Searching For Myself

I’m back in London with a totally new mindset.  When I was here last month I was totally confused but had some grand ideas.  The grandest of those ideas was to pull my daughters out of school for a semester and travel the world.  My husband was sold on the idea and so was one of said daughters.  Well, practicality prevailed and my oldest daughter thought it was a crazy idea and set us back on track.

So….. here I am.  Still finishing up the project I committed to with my current employer and the one that will be my last hooray in a nearly 22 year career with the same company.  I spent all those years working in various cities in the south with a frequent commute to NYC to one where I’m practically living in London in a hotel/apartment.

And… I sort of have a plan.  When this project is over and my work time comes to an end, we are very seriously considering starting our own small business.  This is not to be taken lightly and will be very hard work, but I must say it is a very exciting prospect for us.  For the first time in 10 months I am starting to feel like I know what I want to do and it is a really good feeling!!

So I think a big part of making a life transition, when you were forced to do it, is temporary dips in confidence. Yesterday was a tough day for me… I’m sure the overcast skies of London aided the feeling.

Today was better.  I spent the day in trains, more trains and automobiles to see multiple customers working on marketing plans to launch the new product in the UK.  At the end of the day there was a hiccup with some test data and I was able to use my old contacts  to escalate.  Funny how crisis can give a person purpose.

Beyond the current project, I’ve been contacted by a recruiter for a company I thought I’d never want to work for and now it’s appealing.  I have a call scheduled but she sent the job description and I’m not sure it’s the right role.  The great thing about my current situation is that I have time to make the right choice. 

The moral of this entry is that  confidence is the key.  On days that I get down and start to second guess myself, I’m going to remind myself of how much I have accomplished.  I am not afraid!

Today was a day filled with new sights and experiences.  I popped up this morning and tried a BarreTone excercise class in a transplanted American woman’s converted garage on a Mews.  I learned a Mews is a small street typically behind houses where horses used to be stored.  Now they are hip little home fronts in an alley type street.  Anyway, the class was quite a challenge but I held my own.

After freshening up, I hopped a “Hop on and Off” Big Bus to see all there is to see of London.  It’s one of the various open top bus companies that tour you around the city.  The weather is amazing in London today so it was quite a treat.  I basically saw every major site there is to see without walking.

After jumping off the tour bus I shopped a bit and walked a lot and jumped through various tube stations.  It was a good day, but I must say I’m physically exhausted.

I can’t say I’m any closer to finding myself, but what I did do is appreciated the day and the sights and certainly expanded my horizons with the new experience.

As I mentioned in my introduction entry, I’m going to work on a project in London through the end of the year.  Although my life has not completely changed yet because I’m still employed, it has changed a bit because instead of taking an overnight  trip to New York City, I’ve taken an 11 day trip to London!

I’m pretending to live like a local in London, although I have no personal pictures in my hotel/apartment.  I did ride the tube to work today and was not even nervous about it!

Each day I wait for the idea that’s going to change my life to come to mind.  I promise to share when I find that great idea!

Here’s a tip for anyone traveling to London.  If you take a day trip and arrive late in the evening, there is NO ONE in customs.  I was out the door in about 30 minutes from arrival.  Amazingly quick! On my last trip I landed at 7:30 am when every other flight landed and the process was very long.  I did make the mistake of taking money out of the airport ATM.   The exchange rate was so high! 

So though I’m no closer to the next big thing for myself, I have acquired some good travel tips!