The Big Move

Our first unpacking in Shoreditch

The countdown is truly on now. Our final full week in London and though it's exciting there a few hideously boring but necessary things to do. The big one being de-cluttering so as to only send back one box back to Sydney. I didn't want to send back anything really but for one item - my invitalis massager. So because of that we decided that we can fill one medium box. For practical things we we'll need anyway - running shoes, my wonderful Miss Patina cat shirt, my watercolours. The rest had to go.

So it all went, my beloved red bike that I really didn't make the most of. My terrarium jars that never reached their full potential. Little knick knacks and small gifts, all carrying cherished memories of a time and place. There's a sadness and perhaps guilt to throwing these out but also with a little sigh of relief. Because stuff in general is a burden. It gets shuffled around, stored away but when you go through it - only 20% of it is in active use.

When we first moved from Kevin's sister's couch to a shared flat in Shoreditch we walked two blocks with our backpacks. When we moved from there to London Fields we took a cab with about 5 bags of goods. From there to Stoke Newingotn we had a full van full of things. And to Dalston it took two van trips. Every time I was increasingly incredulous of the 'stuff' that we had accumulated.

It becomes almost a passive thing to accumulate things. But requires active effort to cut it down. Which is why I'm glad we're moving back. We will start fresh back in Sydney. With little from London but wonderful memories and a lingering penchant for clotted cream, Sunday roasts and iberico bellota ham.

Things I Will Miss About London

With a keen sense that we now have a very finite time left in London (4 weeks to be exact) I am suddenly feeling a rush of appreciation for this home away from home. It's very easy to complain about London what with it's high living costs, gloomy weather and heavy work culture however there are certainly things that I am sure I'll look back on and miss.

- Summer fruits. I bought a 550g punnet of cherries yesterday for £1.79. And they are bloody delicious too. Thank you cheap Spanish imports.

- Sun. OK so there's about 10 proper days of sun a year. But those days are seared on your memory for the rest of the year. Because you cannot help but frolic and picnic and feel a palpable sense of joy and appreciation. You never take the sun for granted here.

- People. Lively conversations and a variety of people from all walks of life are a highlight at any London BBQ. When you finally find a way 'in', people are generally very welcoming and open.

-Travelling. Two hours by plane in any direction and you will yourself in a completely different culture with amazing food. It's pretty easier and affordable to fly further afield to the States or Asia if you're organised about it. Travelling is pretty convenient and last year alone we were able to go to Spain, Abu Dhabi, Italy, Farne Island, Greece, New York and Austria. 

-Opportunity. There's chances for real personal and career growth here. But you have to work at it. I've had a great variety of opportunities and would never have gotten as far as I have back in Sydney. I've also saved a decent amount despite all the travelling we've done (thanks to work giving me a flat and a car).

- Exploring. After three years I don't feel like I know the whole city and even now find myself in new parts of town I didn't know existed. Plus there are always new pop ups and events happening.

- Drinking it up. Yes the drinking culture is widespread here so it's perfectly natural to enjoy drink down at the park or on some rooftop somewhere.

- Public Transport. When I do have to catch public transport it's never a drama what with tube coming every 2 minutes, plenty of busses and the ever helpful citymapper. Also, being so flat, bike riding is pretty easy too.

So you can see that there was enough to entice us to take on that extra year after our Tier 5 visa's expired but perhaps not enough to keep us here til our new visa's were due to expire in 2017. But now, we feel ready. It's the final countdown.

What Next?

Two months. Then we're off again. I'm so excited. This year was panning out to be pretty awful what with my poor broken back, long working hours and an apparently endless London Winter. But now we get to get back into the swing of travelling again. And suddenly, my soul is lifted.

The general idea is do some relaxed Europe travelling. One week in London, another week out. So I finish up work end of August. And the next day we'll be flying to Iceland. It's always been one of those destinations everyone raves about. It's savage natural beauty. So unencombered by human interference. What a contrast to the heaving frenzy of London. I plan on taking a very deep breath. Just in and out. That's all I want life. Simplicity. 

Next will hopefully be a sunshine filled visit to Croatia. Then cheering on Kevin at his 4th marathon in Berlin and checking out the much raved about Budapest and Prague. Then it's a final hurrah in the Netherlands where Kevin will cheering on his fellow runners at the Amsterdam marathon - yes he's that dedicated to the game. 

And last but not least fulfilling a long awaited desire to see animals. Lots of them. In the wild. In Africa. For maybe 6 weeks. Because why not. Because life. Because time has been freed like air rushing out of a balloon. So much time. Not compressed into small compartments I have to beg the rota lady for. Squeezed and pushed into neat, convenient cubes. 

