Settling into my new life.

This post has been in the works for the past week. Things have been so hectic in my first few weeks here in London, but I wouldn't change that. I've been having an amazing time and already met so many new people, and seen so many new amazing places. This time doesn't feel like a holiday, it really feels like a new life here.

My first weekend here got us off to a big start. Jaime and I decided to head out and celebrate my arrival the night after I got here. We stayed local and went into Wimbledon. Aside from the minor detail of me leaving my handbag in a taxi, it was a pretty awesome night. I might have even met myself a nice local boy... Needless to say the next day was a very quiet one. On hearing that my bag had been found, we decided to then head into London the following evening to have a look around. This is when I got my first glimpse (this trip) of the London Eye, Big Ben and all the riverside attractions. Even though I had seen it all before, it still takes your breathe away. We found this awesome little Chinese Restaurant for dinner, but were still pretty tired from the previous nights efforts, so after that went home.

The following day feeling a little more refreshed we decided to go up to Tower Hill and do the Tower of London and a little more sightseeing. Seeing as it was such a nice day we decided to get off quite a few stops before and walk the Southbank of the river. This was also the day of the London Marathon, so thought we would catch a bit of that too.



I had seen the Tower of London from outside before, but never been in. I never really understood the history of the Tower and its prior uses. We decided to do it as part of a Tour with one of the 'Beef Eaters' who guard the Tower. It was definitely a great way to do it, as you learn so much more.



We heard history about Princes and Kings, the ladies of the Tower, Executions and all sorts of strange stories and ideas. Being from Australia our history is limited. It was our grandfathers and great grandfathers that saw most of the happenings on our soil. However in the Tower they referred to points in time centuries ago. Stories that we are all aware of and learn about in school. I saw the exact point of ground that was the spot for Anne Boleyn's execution. There is so much history on those grounds, it was a bit surreal.



Of course we saw the Crown Jewells, very impressive. We also went for a walk through the exhibition for body armour and weapons. We saw the armour that was used by famous kings and princes and examples of weaponry used in battle. Looking at a lot of it, im really appreciative for being born in this era. Medieval times didn't look like a lot of fun!



After finishing up at the Tower we decided to head back towards town. We saw a fair bit of the marathon and stopped a few times to cheer for the last runners. Seeing that most were taking part for charity was pretty inspiring. A lady on crutches, at the point of passing us had already done 23 miles, on crutches. Amazing.

Then what started as 'one quick cider' on our way back home turned into a pub crawl all the way back to Wimbledon, another big night and another hangover. It was all worth it. My first weekend in London was one to remember. It certainly cemented in my mind that I had made the right choice by coming over here. There is a world of opportunity right on my doorstep, and I plan on seeing it all!!

Getting lost and confused in Abu Dhabi

Well the first big leg is over. It wasn't quite as painful as I had remembered. It wasn't in any way pleasant, but it went relatively quick. My attempt at switching straight onto UK time and staying awake all night Australian time was a big FAIL. Grandma lasted til around 4am before it got the better of me and I crashed. So im expecting jetlag to get me a big worse this time. I was excited to fly Etihad, after choosing a budget airline last time. I have to say I was a little disappointed. Their entertainment choices were pretty poor, the cabin felt very cramped and the staff weren't entirely friendly. But I guess if you cant afford First Class, you have to expect it to be a little rough. I have to admit, China Airlines was probably a much nicer flight with far better service. Arrival at the airport was a little chaotic. There were people everywhere and I had no idea where to go so I just followed the crowd and hoped for the best. Eventually making it through the transfer section. Duty free had lots of high class products well out of my budget, but it was nice to look. I did have time to purchase some tacky souvenirs for my sisters of course. Its always fun and interesting looking at different products in different countries. So now I just wait for my next flight, then its only a few more hours before I arrive in London!! Today I included a photo of my plane, looks pretty safe to me :)

The Adventure Begins

Its a very surreal feeling for me right now. I'm currently sitting at Melbourne International Airport. Of course its in my typical airport style, sitting on the floor so I can charge appliances using their power points. This trip has been a long time coming. There have been a lot of obstacles along the way, but now the time is here. I've got my working visa, a one way ticket and no idea what the next two years could bring. Its been a dream of mine since I was a child to live and work in the UK. I cant remember what it was that put the idea in my head, maybe something from a past life. All I know is that its always been a plan of mine. So now I find myself sitting here ready to go, yet it still doesn't feel like its really happening. Ive spent the last year working hard to earn this, all the long hours and lack of social life were for this very purpose - to accomplish this trip. Now is the time to enjoy myself! I have started this blog to keep all of you - my friends and family updated on what im up to. But its also going to be a bit of a diary for myself. So here goes! Boarding now - Goodbye Australia!!