Well boys and girls, I don’t really know how best to say this so I’m just going to bang it out in a sentence because I’m not sure if there’s any other way to do it: I have left the country.
As of Friday the 4th of July, just over two weeks ago, J-Rab and I packed up and sold everything and began what is undoubtedly the craziest adventure of our lives so far.
I’m writing this post from the spare room of Jasey-Got-The-Aceys flat in Putney. Yes, I live in London now.
I resigned from my job, applied for an Ancestral Visa, got it, bought plane tickets, packed up my entire life and in the midst of one of the biggest downpours Cape Town has had this year, got in a taxi and said goodbye to the country I’ve called home for the last 30 years.
The day after we all landed in London, J-Rab and The Cub boarded another plane to Boston where they are currently living with J-Rab’s mom while I try to find a job and a place for us all to live.
In short, my life is different in every conceivable way than it was when I last posted. All the things I used to put so much value in – my car, my furniture, my big screen TV, hell even most of my clothes – are gone. That was the easy part.
Saying goodbye to my parents, my friends, the people I’ve come to know and love in Cape Town, that was tougher than I could ever explain. Saying goodbye to our flat in Vredehoek where we conceived The Cub and first brought her home from the hospital was also hard because even though it was ropey in places, had a bit of a cockroach problem and was weirdly laid-out, I loved that flat, more than anywhere I’ve lived in my adult life.
For the most part I let everything go and haven’t looked back. The world here is full to bursting with freshness, new experiences, an endless list of new things to do and people to meet and places to go. The energy in this city is like 1 000 volts through your heart. You’d have to be dead not to feel it and I’ve loved every one of the crazy experiences I’ve had so far.
It’s tough being away from my girls though. The Cub’s changing by the day and not being there to experience that and share these amazing moments with her is heartbreaking. They’re back here on the 7th of August and I swear to God, that day can’t come soon enough.
In the meantime, for the first time in basically 7 years, there is only me. Some days I feel like all I have are the clothes on my back, the money in my pocket and my wits. The freedom is exhilarating and terrifying in equal parts. I spend my days arranging to meet with as many people as I possibly can, travelling the length and breadth of London by train, tube and bus and applying for as many jobs as the hours in the day allow.
Nights are the toughest. I try to go out as much as possible, but it is crippling how expensive everything is. When you’re dividing your life savings by 18, even a quick tube journey can feel like it’s breaking the bank so this week I’m cooling my jets, keeping my head down and making sure I keep the "to do" lists rolling.
I don’t know what happens now, what happens next. More than ever before in my life, I’m just making it up as I go along but at least I finally figured out how to jury-rig my MacBook so I can blog using Windows Live Writer again.
There will be more. Much, much more. I feel like there is so much to catch up on, so many crazy stories I want to share with you guys and now that I have the time and means to do it, I might as well get stuck in.
You all stayed with me through Chapter 1: Johannesburg and through Chapter 2: Cape Town so how about we take things to a whole other level with this next one.
London Town, pleased to meet ya.
Hope ya guessed my name 😉
-ST
