Really! Big! News! Or Ashley Makes a Decision

So I believe I have spoken in the past about not feeling like anywhere was my “home.” I certainly don’t feel that here in NYC, and I’m not sure where I will find it. The closest I have is in Michigan, where my parents live and originally I was going to write about Michigan in today’s post. But I decided I cannot contain my excitement over my recent decision on my next step in life. You won’t find out till the end of this post though! (Don’t even THINK about scrolling down to the end and ruining the surprise!)

Here is the countdown of places I have considered moving to, leading down to the one I have chosen.

5. North Carolina/Charleston South Carolina

The Carolinas has always intrigued me; its proxemity to sandy beaches, warm weather and the mountains lures me to the south. Part of this has to do with the romance stories woven by Nicholas Spark, who bases all his novels in small towns in NC. This romantic mysticism surrounds my thoughts of NC and SC, and I’ve always wondered what it would be like to actually live there. This vague indifference of whether I actually live there or not has placed it at the number 5 spot.

4. Portland, Oregon

It is one of the many beautiful cities in the Pacific Northwest, an area of the US I absolutely love. Being born up there has nothing to do with it, it’s just incredibly beautiful, peaceful and so chill. Portland is the next up and coming city there, very similar to Seattle in terms of beauty and things to do out in the great outdoors. I pondered, briefly, moving here next. But being that it ISN’T seattle puts it a little further back on the list.

3. San Fransisco, California

This is always the image I see when I picture San Francisco. I believe it is the backdrop to the beginning of Full House, the first time I was introduced to SF. I’ve never been to California, not sure how much I would like LA or San Diego (although they look beautiful, if I could move in with Samantha formerly of Bewitched in LA I would. I’m sure she wouldn’t notice me on her sofa. At all.) but SF always appealed to me. DS recently had a stint over there and I wish I could have visited her, it just never worked out. It seems my style, a little more relaxed, more design oriented. (Which is of course a big thing for me)

2. Seattle, Washington

Ah the birthplace of me. I long have loved this city and almost moved there after graduation. Some of you may be surprised that this is not number one, as it has long been thought that Seattle would be where I end up. Maybe I will eventually. It has the best of the best–the city life, the ocean, and the great outdoors so very close. I love the vibe in this city, how chill and down to earth everyone seems. I don’t really care that it “rains” 9 months out of the year, which mostly means its gray and mists alot (did you know that the average rainfall a year in seattle is less than NYC, Boston, Philedelphia and a lot of other major US cities? Bet you didn’t!). I might get a little depressed, but I love the city too much to be able to overlook that small tidbit. It is beautiful in the summers and I cannot wait to get out there.

However, that will have to wait. The other day I was walking around the resevoir, listening to my iPod and thinking. Thinking about where my life should go, what direction I wanted it to take. I often think but run in circles, never knowing if it was what I really wanted to do. A week or so before we were talking in the office about this woman who used to work here and left to go work overseas and how every weekend she was on some trip around europe because it was cheaper to fly out of this location across the pond. My mind tripped back over this conversation and it was like something opened up in my brain, a clarity that had been missing before was suddenly mine. I knew where I wanted to live. And I knew that at the end of this year I was going to make the big move.

Where you ask?

1.

I will be moving to LONDON!! Gah! I know right? Totally insane of me and I’m scared shitless about actually going through with itl; getting my paperwork filled out, getting a place to live in a city–hell, COUNTRY–I’ve never been to, getting a new job, ALL THE PAPERWORK, and finally, leaving my friends and family. FOR ANOTHER COUNTRY. This isn’t like I’m moving across the US and will be a 5 hour flight away rather than a 2 hour. This is a 8 hour, ocean between us, 5 hour time difference kind of move.

I’m terrified but extremely excited at the same time. I have never wanted to do something more, I haven’t been this sure about my life’s direction (outside of knowing that I wanted to do Interior Design) in a long time. Usually I’m just confused. This time I just know, in my gut, that this is exactly what I need to do.

Maybe this is too spontaneous of me, too fantastical. Maybe it’ll be a big mistake and I’ll be terribly homesick and hate it.

But the chance of me regretting never going?  ENORMOUS. I have always always wanted to live overseas, to really force myself to be independent and take a risk. I’ve always been fairly cautious with my life decisions. I think we all know by now I adapt to change very well and moving isn’t THAT big of a deal. But its not that big of a deal when you’re only moving across the country, to a different state. You may have to change your drivers license, fill out an address change form, find a new place to live and get yourself a job by simply sending in your resume saying you want to relocate (if someone isn’t relocating you already).

The process of getting to London is frightening, I don’t know anyone who’s really done it, actually I don’t know anyone who ACTUALLY has. So I am looking for advice from someone who has, someone to tell me what the process is like, no sugar coating, no BS, just straight forward fact. Does it suck? Not as bad as you thought? Totally worth it?

Also, if you happen to live in London, or England, or have even visited London, it would be greatly appreciated for any advice you have on where to live, how its like there, etc.

 

Yay for life decisions!!!!

 

Ed. Note: I will be getting a job and apartment first before moving there. I’m not that risky!!