The realisation that this time in three weeks I'll officially be a London resident is slowly starting to sink in. The word has been spread, I've received congratulatory emails, texts and had a couple of over-excited phone calls from my Grandma and my Great Aunty
(who are both over 80!) the leaving parties have been arranged and I've even received my first leaving card, admittedly a little premature, but lovely nonetheless. Its official, after 22 years, I'll finally be leaving Bournemouth.
For my 8th birthday I desperately wanted a weekend away in London, I'd been abroad and seen quite a lot of the world but I'd never seen London properly. Now, being the first-born Grandchild (I'm known as Number 1 GC to my Grandparents) it was pretty much a given that I would get it. I remember staying at The Dorchester Hotel, a 5 star, only the best for Number 1, and having my very own room. Now, of course, as my Grandpa was a doctor and my Grandma a teacher I was obviously obliged to some educational elements over my three days in the Capital. I visited the Tate gallery, a Cathedral (I paid a lot of attention), Buckingham Palace and Downing Street along with others. However I was also treated for the first time to a street that would become one of my best friends. Oxford Street. I loved it. My favourite shop was Selfridges. I left with several bright yellow bags. A trait that has stuck with me ever since - I never leave that shop empty handed. I loved the busyness of the city; business men and women rushing around with their coffee's talking on their mobiles. I remember the day I left I promised myself that one day I'd be one of them, chatting/tapping away on my phone, jumping in to taxis and drinking hot chocolate out of a cardboard Starbucks cup (I didn't like tea or coffee. I still don't.)
Having lived at home for all of my 22 years
(even through University) it started to become a running joke between my parents that I'd never leave and that I'd eventually kick them out of their own home. So it came as quite a shock, after having initially declining the job offer, to then back-track and accept it and telling them that I was moving out and was off to London in six weeks time. Later that evening when I was out, my Mum text me saying
"OMG I can't believe you're leaving me. I'm going to miss you, so will Daz." (She meant Jaz - my dog, she's not that advanced when it comes to technology) three weeks have passed and I now only have three weeks left, which I will be milking!
Last night, before going out for dinner
(told you I'd milk it) I sat down with my Mum trying to figure out Oyster cards. Now I'm not sure if it's just our simple minds but having looked on the website for over half an hour we were no closer to understanding them. They seem terribly confusing! Next came the conversation of
"Em, how do you use a washing machine?" "You put your washing in the laundry basket and it's returned to you later that day all clean." "Not anymore..." Bugger! It would be fair to say that I am not domesticated in the slightest. I have previously blown an egg up in the microwave. Set potato wedges alight in the oven. I've become distracted and left an iron on which burnt through my all-time-favourite cardigan, and flooded the entire kitchen after attempting to use the washing machine
(admittedly this wasn't actually my fault, it was a mere coincidence that the pipe decided to burst the same day I attempted to use the washing machine for the first time.) So yeah, the kitchen isn't exactly my forte. But this is going to have to change. I have less than three weeks to bring out the domestic Goddess that is so obviously hiding inside of me... ahem! It's ok though, because I can cook. Cereals, toast and pasta - plain pasta, no sauce, just pasta.... how I achieved an A* in my food technology GCSE I will never know.
Not only will I miss the way my Mum and Dad do everything for me and pay the bills but I'll secretly also miss the way they nag me. Nagging me about how they do everything for me, yet they still continue to do it - stupid! Nagging me about how I play Britney too loud and too often. Nagging me about not knowing what to wear resulting in half my wardrobe being thrown across my bedroom floor. Nagging me about how I buy too many shoes
"You only have one pair of feet Em." Yes - I am fully aware of that, but what a stupid argument. They only have one pair of legs but neither of them only have one pair of trousers... And nagging me about how I treat the house more like a hotel, zzzzzzzzzz!!!
I'll also miss my friends, some more than others! I'll also surprisingly miss work, it's by no means my favourite place but I've met some of my most favourite people there, and the jokes we have had and have are endless. I'll miss Aruba's Strawberry Daiquiris and going there in the daytime with Kayleigh with our sunglasses on even if it's cloudy, and just loving life. I'll miss Kukui's Pina Colada's in a pineapple and finishing there every time I go out. I'll miss knowing the dj's in Bar So and being allowed to pretend to dj without being told off. I'll miss knowing the bouncers and skipping the queues. I'll miss taking the mick out of all the pretentious idiots out and about. I'll also miss the stupid, pathetic Bournemouth drama that so many thrive on. I think I'll even miss the pigeons that so often wake me up having two big huge fur trees outside my window.
But more than anything or anyone, I am going to miss my Jazpups. I'm going to miss her trotting to the front door and greeting me every time I come home. I'll miss the look she gives me when I shove my phone in her face taking yet another picture. I'll miss the way she gives me her left paw, then her right, then her left, then her right. I'll miss the way she sighs when I'm watching tv and she's still waiting to be taken out for a walk. I'll miss the way she runs around in circles when I finally get up off the sofa and put her collar on and get her lead and tell her I'm ready to go on a walk. I'll miss the way she's scared of anything and everything. (It's actually just started to thunder and she's shaking like a leaf bless her!) I'll miss the way her paws twitch when she dreams. I'll miss the way she scrounges when you have food. I'll miss the draught she makes when wagging her tail. I'll miss making her pose for pictures when I'm drunk. And I'll miss cuddling her on the sofa when Mum isn't at home to shout at us both. "She's not allowed on the furniture" blah blah blah.
Aside from being sad about missing people and things, I am terribly excited about my move. I've already set up a couple of exciting 'dates'. Im looking forward to living with Mel, who just like me, loves Britney. Perfect! I'm looking forward to working somewhere different with new people. I've already found my new GBF. Hi Michael! I'm super excited about bumping in to Dermot O'Leary
(mainly because I'll be waiting outside his house.) I'm looking forward to being two tube stops away from the biggest shopping mall in Europe, as well as working in it. And lastly I'm actually really looking forward to seeing if I'll cope.. and if not, I'll be back before Christmas!
