Hello, London! An Adventure of a Translator in the UK_2; A Fluid Heart

Hello everyone, I’m Chayun.

It’s been about a month without noticing since I came here while dealing with many things. My original plan was to publish an article weekly or bi-weekly… What? Already one month? I’ve started foreseeing I’ll update articles monthly instead of bi-weekly, which I’m afraid of.

Well, I’d like to write down notices and learnings by reflecting on life here so far.

First of all, I didn’t have a lot of energy for the first three days or so. London, the UK is a place which I had longed to live for all my life. I was in London but not so happy about that… How is it possible!? Honestly, I had never imagined myself being like that in London at all, which surprised me very much. I thought of the reason for the confusion and figured it out. It was because everything I have established in Japan, such as the standard of life, the sense of value in terms of money and hygiene, relationships, and routine, has transformed. I got damaged by this without realising. This kind of change naturally occurs when you change something, especially the country where you make a living. Although I understood it very well in my brain, my heart seemed to need a little longer time to accept the fact than I had expected. Actually, I've stayed in the UK twice but I was a student and just a kid until the last time. However, this time, I’ve become an adult with experience in society more or less, meaning somehow I’ve built up myself to be solid, which made it a little tough for me to adjust myself to a new environment. I wish to maintain a fluid body and heart...!

Despite that, the period was a chance to appreciate how much people around me supported me. If I were much younger, I would never have said anything that didn’t sound confident like 'I’m feeling down'. Fortunately, I’ve already learnt through various experiences that the quickest way to recover from a negative feeling is to tell my honest feelings to people who I trust. And I was emotionally cuddled and cheered up by my family and best friends! Yes, I am so lucky I have such lovely people around me. I appreciate all the support I've received from my beloved people, especially a friend who let me stay in her place. She has given me a lot of cheerful comments and advice. I can’t thank her enough… She said to me once, 'This is a big change for you and it’s tough to live in a totally different country from yours, but this is now your "home"'. Home... that’s true. This word made me ready for a new life again. Here am I, London. I’m excited to think of how I can pay her back.

With a lot of support, I've tried to go out to get used to the environment. One week later after I arrived in London, I proactively joined any kind of invitation like hiking, concerts and festivals to meet new people. One thing that made me happier during this period was that my old friend came from a distance to see me in London. I had a great time with her. Thanks to everyone, I’ve made new friends and got to know how I can enjoy this new life. In this way, I’ve gradually regained the original myself and remembered something I want to do, for example having an English breakfast!

The reason I am writing this is because I couldn’t find anyone and any articles or blogs that showed the same feelings as I felt at that time but came across only positive ones, saying something like 'I’ve already got a room and a job! Oh, I love my life!' I hope one day this article will embrace and cuddle anyone who struggles with their new life like me. You'll be fine!

By the way, I'm not an exception to go through a hard time finding a room! I had heard finding a room in London was pretty tough, but it was way more difficult than I had imagined... I will talk about it at some point.

Thank you for reading this.

See you soon!