Atarama

More on Moving

Moving, travelling, and thinking about those two things takes up my whole mind lately.

The spare-room bed has been sold, which leaves the room strangely empty - thus allowing us to do the furniture-shifting required to paint a house whilst living in it. The application is in, fingers crossed it comes back quickly.

Everyone we tell about moving gives a different response.

"Wow!" say actoring associates. "There'll be so many opportunities! It'll be great for your career!" (Ata's inner cynic points out that Ata has no career in anything - let alone acting - and that yet another half-trained barely-experienced actor is unlikely to find a warm reception anywhere, while Ata's outer polite person smiles and nods).

"Wow!" say itchy-footed adventure lovers. "Think of the travel you'll be able to do!" (Ata's inner cynic points out that they'll probably do as much travelling as they do in Australia... which, if it weren't for visiting family, would be Not Much, while Ata's own inner ever-hopeful adventure lover is gleeful at the thought)

"Wow!" say Ata's doctors, who seem suspiciously pleased with the thought of referring her elsewhere. "Well, I have a good friend in London... I'll refer you to him." (Ata's inner cynic wonders how much this good friend charges, and whether it will be a two-hour trip to get to his offices)

"Wow!" say professional working friends. "Fantastic! You'll earn great money, AND you get the exchange rate coming home!" (Yeah, says Ata's inner cynic. If we find work, and don't spend everything we earn on travelling - here, Ata's inner cynic casts a dirty look at Ata's inner adventure lover)

"Wow!" say the famiy-oriented. "Won't you miss your families? And friends? You won't know anyone!" (Outer-Ata usually points out that she can write emails to her family from overseas as easily as she can from inside Australia, and that she's moved enough times to know that making new friends isn't the end of the world. Ata's inner cynic has little to say here, aside from reminding Ata that it's taken her... about nine years to feel like she has made connections in Adelaide. Thanks, inner cynic.)

The most out-there response, however, has to go to a woman from Ata's current workplace.

"I heard you're moving to the UK!" she said, enthusiastically. "My friends did that! They hated it! They couldn't get work! The weather was awful! The food was dreadful! They couldn't make friends! They came home in three months!" Ata was completely lost for any kind of polite response. Smile and nod and "oh, really?" was all she could manage.

I am being annoying, I know. I am sorry. This is the six-month-out jitters, you see. This is how Ata gets just after she's heard about a planned move - nervous and tense and suddenly not sure if this is a good idea. Four months from now, that psychological separation phase will be over and she will be riding high on the "can't-wait-to-blow-this-joint" excitement. Really. Just wait and see.

posted by Ata @ 6:03 pm

5 Comments:

At 1:06 am, keppet said…

You already have friends in the UK. I can't wait for a meet.
At 9:35 pm, Jess said…

*snorts* I can feel Ata's excitement from here.
At 2:44 am, Skywolf said…

I can't wait for a meet either! *begins preparing 'Welcome Ata' banners*
At 2:53 pm, Emma said…

You'll be fine, really!

Moving to Sweden was hard, and sure, it was only six months... But yes, it's more exciting than anything!

And you get to hang out with the Brits! Lucky wench!
At 6:52 pm, Ata said…

Well, I AM looking forward to meeting people. And, of course, being called "wench" will usually make me feel better about anything. How did you know, M?