November Yankee Charlie continues…
It’s been over a year since I moved to New York. A time frame that I just can’t seem to get my head around. When I try to think of all that the past year has encompassed I have to shake my head vigorously to stop the flickering movie (always in black and white) that plays in my mind on fast forward. I think that’s simply the effect that New York has on its inhabitants; as much as we can try to appreciate the moments we have within the bubble we call home, it’s simply unrealistic in a city that dictates such a fast pace.
I was perfectly at peace with this until I looked at my Calendar last month. Looking at my calendar is a regular occurrence for me, it’s the TV show Girls Calendar and I enjoy spending my downtime staring at photos of Adam… enough said. This month was different though… This month was November. NOVEMBER. When did that happen? The visa I came on to the US stipulated that I could work for one year and travel for 30 days either side of that year. I looked again at the date… I had just over a month to work out what the hell I was planning on doing. Many questions followed this realization. At the end of the day it all came down to these questions though;
Do I want to go back to Australia?
Do I want to go somewhere else?
Do I want to stay here?
WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?
As you can see, things quickly escalated and I found myself using a paper bag from the bottle of wine I’d bought the previous night and breathing erratically into it. Eventually calming myself I had to sit down and evaluate not only what my legitimate options were but what I really wanted the next couple of years to look like. When I sat down and was truly honest with myself the answers came easily.
I love Australia, but no, I don’t want to go back yet.
The plan was always to go to London, but no, I don’t want to be somewhere else right now.
YES, I want to stay here.
I have no idea what I’m doing with my life but I want to see where this is going and even if it’s nowhere I’m ok with that because right now I’m exactly where I want to be.
Honesty is a funny thing. Except that it’s not that funny, it’s fucking scary most of the time. This wasn’t one of those moments though; being honest felt liberating. For the first time in a long time I sat back and realized I knew exactly what I wanted.
***fast forward (in black and white) one month later***
It took three weeks of applications, one flight to London, two interviews at the Embassy and three hours of waiting (a good majority of that outside in the freezing cold) but I’m officially sponsored to stay in the US for the next two years. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do and who knows, maybe it won’t be the wisest decision I’ve made but if I’m being honest with myself right now; I couldn’t be happier. There’s something to be said for a little honesty.
november yankee charlie 