London to Surrey
When I arrived in the United Kingdom, I wanted to write about my experience living abroad, as I aspire for writing to be my career. So I did, I documented my first few months here, trying to find stable work within my expertise. Then I stopped, not because I fell out of love with writing, but because life sometimes takes a turn and doesn’t pan out the way you expect. The truth is that I wasn’t able to find work in London; I wasn’t able to find work in my field. I did odd jobs here and there, such as event work and exam invigilating, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the growing cost of living in London. My partner was in a good job, but ultimately, that came to an end, and we were stuck in a pickle. So we made a big decision, we took an opportunity that would take us out of London and our comfort zones. We moved to Surrey.
What brought us to Surrey? Let’s go through it. An opportunity came up, two front-of-house positions at a 5-Star Inn (also a pub/restaurant), these would be live-in roles (we’d be provided with accommodation), and we would start within a week of applying. For us, it solved two problems we had; we would have jobs and affordable housing, but we would be working in hospitality. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s the kind of work I personally haven’t done in nearly 10 years. So there’s that hesitation, but now, over 4 months in, I can honestly say it’s been a blessing. We’re working, earning and even able to go on holidays, like Malaga, and soon to be Paris and Udine. Country life is very different out these ways though.
Living in a small village, with a couple of dairies, one cafe, and three pubs, it literally is the definition of “what a small world”. The nearest towns are Godalming, 20 minutes north and Haslemere, 20 minutes south. So, on days off, it’s beneficial to get out of the village and explore these towns. Working in a pub, you get to meet all kinds of characters, and basically one kind of demographic of people, but I guess that’s expected in a small village in Surrey. I’ve explored the village many times and you don’t realise how rich some people are till you see the size of these estates. I think when you see properties with gates and security, you realise you could be serving some seriously well-off people at work. The people I’ve met, though, range from a DJ who performed at Glastonbury to an ex-England football head coach (for those who know I’m very big on my football, so this was a bit of a surreal moment, for those who don’t, you can read more about my passion for football here). As hesitant as I was to be working in hospitality, you really do meet some interesting people, and as thankful as I am for the benefits of this job, we’re looking ahead to the next chapter.
