1 Year Anniversary

Well the day has come..and very quickly I might add. Today marked 1 year since I left home and it was filled with mixed emotions. For the most part of the day, I was at work, so I was busy and not really thinking about things. But, of course when I got home in the afternoon, I was able to think of how I was really feeling about everything. All I can say is, I'm glad and very gratefull I was given the opportunity to move over here and experience life for myself. Times have been very hard but also very good. I've learnt more than I could even explain about myself and about things in general and have developed a greater deal of confidence. I know that things will start looking better and better as time goes by, and certain decisions and moves are made and I'm excited about that. There is just so much opportunity here, in so many ways and I'm dying to grab them.

Sometime in the near future, I want to move out of London, not too far, but far enough out where things are not so expensive. Living in London is really expensive as everyone probably knows/has heard, its just crazy. Saving money anywhere I can is always on my mind as I want to be able to travel around the country every now and then and make little trips to places....and of course...to save up so I can visit SA!!!

Probably the thing most likely to change first is my job. I really like it, the people, the members (well, some) and the place....and I've become sooooo comfortable there, basically my second home...but the problems are it's just too far away from where I am living and I do not get paid enough to live comfortably or to save anything each month. So, I'm looking for a new job at the moment, but being a little bit choosy with it...there's a specific leisure centre I wanna work at, which is 15 minutes on the bus away from my house, so it's just a matter of waiting for a vacancy to come up. In the mean time, I'm spending as much time learning different things from different departments at my current job. Am half way through a First Aid at Work course...and gonna go on a Defibrillator course soon too. I have been having mini lessons from one of the Duty Managers on how things work in the plant room. Things like how the pumps work, how to do the pool tests, where chemicals go..and get stored, etc. I think the more I can learn now, the more I can take to any new job I get and could possibly apply for something higher than a lifeguard eventually.

Another anniversary coming up soon is the 1 year anniversary for Bart and I. We met at the end of August last year and I've been going there almost every 2, sometimes 3 weeks since. Its amazing, considering the first few times I went there, I never knew each time if there would be a next..but it all worked and now things are going well. I owe alot of me being able to survive over here to him. He has been my support over here and has heard all my moans and worries and of course shared my excitement and happiness. Being able to go away to Wales and get away from London and being able to do things with him and see places, etc has been the biggest help and is what has led to me lasting. Knowing how I've felt at times in the last year, I really think without his support I would've crumbled and just wanted to give up and go home. Of course, I'm not saying he is my only support, my family has been very supportive too, but it's different when that support is 1000's of miles away.

I put a few pictures on my RANDOM PICS slide show, some old ones I hadn't put up all the way back in March when we had the snow...and then a few newer ones. A couple of my room with my duvet from home after I got back from my SA holiday. It really makes a difference having it on, makes my room feel alot more homely and feel like its mine, rather than some random room im sleeping in.

Anyway, thanks to everyone for their support over the last year and for the support to come. Love u all and miss u more each day. And of course, thanks for reading, all your comments and of course...putting up with my lack of news sometimes. :)

XoxoXoxoX