London Life

Gosh, I've missed you. What a whirlwind the last few months have been. 

For those of you reading this who know me on a personal level, I shan't bore you with the details of what has been going on as I'm sure most of you are sick of hearing about it all. Instead, I'll just briefly say that since I moved to London in February I've been in and out of hospital and have undergone a substantial amount of investigation and surgery. It has been totally SHIT. And, to top it off, we still haven't quite gotten to the bottom of what is causing my pain. So now it's just a case of trying to find a way to manage it across good and bad days. 

Anyway, now that's out of the way - London. Skimmed over that a little didn't I! Yes, I'VE MOVED TO LONDON. I have a new job! I now handle all of the samples and swatches for a company that design and manufacture men's shirts for the high street - to name a few of our buyers; Topman, River Island (Mens and Boys), ASOS, BoohooMAN, John Lewis (and loads more). I LOVE it. 

Moving down South is something I've wanted to do for a long bloody time so it's a pretty damn good feeling to know that I've actually finally managed to do it. I don't miss small town life - not even remotely. Being from a small sea side town, I never realised just how much I struggled with it's cult-like lifestyle - obviously I'm not saying everyone here is cult-like, but just the mentality of it all, it's all so 'samey'. In a small town, everyone knows EVERYONE. Everyone has the same style, hair, education, friend of a friend of a friend - it can be difficult to really know who YOU are in that kind of surrounding you know? 

Leeds was never really that much better after a while. It's a lovely little city, but the issue lies in that exact comment - little. It almost fit that same sort of small town mentality of bumping into someone you knew everywhere you went; having to wear the 'right thing', go to the 'right' places and avoid the places you might just see your ex, his new girlfriend, or her friends, or even that guy you went on a date with once that ended really awkwardly and he turned out to manage like half the bars in Leeds. It was a chapter of my life I felt very finished with, and haven't looked back on since I left. 

America was my stepping stone. Spending 4 months existing somewhere so far from home really reminded me just how big our amazing planet is and the amazing people I could meet and have a life with outside of my tiny little bubble. The sheer size of nature sparked the flame of an idea at just how much of a footprint I want to leave and the experiences I want to have outside of my front door. Obviously, travel is expensive and it can't live forever - so after 4 months I came home. But I'd caught the bug then, I needed MORE. 

And thus started the planning for London. I guess the rest is, as they say, history. 

I adore London. And I know people say you can't live in it forever, but God I hope I get to for a while longer yet. I feel so at home walking amongst strangers I may never cross paths with again. I love being able to walk into any store, anywhere, wearing whatever I want and no one frankly giving a shit, because I don't know them or their friends who happen to be a friend of a friend of a friend. And I have no idea where this mentality of London being lonely comes from, because since moving here I've never felt more at home. Maybe I'm just an outsider and take comfort in not having everyone know my business. But in a modern day saturated with social media it's just so damn refreshing. And actually, I've met some lovely humans. A bus driver even smiled at me and wished me a good morning on Friday, so what do you have to say about that?? 

I can confidently say I have started my new chapter and right now, I can't wait to see what the rest of the story unfolds. Everyday there's somewhere new to go so if anyone out there has any recommendations of places please send them across to me cause I just want to experience it ALL. 

So after what will, with any luck, be my final stay in a hospital, I returned to London during the bank holiday weekend just gone. And as everyone has been hooting on about, it was indeed the hottest early May bank holiday on record and it was bloody marvellous spending it with my love in the sun, in the city I now call home, after everything we've been through over the last few months.

I've just completed my first week back at work and although I've pretty much written off 2018 as being 'my year', I'm just going to do my best to enjoy everyday of it that I can. 

I'm planning some new ideas over here and am going to try to commit more to this space of the internet and work to share so much more with you guys - if anyone cares of course. Thank you to those of you who have been checking in over the last few months both on here and through the 'gram. I've missed you. I've missed my life. It's nice to be working towards having what I can control of it back. 

Speak soon, 

J x