So that's 3 months of travel in the pocket. And the best part? Going back to Sydney. Going home. I look forward to my first Summer thunderstorm. To my body board purchase. To sun and waves and so much laughter. I'll hug my dog. And swim in salt water. And hear my dad's voice and eat my mum's food. And I'll appreciate it so much more for being 3 years without. To be within again.

Goodbye London

One of my first shots in London

So after much deliberation, many wait-and-sees and a sudden revelation in the middle of the night in a Japanese airbnb, we have made the decision to make our way home.

It's funny because if you had asked me 6 months ago if I was happy in London I would have said yes. And then out of no where. I fell out of love with her.  It was not one specific factor nor one moment but a jenga tower of reasons that suddenly just came tumbling down.

At the end of the day I knew the minute I arrived that it was only ever going to be a temporary situation. I never allowed myself to truly settle here. Never got that sewing machine. Lived on bare necessities.  Focused on what was on was most important to me - travelling. 

The surprise of the situation was being offered a sponsored job that allowed us to to stay here longer. It was both a blessing and a curse. Suddenly life became about work. And along that came stress and the repercussions of neglecting one's health. But I wouldn't take back that decision. It was a steep learning curve and being at the top of the learning curve I can see it's worth.

But after three years of a somewhat haphazard existence it's time to for a more solid foundation. I won't be having 8 holidays a year anymore (though maybe one more to Africa before coming back).But I'll hopefully have a place of my own near the beach. With a sewing machine. And a dog and cat. To spend time with loved ones. And to feel whole again. 

A Break for a Break

I've been signed off from work from my GP due to a back injury. It's nothing too serious but as I've discovered,  it needs to be rested a lot to give it a proper chance to heal which means staying at home. Previous to this, I've been quite under the weather anyways, what with catching a bad flu a few weeks ago which lead to a nagging cough which definitely did not help with the back injury, so I've been feeling the strain of my 9-8pm days a lot more. I desperately needed some time off.

Though doing my back in is not really how I would have gone about it. Actually, this whole thing I have found to be akin to the grieving process. First, you're shocked and scared. Then you just want to quickly get back to normal and you're frustrated that you just can't. Then you bargain and make a lot of promises to yourself. Then you relax and accept that you're just going to have to wait it out. Healing takes time and the more you rush it, the more you put yourself back a couple of steps.

The first day was great. I had the luxury of taking TWO naps.  Kevin is working so I don't feel at all guilty for not earning anything whilst I'm off. I'm on some good meds to help me with the pain and then more meds to help me with the side effects of my pain meds. I was feeling good.

Then the restlessness kicked in. I wanted to feel productive but lacked the inclination or ability to do so at home. I was reading a book. Cleaning the house. Staring at my paints. But it's almost like having too much free time stifled my ability to channel my energy properly. I was trying too hard. And become fast stuck.

So I sat. And I thought. And I mulled. I pondered over the big questions one rarely has time enough in the a regular day to pay full attention to. Like, what do do I really want to achieve while I'm here.  And suddenly, the answer was simple. 

I need to get a market stall going. I'd really regret leaving the UK and not giving it a shot. And so far I've been scared to do so because the markets are a lot better here, the standard is higher and I was fearful that I might fail at it. But the seed was planted though. Two days ago, I got one idea about my market. And then another. And then a whole barrage of inspiration hit me. I hadn't felt this creatively inspired in a long time. So I'm going to run with it. I'm going to use these 2 weeks I have to work on my market stall and make the dream a reality. Because the only difference between a dream and reality is action.

Roadtrip!

There are so many different and interesting places to go to in Europe that it's easy to overlook our very own backyard. Just a two hour flight and you're in a place with amazing food, plentiful sunshine and is way cheaper. However, between a trip to Italy and then Greece we thought we'd mix it up a bit and go have a poke around the UK, just to see for ourselves. 

We were originally heading to Cornwall however considering we had 5 days to fill I thought the time would be better spent up North. And mostly because I have this inexplicable desire to see puffins. I want to see lots of puffins doing cute puffin things! The biggest colony in the UK with about 60 000 breeding pairs is on the Farne Islands, up in Northumberland near the Scotland border. So that went on the itinerary first.

A friend also told me about Bounce Below in Snowdonia (Wales) - this very cool cave that has massive trampolines in it. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a good holiday plan to me. And since we can't just be bouncing in caves and looking at puffins for 5 days straight we decided to visit Brecon Beacons National Park and the Lake District as well. Why not?

