Every End is a New Beginning

I am officially one week away from leaving for London and I am as prepared as I am going to be.  I have started packing my suitcase, well, gathering up the contents anyway and I am triaging through all my stuff to decide what to bring and what to leave behind.  As I have mentioned before, I’m a girl who likes to have stuff and this is proving to be one of the most challenging parts of moving abroad so far.  Despite all that, I think I have mostly narrowed it down to some key items, keeping in mind that I can buy whatever else I need once I’m in the UK.

For those of you interested in my packing choices (I have noticed that this is a very popular topic on other SWAP blogs), I am going with one large suitcase (the maximum size that British Airways will allow) as well as my backpack and a purse as carry-on.  In my suitcase, I also have this foldable 35L duffel bag that I bought at MEC that I plan to use for inter-European travel as it is the perfect size for carry-on on discount airlines like Ryanair and easyJet. 

I find it fitting that I’m writing my last blog post for 2013 on New Year’s Eve, which also happens to be my last day in my apartment and at my job.  It is a very bittersweet feeling – I’m sad to leave my apartment, family, friends and colleagues behind but at the same time, I’m excited about all the new and fun things that 2014 will bring.  I think that A.A. Milne said it best (via Winnie the Pooh):

"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

 As a goodbye to 2013, here are some of my favourite pictures from the past year (with maybe a couple of older ones) and some of the people and places that I will miss:

Questions, Questions, and more Questions (Oh, and Some Answers Too)

I can’t believe there is less than one month left before I leave!  It seems like time has flown by since I made the decision to go live abroad.  My focus has really been on finding a job and a flat but, as you can read below, “even the best laid plans often go astray” (Robert Frost, Of Mice and Men).  Every day, more and more random questions are popping up in my head.  By researching various sources (e.g., other bloggers, Government websites SWAP and BritBound, financial institutions), I have managed to find some answers.  Since it took quite a bit of time to research all this, I thought I’d share my findings with all of you other Swappers or long-term travelers in the hope that you will find them helpful.

Storage

Storage space is expensive!  And I’m a girl who accumulates a lot of stuff…I like stuff.  I am lucky though since various family members have offered to keep my things for free (thanks grandma, mom and dad!) while I’m away.  This is just a warning for those of you thinking of doing this that you will need storage that it’s a lot more expensive than you think (you’re looking at around $2,000/year…in Ottawa anyway).

Health

If you have any prescription drugs, you have to see your doctor before you go and get a prescription for one (or two) years’ worth of your prescriptions because they may not be available abroad.  I found out that it’s also a good idea to get a note from your doctor detailing the medical reasons why you need each prescription and the recommended dosage.  While travel insurance like Bon Voyage for example does cover some health issues (mostly emergencies), it does not cover everyday prescriptions for existing conditions so that’s something to consider.

Flights/Return Date

I was happy to learn that I don’t have to choose my return date yet and that I don’t have to buy a return ticket.  As long as I come back within two years of my visa being issued, there are no problems.  One less thing to have to figure out now!

Canadian Embassy

Registering with local police has been recommended but from what I see, it is far simpler to register online for free with the Canadian embassy (http://travel.gc.ca/travelling/registration).  Basically, you're just letting them know that you're in the UK in case there is a natural disaster or another major event where they would want to track you down and let your family know you're ok.  I plan on doing this when I get to London. 

Jobs

I thought applying for jobs from Canada, before I leave, would be wise since by the time I arrive in the UK I would be able to interview and there wouldn’t be a huge delay between arriving and starting work.  However, what I found out through the good people at BritBound, is that most employers won’t hire someone who isn’t in the country yet.  I can see the reasoning behind this but I found it a little bit discouraging when I found out.  My plan is to keep an eye on job postings that I’m interested in and dedicate several hours a day to submitting applications when I arrive.  At least I’ll have done some research and won’t need to start from scratch again.  The websites I have been using for jobs are:

• www.jobs.civilservice.gov.uk
• www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/jobs
• www.gumtree.com/jobs/london
• www.monster.co.uk

Finding a Place to Live

Many people have suggested Spareroom and Gumtree for finding a place to live.  Personally I prefer Spareroom and I have found several places that I am interested in.  After speaking with some landlords in the UK, I found out that you can do a “pre-let” before being in the country but you have to pay your deposit before even seeing the flat…there is a risk involved.  After much deliberation, and despite the fact that I really wanted to have a home to go to when I get to the UK, I will spend a few days living in a hotel/hostel, visiting flats and hopefully finding my new home quickly once I arrive.

I did also find out that it is common for landlords to ask for references (professional or personal) and also to provide a CV or proof of income to a landlord to prove that you can make payments on time  Also, the deposit in London can range from six weeks to 2 months' rent so I thought that was good to know. 

Ok, I think that’s enough rambling for one night, I hope this will be of use to some people; it was quite an educational process for me.  Finding all of this information has been stressful at times and I’ll admit that I have had a few panicky moments when I think about what’s to come; I’d say that, on average, it’s a pretty even mix of excitement and fear.  These moments of fear are what made this tweet from SWAP really relevant for me today:

“If at some point you don’t ask yourself, ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ then you’re not doing it right.” — Roland Gau