When You Walk Through My Door, You’ll Be Home

When I moved into this apartment, I planned on being here for quite a while. I spent a lot of time applying for over 300 jobs outside of the Midwest and finally accepted the fact that I just wasn’t going anywhere at the moment. Hence, starting Far From Everything Films, LLC with Jennifer, and basing it out of Nebraska.

When I had spent two and half years being single, I planned on being that way for quite a while. I mean, I didn’t have a job-job, I don’t like bar-hopping, I’m anti-social; where the hell was I going to meet somebody? Hence, downloading Tinder.

When I started talking to Andrew, I really just knew that was it.

When he told me he may be transferred to Minnesota, I knew I wanted to go with him.

When he officially got the job and asked me if I wanted to move when my lease was up, I said, ‘yes.’

Today, we officially signed the lease. So, by the end of May, I will have become a Minnesota resident. 🙂

The Beginning of My Three-Month Weekend

One week. That’s all I’ve got. A week from today, I’ll be flying to Boston.

I guess that means I’ve got to start getting my shit together. 

Had my last day of work yesterday. It was a stressful day up until about 230 and then it calmed down enough for me to feel the gravity of what I was doing. I can’t adequately describe the cognitive dissonance I’m feeling walking away from such a wonderful place. 

Then, I can’t lie, I think about not working for three months. Good cure for that cognitive dissonance.

Today, I’ve got to do laundry. Probably start packing.

I’ve got my passport and my Oyster card. I need to exchange money, make sure one or both of my parents have the ability to deposit money into my bank account, or whatever; I need to get a laptop case. You know, probably just way more shit than I can even think about right now. 

I’ll just stick to laundry.

Every time I try to write in this damn thing lately, my mind goes foggy. I’ve been entirely preoccupied as of late.

And I guess my dad is on his way with my chaise and bookshelf from my office, as well as the suitcase I’m going to borrow from him. 

Laundry it is.

 

Already/Only Tuesday

The week is going quickly/slowly.

Three days of work left… before the week of preparation begins.

This weekend, I will be cleaning my apartment and my car, and then hopefully starting to pack at least one of my suitcases. And my jewelry case. And my makeup case. I started to think about all of the little things that I know I will forget or overlook: nail polish, for one. It’s a bit like packing for college.

I think I might leave as many toiletries as I can and then just buy them once I get there. It will save me precious cargo weight as well as room. Plus, there is a Tesco right down the way and then a Sainsbury’s down the other way.

Will I bring movies with me? Books? I’ll need some textbooks. I should almost have those shipped now. I wonder how long that takes. I need a traveling case for my MacBook. I need to check my blowdryer and flat-iron to see what voltage they use. I need some adapters. Shit.

I’m so glad I made sure to give myself a week of no work before I go. I’m sure it still won’t feel like enough time, but it will at least give me more peace of mind than had I only given myself a couple days to throw everything together. I am the epitome of a procrastinator, but that was not going to happen with an adventure like this.

And what an adventure it will be.

It’s funny because I have never had a desire to get to know my neighbors in my dorm or the two diffrent apartments I’ve lived in, and yet I’m incredibly excited to meet the people on my street in London. I want to be one of those people who leave the stoop and by the time I get to the corner, I’ve been greeted by most people outside. I’m going to be talking to people everywhere I go. I do that here, but it’s something about London that just makes me want to meet everyone.

At the very least, this is going to be an amazing experience that I’ll never forget. It can also go many other ways – but I won’t get into my hopes and dreams right now.

 

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering: Eric Clapton recorded “After Midnight” in 1970 and then again in 1988 for a beer commercial.

I got through to the DJ to answer the question and said “Layla”… I’ve never been so wrong.

I Got Into Oxford!

s. I got into Oxfords. I bought about four pair.

I also bought a pair of Hunter rain boots. I think my feet are ready for London.

I have ten days of work left in my twenty-five days before I go. 

People keep asking me what I’m going to do while I’m in London. The question is always posed as, “what are you going to do there?” Like, it’s unprecedented that I would go to a foreign country or that once I get there, I’ll have nothing to do. I always want to ask, what does one do while in a different place/foreign country? In fact, I have rebutted with that a couple times and the answer is the same that I give anyway: “sight-see.” Well, no shit.

