Author: Spencer

Posted on

Week One

It’s Saturday, which means I’ve been in London for an entire week already. It’s gone by fast and slow, all at once. I also feel like I’ve accomplished a great deal, and absolutely nothing, all at the same time. I hate that feeling. Everything seems so chaotic, and I’ve not been good with chaos this year, so it’s no surprise that I’ve started to lose my head a bit in the last few days. Today was especially bad, but I’m hoping that a good nights sleep tonight will help. We shall see…

I’ve been applying to job upon job all week. A few in person, a lot online, so I’m really hoping to hear back from something in the next week. I didn’t come here with the expectation of finding something right away. I know that’s not realistic! But something soon would be nice. There’s an amazing job that I’ve been short listed for so I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Again, we shall see.

Today Sally and her mum took me to Enfield, where I’d never been. It was lovely. A very picturesque London borough with tons of shops and restaurants and parks. I handed out a few resumes while there, we had lunch, and did some shopping. Well, I looked longingly at pretty things I can’t afford until I find work, but, you know. I did buy a portable wardrobe. Woo!

No, I shouldn’t mock. I am pretty excited about it. I’m not good with living out a suitcase, so it’ll be nice to get my things out and organized. I’m hoping it will be help dampen a bit of chaos I’m feeling.

Shopping in Enfield when a rain storm came past.

I was invited out to dinner and a movie tonight with Sally, Michelle, and a friend of theirs, but opted out. I don’t think I’m very much fun to be around today, so it’s probably best for everyone. Plus I’ve gotten myself completely paranoid about spending money. This is also why a job can not come soon enough!

Not much else new. I have a lot of paperwork to fill out tonight (National Insurance, NHS, bank), and am hoping to get to bed early. My jet lag has been terrible, and I’ve been up until 3 or 4 every night. I got up early today though and am feeling quite tired, so hopefully I can get this sorted! Everything seems worse when you don’t sleep, and between that and my normal anxiety I’m surprised I haven’t booked myself a flight home in a moment of panic! Heh.

But, all in all, things are good. Aside from my moments (err, hours, maybe) of panic I’m feeling pretty hopeful. Give it time and patience and good things will come, right? Once again, we shall see.

Posted on

Checking In

I arrived in London on Saturday after an uneventful journey over. The flight was on time, there was no line up (and I mean not a single person!) at immigration when I arrived, no bags were lost, and the Gatwick Express was waiting when I arrived at the platform.

Michelle was kind enough to come and meet me at Victoria station to help me with my things. And thank goodness! We got on the underground, did our one transfer, and shortly after the entire line shut down due to a signal outage. We had to transfer to a third train and exit at the final open stop where we then had to find a bus to take us up the rest of the line. With my 100 lbs of stuff. But we eventually made it!

On Sunday I slept. And slept. And slept a bit more.

On Monday I headed in to Central London to a new arrivals orientation through BUNAC Work In Britain. It was very helpful. They told me everything I need to do to legally work, how to file taxes, where to get a bank account, employment agency recommendations, etc. After the orientation I headed to Angel to buy a mobile and open a bank account. I’d never been to Angel before, but it was so nice! And very easy to get to from where I’m staying. I’ll have to remember that.

Yesterday I started the process of getting a National Insurance Number, NHS, applied for a pile of jobs online, and checked in with a few jobs I’d applied to before leaving home to let them know I was now here.

Today I headed in to a big shopping area close to where I’m staying and handed out my CV to anyone willing to take it! Fingers crossed that something comes up in the next week or so.

That’s about all that’s new here. I’m still jet lagged and exhausted as I’ve been having a lot of trouble falling asleep. I’m hoping that that passes soon though.

Ummm… Yeah. That’s everything! I’ll hopefully have good news on the job front the next time I post. *Fingers Crossed*

Posted on

Goodbye Toby… It’s been nice ~ An open letter to The Office fandom

Dear The Office Fandom,

I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, that you changed my life.

