Today is actually the day. I know that I just wrote a whole thing about how June 1st I was going to decide where I was going to be and end up. But you see, the platinum Jubilee is going on right now. June 2nd and 3rd was a bank holiday for the UK to celebrate the monarchy. So even if I did get to send in my payment on June 1st, they wouldn't get to it until later this week. I felt like I was just waiting around for the word from my first-choice college.
The thing is, I don't think it really matters where I end up. I have a plan and goals to get to the UK and become a citizen, learn languages, and experience a brand new different side of myself. So wherever I end up, I will take it in stride and take it as an opportunity. So I took the weekend to pack and sell some of my belongings in order to make a better plan for my move. I also took the opportunity to picture my life at this second option.
My second option is a cheaper option, a little further north, and doesn't have as much access to ports or airports for easy travel but it's a smaller town, surrounded by greenery farmlands (Are British cowboys a thing? *wink wink*), and its a college town. I've lived in a college town before so it's not a new thing to me. I did want something close to campus so I could potentially make friends? I moved my hinge profile to this small town and the surrounding towns to see if I can match with people and start making friends. I've talked to several people who are super friendly and kind and are totally willing to help me move, find a good place and hang out with me. So I feel comforted in the fact that this is shaping up to be a solid option.
So what have I decided? I still have hope for LSBU but I have decided to start the process on UB in this small town for a few reasons. The first reason is that I have the offer and I'm not waiting for it so I can confidently leave my place of work at the end of this week without feeling like I screwed everything up. The second reason is that they have a full refund policy. So that if I don't enroll in classes, and later get into LSBU, ill be able to get a full refund of my deposit and utilize that to pay for my deposit at LSBU. This could be a financial nightmare later but that's a future ME problem.
Making this deposit will not only help me gain a better understanding of what program I will be doing, but will help me find a better timeline for shipping my stuff, when I need to be back at my apartment to leave the keys, figuring out a plan for arriving at the UK, and when to start my visa process. Picking a program will help me get out of the stressful waiting state of this process and will push me forward into planning and getting excited about my move.
But before I reveal what school I have chosen, let me share some of my favorite things that I have done so far in preparation for this move.
I started an excel spreadsheet. I actually started one in February when I was applying to all the schools but I could NOT find it. So I started a new one and let me tell you. That old one walked so this new one could run! It's color-coordinated, and it has an inventory list to keep track of what I'm keeping and how much each item costs. It has a list of things that I'm selling and how much I'm selling them for. It has a side-to-side comparison of moving companies, their prices, their services, and how much I can bring. It has a checklist of everything that I need/want to do before I move such as places to try, people to see, experiences, things that need to get done for my visa, etc. It literally has my entire life organized out so I can just choose something right away.
I moved my hinge profile to different cities in areas I was interested in. I know what you're probably thinking “This is NOT the time to find love.” but I'm not looking for love. I'm looking to make connections with people, get a feel for the city, get ideas on good places to live or be, and be good places to hang out. And so far, it's proven to be quite the journey. It's July 6 and I already have a few dates lined up for when I arrive. I have some people offering to help me move or help me find places and send me photos of them for me. And I'm not even asking for it!
Taking time to travel. Honestly, this entire move is stressful and exhausting. But I'm making time to do things that I enjoy and love so I'm not a stress ball for several months during this. I think it's important to still try and enjoy things. I made plans to go to Texas, in the middle of summer, in 3-digit heat, just to do some things that I love before I go. So that is something that I can still look forward to and enjoy in the middle of my messy life
I'm really very excited about this adventure. Though I feel like I'm doing some things right, I'm still in the beginning stages of this move. I cant wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for me.
So… Without further adieu. The college that I have chosen is….
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