Making the move to London

strauchr

Hi All,

This is a follow up to a post I did way back about quitting my job. Well finally my last day is today and I head off to London and the unknown next Tuesday. (One last weekend to party in Perth).

This will be the start of my documented journey from one country to another, from the little smoke to the big smoke.

I will keep this post updated with how I go with getting work, change in culture, and other logistics such as moving, bank accounts, recruitments agencies, tax, living conditions etc. This is so anyone else considering a big move from one city to another, or country to another can view my experience with the whole process.

So here is my first entry........

The last 6 weeks have been so hectic, a roller coaster ride really. Moving back to my parents for a month was hard enough but trying to pack everything up, getting things disconnected, organising to sell my car, tying up loose ends at work etc. etc.

I'll just be glad when I get to go!! I am actually looking forward to the massive 18 hour flight from Perth to London at this stage.

Theres also the forgotten emotional state you are in when doing this. Huge highs of excitement and change and lows of sadness and nervousness as well as all the stress associated. Leaving your friends, family, DVD collection, your home town that you know inside out and love, and selling my beloved car - thats the hardest, never to be seen again. And the little things about your country that you love like vegemite, meat pies, Aussie Rules football and the beautiful weather and beaches.

However, I believe it will all be worth it for the experience of living in London and seeing Europe. My next post will most likely be from London after I arrive which I will share my experience.

I hope this post will be useful others however I'll probably keep posting anyway, unless I'm asked not too.

rentaghost

vegemite, meat pies, Aussie Rules football and the beautiful weather and beaches.

I hope it all goes well, we can supply the Meat Pies from your 'things I will miss' list but none of the others i'm afraid. Having said that, I can't vouch for how much meat there will be in them!

Summer this year is probably going to be a warm week sometime in July so bring a couple of jumpers.

Be prepared to adopt a football team (real football, not that Aussie rules stuff or the one the americans play all togged up like robocop )

strauchr

There not much meat in our pies either, but dam they taste good.

I've got quite a few friends here who are from the UK who have given me heaps of warning about the summers there, not to mention how they play "real" football. An argument that will never die but always seems to be won by saying every country in the world plays soccer (football) and we're the only ones mad enough to play aussie rules. Oh well, it is a time for change

sunny_evander

strauchr wrote:

Hi All,

This is a follow up to a post I did way back about quitting my job. Well finally my last day is today and I head off to London and the unknown next Tuesday. (One last weekend to party in Perth).

This will be the start of my documented journey from one country to another, from the little smoke to the big smoke.

I will keep this post updated with how I go with getting work, change in culture, and other logistics such as moving, bank accounts, recruitments agencies, tax, living conditions etc. This is so anyone else considering a big move from one city to another, or country to another can view my experience with the whole process.

So here is my first entry........

The last 6 weeks have been so hectic, a roller coaster ride really. Moving back to my parents for a month was hard enough but trying to pack everything up, getting things disconnected, organising to sell my car, tying up loose ends at work etc. etc.

I'll just be glad when I get to go!! I am actually looking forward to the massive 18 hour flight from Perth to London at this stage.

Theres also the forgotten emotional state you are in when doing this. Huge highs of excitement and change and lows of sadness and nervousness as well as all the stress associated. Leaving your friends, family, DVD collection, your home town that you know inside out and love, and selling my beloved car - thats the hardest, never to be seen again. And the little things about your country that you love like vegemite, meat pies, Aussie Rules football and the beautiful weather and beaches.

However, I believe it will all be worth it for the experience of living in London and seeing Europe. My next post will most likely be from London after I arrive which I will share my experience.

I hope this post will be useful others however I'll probably keep posting anyway, unless I'm asked not too.

Good luck with what ever job you have and whatever you do in future....

Vegemite & stuff - i am preety sure you will get somewhere in UK as well ! I saw it on TV that they sell vegemite in UK! but i have never been to UK so i cant say for sure

Anyways good luck again, Have a nice flight and keep us posted

rentaghost

Does Vegemite=Marmite? If so then you can get it here.

Whenever I hear the word vegemite I am compelled to sing the following in my head;
"...and he just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich... ohhhhh I come from a land down under..."

Dah! Ill be singing it all day now!

garv221

Good luck with the move, I look foward to hearing about it.

strauchr

Well, I have arrived in London, about a week ago now. I have been so busy that this has been my first opportunity to post here.

So far I like London, shopping is great (a little too great!), the lifestyle is fast and hectic and I am enjoying it.

And yes, I can find vegemite quite easily so I can survive here long term. And one thing I was worried about was being a foreigner here, however that fear has passed as it is very very multicultural.

Theres not much to tell yet really as I am still looking for work. I had a phone interview that went well today and I have a face to face interview with them tomorrow. Apparently I am the only one they are interviewing for the job so I have a good chance of landing it. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

I am getting a little homesick but with so many things to do I am coping well. And just to let you know a flight that goes for 22 hours with only one stop over in economy is not pleasant at all. I only slept 20 minutes and that was on the floor at Singapore airport.

rentaghost - Even I get that tune in my head whenever I think of a vegemite sandwhich, which is quite often

Hopefully the next post I do will be talking about my new job!!

Webmaster

Must be quite a change from the sunny Perth. Though you can expect the weather to become a bit more pleasant over the next several months in London too.

I would think the effort you put in to it, moving 12 time zones to the other side of the planet, should have a positive influence on getting a job. Keep us posted and good luck tomorrow!

strauchr

I got the job!!!!!!

The interview went really well and I found out 15 minutes after that I got the job. I've only been here a week and landed my first London job. And not just any old job.

I will be working at a major insurance company supporting MS based servers throughout UK and Europe. Theres about 400 servers to support so its a big job.

Thanks for all your well wishing as I'm sure it helped

I'll update when I actually start the job.

Webmaster - It is a tough challenge to adjust to the weather here but I'm coping. Its actually nice to have seasons rather than 6 weeks of mild winter and the rest summer

crabeater

SOUNDS LIKE QUITE AN ADVENTURE
I am worried about where I might go - willing to take you spot in Perth!
I am sitting about in the middle of the USA, and willing to go almost anyplace to get out of here (east coast would be best, but...)

GOOD LUCK


and - what is a vegemite sandwich? We have SPAM and SCRAPPLE here - anything like those?

Webmaster

Congratulations strauchr! Good to hear things are working out as planned.

princess4peace

Congratulation on your new and challenging job