leave just yet. I am not done with you
and nor you with me, so if you could let the Home Office know, I
would be very grateful.
4 years, 7 months and
20 days ago, I arrived on your shores. I stepped off the plane at
Heathrow, leaving behind my precious ipod in the seat back pocket –
dopey me, and was so excited to have finally arrived. It has been my
dream since before I was 10 to do my OE and to live here. I might
have left it a bit late at 27, but hey I got here in the end.
Arriving here was not
easy, I was traveling off the back of a hard year. I had my heart
broken, had left a disastrous relationship, sold my share of the
house and had left everything I knew behind. I arrived here with
70kg of my possessions on my back. I had been traveling for a
month, and I had managed to convince myself that I was on holiday,
but on the plane from New York to London, I had a realisation that I
was going to be arriving at my new home. That I really had no idea
when I was going to see my family or friends again and that I
possibly had made the biggest mistake of my life. My first night in
Surrey, I cried myself to sleep.
The next day things
were a little brighter, metaphorically, as it was grey and raining,
despite the fact that it was Summer. I have come to learn that
London Summers are like this. I visited Buckingham Palace and saw
the trooping of the colour and was for the first time on the tourist
trail in London. This is a trail that I have now trodden a million
times. Everyone that arrives in London, I take them on this route.
The next day I was off to Madrid to begin another month of traveling
through Europe.
On this trip, I made
life long friends, and saw some of the most amazing things. I stood
in the Sistene Chapel, and looked upon the paintings that I had
studied for years. I visited Alhambra and marveled at how old
things are in Europe and how young NZ is by comparison. I also met
one of my best friends and future housemate, Felicity. We had a
wonderful time together and from the first day we were mates. On a
recent trip home, I was so honored and floored, when she planned her
wedding for my visit. I would not have been anywhere else. Whilst
we don't often have the chance to talk much anymore, I know that
within minutes of seeing her again, we will be chatting like we have
never been apart. I cried a lot when I left her at Sydney airport,
three days was not long enough.
The first 6 months
here, you were pretty rough on me London. I struggled a lot. I
cried a lot. I survived having family members pass away, and not
getting a chance to say goodbye. I lived in a flat with leaking
ceilings, a dodgy landlord, with no furniture and not a lot of light.
However, Fe and I both refused to let you break us. We danced like
no one was watching, thank god they were not, and went for long walks
to make up for the lack of a tele. Once Fe left to move back to Aus,
I was lucky enough to move in with three British boys who helped me
to settle in a bit more. It was with them that I walked into a kiwi
pub in London, completely by accident and met what was to be my
London family.
My London family is
constantly evolving, over the last two years, its gotten a lot
smaller. Many of them have scattered across the globe and the coming
year sees it shrinking even further with some of the key players
leaving me. London, this is one of the hardest parts of living here,
the constant goodbyes. Friendships are formed very quickly here,
especially among expats. You have a strong bond of a shared
experience and when you are with expats you know that you will be
understood as they speak your version of English. I would not trade
these people for the world. Whilst we are all scattered, through the
magic of Facebook we all keep in touch. Many of us are desperately
trying to do this now that our hub, the pub is gone. Over the past
two weeks I have been pretty good at it.
It was with the help of
my London family, that I was able to survive when I was in pretty
much constant pain and was very very ill, for about two years, when I
was so far away from my family. There is nothing like your Mum when
you are feeling unwell. I fought hard for my health and am pleased
to say that after two quite painful operations, that I have been
cured for the last two years. I celebrated by having a night out
with friends, when I was given a clean bill of health and finally
discharged by the NHS.
So London, I guess that
what I am saying is this – you have forced me to learn a lot about
myself, I now know that I am made of stronger stuff than I thought, I
can survive on a shoestring of a budget, I can navigate a tube and
bus system, I can make friends easily, despite the fact that I have recently discovered that I am shy, I will get searched every time
I try to fly, and that it is no good taking me to an airport, as I
will cry for a long time once I am there. I have loved most of my
time here, you are a gritty, beautiful city, filled with history that
almost feels like it breathes, and you have gotten under my skin. I
am not ready to leave you just yet. I would not trade the
experiences that I have gained here, I am better and fuller person
for them. I am hoping that in the year to come you will treat me
well. I am sure that this is my year, its started off pretty well,
and I am sure that it contains love, happiness and general excitement
for me.
So I am begging you,
please let me stay a little longer.
Yours, with Love,
Nicca xx
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