So it's been almost 8 months since I arrived in the UK and 5 months since I began working. This means that I have exactly 7 months left of working time on my visa. It also means that I have 5 months until my leave without pay from my government job is up and I have to decide my future. I think I've already pretty much decided to avoid going back to the government. By saying "pretty much" I actually mean "definitely". It's a bit scary to write those words down, but I know I'll have to at some point. Giving up a well paying job isn't easy, especially not when the standard of living it brought me is about 7 times better than what I'm living in right now. Despite this difference though I must admit I'm happier. Not necessarily because of living in London, but more because I'm finally finding myself, as a musician, an artist, and a human being. I am finally feeling like myself, like I'm not some fraud spouting policy advice, teaching idealistic twenty-somethings, or writing papers on topics that don't interest me. I now see myself as a musician, a sometime writer, an artist. Even though it may be sometime before these new realizations can feed me, they are important and I can't turn my back on them.
Therefore, decisions need to be made. Do we stay in the UK? if so, by what method, the new visa rules mean that it is likely we would have to go home and apply from there again. If we can't stay, or choose not to, where do we go? Toronto? Montreal? Timbuktu? These are the decision that M and I are beginning to grapple with, and will have to address in the near future. It's starting to cause me some mental stress, but not a lot yet. We'll see how it goes.
On a musical note the new drummer we tried for the band, Andy, didn't feel that it was his thing, so we are back to square one with the search for a drummer.
I have three days off in a row this week, so I've vowed to record at least one and possibly two songs. We'll see how it goes. So be on the lookout for something around midweek.
The Leopard.
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