I just haven't been in the mood to blog lately... There are so many things happening and changes going on at the moment that you would think I'd be blogging away. I just can't get going, I am sure all bloggers go through this from time to time. I know all about keeping up with content and it's good to write, but I just haven't been into to it. I am just going to ride it out and start writing when it feels natural.
I would also like to mention that this photo is from awkwardfamilyphotos.com, which is a pretty funny site.
This is me at the MEX conference. Even though I have a really bored look on my face I was really enjoying speaking to this woman. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and interesting!
I can't believe that my trip back to Minnesota was a week ago. It didn't get off to a great start considering that we missed our flight out of London. To be fair it was both of our faults. I didn't bother to write it down on my calendar, although the day before we left I went on the NWA website to look and see what times flights left. I saw a flight that left at 2:30 p.m. and assumed that it was our flight, but I was wrong. Matthew had been sent an email from the airline confirming the reservation and they even sent him a reminder the day before we left, but he didn't bother to open it.
We were getting ready when Matthew decided to check the reservation and found out that our flight had left at 8:30 in the morning. What a terrible feeling it is to miss a flight, especially when you find out that just can't get on the next flight. We couldn't get on the next flight without buying another set of tickets. We weren't very happy about that. The company refunded half of our money, but I can't believe that you just can't get on the next flight if there is room for. Leaving later meant arriving in Minneapolis at 10:30 p.m. instead of in the afternoon. If we had made that 8:30 a.m. flight we would have gotten in at 2:30 p.m.
There was also a bit of craziness when we changed planes in Chicago. For some odd reason I thought that the seat number on my ticket was the gate we had to fly out of. We were already late, our flight from London sat on the runway for an hour and half. Oh and the entertainment system wasn't working, which reminds me United gave us some kind of voucher and I should get around to looking it up. So we run to the gate only to discover that it's not the right gate and then we get to run to the right one. I gotta tell you, I am not very good at running. In fact I would say that I hated it. We made it to Minnesota only to find that our luggage didn't make it, but not such a big deal. It would be delivered in the morning. Now, that's service!
Matthew and I picked up our rental car and drove over to Dennis and Peggy's house. I directed Matthew to drive on the left hand side of the road! We were turning off a highway onto a residential street and I steered him to the left hand side. Thankfully there weren't any other cars on the road and Matthew knew better. He was proud of me, wanting to be on the left hand side. I will also say that it felt really strange to be on the right hand side of the road through out the entire trip....
We got to Dennis and Peggy's house and had a quick chat before they hit the hay and we hit the town. Well, we went to get some food at Mickey's Diner, a historic diner in St. Paul that's open 24/7. That's right England! 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Love it! After feasting, I had a grilled cheese and chili with a chocolate malt, we headed back to West St Paul to call it a day. We were in bed by around 1 a.m. and foolishly got up the next day at 7 a.m. The phone woke us up. Thankfully it was the person dropping off our luggage! We decided to stay awake...what a silly idea. I usually don't have a problem adjusting to the time change, but I did on this trip. I feel horrible if I don't get at least 7 hours sleep a night. Oddly enough, Matthew felt fine with the time change this time.
It was really nice driving through the quiet streets of West St Paul at night. The air smells so good and fresh. I loved seeing grass in the front yards. Beautiful grass. It was just so quiet peaceful and it felt safe, like home.
**This is going to have to be part one, I am a bit tired after the bank holiday weekend. Second installment up tomorrow! Cheers!
Today marks one year since I graduated from MCAD. I can't believe it. So much has happened and changed all in one year. My graduation from MCAD was one of the best days of my life. I loved that college and my time there. I made amazing friends and some incredible experiences.
Matthew came back to Minneapolis with me and I was so happy to have him there in audience. What happened after graduation is different than I ever imagined. Here's a brief list of what happened.
Graduated May 9, 2008 (Matthew's first trip to Minneapolis. I stayed for a month and Matthew stayed two weeks)
May - We got engaged!
June - After returning to London I go back to work at my two nanny jobs until the wedding in August.