Though on the morning of the trip I checked the weather in Wales and of course it said - 15 degrees, rain. I asked Kevin if we could cancel our bookings and go somewhere warm, maybe Croatia? I hear it's lovely. For that I got a very stern talking to about how it was my idea in the first place etc etc etc. So away to Wales we went.

And yes it rained a bit but like all UK rain it's more of an annoying drizzle where you hardly get wet. The best bits of Brecon Beacons was staying in this cute airbnb cottage where we got greeted every morning and evening but either a dog, horse or goat. Oh and reading Welsh signs. They are hilarious. For example Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is actually a name of a village. I didn't just type a whole bunch of random letters whilst drunk and having an epilieptic fit. Seriously!The worst part was missing out on hiking up to Pen y Fan mountain due to rain and poor visibility. Though we did do the very green walk to get to Sgwd Yr Eira Waterfalls where you get to go behind the falls and since it had been raining so much it looked pretty cool.

Sgwd Yr Eira waterfall and a selfie of Maloney and me.

Bounce Below was pretty epic. Despite the fact that they make you wear helmets and they smell pretty terrible, the actual facility was very cool. It's a massive trampoline maze suspended high above the cave floor and you either climb up or slide down to get to different bouncing rooms. One room was so high up that you'd get a little bit of vertigo if you looked down too much. 

The Lake District was very picturesque and sunny. I took some amazing shots there, that's all I have to say about it. And on our last day, we took a little boat from the town of Seahouses, up in the far Northeast corner of the UK to the Farne Islands which smelt like 1000 years of bird poo. But seeing puffins in their natural habitat was pretty special. Watching them fish in the ocean, fly up into their burrows and land right into them. Seeing them run on their little awkward webbed feet from one place to another. And fend off pesky seagull neighbours from stealing their food. Worth it. Worth the rain, and the driving, and eating lots of mediocre fish and chips.

Orrest Head in Windermere (top) and Kirkstone Pass

But little did I know the best part of the trip was yet to come. The drive from Seahouses to London is about 6 hours so we broke it up with a night in Harrowgate, Yorkshire. Plus it was Kevin's birthday so we had to celebrate. We chanced upon this really fancy looking Chinese restaurant set in a restored Roman Bath. It looked pretty posh. So we walked in, had a lovely meal and a nice glass of wine and was ready to head off. The owner of the restaurant, a charismatic Malaysian born, London raised man wandered around the restaurant checking up on all the tables. Considering we were the only Asian people in the whole restaurant (and likely in the whole of Harrowgate) we got chatting. He was really interested to find out how we ended up in Harrowgate and so he got us a fresh round of drinks on him and we ended up getting pretty drunk and falling into a full D&M about life and our personal histories. His story included adopted a young Vietnamese girl, meeting his wife at 23 drunk at 4am in Chinatown in London and almost going bankrupt restoring the lovely restaurant we were in. He swore a lot, had a clear passion for the UK and pride for his place in it. It was a night we never expected in a town we randomly chose.

Nothing like unexpected encounters to spice up life.

And that was the end of a pretty interesting road trip. I'm glad we did it. I'm happy we're back in London and I feel refreshed for the next chapter of our lives here. I feel it's going to be big. And if all plans go into fruition, we may even be here for another 5-10 years. Like Mr Hak Ng of the Royal Baths Chinese Restaurant, we have to plan big and let the chips fall where they may.

Ode to Summer

Oh my dear Summer

You're late but never mind

For you are radiant as ever

I won't keep time

Because when you're here 

the world is brighter

The days are longer

The load is lighter

The bike is out

We'll eat outdoors

We'll have adventures

We'll go explore

This big wide world

From out of our cacoons

Until the weather turns

All too soon

My ode to you

My fickle one

Just stay awhile

And share your Sun

Staying in the Present

At present - my favourite things. 

It's easy to find faults in your life and wish for more. Sometimes I'll look back and dream of going travelling again. Wistful of those carefree days hanging around hostels, where your only goal of the day was to enjoy yourself. Or sometimes my mind would stray further afield - of sunny Sydney. Of finishing work at 4pm and heading to Bronte beach to splash around on my bodyboard. Or calling some friends over for a casual brunch on our balcony. 

Nevermind that I was really restless in Sydney and wanted more then as well. Or that I eventually tired of the instability and copious amounts of vomiting travelling generally seemed to involve and was quite relieved to have some creature comforts back when we finally arrived in London. Those bad parts of your past tend to fade away over time. Leaving you with just the shiny, wonderful memories. 

