The adventure began three months before my thirtieth birthday. In London.
I had been renting a little room on the outskirts of the city, keeping costs as low as possible, working part-time and writing part-time. I had so many projects on the backburner and I was determined to finish them all.
I had a good job in hospitality. One that actually paid living wage. It should have worked.
Then prices began to rise and I found myself either having to work more to afford London or worrying about having to work more to afford London. My cost of living began to outweigh my income. My savings started to dwindle.
I realised I had a choice.
I could either switch to full-time work and not write (I know there are people out there who can come home from work and bust out a few thousand words but after nine-hour shifts standing up and an hour commute each way I was done. I need the day, or at least a chunk of the day, dedicated to writing).
Or I leave London and search for somewhere better.
So that’s what I did, three months before my thirtieth birthday. It was right when, ironically, all those memes were coming out about how by the age of thirty you should be fill-in-the-blank.
‘By the age of thirty you should be the least financially stable you’ve ever been and embarking on the adventure of a lifetime.’
– Me *gulps nervously*
Cool. So now what?
It was quite terrifying. For someone who isn’t particularly spontaneous and is quite anxious it was a big move. Especially solo. Growing up we moved around all the time but this was different. This was me, at an age when society tells me I should begin to start having it all together, just pissing off.
Terrifying, but so exciting.
This blog is an attempt to bring along on the journey anybody who is interested. It’ll cover leaving London (including responses from everyone I told ranging from ‘um, what?’ to ‘hell yes, that’s brilliant’) to the motorcycle trip up to Scotland I’m currently embarking on and plan to continue for some time. I’ll also be documenting the trip on my Instagram (for anyone who hasn’t come here through a link from my Instagram).
Whether I settle down permanently or continue hopping around, existing in temp jobs and coffee shops, remains to be seen. I’m not really sure what’s next and I sort of like it that way (most of the time). As long as I am writing I don’t really mind.
Oh, and you’ll be pleased to know I’ve already started writing more. What’s that Ernest Hemingway quote: ‘In order to write about life you must first have lived it.’
Something like that.