Just the way it should be!
This time in 2017 I had just returned from a work trip to Beijing with my former company ofo. As far as work trips go it was great. Sure I had to share a room in a hotel that wouldn’t have been out of place in an Alfred Hitchcock movie. It was an isolated Soviet style building and featured thousands of pigeons in cages in the lobby. But beyond that I learned a great deal (good and bad) about the company and really cemented relationships with colleagues, many of whom I now consider as friends.
This December I live in a new city. I am learning a new language, I remain unemployed, and have a lot of time on my hands! Often I have felt lonely, bored, and in some darker moments I have wondered if I made the right decision to leave London. At the same time I have enjoyed long daily walks, catching up on podcasts, beginning new friendships, and setting up a cosy new flat. I’ve even managed to kill three (and counting) houseplants.
So life is, as always, a mixture of the good and bad. In London, I frequently worked 10-12 hours a day, had a very active social life and a 45 minute commute to work. Over time this had an effect and I am glad to no longer live that life. I am grateful for the time I now have in Frankfurt to reflect and reground myself. Stepping out of the flow even temporarily is an important way to assess your direction and place. This process helped me in making a decision to turn down a job recently.
So 2019 for me is a year of hope. I will continue learning German and I aim to be in a position to participate more in German speaking society. I want to find a job where I can use all the skills I have picked up along the way so far. And I want to find an outlet to work with others who want us all to stop trashing this beautiful planet.
