Should I Move

August 20th, 2020
Should I Move
A Life Update.

Biggest news at the moment is that Ollie and I might be moving out, at this stage, probably will be. Flood and Eve got in touch with the two of us and Dan last week as their lease is coming up in early October, they pitched us the idea of a house for the five of us. Initially I was very wary about leaving Wildwood, a house I love dearly for all its strange quirks (see Cat Hat), leaving Charlie and Ryan, and taking Mars to somewhere new.

Ollie needed much less convincing and was on board straight way, taking the attitude that if we all think highly positively of the idea, it'll be more likely to happen, rather than dilly-dallying and nothing ever coming of it at all.

The reasoning of both sides boils down to the following comprehensive list of Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Flying the nest - more independence, not relying on a rent-free family home for comfort. (Still somewhat relying on the family-bought home for rent income).

Living with friends - this has always been a big plan, and a very exciting one at that.

London location - What's the point of living in a thriving metropolis if you settle in leafy suburb for retirees.

Wildwood - is miles from everything, feels quite isolated from the world.

Cons:

Wildwood - Big room, large garden, Heath extension. So much space and peace.

Ryan and Charlie - Will very much miss my family members, also could be an awkward conversation about leaving.

Mars - Cat may be an issue when it comes to finding somewhere and also being taken from Ryan and Charlie.

Big Chaz - who has just moved back, may feel somewhat betrayed by my then leaving.

For me, the ayes have it.

Me aside, Dan was the only sticking point. He didn't really want to move at first. In fact he didn't at all he was a hard no, and it takes rather a lot to change Dan's mind on things like this. However,

Had a video chat with Dan and Sam this morning, in which we essentially convinced him it was a good idea. I used my Birmingham vs Dublin analogy: at the end of my final year of school I had an Unconditional offer from the University of Birmingham to study Drama there, and offer which I duly accepted on results day 2014. I then proceed to book my accommodation, was given a room and the names of my new flatmates, we all brought freshers fest wristbands, and chatted excitedly in our new Facebook group. A few days later a text came through from the CAO (Ireland's answer to UCAS) telling me I had a place at Trinity College Dublin. Oh shit, I said out loud. What to do? There were all sorts of reasons not to go: A lot further from my then girlfriend (it didn't work out long distance), a lot further from London and my family in Canterbury, a country I had been to only once (see LGW-DUB), no friends, no contact, no knowledge, expensive, unknown. In the end I took stock by asking myself, in the future, what do you want to look back and tell people you did? Spend three years in the Midlands, or four in Dublin? The excitement of the unknown and different won out easily. Wouldn't it just be more fun to grab life by the horns and ride the wave? In any case, Dan was convinced... Sam said no rush you've got a soft two week deadline. Dan said fuck that I'm giving myself a hard deadline, of... right... now. We all gasped, Ollie was there too at this point.

It's on.

Ollie ran through the streets of Tunbridge Wells, Sam did lots of punching the air, I looked like a fish. Joy all round.

Now comes the fun part, finding a place, sorting moving, talking to various housemates, working things out with bills etc. It's going to be a bit of a slog but I think it'll be worth it.

Saying goodbye to Wildwood will be incredibly hard. I've put a lot of time and love into this house, painted most of its walls, rearranged all its furniture, installed light fittings. I broke up with Grace here. I started going out with Lucy here. Reg was here, Mars was first here. I've tended the garden (a bit), hoovered the red carpet, got new sofas and a new TV. Got a piano and a pool table. Played uncountable games of Catan, cribbage, and cards. Eaten Pizzas, Tiffin Tin curries, cooked mac n cheese, chilli, noodle soups, hummus sandwiches. Spent hours on the playstation on Minecraft and Assassins Creed. Wrote a musical here. Went to Monkey classes and rehearsals from here. Walked to Golders Green. Ran around the suburb. Auditioned for the am-dram society, and got the part! Walked to the Flask on Fridays, and back through the woods. Went through the garden to the woods and found golfballs there, an old hat. Went right out onto the golf course, all the way up the hill to watch the fireworks.

Very excited to move, we've found one amazing place round the corner form Brixton Station, part of an old school complex, the Master's House.

26/8

News from Dan actually came this morning. The dates are lies. Don't believe the owls.

Next stage?

Finding the perfect home spot for us abscond to in October.
Talk to the Charlies and make sure there's no residual hatred upon leaving.
Sort out bills/council tax.
Work out moving belongings.
Work out MarsCake.

There's probably a whole host of issues we (I) haven't yet considered but at this stage, things are looking up, and exciting. Somewhere new for the Winter months. Potentially Christmas if things are still locked down at that stage (not a nice thought but expect the worst).

A note on my writing from mother:

Less anthropomorphism in magical realism. Cafe on the Seine good. Personification of Light not so good. Hedgehog good. Ants confused, and an homage I didn't realise I'd made.