And I'm sure one day I'll look back on our time here in London and dream of all the delicious cakes I've devoured. Or the luxury of the multiple mini holidays we had during the year. The abundance of theatre shows and new restaurants we've tried. Also there are the little everyday things I'll miss like iberico ham, cheap blueberries, English roasts, cider and clotted cream. 

I have to remember this time last year I was lamenting that we had to go back to Sydney so soon and was wishing with all my being that somehow, we could stay here just for one more Summer.  As two Winters and one Summer in London seemed like a bit of a poor deal. So here it is - that bonus Summer. Instead of glancing backwards all the time or craning my neck forward to see what's in the future, I need to focus on everything around me. Right now. And relax. Because it will pass faster than I'll realise. And I don't want the present just to be the point where the future turns into the past. I need it to be everything.

Housesharing vs the one bedder

For a solid two years Kevin and I have been living with people. Firstly in the form of 6-12 bedder hostel dorm rooms and then onto house shares during our 18 months so far here in London. And I wouldn't have changed it for the world. It was so much fun and there were moments where you're just so grateful to have come across the people you did at just the right time. People have shared with us their stories, fireworks, weddings, black market money trading tips and everything in between. 

But you do miss the freedom of random bouts of nudity, not having to wait in a queue for the loo, finding said bathroom just as it was last time you saw it and not covered in hair and other things, space and having a bit of peace and quiet as you please. People who have roommates always have a nightmare roommate story to share with you. Usually it's due to variations in ideas of hygiene. 

As with anything in life, housesharing has it's pros and cons. For us, we've decided to move to that one bedder in 3 weeks. What with it's instant access to bathrooms and multiple cupboards and fridge space for food storage (this actually does mean a lot to me!). We can cook pungent Asian foods as we please without offending housemate nostrils and not find random (human) poo's on our staircase on New Years day (that's a whole separate story folks). 

And luckily with work providing an apartment above a nearby Vet clinic we're not facing that horrid 50% increase in rent - normally its about 1500 pounds per month plus bills plus real estate agents fees (eeek!). And we having parking! No more waking up early on a weekday off to move the car back to the clinic because London only seems to have permit or paid parking everywhere. 

Yes we've met some lovely housemates on the way and fortunately we haven't had too many horror stories to share but I'm so excited what with the move, followed by our Abu Dhabi holiday followed by Spring. Yes things definitely feel like they're picking up. 

It Doesn't Get Anymore English than the Cotswolds

OK so after my last post I think it was pretty obvious that I was getting a little bit worn out by London. So with an impending 3 day weekend coming up it was time for a spontaneous trip away. To the Cotswolds! What are the Cotswolds and why do people go there? Well I wasn't quite sure of this myself before embarking on this trip, hence the spontaneous part. 

We started off with a short visit to Oxford, just to check out the town and look at the lovely old buildings and well manicured grass. Though it was slightly less so after we witnessed a rather disheveled man allowing his massive staffy x mastiff to playfully run all over that 'do no walk on grass' area. He got told off by some passer-by's in which he promptly told them to 'F-off'. The dog was having the time of his life.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Waddeson Manor in Aylsebury, which not only was a beautiful and bloody massive building itself, but also had a cute Christmas fair on the side offering my new favourite treat - a toasty mulled cider and a cool light exhibition which was quite a cool thing in a old school kind of setting.

The following two days we spent in the Cotswolds themselves. The best way to describe this experience is 'cute'. Our airbnb with it's quaint English garden overlooking the rolling hillsides of Malvern. Me with a cup of tea and a neighbourhood cat enjoying the sun on the porch. Sitting with Kevin for hours in front of a roaring fire. Visiting Lower and Upper Slaughter, Stow-on-the-Wold, having tea at Badger's Hall in Chipping Camden, trout spotting in the clear streams of Bibury. The sun was shining, the temperature brisk, the general population greying, oh it felt like we were world's away from the harsh reality of London. I was living my own Jane Austen novel. With instagram.

Yes I very much enjoyed my trip to the Cotswolds. I'm all villaged out at the moment but I've got sights on other English novelties like visiting the puffins on Farne Island and there's place in Wales where you jump on giant trampolines in a giant cave. I guess it's not so bad here after all.

This is a puffin and yes I would pay so much to see it do that in real life.

Giant trampolines + cave = FUN!

Having a Bit of Whinge

London's been great so far, what with the job and Visa and a new car and all. But every now and then I think to myself..'WTF am I doing here?!? Some of the things that are part of the norm here just don't make any sense and it can really drive an Aussie up the wall. So here's me, off -loading some Britishism's off my chest.

