I am sorry I haven't posted in a while. I have not had access to the Internet for the past couple of days. I will try to post about moving in and this past weekend later this week. I started work on Monday and it has Bren great so far. I just love everyone I work with and I am excited to see everyone. I think I mentioned this in one of my other posts but I will mention it again.. My team puts in money every month to buy biscuits and tea every month. Biscuits are equilivant to our cookies. Needless to say we drink a lot of tea in our office! I am really enjoying it however, I am limiting myself to one english tea a day to try to not have very much sugar. The rest if the day I drink green tea! I think I average about 8 cups a day!!!
Anyway, I am sorry this is such a short post but I hope to have my Internet up soon!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Day 5
I went and visited a Children’s Centre today with one of the girls I work with. It was exciting to see some of the resources that are in the community. I am not sure if Jackson, Mississippi has anything like this place. It was truly amazing and Coventry is very fortunate to have a place like this for families. There a section of the centre where parents could rent toys for their children free of cost and a garden in the back that the daycare children helped plant. I hope this centre will be able to make it through the budget cuts.
After that I met up with mom and we went shopping around the Coventry city centre. We also went to the Coventry’s market. I am glad she found it the day before because I will be sure to go back there. The market isn’t very big but they sell pretty much everything. The even have a food section with several meat and vegetable stands. There were also a couple Asian stands that will be perfect when Alvin comes to visit!!
Day 5 was the first day we got to have some down time. Mom was able to take a nap before we met up with another American Social Worker. Emily walked with us around to some of her favorite shops. I know mom was glad she was able to meet up with us because she showed us this really cheap clothing shop. After scoping out some great places to get bargains we went back to our hotel to get ready to go to Stratford-Upon-Avon. Melissa was very kind to offer to take us there for dinner.
The sun was going down when we got there but in my opinion it was the perfect time because the sky was so beautiful.
We ate a lovely meal which actually took a while for them to bring out. After we ate we went back to the hotel to get some rest. Before bed we watched our nightly TV show.. British Antique Roadshow (Mom's favorite)
Above and below are pictures from our day. Enjoy!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Day 4
The one with the blue front door! Yep, I found it!! I found my new place. I truly had a feeling about this one. Ever since mom and I walked past it the day before I just knew it was going to be my new home.
After going into work for a couple of hours we met the housing agent to see two properties. We liked the first one so much that we didn't even bother looking at the second one. This flat is the biggest flat we have seen so far and it is in the lower end of my price range. It has the cutest little kitchen, dining area, living room and two bedrooms. The master bedroom has this wonderful bay window overlooking the street. My flat is on the second floor so my window should be very safe. It is also great because it lets in a lot of natural light.
The second bedroom is a bit small but it will be perfect for visitors. The flat is partly furnished so I will have to by a couch and a wardrobe for my bedroom. Most of the British flats I have been looking at don't have closets so a wardrobe is a must.
After we decided that this was 'the one' we went straight to the letting agents office and signed the paperwork. It is pretty pricey to rent here. The deposit it a lot higher here than in Mississippi! I guess that is to be expected. The letting agent was very surprised that I wanted to move in so quickly but he is working to get me in by Friday. I was so happy that he was able to pull some strings and get the paperwork done.
It has really been a big help the I am working for the Council. Once everyone sees my letter of employment they move pretty quickly. I can't imagine what it must be like to move to another country without a job. It must be really hard because I have had to have my proof of employment for everything!! There is no way I would have been able to get a bank account, phone or place to live. Anyway, I am blessed to have such wonderful people helping me.
Once we signed the housing application we went over to IKEA! This time mom and I had a plan! We went through the whole store writing down things I need. We noted the price and color we thought we wanted. We only bought three things so I am sure we will go back on Friday to get more. The night ended with pasta and some down time...
Until another busy day,
xoxox
After going into work for a couple of hours we met the housing agent to see two properties. We liked the first one so much that we didn't even bother looking at the second one. This flat is the biggest flat we have seen so far and it is in the lower end of my price range. It has the cutest little kitchen, dining area, living room and two bedrooms. The master bedroom has this wonderful bay window overlooking the street. My flat is on the second floor so my window should be very safe. It is also great because it lets in a lot of natural light.
The second bedroom is a bit small but it will be perfect for visitors. The flat is partly furnished so I will have to by a couch and a wardrobe for my bedroom. Most of the British flats I have been looking at don't have closets so a wardrobe is a must.
