Before starting, I should probably explain the photograph. It’s the statue of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, London. James Barrie, the author of Peter Pan lived in Kensington Gardens, and for some reason it came to mind when I thought “what photo of London could I use” when starting out on this blog post.
Why am I writing about London? I am writing about London because I got the call this morning that the company I have been working with for the last six months have signed the contracts for me to continue working with them - more closely than ever this time - for a further three months. I will be in London for four days a week right through until the summer.
The first thought that struck me was “oh crap”. Then a sense of safety descended. I am safe. I hate being in the position at work when I am not working on a customer project - not earning money. It’s a pretty ridiculous thought to have, because my job is not under threat, and the company I work for is rock solid… I guess with the adoption approaching and impending parenthood, I’m more aware than ever before about my responsibilities and the dependencies being placed upon me by my soon to be family.
The flip side of working in London is that each day will be about 12 hours - from leaving home to returning on an evening. I will read lots - catch up on books. I will also take the MacBook, and frequent coffee shops and station cafs, doing my best to look creative. Expect long blog posts describing the people around me, and introspective stories of my day as I travel home in the dark, tapping away at the keyboard.
I am going to try and find the time (perhaps on the journey home) to meet some of the bloggers who I know live in London. There is one girl at Kings Cross that I have known through many websites, blogs, and various project we worked on together that I have never met. I seem to be making a habit of meeting my “imaginary friends” (as W calls them).
Hmmm… I am going to need a messenger laptop bag. And a decent pair of headphones for my MP3 player. And choose which books to read over the next few months. It’s going to be fun, tiring, useful, interesting and probably a very draining experience. The train tickets are going to cost thousands…