Mission Failure aka Boooooooo

So I’m currently writing this on my computer in my room, at home, back in Mandurah, Western Australia. It’s been over a week since I left London to return home, after failing to find work within a reasonable timeframe before my funds became non-existent. I had been to London before on a holiday with my parents back in 2005, and had clearly forgotten just how expensive the city, let alone the rest of the UK, is. I was fortunate enough to stay with a friend on my arrival in the megacity for a couple of weeks, giving me time to settle in, adjust to the tempremental weather, and to try to get some resumes out and around, mostly looking at bar work or other retail jobs. The rest of the plan was to then rent out a room in a share flat/house, then use whatever remaining funds to get around Europe and the rest of the UK over the summer and autumn periods, while experiencing what life would be like in another country.

It wasn’t until after about two weeks into the search that I came to the sudden realisation that my funds would not carry me on much longer. After eventually moving on from my friends hospitality and back into hostels while still trying to find work, I realised that while I had plenty of money stockpiled, it was nowhere near enough to survive in London alone. With the combined expenses of hostel accommodation, food, and the ridiculously expensive transport, my money would only take me so far before I would only have enough to survive and not much more to live. It also didn’t help that the money I spent in Japan was the money I didn’t have to keep me going in London, although that said I would never had skipped Japan for anything in the world, having had such an amazing time there. An expensive and expansive city, London seemed to be characterised (money wise) by its unusual sets of priorities. Essentials such as rent, food and bills were painfully expensive, far more that what you would expect in Australia, yet non-essential items such as alcohol (come on, let’s be serious here), DVD’s, CD’s, video games etc were significantly cheaper. It was frustrating that such things were the way they were, if only because I, like many others, were simply trying to live and earn, and not just exist.

I had blanketed half of the city with resumes in a number of different jobs and places, but to no avail. Often the case was that there was about 200+ applicants per job and only a small few who had the attitude, experience and ability to do it up to their standards. I also doesn’t help being an overseas worker, as it makes far more sense for an employer to hire someone from the UK, or at least a country that’s a part of the European Union, particularly during these difficult economic times. Perhaps it was because back at home I was still living at my parents (no rent) and already with gaurenteed work that I failed to notice just how bad the Economic Crisis is, particularly in the UK, who is argueably suffering the worst of the fallout. All in all, it meant that things were not going my way.

So after a considerable amount of deliberation, I decided to bite the bullet and admit defeat. After spending a frustrating amount of time trying to change my pre-booked flight from the end of the year to much sooner, I eventually made my way home, but not before going north to Edinburgh to see some more friends who were also doing the working holiday scheme. Back in London, I caught a flight back home, tail between my legs, now anxious to return back to my ‘normal’ life in my boring old home town. By a pure stroke of luck, my parents, who were on their way to California and Canada for a holiday, were also in Sydney at the same time as me, giving me an oppertunity to catch up with them and have days rest before flying back to Perth the next day. Arriving at 6am Sydney time after more that 22 hours flying with only 4 hours sleep, not to mention loosing an entire day due to the time difference, I solidered on through the day before finally passing out at 8pm watching TV in a hotel room. The next day I lazily awoke before going back to the airport to return home.

Which brings me back to here. Even now I feel a sense of loss having missed out on the oppertunity of a lifetime to experience all of  the UK and Europe. Instead I spent a few weeks feeling the full force of the Economic Crisis and, in a small way, what I must mean for thousands of unemployed individuals trying to survive. At the very least, it gave me some perspective about how fortunate I was at home to have work and a stable life, and would better prepare me for when I return.

That’s right, I plan to go back to the UK next year to find work and complete the rest of my mission, only this time I’ll be ready. Or so I hope. Either way, it seems stupid to waste the money and time I spent trying to get a work permit of the UK and not use it. So in the words of Scar from the Lion King, Be Prepared! Only I’m not trying to kill the leader of a pride of lions. Just trying to find some work and getting some money to travel.

Note to self; prepare for everything as well, including writing for this blog.