After we decided that this was 'the one' we went straight to the letting agents office and signed the paperwork. It is pretty pricey to rent here. The deposit it a lot higher here than in Mississippi! I guess that is to be expected. The letting agent was very surprised that I wanted to move in so quickly but he is working to get me in by Friday. I was so happy that he was able to pull some strings and get the paperwork done.
It has really been a big help the I am working for the Council. Once everyone sees my letter of employment they move pretty quickly. I can't imagine what it must be like to move to another country without a job. It must be really hard because I have had to have my proof of employment for everything!! There is no way I would have been able to get a bank account, phone or place to live. Anyway, I am blessed to have such wonderful people helping me.
Once we signed the housing application we went over to IKEA! This time mom and I had a plan! We went through the whole store writing down things I need. We noted the price and color we thought we wanted. We only bought three things so I am sure we will go back on Friday to get more. The night ended with pasta and some down time...
Until another busy day,
xoxox
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Day 3
Mom and I have had a hard time with jet lag. It is really hard to get up in the morning after having such a hard time sleeping at night. On day 3 I my mom and I went by the office again. We met more people and went to the Council building in the city centre to get my ID badge.
The Council building is very historical and has a wonderful history. We got the grand tour where Queen Mary of Scots was held during her conflict with her sister (Queen Elizabeth I). All of the little rooms are so pretty and have so much detail in the woodwork. There is also a very pretty banquet hall where people get married. It has a wall size rug hanging that is about 700 years old. It is amazing the artifacts that still remains in Coventry.
Here is a picture of Mom and me in the ruins of the Cathedral that was bombed by the Germans.
Coventry is also where Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets to protest the taxes in the town. Every hour on the hour "Lady Godiva" comes out on her horse. Here is a picture of her on the clock tower.
During the course of the day Mom and I went and looked at two other flats. Both of the flats were again, too small. The second flat mom and I actually walked to. I was very proud of us for finding it. We just had an address and a general direction. I think we walked the long way but along the walk we saw several other flats for let. The long walk helped us figure out where everything was and gather more information about other flats. I am so glad we decided to make that walk although, it was tiring. I am just glad the weather has been nice!
We ended the night with dinner at a local pub which was really good. I got the Tuesday special which was Salmon, baked potato, salad and a drink for 5.99 pounds! Not bad for dinner... I'll be going back.
Good night!
XOXOX
The Council building is very historical and has a wonderful history. We got the grand tour where Queen Mary of Scots was held during her conflict with her sister (Queen Elizabeth I). All of the little rooms are so pretty and have so much detail in the woodwork. There is also a very pretty banquet hall where people get married. It has a wall size rug hanging that is about 700 years old. It is amazing the artifacts that still remains in Coventry.
Here is a picture of Mom and me in the ruins of the Cathedral that was bombed by the Germans.
Coventry is also where Lady Godiva rode naked through the streets to protest the taxes in the town. Every hour on the hour "Lady Godiva" comes out on her horse. Here is a picture of her on the clock tower.
During the course of the day Mom and I went and looked at two other flats. Both of the flats were again, too small. The second flat mom and I actually walked to. I was very proud of us for finding it. We just had an address and a general direction. I think we walked the long way but along the walk we saw several other flats for let. The long walk helped us figure out where everything was and gather more information about other flats. I am so glad we decided to make that walk although, it was tiring. I am just glad the weather has been nice!
We ended the night with dinner at a local pub which was really good. I got the Tuesday special which was Salmon, baked potato, salad and a drink for 5.99 pounds! Not bad for dinner... I'll be going back.
Good night!
XOXOX
Day 2
What a busy day! Day 2 was full of meeting new people and figuring things out. Melissa (my co-worker) picked us up and took us to my new office! It was so nice to meet everyone and see where I would be working. It is a nice place and I think I am really going to like it. Everyone on my team (blue team) puts in money each month for tea! I already paid for next month and I see a lot of tea in my future!
After we took a tour of the office I met up with the man who recruited me and we went to the bank! It took me about 45 minutes to set up my bank account. I was really lucky that it didn't take longer. I was also lucky that I got a bank account with no fees!!! Most of the other Americans had to get the account with several fees each month. It is really hard to get a bank account in another country.. actually it is hard to do almost everything since we don't have credit over here!
Other things I did on day 2 included getting a phone plan and looking at a place to live. Getting a phone set up took a lot longer than getting a bank account set up. I still don't have my phone up and working. The flat I went to view was way too small. It was not what I was looking for and it was at the higher end of my budget. I would not have been able to have guests if I would have rented that place.
