I love you Philadelphia…

So it’s been a month since I initiated the new blog- what have I been doing in that time? What a time it was…

Let’s go back to this past summer when I knew I wouldn’t be doing shop carpentry anymore and I somehow felt that I would be projected into a larger sphere, perhaps even the stratosphere. I remember having a discussion that same week with an acquaintance- she seemed wishy-washy in her affection for Philadelphia. Would she be staying? Well, she wasn’t really in love with the city, there were these vague experiences she felt she might pursue. I’m not really making a secret of it here that inside I was smirking, though outwardly doing my best to seem intrigued and supportive. I unconditionally loved Philadelphia and would stay and fight to be there, I was thinking. How could I know that within days this certainty would collapse? On another day that week I was introduced  to a new acquaintance  who had just returned from South Korea, from a gig teaching English. “That’s cool” I thought, I had always imagined that had things been different, I would have done that-oh so long ago- when I graduated from University. Again, no clue that instant that within days I would be returning from Star Trek and intensively researching that option, that very night, in hopes of jetting out in 4 weeks time perhaps. I actually was offered several jobs, accepted two, in a major blunder, and on August 23rd, did not get on a plane.

The Korea option, at least phase one, did not come to be. It’s just as well, I wasn’t actually ready to leave. There were issues with my house (I own a two-story row-house in South Philadelphia) and other loose ends. Luckily, as I was solving these issues I found new friends and new paths opened up.

In the end I decided that teaching English overseas was what I wanted to do. At the last minute I engineered the resources to get training, rather than just diving in, (many do just go, especially to Korea). I applied and was granted an interview at International House London for their CELTA – Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults. I bought a calling card and borrowed a landline and called at the appointed time, 40 minutes later I was offered placement in the course starting two weeks later, and I accepted.

I found a house-share through Gumtree, the British craigslist, booked my flight, and continued repairing my house and tying up loose ends. I wasn’t actually sure I would be returning to Philly, but I decided it was best to get a round-trip ticket- I could always adjust this if necessary.

I also began eating Pho, vietnamese noodle soup, nearly every day for lunch.

Next: Hello London