1. Everyone walks/drives/rides bikes as bad as they do on the streets of Vietnam

It's chaotic. Just when you think people are going one way, they throw you off and walk right into you. There's no sense of personal space or consideration. It's all me, me, me. I remember Christmas last year walking around Oxford Circus (BAD idea) and doing the whole sideways dance with someone just trying to walk around them. Instead of laughing it off and giving me a sheepish grin like I was doing, the grouch started swearing off at me and being a complete dick! What a dick!

And now that I've got the car, I've realised the same applies to their roads. Traffic lights are weird and  parking rules don't make sense. Lanes suddenly merge without warning and people just make up rules as they go along. For such a polite society, it just completely goes up the creek with the anonymity of the streets.

2. You-right?

This is the standard version of their 'Hi, how are you?' Yet, it's not quite a full greeting and not quite a fully formed questioned. I'd usually answer with a 'I'm fine, how are you?', in which I'd occasionally get an odd look. Just say HI like normal people folks. And don't get me started on 'innit'.

3. Weather talk

It's easy to get sucked into talking about the weather. Usually because at this time of year, it's so bad! And not only is it talk about the current weather situation, English people love to regale you with what the weather was like this time last year. And the year that had that really bad weather. And then that year where they had a great Summer. And oddly enough you yourself find yourself talking about that long, cold Winter 2 years ago THAT YOU WEREN'T EVEN HERE FOR. It's bonkers.

4. Umm, excuse me, I don't mean to be rude but [insert completely innocuous statement]

If there is any a microscopic whiff of someone, somewhere out there in the entire universe being remotely offended to a question/statement/topic then the English will try to preempt this by inserting a series of 'beat around the bush' kind of words beforehand to deflect the impending offense. E.g. Our lovely house guests coming in and smelling Kevin's awesome cooking but instead of just going 'Yum, that smells great, what is it?' it went more like 'Hi, excuse us to interrupt, don't mean to pry, but what did you make for dinner?'

5. Bad English TV/celebrities

Eastenders, Emmerdale, Peter Andre. All these incredibly boring shows plague the TV day in and  day out. And to make it worse you go to work and people are then talking about it as well. I realise now why we watch so much American TV in Australia. Because stuff actually happens in them. We were seriously watching a show with our housemates which consisted of people on their couch at home watching TV and the point was that you were watching their reactions to TV. WHAT? Why?

6. Terrible Food

OK it's not all bad but sometimes you got to ask yourself why you're paying thirteen pounds for a shitty bowl of noodles when you know there's a delicious bowl of noodles in Cabramatta for half the price. For a country that's known for battered fish and 'hearty' food, it's been a dismal search looking for fresh, tasty and cheap food. The upside is, we're cooking a lot at home now.

7. Spitting

What's with the spitting? Everywhere you go, people are just hocking up their salivary juices all over the public pavement. One guy did it right in front of me as I was going by on my bike. Disgusting.

8. Bureaucracy

I guess because the country is so old and has so much history, people and the 'way of doing things' tend to get stuck at some point in the past. Just go to the bank and try to get yourself an account and you'll realise how backwards the service is. They just don't seem to have a proper protocol in place and people just  tend to make up their own processes as they go along, much like their road rules. Or doing tax! That's still an ongoing thing for me, 7 months after I paid my accountants  a hefty 200 pounds to sort it out. Sadly, people are either just stuck in the dark ages or a little moronic. Or a bit of both.

I was going to do a 9 and 10 but I ran out of steam. There are plenty of nice things to say too otherwise we wouldn't be here for another three years. But let's just say they better be reeeeal good after all this rubbish I'm putting up with.

Snippets of My Diary Part 1

My diary isn't an every day kind of diary. When I'm feeling extra philosophical or a little lost, I like to put thought to paper just to release the plug in my mind. I found myself reading through it today and wonder to myself 'did I write this?'. My own past thoughts inspire me in the present day and I'd like to share a few extracts here to again, remind myself in the future of certain things that shouldn't be forgotten.

19/12/13

Tired. Love does try at the patience. For it requires you to give so much. But would you expect any less from something that rewards you so richly? Like all energy in the universe, it can not be destroyed, just transformed. And if you want more love you have to feed it with your all.

I feel as if the love I give out comes back tenfold. You can never regret giving love. People are wonderful and deep down, we all just want to make a connection. To be accepted. 

Life is but a collection of memories. Beautiful moments. Sad moments. They stay with you the longest. They are the clearest.  Most things are fleeting. And memories, taken out of their original context, warp. They morph to give you different feelings. Often moments of extreme distress become comical later on. What was horribly disastrous at the time becomes insignificant. So rather than being swept away by that strong current, keep in mind the bigger picture.

