Challenging Transition

Thursday, November 4^th

First, Happy Birthday to my dearest sister, Katie!  I miss you terribly and I hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

Second, I MADE IT!  Here I am, in London, wondering what the heck I’ve gotten myself into.  Today has not been the best day.  But every change in life comes with minor frustrations and longings for home, right?  Let’s start at the very beginning.  It’s a very good place to start ;)  Sorry, couldn’t resist!

My flight departed at 6:35am Monday out of Orlando.  My aunt and uncle were gracious enough to take me in Sunday night and drive me to the airport at an ungodly hour on Monday.  Of course, I woke up late and was not able to shower before my flight.  I arrived 2.5 hours early, trying to adhere to the 3-hour policy for international flights, only to wait 30 minutes for the ticketing counter to open.  How ridiculous!

I slept through most of the flight (with my mouth wide open, of course) and landed in London an hour early.  My co-worker, Harjeet, arranged for a taxi service to pick me up, so I successfully found my name on a sign at baggage claim and loaded into the cab.  Our drive to the flat took us through the heart of the city, which was beautiful and vibrant in the evening hours.

Harjeet was waiting at the flat when I arrived.  Our first hurdle was the fact that the lift was malfunctioning, and my 70-lb bag had to get up to the top (6^th) floor somehow.  Ever the gentleman, Harjeet carried it up the six flights of stairs.  I still wonder how he managed it!  We put my bags down, took a quick tour of the flat, and headed to the grocery store for essential items to get me through the next few days.

Upon being dropped off with my groceries, I decided to give the flat a thorough run-through.  Mind you, I was under the impression that it was fully-furnished with kitchen amenities and everything.  Yeah, no.  The cupboards were bare – nothing to cook with, eat with, or eat on – not even a towel or washcloth to bathe with!  You have NO idea how badly I wanted a glass of wine and a steaming hot shower.  Luckily most wines have screw tops here, and I found an extra blanket that I improvised for a towel.

Tuesday I slept until 11am UCT (7am EST back home), then moseyed around the flat until my adventurous gumption kicked in.  Then I decided to wander into the city to visit the office and have a look around.  Harjeet had given me an oyster card for the tube (like a debit card that you put your fare on), so I registered my oyster card, purchased a monthly pass, and hopped on the tube!  If you ever want to stick out like a sore thumb on the tube (or in the country in general), wear bright colors!  As if my “accent” and doe-eyed expression didn’t give me away enough, the bright pink sweater definitely confirmed any suspicions of my foreignness!

Our office is small, but it’s located on Regent Street near Oxford Circus, which happens to be one of THE biggest, most popular intersections in the city.  We are in a prime location.  I only planned to stay at the office for a bit, but I ended up working the rest of the afternoon (about 4 hours by the time I got there).  I wasn't comfortable exploring the city alone at night on my first night, so I went back to the flat.  Not to mention, the tube workers were set to start a 24-hour strike at 7pm that evening – so I REALLY needed to get back!  Naturally, I jumped on the wrong train.  Catching the tube at rush hour is much more intimidating than catching it off-peak, so I went with my pack mentality and ended up on the wrong line.  So I backtracked and called Harjeet, who then directed me to the proper line.  I made it to Gants Hill (the suburb where I’m living) at 6:45pm.  Too close to the strike for comfort!

Wednesday I couldn’t get to work because of the tube strike, and I’ve not been able to find an internet connection at my flat.  So I was on my own the entire day.  I lazed about for a while, then decided to shower for an adventure.  Wouldn’t you know, I fried my hair straightener.  This was HUGE as I thought I was scheduled to visit clients the next day.  So finding a hair straightener became a priority (not to forget the cookware, dinnerware, and silverware so I could begin eating more than just bagels, apples, and bananas). 

I became quickly frustrated that all of the shops within walking distance are “local” marts – aka, they only sell 5-8 aisles of groceries.  There was nothing for my kitchen or my hair!  After much dismay at this, I stumbled upon Sally’s Beauty Supply – PERFECT for a straightener!  Relief rushed over my body as I thanked any and every heavenly being who made this discovery possible.  I found a reasonably-priced straightener on clearance and proceeded to the counter.

Now, another thing to note is that British checking and credit cards have a chip on the front that enables them to insert their cards into machines rather than swiping them.  Let me tell you how inconvenient this is.  I have to insert my card three times at the local marts before the cashiers can swipe it.  After the swipe it, a signature is required instead of a pin code. 

Back to Sally’s.  Their machines don’t swipe cards and of course they can’t enter the card number manually.  So I embarked on a quest to find a place that would give me cash back.  Two of the local marts would not.  Completely overwhelmed, frustrated, and on the verge of tears, I decided to try an ATM for one last hurrah.  And guess what – it worked!  I took the quid straight to Sally’s and purchased the straightener.  Then I went back to the flat and took a nap.  I woke up and read an iBook for the rest of the evening.

Needless to say with all of the down (and alone) time I’d had since I arrived, I was actually pumped to go into the office today.  I was looking forward to establishing a routine and being around people!  The morning went well enough, but I came back after lunch to an email saying my iPhone is using too much international (roaming) data and that I need to shut it off.  I PANICKED!  I don’t have internet or a phone at my flat.  Nor do I have people there to keep me company and take my mind off being alone.  Therefore, my phone is my only resource to my friends and family back home.  I simply cannot be here and be sane without a connection to all of you.  It all went downhill from there, lol.

I had a video meeting just a few moments after reading that email.  Among all the frustrations – the kitchen supplies, the towels, the internet, the phone, the debit card , the disconnect from everyone, the confusion with the tube – came to a head over this one little email.  I went into the video meeting and could barely look at anyone or say anything for fear of losing it on camera.  After everyone dropped off, Larissa (one of my mentor figures) stayed on to catch up with me.  She asked me how things were going and I just lost it.  I cried like a baby and felt like an idiot for doing so, but it’s all been so irritating.  The thought of losing one of my only connections to family and friends put me over the edge.

After the meeting Harjeet took me shopping so I picked up some items for the kitchen, along with an iron and a towel.  Everything is set now at the flat with the exception of internet connection.  Kevin and I set some guidelines for data use on my phone so I’m not completely disconnected from everyone, but so I also don’t run up a ridiculous phone bill.  I happened to meet my property manager while searching for internet signal outside in the cold.  If all else fails, he may be able to arrange a wi-fi password from one of the tenants on my floor for a nominal fee.  Everything should work out soon! 

Tomorrow should be an interesting day.  I’ll be visiting a few client offices with the European manager, Harpreet, whom I’ve yet to meet.  I’ve spoken with him over the phone, chatted with him over instant message, and seen him over video meetings, but tomorrow will be the first time I meet him in person.  Hopefully this weekend goes well also.  I plan to wander around the city on Saturday and possibly meet up with a Chi O whom I connected with over LinkedIn.  She may not be my flesh-and-blood sister, but she’s the closest thing I have to family over here.

So, it’s been a challenging trip so far.  I realize, however, that every change demands an adjustment period.  I’m hopeful that the worst will be over soon, and I’ll finally be able to embrace the city, the country, and myself within the two.  Soon, I will own this place!

I love you all and miss you terribly!