“So Trishy, when are you coming home?”
This question is one that has been asked with increasing frequency over the past few months, it’s one to which there is only one answer – I’m not.
Most of you know by now that I am gearing up for yet another move. Yet again I am preparing to pack up my shoes and shift my life to another country. A country which I never, ever thought, nor have had the slightest desire to ever live in – that’s right, I’m moving to the US. Not even in my wildest dreams (even the crazy one where a saxophone and a carrot driving a car were chasing me). This will be the third time I will have moved countries in the past two years. Right now my life is starting to revolve around the upcoming upheaval.
In a few weeks time I’ll be in San Francisco to test the waters so to speak. If all goes well and everyones’ assurances that I will ‘love’ the place are true, then I will be applying for my visa as soon as I get back to London. I am now starting to count my time left here in only a very few short months, by the time I get back it will be in weeks. Whilst my moving to SF is not carved in stone it is a fairly safe bet, regardless of whether or not I do find myself in the States in a few months time, one thing is a certainty - I’m not going home. Not in a hurry anyway.
Up until quite recently I was thinking about moving back to Australia, or at least making an extended visit, at the end of this year. Sad to admit it but a strong part of this motivation was to renew my license. Now it looks as though I am going to have to let it lapse (will have to look into getting a Californian one quick smart). It may seem like an insignificant issue but the fact that I am prepared to let go of my Queensland license (and in turn legal identification of address for my state) indicates that returning and living in Australia is not something I envisage doing again within the foreseeable future.
Over the past week I’ve been discussing this whole realisation that you will never (or at least not for many a year) live at ‘home’ again with a close friend who is in a similar situation (although her situation has infinitely more of the crazy!). I’ve known at some level for a while now that I won’t be returning to Australia, turns out this astonishing turn of events is no revelation to my parents.
When I packed my bags and swapped the sun of Noosa for the snow of Copenhagen my mother knew I would not be likely to ever return to Australia to live again. Just this morning I received an email from the parental ones asking if they should send a certain item over. This item is my most treasured possession (no, not my bass)*. I have had this special thing for nearly 30 years (he will be 29 in September) and made the conscious decision to leave him at home for fear of his becoming damaged, or gods forbid, lost. As with the Qld license, it may seem a small thing to send him over but it signifies so much more. I won’t be returning anytime soon to reclaim him, so therefore he must make the long journey across the world to me. Hope he likes flying for the chances are he will be racking up the miles over the next few years!
“Calling America”, ELO
* Of course he won’t be sent over via post, he will be carefully escorted over with a family friend who will be in London next week.
by Dirk Ginader, on 04.08.08 @ 3:44 pm
It’s sad to hear your leaving again. I hope you have lot’s of Fun in San Francisco. That’s btw exactly the other City (besides London) in which I though I’ll have to live in some day.
So maybe we’ll meet each other there on day again
by wickedsure, on 04.09.08 @ 7:43 am
Wow, you’re a step ahead of me. I still haven’t decided to start carting my most beloved possessions across the world (and that’s a big step!), though I have at least started considering it… but only to realize that some corrupt official would probably seize them at customs
Oh how I miss my books.
by kimananda, on 04.09.08 @ 1:06 pm
Well, after a dozen years in Europe, I still have an alarming amount of stuff in the shed in the back of a house in California. But the key things, they are here. It makes a big difference to quality of life to have the key things. Now, you just need someone able to bring you your bass.
by Gary, on 04.10.08 @ 8:09 am
Well you sure got me curious. I’m thinking this must either be a reptile or some long-lived bird. Or a teddy bear.
Come clean.
by Pixie, on 04.14.08 @ 9:43 am
A saxaphone and a carrot chasing you ….really…T….That isn’t as nuts as some of the things it could have been…think creative. I was about to insert really witty comment…but alas my feet are sore and it’s clouding my brain. I have new boots. HIGH HEELS!!! and i wore them all day!!! 3 days in a row.
Sounds like you will enjoy SF, i’ve heard it’s great, apart from the local’s
but my last encounter with them was an American lady in Munich. where we were most the way up a flight of SPIRAL stairs. (Think medieval German Gothic castle…)
Her comment…*snorks* was ….”Oh my gawdd, theese ancient people..why did they have to make the steps so narrow in the middle….” *giggles* um SPIRAL STAIRCASE woman!!!! think about a piece of pie. When you cut it, you get a wedge shape that is NARROW in the middle.
Now i feel bad.
KIWI/AUSTRALIAN joke to level the playing field.
“who is driving a car with an Aboriginal and a kiwi in it….*wait for it….*….* wait for it…*….”
“A police man of course.”
by Dr M, on 06.21.08 @ 2:29 am
I caught your posts on twitter…yes you could do shampoo commercials so you always have that in the bag! So I found your blog and have enjoyed it.
Just wanted to welcome you and your hair to the US!