Holy Blog, Batman!

I've been saying this a lot lately. Ok, not necessarily about blogging and not always outloud. But trust me, it's been in my head. I have no idea why or how it got there...but I'm not hatin'.


So, I feel a bit shameful about blogging because I should be working on my major project (read: the culminating project that I have to do in order to get my MA degree. Otherwise I will get a PG certificate that basically says 'well, you paid all the money but just weren't quite good enough to make it! better luck next time!') Oh, and did I mention that without the MA I can't extend my visa?? Rough. And yes mumsy, I have passed all my classes, I work on my MP daily and will have it finished because, let's face it, I shine under pressure. So don't worry about your little girl who is still oh so far away.

For my MP I am editing, designing, marketing and analysing my friend Maria's YA story Beyond the Fold. It's really good, and complete! Will be sent to the printers early tomorrow morning! WHOOHOOO! Now onto finishing that marketing plan, writing that report, flushing out the website...yikes.

Enough about school- although since I haven't posted in forever, a real school update is fairly due. Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn. The real reason for my sudden blog attack is that as of Friday, 13 August (aka THIS FRIDAY!) I will have been living in the UK for a WHOLE YEAR!! Ok, technically I left the US on the 13th and arrived in the UK on the 14th. But let's not be persnickity. SO much has happened to me over the past year, it's really quite unbelievable. There were times at the beginning that I doubted myself-- See Copenhagen. :P But really, I am so incredibly proud of the past year that I can hardly stand it.

I have made great friends. Truly. I've never had a rough time making friends in general, but I ALWAYS have to have my core group of pals that I confide everything in (and if you have been in this group, I deeply apologise for all the drunken outbursts, rebellious streaks, and times I've made you blush with my sailor mouth. I do love you truly.) Don't know what I would've done without a few special people this year. Especially when it came down to some pretty intense courses.

I have loved and lost and loved again. Most will know that I ended a relationship of 4+ years a couple weeks after moving to Oxford. I know it was the right decision. Our time had run its course, and although I love him deeply for the experiences we shared, the friendship and the growing we did, It was ready to be over. Sadly it took us a while to realise it. It was hard, I'll be honest. I didn't think I'd ever meet anyone, date, find someone who I was as comfortable with. At 24, I feared the worst. I know, silly.
However, I dated. I flirted. I explored. I met boys with accents ;) And then, in a pub with live Irish music the inevitable happened. I met someone who made me feel comfortable, who made me laugh and smile, and most importantly had a British accent. GOAL ACHIEVED! lol

I have sorted out my career path, and then changed it. Maybe. I'm still unsure. Ok...I know (MOTHER!) you're freaking out right now. Let's get some things straight. Obviously I'm still working in publishing. Hello?? I did not spend all this money, an entire year working the most hellish job ever, and expend all that effort in classes for nothing. I am absolutely completely in love with the publishing industry. More so than I was a year ago even. For reals. I've always known I want to do editorial. Three editorial placements later, still sure (though rights is appealing...). I've wanted to do fiction, because it's my favourite genre. This year I narrowed that down to Young Adult fiction. And then NPD happened. Most importantly the fact that I was MD of the fiction division. And said fiction division needed to make a crap tonne of money. So we produced 'erotic romance' and I was introduced to every facet of the genre. And you know what? It's hilarious, it's entertaining, it's a cash machine. So, now this week I started a 6 week placement at Mills and Boon. The Harlequin of the UK. The romance genre QUEEN. So...YA or Romance/Erotica? Choices, Choices.

I explored the world. Well, some of it anyway. I went backpacking, duh, before the course. I made it to 10 countries. 1o! Just fathom that for a bit. I sure have been. Looking back I still can't believe I did it. Sometimes it was hard, sometimes it was pure bliss, sometimes it was just plain strange (warsaw kebab. seriously.). While on the course I went to Frankfurt and Mainz Germany for the bookfair and Guttenberg museum respectively. Still in love with Germany. I went to Paris with Amy during her visit. I went to Cambridge (alright, not exactly centre of the world). I spent two weeks living in an ITALIAN VILLA in Florence. FOR FREE. What?! Wow, I love Europe. Oh, and i went to 3 concentration camps. I'm planning the memorial trip to Auschwitz/Birkenau in January...Please see me if you'd like to attend :)

I've changed me. In the best of ways, I assure you. I've grown up. I'm working on certain things (Ahem, Vo. What you're always telling me..I'm getting there!). Most importantly I'm happy. Oh yeah, and I just moved to London! You are welcome to visit, but if you're coming from the states I will expect American groceries upon your arrival. Just saying.

I am still absolutely positive that I was meant for this country, this industry, this life.
Hopefully I'll keep you better informed (and more frequently at that) in the future.

