Alas, another month has gone by and I've disappointed myself in my lack of writing. Someone needs to help motivate me with this, because I know I'm going to enjoy looking back on this someday!
It's been an action packed month- with trips up north (in England) to Norfolk and the Lake District, going through many interviews with agencies, visiting with old friends, and scoring a sweet job in the city! I've really lucked out, I am currently working with a big insurance company (ever heard of Lloyds?) and my role is a PA/travel assistant. I essentially manage the lives and travel itineraries for a bunch of people in this company, and it's actually pretty enjoyable. The people I work with are lovely- and to be honest, it's a bit of a step up from the banking world. If any of you UBS folks are reading this... I only mean that it's nice to be around women for a change. And people whose social skills are, perhaps, a bit more developed...
I just had a funny moment which I shall classify as a "London moment". It's been a very busy day, and I really wanted a beer after work. So when I got off the train, I stopped by the store to pick up a beer for my walk home... and I only just remembered how I could only get away with this in Europe. If I did this in Canada, not only would I be stopped by some dickhead police officer who would pour out my beer and give me a lecture on proper public behavior, but everyone would look at me with disgust and disapproving eyes.
This is something I've been reflecting on recently- this relaxed approach (to pretty much everything) in Europe. It's something that I can really appreciate and relate to. I'm not just referring to laws and social norms surrounding things like drinking, but I'm talking about a general approach to life which is much less stuffy and suppressed. I understand the difficulty in comparing countries with completely different demographics, but I suppose that living in Europe has allowed me to open my eyes a bit more and therefore both appreciate and resent things about North America. Let me take a moment to give a brief shout out to my European friends who do things like actually VOTE and stand up for things they believe in, and don't sit back and be boring, apathetic people who just go through the motions of life. Again, I understand how this is a bit of a sweeping statement, but if you are a North American reading this right now and share some level of resentment towards the people and government of Canada: I want you to know that you are not alone. Do yourself a favor and get out of your comfort zone (maybe do some travelling?)- this has provided me some of the best, most educational experiences of my life.
Right, I have to be honest that I'm falling asleep. More to come very very soon. x
