London Professional – and updates

Posted by Tilia

So, the new job, which I’m still comfortably settled into is proving to be safe, steady work with a safe, steady paycheck, and a few new friends who are equally safe and steady.  It’s a little boring.

There was this brief period of time where a super flirtatious guy sat directly across from me and would occasionally start up highly inappropriate, hilarious email conversations, the most pointed of which making fun of this 14-year-old kid I’d gotten saddled with for a “work experience” placement for a week.

But, that guy … uh, he moved to Dubai.  Like, two days after we had our first good conversation.  Oh well.  That could’ve been fun.  I did go out drinking with the work folks the night before he left, which was fun, and involved lots of revealing conversational tidbits about the office itself.  And, it’s not to be dismissed that coming into work to see your entire workforce hung over is a life experience that should not be missed, but … yeah, I am bored out of my mind, and I don’t have a good wing person to go explore the social opportunities of the city with.

I had this same problem in Orlando.  The people I was super close with tended to be in relationships, or the type who went to bed at 9pm, or guys, who aren’t the best conduit to an adventurous, meetin’-people night out.  

The exception was Jenna (that roommate you all remember from the earliest posts).  Jenna and I only got to go out once, but now I know what I’m missing, so the hunt for a wing person is on.  Also, as a note to loyal readers, Jenna and the hubby are apparently doing the marriage counseling thing and it’s working out for them.  More power to them.

Anyway, the job has now offered up the potential of sponsorship.  This was my goal when I moved here – to be able to stay with the acquisition of a work visa, but I’d pretty much given up that notion, as I work in a place with a strict no-sponsorship policy, that employs many people on the BUNAC scheme, which I am.

At first, this was incredibly exciting.  I absolutely love London, and would adore the opportunity to stay.  But, I’d already secured a job for February, when my visa expires … here:

 

My Ski-Town in the French Alps

Now, I’d be working as an au pair there, and the real goal would be to finish learning French, to enhance my resume and continue the life experience of travel.  Honestly, I found this is as consolation that I wouldn’t be able to stay in London, but now … I’m not sure if I want to.

As crazy as it sounds, I feel at the end of many work days that I’d be happy teaching English in a threadbare classroom in Ghana than I am doing monotonous data entry for an industry that I’m not really interested in pursuing in my life.

Then again, I’d be throwing away a hell of a resume enhancer by turning down being the first sponsored, global employee for this company (which is quite large and prestigious), and a promotion … I really don’t know.

I left America to travel, to avoid the 9-5 (or 9-6 as it’s become), and see the world before getting locked into responsibilities.  This would only be another year or so, but I don’t know if it’s worth it.

I’ve been looking at archeological digs in Romania, nature conservation in Peru, newspapers in Calcutta, film shoots in Singapore, a summer camp that uses theatre to teach English in Milan, a backpacking year in Australia … and I want all of them, desperately.  

May I always be stuck between such divine options, really … but at the moment, I’m kind of feeling trapped in Sophie’s Global Choice.  

Opinions in the comments area from blog lurkers (and I know you’re out there!  WordPress has viewing stats!), and friends would be fantastic.

~ by Shannon on November 9, 2008.