Post 1# How I decided to remain in London
I made my decision to remain in London on a beautiful October day in 2020. Shortly after that, I remember wondering myself if it was a good decision. Now, I definitely think it was. I remember myself walking down one of the (so few) quiet streets in Earl’s Court, where I used to live at that time. Well, now, when I write, it seems like another life so far away. It was a bright Sunday, with the sun almost setting and I admired the trees with the last yellow and reddish autumn leaves. I was walking slowly and thinking about how my life could change in new and unknown circumstances. The reason for remaining was an uncertain one. I had met someone, but I was not yet fully convinced that he was worth taking this step. It was a beginning, you know, with its uncertainties. So that there was a risk and I had to think carefully. In the next ten months, I was going to complete the contract with the Romanian company I had worked with more than four years in London. How had four years passed? In a personal way, London had caught me on its web. The idea appealed to me, but NOT so much that I would risk giving up everything I had behind. I mean, my good job in Bucharest, my house, my friends, my place. “Are you crazy? How could you remain there? Your place is here; you worked so hard to get where you are. How could you give up on this?” said my good friend to whom I had discreetly confessed. Gosh, that’s it, maybe I’m crazy, I thought then.
Still, maybe he was worth a try. Then, something else. I always liked challenges, although this time the risk seemed huge. A major turn in my life. The Romanian company I was working for at the time was providing me with a decent salary and a small flat in London with all bills included. Remaining in London, after the contract was over, meant finding a well-paid job that would allow me to rent a studio in a reasonable area of London. And then there were the bills. And add the cost of transport, which wasn’t cheap at all. So, I assumed it wouldn’t be easy. Yet somehow, on that October day, everything seemed simple and natural. Getting a job didn’t seem so impossible in London. So much diversity here. I had to find a thread of hope, to build on. Others had succeeded. Why not me?
Post 2 # The first month or what you need to first understand
A year quickly passed by and my contract with the company had completed. After several viewings, I managed to find a studio to rent. A real adventure. Real estate agencies are extremely scrupulous in selecting tenants. To be honest, I knew what to expect, but the reality had been slightly and noticeably different. The real estate agencies want to make sure that you have how to pay the rent so they asked me for proof papers in this regard. A bit bureaucratic, which I don’t remember very fondly. I was wondering, at that time, how on Earth I could have rent a studio if I didn’t have a job? Most likely they would have asked me to pay in advance for at least a year. I had congratulated myself for the idea to apply for renting a studio while I was still working for the company. The salary wasn’t that high, but a quite reasonable income for the real estate agency. Then I had counted on my small savings to survive until I found a new job. Which couldn’t be far away. I hoped. I had then moved into the new studio with the enthusiasm of a new beginning. Summer was coming to an end. Somehow I was starting a new life in a country that wasn’t mine. In which, nota bene I was no longer a little guest treated with care, but one of the many aspiring to the status of permanent resident in London.
In the meantime, I had started looking for a new job. Why hadn’t I listened to my father’s advice to study economics? I could have been an efficient accountant and easily found a job. I’m kidding, of course. Numbers have never been my strong point. So, where could I find work? In a library, of course. I love books. I started frantically searching for job advertisements. I had prepared a presentable CV and applied for a few assistant positions. I hadn’t received any replies. Obviously, they hadn’t found any connection between my work at the former company and that of a librarian. Fair enough. The days were passing and my hopes were gradually fading. I was already thinking about a decent strategy for returning to my country. Then, slowly, I began to understand. I was on my own. The English are very nice, but in their special manner, they make you understand that you are somehow alone in the fight for survival. I didn’t know how to understand that feeling then. I’m not saying that it’s good or bad. I’m just saying that if you understand and accept this feeling as it is, it’s easier for you to adapt to London life.