Last day o' work

Well here it is, my last day of work.

I feel a bit ambivelent about it all I must admit. On the one hand I cant wait to get out of here and get on with everything and on the other I feel trepidation about moving on.

I've been unhappy at work for a while but the thought of being the new guy again is actually quite frightening, Especially as i'm going to be far from my loved ones and re-assurance may be a little thin on the ground. On top of this I have move in with my dad and a handful of people I don't know one of which is a nine year old girl and one of which is a 16 year old girl. My only experience of girls this age is when I was that age too and that didn't go too well at all!

The best thing to hold onto is the fact that even if I end up in an unremrkable job I'll still be in a place I prefer to live and although the first 6 months will be a struggle it will only get better from there!

No time for crime

After reading an interesting artcile here about Englands most desireable I couldn't help but wonder what Norwich looks like from a crime perspective.

According to this crime map the crime is pretty low all over Norwich bar Earlham and West Earlham which has an orange splotch on it. This is handy as I can bear this in mind when looking for somewhere to rent.

However, seeing as the area I grew up in and currently live, visible here, looks like s strawberry exploded on it I'm not going to worry too much. Especially as Blackheath is one of the reddest areas and is an area i've always thought of as a really nice place to live.

First of the lasts

I'm getting to a funny stage now where I'm starting to do things that i've done every day for ages for the last time.

I boarded the tube from London Bridge to Old Street for the last time today. It was an atypical instance of that journey. I had to wait for two trains to go off full before I could finally board. When I did I was stuck next to some stinky bugger who obviously has something against anti-perspirant. The tube is something I shall not miss that's for sure.

I also went to my local sandwich shop for the last time too. The lady serving me was rude as usual and there was no please and thank you or eye contact as usual.

For someone who suffers from nostaliga chronically it's funny how i'm not feeling sad at these 'first lasts'. Hopefully i'll feel something more pleasant over the coming weeks

Should I or shouldn't I?

Well I've hit a bit of an junction in my life. I've come to an end in my job in London and I've decided that moving away is the way forward due to the recession and a general malaise over me in London. It's been on the cards for a while and the aim was to move in the new year. However, my job has been getting on top of me and there seems to be no reason to hang on till then now.

So, I've decided that I'm going to move to Norwich. I grew up in Norfolk as a child and I always hoped I'd go back some day. My dad lives not far from there and I have a few relatives there who I don't really know to well but who seem great whenever I've met them. I look forward to hopefully knowing them better.

It's not a totally popular decision with loved ones. It's further than I've ever lived before and there is some concern they won't see me enough. I'm not too concerned about dropping out of touch with people as my plan is to be down at least twice a month and there should be plenty of friends and family who will visit frequently. Still, the worry is there. I do get butterflies thinking about it.

I've making a list for myself of places that I'd like to visit/revisit before I leave such as places I hung around as a kid which have special meaning, schools I have attended and even places I have worked (sick I know). A lot of these places I haven't been to in over 10 years and I'd like to visit them again before I leave for nostalgic reasons. It may be that I'm back in London before I know it or it could be that I never come back. I'd like to visit them either way.

I'm also making a list of people I'd like to see before I go. A few friends I've dropped out of contact with but there are still a few who i'd like to contact just to let them know I'm going. This is a very strange feeling but I wouldn't like to think of how hurt some might be when they find out i've left without saying anything.

Leaving people behind will be the hardest part. I have so many people I love in London and I do wonder if the friendships will survive me being so distant even though I have been friends for 20 years or more. However, as always you just have to hope for the best.

On the more positive side I'm going to be moving to an exciting new place, meeting new people and (hopefully) finding a better job. I can take almost a 1/3 cut off my pay and still be on the same disposable income because I don't have to pay anything for a travel card and the rent is so much cheaper. I can't wait to be able to walk to work in the morning and live a few minutes walk from the train station i'll so often be using and picking up people from. I can't wait to discover all the new pubs and restaraunts, music venues and cinemas and shops and other places. I can't wait to breath air that's so much fresher and b a short drive from the countryside I love so much.

I can't wait for it all. :)