I know that statement is hard for anyone who is not in a fandom to understand, but it’s very true. The people that I met through you have been the most incredible friends and confidants anyone could ever hope to have. Though so many of those friendships ceased talk of the show long ago, they have since blossomed and grown, and without that spark that brought us together, I would never know them. The people that I’ve met have helped change the course of my life in ways I could never have imagined possible. They are kindred spirits, without whom I do not know where I’d be.

And I owe all of this to one little television show.

The Office put a smile on my face during a period in my life when nothing else could. It lifted my spirits and brought me together with so many people that I cherish beyond words.

In case anyone reading this hasn’t heard, it was announced earlier today that the television show The Office will be ending this coming season. This is not unexpected news, but still incredibly sad. Though I must admit that I’m not as affected by the series as I once was, I still adore it, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

I was introduced to the show in 2007 (I was a late-comer, in fandom terms) by my mom. I had moved home from University after suffering through a year of crippling depression and at that point felt completely devoid of any emotion whatsoever. I’d never seen the show before, but my mom picked up the season 1 and 2 DVDs one random day in June, saying she thought I would really enjoy the show. I popped the first disc in, and, well, my obsession started. I watched season 1 and 2 in a few days, and immediately started again. And for the first time in over a year I felt something weird and wonderful: Happiness.

Over the next couple of months I started going online, frantically attempting to find a way to watch season 3, and discovering all that The Office online fandom had to offer. By the end of summer I was posting frantically on a fantastic site called MTT, wearing Dunder Mifflin paraphernalia, and lining up at 7am to buy the season 3 DVD.

It is sad to think that this thing that has been with me for 1/4 of my life will soon be gone. But it’s had a phenomenal run, and brought me so much joy, that I don’t want to dwell.

We may not be seeing our favourite characters on the small screen every week, but the show will live forever. And not just in DVDs, reruns, merchandise, etc, but in the profound and meaningful ways that it changed the lives of so many fans, like myself. Shows and fandoms as wonderful as this bring people together, and that changes lives. And I so hope that everyone who makes The Office knows that too. What they’ve put out is so much more than a show. And I can not express how grateful I am for it.

So it’s with a tearful smile, and full heart, that I prepare to say goodbye to Toby, Pam, Jim, Dwight, Angela, Kevin, Oscar, Meredith, Creed, Stanley, Phyllis, Andy, Darryl, Kelly, Ryan, and every other character on this incredible show. But our final goodbye is still a long time off, and I am excited to see what is in for us in the lead up. I put my trust in Greg Daniels and the powers that be, and know that they will leave us satisfied and smiling.

That’s what she said.

With love and thanks,
Spencer

This was dedicated to all of those wonderful people that this show has brought me:
Orla, Sally, Jessica S, Gen, Raisa, Carly, Nancy, Annie, Aideen, Vi, Sara C Courtney, Karen, Sara G, Beth, Danielle, Ellen, Moxie, Jenn C, Jenn Q, Jessica EK, Heidi, Marita, Katie, Kathryn, Michelle, Alla, Gloria, Jessica W, Krissy, Michelle G, Sara E, Sarah, Taylor, Vanessa, Krissy, Klutzy, Claire, Lizzy, Jennifer M, Ali, Jean, Maureen, and anyone else I may have missed!

Here’s a little slideshow of The Office fandom get togethers, including parties, meet-ups, concerts, theatre trips, comedy shows, and much more. Places pictured include New York, Toronto, Lansing, Washington DC, London, Dublin, Helsinki, Niagara Falls.

The Office Fandom Yearbook!

Posted on

Time

728 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes and 59 seconds.

How much time I will have in the UK before my presence becomes illegal.

378 days, 14 hours, 24 minutes and 59 seconds.

How much time I will have to complete my internship upon entering the UK.

1 day, 2 hours, 32 minutes and 46 seconds.

How much time I have until entering the UK.

19 hours, 31 minutes and 46 seconds.

How much time I have until I leave Canada.

13 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds.

How much time I have until I leave for the airport.

3 hours, 6 minutes and 24 seconds.

How much time I spent tossing and turning in bed tonight before writing this blog.

3 seconds.

The time it took you to ask yourself: “WTF is this post?”