Cheers,
J xxx

--EDIT-- blogger is being stupid and I can't post pictures. I will do. Don't worry. :)

Sitting on a bus and on top of the world

Hi ya.
I've arrived in London (yesterday around noon local time) and made it safely to my friend Gretchen's flat in east London. Currently, I'm on my way to Oxford via the Oxford tube (a bus) and enjoying the free, albeit shaky wi-fi. After my arrival at Heathrow yesterday I rode the London tube all the way to north/east London and missed all the sites. It's nice to be sitting on a bus and looking out on my London. The London I remember. I got very sentimental around the Gloucester Road tube stop that's for sure.

Things seem to be going well so far. I booked myself an overnight flight to get here and of course did not sleep a wink. Went to bed around 9:30 last night and was up again by midnight until 2 am surfing the net and running all these scenarios around in my head. My mind is currently incapable of relaxing and going with the flow and...SLEEPING at the moment. I did manage to get some sleep between 2 and 8:30. So I feel great. As I walked up to Gretchen's road yesterday she greeted me with open arms and a "welcome home." That felt great!

In oxford I will be meeting my flatmates and seeing the flat for the first time. I also hope to get a few things done in town, but seeing as will be Saturday afternoon by the time I arrive, I'm not sure what will be open. I can always do the bank on Monday in London...right?

I am, of course, worrying about money. So far I haven't spent much, 20quid on my tube pass a few pounds at the market and now my bus trip which is 13pounds roundtrip on a student discount :) I'm mostly worried about the upcoming travel and how expensive it will be and I'm not sure when exactly I get the money from my loan...I think it may be enrollment week or the week before... Oh well. It's something to keep in mind but I can't let it ruin my day/week/month!
I love London!!!

She's got eyes of the bluest skies...

Suppose I'm about due for an update, especially since loose ends are finally being tied up and I am t-minus 15 (!) days until departure!

After a quite costly debacle with the Visa process--I am officially on (or will be in 15 days) a UK general student tier 4 visa!! Complete with a horrendous picture to match my horrifying passport! I am so glad that this is all straightened out and I can, in fact, proceed with my much anticipated adventure! I first applied for my visa online, paid $250 for it and then had to schedule a 'biometric' appointment in Charleston. That went fine, although I was so nervous that I'd do something wrong. Which, obviously, I did! At the appointment they took my fingerprints (did you know that typing a lot makes your fingerprints harder to capture? In essence, you lose your prints because the typing wears them off...good to know, right?) and then they took a couple of pictures. Well, being the novice at the whole Visa process, I figured that the pictures they took would be the ones sent to the UK visa office in NYC. Wrong. On top of that I forgot to mail in...hmm, let's see, a whole crap load of stuff needed to process my visa. Namely, bank records, my loan information, my diploma and that very helpful letter from the Uni saying that I actually was accepted. It took 3 tries to get my visa settled. All in all about $300 dollars. At the end of which they send me an email with a link to a handy list (although, still a little vague) of what needed to be sent with my application. Very helpful, thanks.

Needless to say, I am now in possession of my passport again, complete with UK visa sticker/thing and have made copies of it. I'm also almost completely packed for my trip and for the next year...or at least a few months. I'm not taking all of my clothes, naturally...mostly because I figure I'll want to buy clothes seeing as I love me some UK fashions! I have 3 bags and a small backpack. I'll be taking my HUGE suitcase, large backpack (as in for hiking, etc.) and small backpack with me on August 13th and stepdad Ben has graciously agreed to bring my other suitcase over in September when he comes to bring mum home! I surprisingly have managed to not go over the 50lb weight limit on any of the bags...one came in close at 44lbs, but I've since lightened it a bit! The backpack for my month long excursion is weighing in at about 23lbs which I think it fantastic considering it will carry my life for a month.

I'm starting to get really sentimental and nervous about leaving. And, despite the fact that I feel like I'm on a spending spree most days, I'm enjoying the fact that I quit working early. I've enjoyed being able to spend time with friends and family whenever I want...and on days that everyone else is leading a normal life...I like to hang out with my kitten who will miss me immensley I'm sure. :)

I am also proud to say that I've mastered Skype this week with a whole 2 sessions. One to Illinois (I think...maybe Indiana?) and another to good ol' East Berlin. Let's just say my mum is TOO funny with technology. Speaking of mum, we spent a very nice week together in early July in East Berlin (see what not having a job can do for you?). We hung out with the family, enjoyed some 4th of July-ness, cleaned and attempted to purge her storage unit and went to Hershey Park! I used to go to Hershey Park all the time and it became a little repetitive...but it's nice to go with first timers, or in my mom's case someone who hasn't been there in a long time! We rode 98% of the coasters (didn't mess with the lame ones, natch), shared a delicious chicken wrap and walked our butts off! Good times. We love each other beaucoup.

Next up is Maria's visit to Motown this weekend, which also culminates with my LAST weekend in Motown, at least as a resident. :) Seriously, so excited about that. Then I'll finish up packing/getting ready and head to PA on Friday (the 7th). Mum and I are off to NYC for a few days and then it's go time, folks!