The night ended after a lovely dinner and viewing my first property in the UK. I have to thank Melissa for setting up my first flat viewing! I could not have done it without her.
This is a picture of my lunch. It is a jacket potato with tuna.
Until next time,
XOXOX
After we took a tour of the office I met up with the man who recruited me and we went to the bank! It took me about 45 minutes to set up my bank account. I was really lucky that it didn't take longer. I was also lucky that I got a bank account with no fees!!! Most of the other Americans had to get the account with several fees each month. It is really hard to get a bank account in another country.. actually it is hard to do almost everything since we don't have credit over here!
Other things I did on day 2 included getting a phone plan and looking at a place to live. Getting a phone set up took a lot longer than getting a bank account set up. I still don't have my phone up and working. The flat I went to view was way too small. It was not what I was looking for and it was at the higher end of my budget. I would not have been able to have guests if I would have rented that place.
The night ended after a lovely dinner and viewing my first property in the UK. I have to thank Melissa for setting up my first flat viewing! I could not have done it without her.
This is a picture of my lunch. It is a jacket potato with tuna.
Until next time,
XOXOX
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Leaving Chattanooga
The week of March 14th-19th was nothing but packing and organizing my room at my parents house. Believe it or not is actually took the whole week. During that same week it was nice to catch up with my friends from Chattanooga. I met up with my friend Lynde and Ashlee for some drinks at a local Chattanooga bar.
That weekend my mom hosted another going away party for me which family and friends gathered for a cookout. It was nice to see everyone and hard to say goodbye. Pictures will be posted later.
Mom and I had a hard time packing for my move. It is really hard moving somewhere you have never been before. I mean, I have been to England but not Coventry. There is only so much the internet can help with. I have two friends in London and they told me everything is really expensive so I tried to pack as much as I could.
Our flight left Atlanta at 11:50 pm and knowing our bags were a bit over weight we got there with enough time to spare. The man at the counter did not help us at all with the weight limit. He made us take out every extra pound out of every bag and put it in our carry on. Which I never understood that.. the plane will still weigh the same. Putting more in your carry on just makes the people traveling more uncomfortable!! Anyway, we finally headed through security.. you are probably thinking "I know the drill.. airport security not a big deal". Well this is where you are wrong. There was a man who was in front of me that refused to take his shoes off!! Yeah, now I got your ATTENTION! He caused a pretty big scene (as it would). I have never seen someone refuse to take their shoes off before and frankly I didn't know you had an option! Of course, the security guys took him off to the side to use the wand on him and of course, his shoes beeped!! Being the curious person I am I moved closer so I could hear their conversation. (I was also waiting on my mom) The mans reason for not taking his shoes off was... wait for it... because he had had them on since that morning. After hearing this I went into social work mode and wanted to help. One of the things that crossed my mind at the moment was that he had a mental illness where it bothered him not to follow a routine. I quickly realized I had a plane to catch and more importantly there was no messing with airport security.
The flight itself was just a normal long flight to England. I was not very impressed with Delta planes. I have flown with them before but this plane was old and very cramped.
Once we landed in London (Heathrow) we met our cab driver. He was really nice and very informative about everything in Coventry. The drive was really nice too. Since England has had so much rain the fields are really green. I tried to stay awake most of the drive so I could "take in the view" but I was too tired and fell asleep for about an hour. That extra hour of sleep turned out to be a good thing since I had so much to do once we got to the hotel.
Coventry City Council is paying for me to stay two weeks in a hotel which should be enough time to find a place to live. Once we got to the hotel my boss met me to touch base. He is extremely nice and it was good to see him. After he left two girls who are also from America and work with me met us for dinner. We walked a couple blocks into the city centre (yes that is how they spell center) for dinner. We ate at this really cute place called Playwrights. I had fish n' chips! I will defiantly go back there! Yummy!!!
That pretty much concluded our first day in Coventry however, we were awake more of the night due to jet lag.
Until next time,
XOXO
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Taking a look back
Time sure does fly. I feel like it was just yesterday I was in college having a carefree life and hanging out with all my friends. This year has been full of changes both personally and in general. I guess one of the reasons I have decided to review this past year now instead of when the year actually started in January is because I still think of years in terms of school years. If I were still in school the year would be coming to an end, and I would be preparing for an exciting Spring Break. I would not be preparing for a move across the world. However, being an adult does have its perks.