The other question I’m frankly getting a bit tired of answering is “what are you going to do when you get back?” Bitch, please, I don’t even know where I’m taking my mom out for Mother’s Day; do you think I know what I’ll be doing four months from now? Of course the plan is to come back and work at Omaha Title. But then, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans. So who’s to say I don’t meet someone who could use me at their London company? or I run into someone from the BBC who just has to have me? or I meet the love of my life? I mean, it sounds silly, all of it, but it could happen. So what does it matter what my plan is for when I come back? I could end up not coming back.

Plus, you’re making me think about my return to the US and I haven’t even left yet, give me a break.

Twenty-five days. Well, hell, not even twenty-five til I leave Omaha. Twenty-one days til I fly to Boston. Twenty-one days… oh my God.

Oh my God! That’s three weeks!

Oh my God. That’s three weeks.

It’s setting in, bit by bit, as you can clearly see. 

I’ve been in such a great mood this month. March and April were either shitty, stressful, or otherwise. May has just been a really decent month so far. I don’t know if it’s the fact that I’ve worked out six out of the past ten days, or that I’ve been slowly giving up responsibilities to the guy taking my place, or the obvious – that my trip is rapidly approaching. There have actually been days where I’m in such a stupid happy mood that I just smile.

Gag me, right?

The trip isn’t real yet. I think I’ll organize some stuff this weekend. I don’t know, I just want to get started.

It might not be real until my family flies back to Omaha and leaves me in Boston for a day until my flight to London. It might not even be real until I land at Heathrow and get through customs. 

What will I do that first day? There’s a good question I haven’t yet been asked. I get in at some stupid hour like 720am. It’ll take a while to get through customs and then get through London via taxi. Maybe to the flat by 10? I’ll have all day. What will I do?

Whatever the fuck I want.

 

Sentiment

So a week ago, I ordered some lockets from a friend of mine at work – she is selling Living Lockets through Origami Owl (ie: best gifts ever). I started looking at one for myself and ended up buying about eight others for friends and family. They’re incredibly cool.

Living Locket

Music, film, travel, writing, coffee/tea, faith, and some accent stones.

This morning, I got to pick them up – I’m so excited to dole them out. I just thought that since I’ll be leaving for three months and I’ll be missing birthdays…

Then I get to work and the VP/my boss comes into my office all cheerfully and says, “Happy Employee Appreciation Day!” and hands me this envelope. I say thanks and he walks away. In the envelope is a little note about how even the small things we do get noticed and help us work as a cohesive unit, etc. It also includes a crisp $50 bill. I got up and followed him to the next office and said thank you through what were threatening to be tears, he gave me a hug.

My days are numbered here. They could have easily given me less or nothing and I never would have thought twice about it. They didn’t need to do that, at all.

As much as I look forward to having three months off work, and boy, do I ever, things keep happening here that make me realize how much I’ll miss this place while I’m gone. I’m getting these great business deals and meeting such wonderful people, having such a great time bullshitting with everyone and feeling amazing when I know I did a really good job on something; then getting little things like this that just aren’t little at all.

A month. That’s all I’ve got left.

Twenty-nine days until my last day of work: twenty-two days of work in that time.

Unbelievable.

East By Southwest

I am far too cheerful for this to be a Monday, or for having gotten only four hours of sleep.

I spent a considerable amount of time at the gym this weekend, did some shopping, picked up 90% of the clothes that were strewn about my room (which is to say, 90% of at least 50% of my closet that was strewn about my room), my homework was done and handed in early…

A new leaf is in the process of being turned over.

I feel good, I feel productive. I feel hopeful again, not that I was hopeless before. Just a bit lacklustre maybe.

I’ve taken a look at Southwest’s airfare from Omaha to Boston – just waiting for my mom and my dad to confirm dates/times, then I’ll book that along with hotel.

I am so excited to have it set. I’m not even excited about graduation yet, it’s just a stepping stone at this point.

46 Days until I finish work
57 Days until I leave the US

‘Bout eight weeks.
Four pay periods.

I just noticed the image for April on my work calendar is Boston.