I can’t sleep. This is my version of counting sheep ; )

Posted on

Roadtrip Recap Part 1: St. Louis and Memphis

The road trip ended a little over a week ago, so I figured I should probably get around to doing the blog!

In July Sally, Michelle, and I embarked on a 3 week road trip around the US. We drove through 14 states, totaling over 6000 km of driving.

We left Niagara Falls bright and early on Sunday (July 8) and headed south/west towards St. Louis. We crossed the border in the US without any trouble (everyone got their visas beforehand) and off we went! We drove for about 10 hours on the first day driving through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and stopping just over the Illinois border.

Sally at the PA border

We spent the night in Marshall, IL, which was as small town as you can get!

On Monday we were left with only about 5 more hours of driving, and made it in to St. Louis without any trouble. We stayed at the Millennium Hotel, as it was where Sally’s conference was being held, and it was very nice. It was downtown, just next to the arch, so a perfect location!

That first evening we were invited out for dinner by St. Louis native, Liv. We went to the famous Imo’s pizza, which we were all excited about. Sadly, we were not impressed. Like, at all. We’re thinking it might be something you needed to have grown up with…

On Tuesday we tried to go to the zoo, only to find there was no parking left. We drove around for about 20 minutes trying to find a spot, but eventually gave up and went to the St. Louis Children’s Museum instead. After that we headed to the mall. We had a lovely meal at The Cheesecake Factory, went to get Sally a SIM card for her iPad (that story’s a whole blog in itself!), and went to see Ted at the cinema.


The Magic House – St. Louis Children’s Museum


Sally in the museum

I then came down with some kind of flu, as trips usually go for me. As such, Wednesday was spent in bed.

Thankfully the bug passed quickly and I was feeling up to entering the world again on Thursday. Michelle and I walked around the city and visited the City Museum.


The Old Courthouse and The Arch

I thought the City Museum deserved it’s own post, which you can read here.

We also visited City Garden which was really neat!

It was also so hot that we had no choice but to run through the fountains that can be seen behind Pinocchio.

On Friday Michelle and I took a day trip to Memphis to visit Graceland. It was about 4 hours each way, and took us through Missouri, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

We stopped in at the visitor’s centre in Arkansas where the woman at the counter asked where we were headed. We said Graceland and she got very serious. She then said something to the effect of “As a mother and a Christian, I need you to promise me that you when you finish at Graceland you will be right back in to your car and leave. You can not be in Memphis after dark. Please, promise me you will leave.”

So, that didn’t completely freak us out!


Me in Arkansas

Way made it in to Memphis where we headed to the city visitor centre, Sun Studios, and finally Graceland!


Memphis!


Myself and Michelle at Graceland


Front of Graceland Mansion


Fun day!

I’m not a huge Elvis fan. I like his music and movies, but never went past that. I found Graceland really cool though. The house was gorgeous and they told lots of interesting stories. I definitely recommend it to anyone in the area!

We finished up fairly early, and decided to drive to the Mississippi border as it was only about 10 minutes down the road. After that we headed back to St. Louis.

Saturday was our last full day in St. Louis. Sally was still busy with her conference, so Michelle and I headed to The Arch. We got a package that included the Arch, a riverboat ride down the Mississippi, and a National Geographic Imax movie.


The Gateway Arch


Lewis and Clarke


The pod that takes you up the Arch. So small!


St. Louis from the top of The Arch


Riverboat Cruise


View of The Arch (and our hotel) from the river

That evening Michelle and I went out for Italian food and to stock up on road trip munchies at Target. The next morning Sally finished up her conference, we packed up the car, and we hit the road once again!

Posted on

Regrets

So, as some of you may know my London planning has been on the rocks as of late. I’ve managed to get everything done that I needed to, but it’s cost me more money than anticipated. And by “more” I mean my entire savings fund to move. UGH.

As such, I’ve spent the past week debating whether or not to go as soon as planned. I still don’t have a flight, so it wouldn’t be a huge deal to push it back a few weeks. People have been giving me advice for days, and almost all are encouraging me to head over as planned.