This past year has been especially unique for me. After graduating from grad school in May I deemed myself a “professional dabbler”. Even though I have a master’s degree in Social Work, I have been tackling several other professional projects. My friend Samantha and I started our own business. We spend most of our summer weekends traveling around the SEC taking pictures of schools and selling them as prints. This past summer was the summer I took up photography. I have always enjoyed taking pictures and documenting every event in my life; however, I got the opportunity to take my love for pictures to the next level. While using my boyfriends professional camera I started looking at pictures a bit differently. I became intrigued with buildings and landscapes especially college campuses around the south. Samantha used her mad editing and graphic designing skills to make the pictures come to life. Then she turned the photos into prints that can be framed. We have been building this business all year and hope to continue to build it even though I will be moving. We are very proud of our website www.sec-prints.com and being named Top Entrepreneurs Under 25 on www.sawyerspeaks.com
Photography was not the only hobby I turned into a small business. I have been making and selling feather/flower headband in a store in Jackson, Mississippi for about a year now. The store I have been selling Green Tree Accessories in is called Samoa which is inside Swell-o Phonic. I am truly going to miss making accessories and selling them. It has become very therapeutic, and I hope to continue selling them in England or on Etsy.
In my personal life I have also experienced a new side of myself. I have learned to enjoy reading and running. These are both things I have really hated in the past. I started to enjoy reading because I can now read whatever I want, and it is not an assignment for class. I began to love to run after challenging myself to run a 10k for a research project I had to complete in graduate school. It is not only a great way to exercise, but it can be very relaxing. This year I have also given up eating meat. I know this is a lot of change in one year, and although I don’t know how long it will last, I have really enjoyed it so far. I feel like I have more control over what I eat, and I am trying not to eat as many fatty foods.
While visiting my friend in the Peace Corp, I grew my nails out. I know this may sound stupid, but it has always been something I struggled with. I have never had long nails, and this is the first time in my life that I have been letting them grow. I did not realize I was letting them grow while I was in Guatemala. I was honestly just too scared to touch them because the water was so unclean.
This has been the change for the past year however, the change to come will be much greater and much more exciting. I will keep y’all posted on all of my new and exciting adventures! My next post will be coming from England..
Bye for now,
XOXO
This past year has been especially unique for me. After graduating from grad school in May I deemed myself a “professional dabbler”. Even though I have a master’s degree in Social Work, I have been tackling several other professional projects. My friend Samantha and I started our own business. We spend most of our summer weekends traveling around the SEC taking pictures of schools and selling them as prints. This past summer was the summer I took up photography. I have always enjoyed taking pictures and documenting every event in my life; however, I got the opportunity to take my love for pictures to the next level. While using my boyfriends professional camera I started looking at pictures a bit differently. I became intrigued with buildings and landscapes especially college campuses around the south. Samantha used her mad editing and graphic designing skills to make the pictures come to life. Then she turned the photos into prints that can be framed. We have been building this business all year and hope to continue to build it even though I will be moving. We are very proud of our website www.sec-prints.com and being named Top Entrepreneurs Under 25 on www.sawyerspeaks.com
Photography was not the only hobby I turned into a small business. I have been making and selling feather/flower headband in a store in Jackson, Mississippi for about a year now. The store I have been selling Green Tree Accessories in is called Samoa which is inside Swell-o Phonic. I am truly going to miss making accessories and selling them. It has become very therapeutic, and I hope to continue selling them in England or on Etsy.
In my personal life I have also experienced a new side of myself. I have learned to enjoy reading and running. These are both things I have really hated in the past. I started to enjoy reading because I can now read whatever I want, and it is not an assignment for class. I began to love to run after challenging myself to run a 10k for a research project I had to complete in graduate school. It is not only a great way to exercise, but it can be very relaxing. This year I have also given up eating meat. I know this is a lot of change in one year, and although I don’t know how long it will last, I have really enjoyed it so far. I feel like I have more control over what I eat, and I am trying not to eat as many fatty foods.
While visiting my friend in the Peace Corp, I grew my nails out. I know this may sound stupid, but it has always been something I struggled with. I have never had long nails, and this is the first time in my life that I have been letting them grow. I did not realize I was letting them grow while I was in Guatemala. I was honestly just too scared to touch them because the water was so unclean.
This has been the change for the past year however, the change to come will be much greater and much more exciting. I will keep y’all posted on all of my new and exciting adventures! My next post will be coming from England..
Bye for now,
XOXO
Sunday, March 6, 2011
It's time to leap!