June - We go to Barcelona for my birthday.
June - We host an engagement party to celebrate with Matthew's family.
June - I meet up with my dear friend Tracy in Venice.
August - Go to Las Vegas and get married on August 30, 2008
September - October - I stay in Minneapolis and wait for my spouse visa.
October - Head back to London with my visa on October 11th, 2008
October -Start applying for graduate schemes and looking for work.
October - I heard back from one graduate scheme and go for an interview with M&C Saatchi. I made it through to the first round of interviews. From 1700 people they selected 100 and then from there narrow it down to 4 people. I didn't make it past the first round.
November - Go to Minneapolis for a wedding and Thanksgiving (Matthew stays behind)
November - I open a bank account. I have to have an atm card for six months before I can get a debit card.
December - Return back in London on December 7th, 2008
December - Continue looking for work, going to interviews, facing loads of rejection and lots of stress about trying to get my foot in the door.
February - Continue going to interviews and contacting people.
January - I start driving around Shepherds Bush and feeling more confident behind the wheel.
January - Matthew and I drive around Scotland for a week after New Years.
March - Matthew gives me a trip to Madrid for Valentines day and we go for the weekend at the end of March.
March - Matthew has his graduation ceremony for his 2nd masters degree.
March - I go on my PRINCE 2 project management course and pass my certification.
March - Matthew and I sign up for a 10 week jive dance lesson course.
April - My friend Raya comes to London for a conference and stays with me after it's done. I take my first road trip without Matthew up to Leeds with Raya.
April - I apply to work at Pret a Manger, McDonalds and KFC and get turned down from all of them.
April - Mary Ivers (my study abroad coordinator from my time at the London College of Communication) emails me and it turns out we live super close to each other. We go for a drink and she's been my friend ever since. I've made my first English friend and she's awesome!
April - I get a great internship at Candyspace Media through a She Says network contact.
April -I have a meeting with a woman who is head of digital production at Rapier and she has offered a mentorship work experience.
I am home today and just doing things around the house and running errands. Matthew and I are going to Minneapolis for five days next for a wedding. I am looking forward to going back for a visit. I left Minnesota on October 11th with my spouse visa and since that time I went back for nine days for another wedding. I got back from that trip on December 7th, so it really hasn't been that long since I was home.
It's amazing how much and how little has happened all in the space of five months. I am in a sort of bad mood today. A mood where I feel trapped in England and stuck in a life that I am not quite used to. I know I am not literally trapped here, but sometimes that's how I feel. I miss the feeling of familiarity Minneapolis and all just my old way of life. During a day I go through so many feelings about London. At times I love it and then I I wonder what the heck am I doing here.
I have to say that I do like London and living in England. I have come to accept that things are different and I really have come to love living here. I don't want London to be like Minneapolis. I just miss my friends, the familiarity and the feeling of knowing what the heck I am doing.
There are times when I am walking down the street and I am just amazed at how far I've come. Things have definitely not been easy. Trying to find a job has been and still is very hard and a part of me just has a hard time dealing with how long it all seems to be taking. I guess the hard part is that I've got nothing to compare it to and really no one talk about it with over here. I want more than anything to start my career and just get going. Without any feedback it's hard to know if things are normal or I am completely going about things in the wrong way. I know I can be hard on myself at times, but I just want to start my career more than anything in the world.
Every night before I go to sleep I go through in my mind my perfect day and that perfect day involves going to a job that I love and is challenging.
I don't thing I've ever felt change as much as I have living over here. The world is changing, I am changing things are constantly moving forward. My life just feels so different.
I can't wait to see all my friends back in Minneapolis and hear about what everyone has been up to. I am looking forward to getting on the plane and heading home for a bit.
and a lot to write about, but I seem to just want to keep putting it off. I haven't been in a writing mood. There has been good things to report, which is good. There are some feelings about things to report.....I've started an internship and I have a really amazing mentorship that's about to start. Things are moving in the right direction. Yet, I am wishing that things would happen faster.
It's hard to be in an in between place. At the moment I am just taking it one day at time. I will write more soon.
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