'Keep calm and carry on'

This has become so popular because so many people need to be reminded. That life hurtles you forward regardless of what you want or don't want. Despite anything. 

I was asked at a young age by a close friend 'but don't you want to change the world? Do you just want to be one thing your whole life?'. I was too young to understand what he was asking me but 15 years later I find myself asking the same questions.

This is not a mid-life crisis. The name implies something is being destroyed. Yet it is the opposite. Something is being created. Your focus is changing. You awaken. You shed all the burdensome layers that you have worn and find that your true self is so much more  simple yet profound, aware. 

We always need to be evolving. There is nothing that is permanent in this universe. Perhaps it is easier to remain the same. Inertia. The resistance to change one's course. Yet why are people so resistant to change? Because they are afraid? Afraid of the unknown. When one can't predict the outcome. Yet who can lived a controlled life? And be truly happy from it.

For do we not live for the unexpected joys of life?

7/1/14

What will 2014 unfold? 2013 was all about transitions, the first brave leap. Sewing and terrariums, minimising and traveling. 2013 was a year of crazy activity. Now we are in a new year. maybe it should be a year of no expectations. There were just so many expectations in 2013.

Maybe it can just be what it needs to be without being all-consuming. Things I know about 2014. I will be living in London with Kevin. We will have housemates. I will be working on a casual basis. All these are guarantees and they are easy. Maybe this will be an easy year. 

24/2/14

Everyone has dreams. They're what moves you forward. You ache, you ponder, you grow upwards towards it like the branches of a tree. It nourishes you. My all consuming dream for the past 2 years was to be an explorer...one year into 'living the dream' I sit and ask myself, right, now are you happy?

I have very few possessions, I've traveled all over, And to be honest, I'm not. I'm still that branch, reaching upwards. But I'm at a point in this dream I can't get going, yet I can't turn back...I was hoping it would be more like my New York lifestyle, but with more tea. I've lost the thrill of the chase. 

1/3/14

Life in London is perplexing! I know I've move over here for a reason. But at this point I can't seem to recall it. Since landing 6 months ago, I've pined for the buzz of NYC, the ease of Rio de Janeiro and the love of Chile. I've often dreamed of the sandy beaches of Sydney and the taste of Cabramatta. Maybe it's because Winter has set in and the cold, windy weather has completely disabled any fun thoughts.

Six months and I still feel like a foreigner in London town. I can't seem to connect to this grey city. I'm managing, but I'm not thriving. 

How To Apply for Tier 2 (General) UK Visa + Partner (Dependent)

The UK Visa application process can be a bit of a minefield. Misinformation, lack of Visa office contacts, no real clear outline of necessary paperwork - especially for partners. It's all cause for stress. Though really, it needn't be.

Why Are We Applying for a New Visa?

We were both on the Tier 5 (Youth Mobility) Visa which was due to expire in a few months. There is no possibility to extend this and we were facing deportation (slight exaggeration). Since they had recently got rid of the Tier 1 (Skilled Migrants) Visa the only real option was that one of us had to be sponsored which would make us eligible for the Tier 2 (General) Visa which is for 3 years and entitles us to live and work in the UK.

Now, if I thought the Tier 5 application process was a bit stressful, then I was literally about to have a panic attack about putting through Tier 2 for both myself plus prove that my (non married) partner and I were in a legitimate relationship so he can piggy back off mine as a dependent. But in hindsight the whole process was very straightforward and relatively speedy. So despite all the scary stories of one inch thick application forms and separate trips back to Australia to have them done here's what we did and it worked!

What is a Tier 2 Visa?

This is a 3 year visa which allows you to live and work in the UK. You can also apply to bring your dependents over on it as well as long as you can prove that your relationship is legitimate. Contrary to popular belief you can apply for both yourself and your partner at the same time though no where on the website or policy guidance does it specifically mention this. Also, I heard that this is the only Tier 2 Visa that will 'count' towards dual citizenship. An interesting idea, so if we stay for the necessary 5-6 years then we can apply for a UK/EU passport which would means we can be rid of this Visa kafuffling. The catch, the primary person has to stay with them company or find a new company to sponsor them if they want to leave.

What Documents Do I Need?

1. Your company needs to provide you with a certificate of sponsorship which has your certificate number on it and outlines your role, pay and that they they have met the resident labour market test (ie cant find anyone locally to do the job) and they they will maintain you (ie they are an A rated sponsor) and if so you will NOT need to prove you have enough funds in your bank.

