Today is 29th July. I've been living here for about 5 months, from the coldest and longest winter to the hottest summer. I just finished a job in a restaurant where i had worked for about 4 months. Now I am anxiously waiting for my new job in Windsor. It's gonna be a new adventure and challenge for me.
During this 5 months, loads of things happened. Some of them brought me laughter, and some of them brought me tears. But one thing for sure is they all became my unforgettable memories.
Although in this trip i made many decisions and tried many things i hand't tried before, I still feel that I am more like a thinker rather than a doer. (So maybe being a hacker is never part of my nature. :P )
To give up everything I had in Taiwan and head off, there were actually several questions I had to ask myself. Of course one of the must-ask is why I want to go. It's actually also the hardest one to me. I spent about 5 months thinking, reflecting and clarifying my mind to help myself not making an regrettable decision.
There are three goals. first is to experience the life in the UK. I know it sounds vague, but actually this one was all i could tell other people. It's vague just because of it's unknown. I didn't know what I should expect or what experience I would get. But it just gave the undeniable reason to start. the second is I want to learning English. living in the environment surrounded the language you want to learn is the best way to learn it. I didn't have chance to live abroad or study oversea. Now I've got the opportunity, haven't I? The third goal of mine is working oversea. to be honest, when I was in the primary school, i always imagined working around the world and speaking various language. When I 'm getting older, I realise how hard it can be. Now the working holiday VISA opens a door to it. I should try, although everyone around me told me not to expect too much in case I feel too bad to enjoy my adventure.
After living here for a while, I start to think that maybe I am the kind of person needing regular travels. I've found that I fall to settle down easily and get bored easily. Yes, I've got to admit it that I think it also reflects on my work life and relationships I had. If that is me, i've got to find the suitable life style to fit it. Now what I can think of is travelling, exploring the unknown regularly and inspiring me new thought and refreshing my feelings.
As to language, I still feel a bit depressed. I don't feel I make a great improvement on my English, especially the speaking. I've found that it may because I live a life too independent. I feel great to be independent. I enjoy going to the cinema alone, walking alone, exploring new places alone. I didn't think too much about having friends is a must. I just consider it as a plus. However, now I reckon it is a must if i wanna improve my english. I also realise that what is important is actually enjoying communication, knowing people and being interested in the world, not the language itself. only when I bear it in mind, I can really start to make progress.
The most different thing here is i can plan my life for only one month. If you ask me the things beyond one month, I really can't give any answer firmly. Life is full of uncertainty. Although i can't have specific plan of my time, i have certain mindset that can lead me through my whole adventure. It's just like building your long trip by small pieces of short term goals.
Balance. the longer i live in London by myself, the more important of balance i realise. I think the balance varies by people. Maybe someone needs more work but less travelling, and someone needs more sleep but less social life. It doesn't matter the percentages, as long as you feel your life well-balanced. I think that is what I've been seeking for.