I’m trying to make the decision of what to do based on practical, and not emotional, reasons. I’m way too anxious to make decisions based on my level of nerves! I’ve spent the past year living my life by the anxiety’s standards and it was terrible. I didn’t take advantage of so many opportunities put forth while in grad school. Hell, I barely socialized with people in class. I’m sure everyone thought I was a bitch, or weird, or just anti-social. I didn’t want to be, but I think I managed to be all those things. It felt like my panic attacks would last days and it just became so much easier to shut as much of the world out as possible on the days when I was actually able to face it.

I definitely regret how most of the past year went. And I don’t want to regret the next year too. I need to suck it up and just DO it. If it’s a disaster, so be it. When I think about not going to London I feel completely heartbroken, which sounds silly, but it’s true. I may move their a discover it’s completely wrong for me, sure. But I won’t know this unless I DO it.

I have a lot of regrets. But I also have a lot of amazing experiences that would never have happened if I’d never taken chances like this. Life is short and I’m sick of spending it cooped up in my room panicking about trivial things.

Posted on

And the official freakout begins… NOW.

I think it’s safe to say that my official freakout over moving has begun. I’m trying to rationalize that all of the things I’m freaking out about aren’t as catastrophic as I’ve made them out to be in my head, but my right and left brain are not finding any common ground. Current freakouts include:

Money

I know, I know. Who isn’t freaking out about money. This is the first summer since I was 15 that I haven’t been working 40+ hours a week. In fact, I’m working no hours a week, as I don’t have a job! Or, I should say, I have a job that has no hours. Same difference at the moment. My place of employment for the past 5 years went under, leaving me with a decision at the end of classes late last month: Find a job for 6 weeks, or travel. At the time travel won out, but I am regretting that decision a little bit at the moment. My trip was fantastic, but chewed up most of the savings I had put away. But, realistically, it would have taken me a couple weeks to find a job once I got home, and I would be handing in my 2 weeks notice right now. This leads in to my 2nd freakout…

Finding A Job in the UK

“What?! You don’t have a job in the UK before moving?!” Yes, this is very true. But, in my defense, my rational is that my choices were to find a min. wage job in Niagara and be paying a fortune in car insurance, payments, rent, etc, all the while not being anywhere near where I want to be finding my career. Or, I can move to London, find a min. wage job right away, work as much as I can while living very cheaply w/ friend before finding an apartment and the whole time be actively looking for a job in the city where I’m residing. Might be crazy, but I’m hopeful that it will work out. My main concern in finding an internship, but as I’ve already gotten offers that I couldn’t take because of my current location, I’m hoping my odds of finding something will be even better once I’m there! Right? Sure, why not.

And as for finding something right away – I have been applying, have friends asking around about openings, and have access to the SWAP working holiday employment program. I’m still completely freaked out, but I feel that I might be okay in the end.

Getting There

Going back to point number one – I have no money. And getting to London can be very expensive. Thankfully Air Transat has these fantastic seat sales where you can get a one-way ticket for $2. It requires a great deal of patience though, which is not my strong suit. I’m holding on though! My visa starts in 18 days, and their website sales section is slowly getting closer to my departure date. Just have to keep my fingers crossed on this one, as it’s really pure luck at the moment.

If not seat sale? Well, I’ll be shoving $900 on to my Visa card and figuring out how to pay it of later… Always a brilliant plan!

OMG WE’RE HAVING A FIRE sale

I need to sell my car. And my couch. And I need to donate or throw out about 3/4 of everything I own because I can’t bring it with me, or keep it here. In summation: My inner hoarder is losing it’s shit right now.

My Awkwardness

I’m awkward. Like, painfully so. If you know me, you know this. I’m okay with it about 99% of the time. However, this is the 1%.

Some wonderful friends have offered me immediate shelter and eventual flatmate status, and my brain is freaking out that when I get there no one will like me, and people will revoke said offers because I’ll turn out to be a pain to live with, and I’ll wind up homeless and broke and having a panic attack in the rain in the middle of Trafalgar Square with all my possessions. Slight overreaction? Of course. But, it’s my immediate assumption, so there you go.