2. Submit an online application. through the Visa4UK website. This is just basic contact information, you will need all your old passports and the birth date and place of your parents. Most painstaking part was having to input all our travel history. Eventually I just filled out the whole section before I was even done.

Note: I couldn't apply for this whilst in the UK because one of the sections asks for when I departed the UK last so just wait til your back in Australia.

3. If you're in Australia, great! Just book in your biometrics appointment, pay the $977 fee and print out your application plus bring in your supporting documents. I however was already in the UK so flew back to Australia to sort it out.

4. At the appointment they will ask you for your:

- Passport (plus all previous passports)

- Printed and signed visa application form

- Payment of $190 in cash or card if you wanted priority service. This means a 5 business day process time versus 21 business days. As I had  return flight back to the UK to make, I went with priority.

- Freshly taken passport photo

- Certificate of sponsorship + Letter of maintenance from my employer

- I brought my appointment confirmation form too but no one asked for this and it's a bit defunct.

They also took my photo and scanned my fingerprints.

And true to their word that Friday (my appointment was on Monday) I got my passport with freshly printed Visa in the mail. 

How To Apply For Tier 2 General - Partner

This is the exact process with one tricky exception. We had to prove that we were in a legititae relationship which generally means you've been living together for 2 years. This is the policy guidance for what you need but it's really confusing. Contrary to popular belief you an apply for both Visa's at the same time and it's the exact same process but with slightly more documentation as we were trying to prove our de facto relationship. Here's a list of the documentation for 'proof of relationship'.

- Joint bank account statement (with bank stamp)

- Tenant ledgers from real estates

- Letter from bank confirming when the joint account was opened

- Bills with our name and address on it (not all were in both names but it proved we were at the same address)

- Photos printed on paper from previous holidays together

- Electoral registration forms to again, prove we lived at the same address

- Letter of maintenance for dependents as well as the primary person AND recent bank statment (we only need one or the other but it's good to be safe).

We looked into registering a civil relationship as we are just not the marrying type but this would have taken 5 weeks to come through and as it turns out, isn't really necessary.

This came back on the sixth business day. So now we're both ready to go back to the UK in full force. Though it's an expensive process and a little arduous, it's worth it at the end of the day and feel like we're taking a positive step in developing both our professional careers as well as living that somewhat carefree life balancing travel with London socialising. But until then I'm going to soak up all this glorious sunshine and head to the beach (this hot turn in the weather has been a lovely surprise considering it's still only Spring).

Settling in London

It has been exactly one year since we landed at Heathrow airport in London after our 6 month backpacking stint around the Americas. It's been a year of ups and downs and I finally feel settled in London. London is a city that offers so much but she doesn't reveal it all it once. She's a bit stand offish at first, but once you get to know her, she'll invite you over for tea with open arms. So here are a few things I've learnt along the way through my own experiences and having many a conversation with other people in the same boat. Everyone's experiences are different and it's important just to go with whatever comes your way.

Culture shock is something everyone deals with

A lot of Australians choose to move to London because of a wonderful little thing called the Youth Mobility Visa. Also because you think that because Australia is so closely linked to the UK that everything will be quite similar. In that you'll be a little wrong. Because everything here is different. Something things are even just slightly different. But that difference will still throw you off and you'll need time to adjust to it. I remember getting upset in how people walk here. They just don't seem to naturally move out of the way like they do back home. Their concept of personal space is completely lacking. But over time, I adjusted and now, I'm probably as bad as the rest of them. Don't stress about it or overthink it, it's just time and often it can take up to 12 months to get that 'settled' feeling back. 

Get some housemates

I know some people are adverse to sharing with people but I find it a really great way to meet new people and as long as you get a good vibe from them at the start, then you'd rarely get into any serious houseshare nightmares. Just stay relaxed and pick a place with people of similar ages to you who can carry a normal conversation and have relatively similar hygiene standards. Get a good mix of genders and it always helps to set up a good cleaning system or better- chip in for a cleaner. We've met some lovely people and even got to go to a fantastically fun British wedding just through housesharing. Also it helps to shuffle about every 6 months unless you find something truly perfect. Just so you can try new areas as well.

Housemate wedding!

Join a club

Kevin set a great example for this. He's part of two running clubs that he religiously goes to. In the first 6 months he didn't really meet that many people but he kept going and slowly built up a few acquaintances who then turned into friends. Now, they're all having BBQs and picnics together and it's just a nice way to meet whole bunch of different people. The point is that he didn't really go there to make friends initially and English people can take awhile to open up. So it's just time and persistence really. And though I don't like running and got to tag along to all these fun BBQs and met some lovely people as well. 