As many of you already know, I started applying for a job in England December 2009. I interviewed in Chicago Feb 2010, got the job March 2010 and here it is March 2011 and I am finally about to depart for this big adventure.
You may be wondering what took so long.. Well here it is.. This past summer my fingerprints were not able to be read by the FBI becasue the police department didn't do my fingerprints correctly. I ended up waiting over three months for the FBI to tell me this bit of important information. After getting my fingerprints sent off for a second time and waiting another three months I was cleared. This is where it gets interesting.. I sent off my paperwork only to be told the England halted all immigration. This was due to a recent election they had which put strict guidelines in place to "keep people out". Since social worker were on the list of jobs in high demand in the UK I appealed my immigration status. I went through two different appeals until I was accepted. Being excited I wasted no time getting my paperwork in the mail. Since the recruiter I was working with was going to be in Atalanta for interviews I decided to mail all my documentation to Atlanta instead of London. The week before Halloween 2010 I sent my paperwork off to Atlanta. Needless to say it never made it. Ugh.. I know. This happened to be my first experience with the US postal service losing a package. It also happened to be one of the most important packages I have ever mailed. I sent the package from Brandon, Mississippi and instead of it being scanned in Jackson, Mississippi (only 10 miles away) to continue to Atalanta it was scanned received!!!! What!?!?! I know that was my reaction too. I can not believe such a simple yet detrimental mistake was made. My package ended up being lost in the mail from October 2010 to February 2011!
Being very irritated and frustrated with the whole situation and thinking I would never actually be moving I am proud to say this day has finally come! I am moving!! I have booked my flight and received my work visa in the mail!! My flight is scheduled for March 19th 2011! For the past two weekends I have been moving all my belongings from Jackson Mississippi to Chattanooga TN (where I grew up). I am keeping a small storage unit in Jackson but the majority of my stuff is going to Chattanooga.
I am in the process of figuring out what all I want to take to England. Delta only allows one bag free however, that is not going to cut it. I am going to have to take two or more. I figure paying a $55.00 extra bag fee is a lot cheaper than paying for my stuff to be shipped over there. I am very blessed to have my mom help me move. That means a lot less stress on me! That also means more bags for my stuff!! She is a school teacher and will be on Spring Break the week I am moving. I guess it does all work out.
I will keep everyone posted on my adventure from here on out!
Until next time,
XOXO
You may be wondering what took so long.. Well here it is.. This past summer my fingerprints were not able to be read by the FBI becasue the police department didn't do my fingerprints correctly. I ended up waiting over three months for the FBI to tell me this bit of important information. After getting my fingerprints sent off for a second time and waiting another three months I was cleared. This is where it gets interesting.. I sent off my paperwork only to be told the England halted all immigration. This was due to a recent election they had which put strict guidelines in place to "keep people out". Since social worker were on the list of jobs in high demand in the UK I appealed my immigration status. I went through two different appeals until I was accepted. Being excited I wasted no time getting my paperwork in the mail. Since the recruiter I was working with was going to be in Atalanta for interviews I decided to mail all my documentation to Atlanta instead of London. The week before Halloween 2010 I sent my paperwork off to Atlanta. Needless to say it never made it. Ugh.. I know. This happened to be my first experience with the US postal service losing a package. It also happened to be one of the most important packages I have ever mailed. I sent the package from Brandon, Mississippi and instead of it being scanned in Jackson, Mississippi (only 10 miles away) to continue to Atalanta it was scanned received!!!! What!?!?! I know that was my reaction too. I can not believe such a simple yet detrimental mistake was made. My package ended up being lost in the mail from October 2010 to February 2011!
Being very irritated and frustrated with the whole situation and thinking I would never actually be moving I am proud to say this day has finally come! I am moving!! I have booked my flight and received my work visa in the mail!! My flight is scheduled for March 19th 2011! For the past two weekends I have been moving all my belongings from Jackson Mississippi to Chattanooga TN (where I grew up). I am keeping a small storage unit in Jackson but the majority of my stuff is going to Chattanooga.
I am in the process of figuring out what all I want to take to England. Delta only allows one bag free however, that is not going to cut it. I am going to have to take two or more. I figure paying a $55.00 extra bag fee is a lot cheaper than paying for my stuff to be shipped over there. I am very blessed to have my mom help me move. That means a lot less stress on me! That also means more bags for my stuff!! She is a school teacher and will be on Spring Break the week I am moving. I guess it does all work out.
I will keep everyone posted on my adventure from here on out!
Until next time,
XOXO
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