Tags
Canada, England, HCPC, history, insomnia, jet lag, mindfulness, social work, UK
I’ve been in England for 9 days and I am finally getting over my jet lag. I had read that jet lag is worse when flying from west to east, which I had done and had an 8 hour time difference to adjust to. I developed jet lag insomnia and was only sleeping an average of 4 hours a night. I was irritable, moody, sad and angry at times. I could not even understand my own thoughts. And my poor SO had to deal with the brunt of it. But I knew I would need support when I moved here and he has been providing support to me in the best way that he can and I am truly grateful for that. This is definitely a learning curve for the both of us.
I have done some exploring in this town that I am now living in. Since I likely will not be driving here (I don’t have a British Driver’s Licence, and I heard that the driving test is tough!), it is really helpful that many places are within walking distance from the house. A lot of exploring and discovering has been in the house as I learn the “British Way” of how things operate in this old house. I have learned that luxury showers are now a thing of the past and will be enjoyed when I visit home. The hot water for the shower is set to a timer so now I have to schedule in my showers. And surprised to hear that heating up the home is so expensive! It’s really odd for me to be careful with heat settings and this was something I took for granted back at home. I really should have bought more sweaters and am now layering up! I am also constantly calculating time zone differences in my head so I can communicate to my friends and family in Canada and the US.
Although I may complain about the things that I am used to and are lacking in the house, there are really a number of great things. England is so old. In Canada we don’t have churches and structures that have so much history and character. Yesterday I watched boats go through the canal lock gates in the river. It may sound boring, but I found it so fascinating to watch such an historical structure of engineering that is still being used today.
I am enjoying the content shown on BBC and love that it is commercial free! I’ve watched a few episodes of Dr. Who (which is good, but not a show I am particularly hooked on) and still don’t understand a lot of the British humour. I’ve been watching comedians on Mock the Week and talk show hosts such as Russell Howard and Jonathan Ross to become more familiar with the accent and the humour. While my SO is busting a gut from laughing, I have a confused look on my face! And yes, I watch the American sitcoms such as Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother (much to my SO’s dismay) because it’s so familiar and sometimes we need just a little bit of familiarity! On that note, we went to IKEA on the weekend….aaaahhh…so familiar…
Oh and I love potato waffles!!!
Since I had been sleep deprived, my thoughts have been incoherent, and as a result I have not completed any online applications for Social Work postings. I would look at the questions posed and draw a complete blank as to how to answer them. But I am feeling better now, going for walks and practicing mindfulness which are helping immensely. Everyone I have encountered has been so friendly and welcoming. It is difficult at times to be sit around the house without having my mind wander and getting stuck in a rut, but this is a great opportunity to practice self care and to just be.
I am still waiting to hear from HCPC and this week, actually today, marks the 3 week mark since HCPC confirmed that they received my additional information. I hadn’t really thought too much about HCPC and developed a pang of fear this morning when I thought “What if I get rejected??”. But I can’t go there. I must think positive.
I am working on a blog post about the research and contacts that I made for working in the UK…and I hope to have it posted soon, with some good news from HCPC!