Rational brain is saying it’ll be fine, even if we don’t get along swimmingly, things can be easily worked through, blah, blah, blah. I know. But, I’m awkward and crazy and don’t see the world the way I should.

Missing Home

I’m going to miss home. But, this is the sacrifice one makes when deciding to move halfway around the world. You leave family, friends, and familiarity. It sucks. But you do it in the hopes that the trade off will be worth it. You lose a lot, but you hopefully gain a lot in return. I’m hoping to spend the next few weeks spending as much time with family, friends, and Tim Horton’s as possible ; )

And thankfully the wonders of technology make separation less difficult. Skype, FaceTime, free international calling, and social media leave the ones you love closer than ever. It’s not the same, of course, but it’s still pretty awesome. Now, we just have to help my mom find that darn “Answer” button on her Skype!

The Gamble

At the end of the day, this is a total gamble. Maybe it’ll work, maybe it won’t. But, I know that if I don’t try, I’ll regret it forever. And maybe, just maybe, all the pieces will fall in to place. Bring it, London.

Posted on

Disclaimer

I’m going to go ahead an apologize in advance for any over-blogging that occurs in the next few weeks.

My UK visa starts in 20 days (OMG) and I have 5 billion things to sort out before then. I’ve also only just returned from an almost-one month long holiday which I want to post a bit about at some point. So, be prepared for travel blogs, freaking out (I’ve made a HUGE mistake /GOB) blogs, procrastinating for said 5 billion things I need to do blog, and, what the hell, maybe even some excitement over moving blogs.

There’s a pile of things I want to write about now, but aside from real life, I’m also weeks behind on updating SJF. And since that takes my mind of real world freakouts, I’ll opt for that this evening!

Posted on

St. Louis City Museum

I haven’t blogged on here in while! To catch you up – I am currently in week 2 of a 4 week adventure. Week 1 was spent with Sally in Niagara Falls/Toronto. At the end of last week Michelle arrived in Toronto, and we set off on a 3 week road trip shortly after. We drove from Niagara to St. Louis on Sunday/Monday, which was quite the experience! We’ve been busy the past few, and I will post about that later. But right now, I need to discuss something very important.

Today Michelle and I visited the St. Louis City Museum. And it was the most amazing museum I have ever seen!

It’s enormous. When we purchased our tickets we asked for a map, to which they replied: “We don’t do maps. Just go explore!”

And explore we did! We started on the first floor with the caverns, which ended in us climbing 10 stories through a maze of caves and tunnels and winding steel staircases. At the top we reach the entrance to a slide, which we hopped on and took us back down. What?! I know! It was amazing!

After 1.5 hours in the caverns we grabbed some lunch (a whole meal in a museum for $6, which was insane to both of us!)

Next came floor 4 (floor 3 was a children’s aquarium, which was an extra cost, so we passed on), which had the most random assortment of exhibits, including a collection of working carnival games, ancient stone work, insects, rag doll making, a vintage clothing shop, and a trapeze school.

Now we headed outside to the 10 story all-age jungle gym. Which was absolutely amazingly awesome. You climb through tunnels and cages and stairways and tree houses up to airplanes and firetrucks and towers and it’s just so far beyond fun that I have no choice but to ramble on and on and on!

Our final stop was on the rooftop, which contained numerous slides, a dangling school bus, an observation tower, and a working ferris wheel.

So, basically, if the City Museum in St. Louis isn’t on your bucket list, add it now! These pictures don’t do it justice, but it’s the best I could do!

We are loving St. Louis so far. Everyone here is so, so nice, the museums are fantastic, and the downtown area is pretty mellow, clean, and easy to navigate.

Tomorrow Michelle and I are off to Memphis to visit Graceland. Woo! Sally is at a conference this week, so we’re filling our days until it finished and we head off to our next stop: Boston!

Posted on

HUZZAH!

Update to yesterdays post.

I woke up this morning to find the most wonderful email in my inbox:

Confirmation that my UK visa has been approved and issued. It will be ready for pick-up in Toronto in just 3 days!

London, here I come!