Run dem crew BBQ

Keep in contact with friends and family

It always gives a me warm and fuzzy feeling everytime I randomly message an old Australian friend and I get an enthusiastic reply. Though it's hard to keep in contact all the time, make sure that you keep tabs on what's happening at home because you do get lonely and it does help to know that someone out there cares. Also I've facebook messaged my parents every now and then just to keep them up to date with all the random stuff happening in my life. I think they appreciate it.

Freelance/locum work

As a Vet I found that it was quite easy to contact a few recruitment agencies and get 2-3 week working stints around London. I tried to accept jobs in different areas and with different situations. One week it'll be a charity clinic with 7 Vets on at a time and then afterwards it'll be a sole charge clinic. It gives you a chance to try out different work environments, meet new people and try out a variety of different food. My favourite peri peri chicken is a small chicken shop in Wembley called Boston Peri Peri. And the best tabouleh and garlic chicken is in Kentish Town at El Phoencia. I just wouldn't have bothered going to these places otherwise.

Randomly contact that friend of a friend who is also a Vet because that can give you a bit of insight to how to set yourself up so it all doesn't seem so frightening. People are always willing to help. And lastly, don't panic. If you persist but at the same time, enjoy the time you have off, you'll realise later on, how unnecessary it was to try to grab the first job on offer. Think carefully what you'll be happy with and realise what you're worth. Also, Kevin who is a freelance copywriter took a bit more time to find freelance jobs but he's got some good contacts now and is in a steady groove. Try to be proactive with your time even though you may be out of work for a few months. He spent a lot of time building on his website and thinking of good ideas he could put forward in the future. 

Be practical but not frugal

You can convert pounds back to Aussie dollars all you want but at the end of the day, you're here to live, not sit in your house all weekend because (you think) you can't afford to go out. It does help when you start earning pounds because that's when the mental conversion stops. Obviously you can't be having 50 pound dinners all the time but give yourself some good experiences and just try to enjoy things that you would normally in Australia. Whether it's going to the movies, having a nice dinner out  or getting yourself some watercolour paints. 

Cockney ATM

Get to know London, not just travel out of it 

If you're spending every weekend travelling and exhausting yourself exploring other countries in Europe, then it's hard to appreciate what you actually have in London. Get a Barclays bike and just ride down the canal for coffee. Or go to a local food market. There's always something going on but people miss so much of what London is a about because they don't give it some time. It's such a large city with pockets of interesting areas but it really takes some exploring to find them. But it's well worth the effort. It's easy to get sucked into the whole FOMO when you see everyone's photos from Greece or Italy but I've often been told that after awhile the cities start blurring together. Work on a lasting bond with a place, not just a flimsy 36 hour date.

Get a bike
At first London roads look really hardcore and most people think they will literally die riding a bike on them. But remember that the busy roads you see on the bus are definitely not the ones you will take on a bike. There ARE some nice bike lines running from Shoreditch and up through Angel. Then there's the canal which makes a lovely ride on a nice day. There really is only a slim chance of falling into that radioactive looking water. Miniscule really. Not only is it faster, but it's cheaper and as long as you invest in a good bike lock (I got myself a ARBUS 120cm foldable lock which alone is half the cost of the bike itself) you should be smooth sailing. You get to know London on a much more intimate basis.

The Birthday Week That Was

I'm reverse aging. I do not remember having this much fun on my 18th or 21st birthday. Maybe I just can't remember it because I'm now the ripe age of 29 and my memory aint so good as it used to be. But I digress. This week has surely been the most epic of all birthday weeks. And I didn't even see it coming.

This time last year I remember sitting in the 'Boiling River' in Yellowstone National Park feeling as content as one could be. And this year it has been one exciting blur. It's nice to blaze out the last of my 20s. Yes, there has been an incredible amount of alcohol drunken (with Judy and Simon at Club Gascon), and some very dubious and frenetic dancing (Dom and Kinga's wedding), some long distance family time (thanks for my favourite cheesecake I can see but not eat) and some pretty spectacular food (oysters, froi gras, squab pigeon, Mangalista pork, flatiron steak, princess cake) and lots of pampering (breakfast in bed, foot massage, having hair, make up, nail and lashes done by Kevin and Blow bar) and just some good ol' fashioned hanging out with new housemates and old. 

London has been bloody amazing to both Kevin and I and I couldn't be happier to announce that I've accepted a permanent role here with sponsorship so we are staying for another 2 years. Happy Birthday to us!