6 years on...

Well it’s been quite a ride, here I am 6 years later after I stepped on a plane at Luton airport on a cold Monday morning October 24th, 2011.  Hands up and I'm actually seriously interested from my friends in the UK and family who thought I wouldn't last 6 days or 6 months here.  Be honest, no judging.

The fact is in 6 years it’s been a hell of a bumpy ride, lots of ups and definitely a lot of downs, the question is would I change any of it? If I could go back in time to talk to my past self a few days or so before I got on the plane, would I tell him to not go, I suppose if you look at all I've done over the time here, you can answer my question.

As some probably saw I posted a status yesterday about work here in Israel and in fact over the past 6 years I've had 9 jobs, been out of work for probably about a year of that, I'm including the 5 months of Ulpan and 5 months from the end of December 2012 until end of April 2013 where I was unemployed and various other times.  So a lot of people would probably say if you had been out of work for that long period, in a different country, without family and only a few friends and not much of a social life, why not come back to the UK and find a job there, where you at least have family and friends around.  To be honest there were periods where in my unemployed time that I reached a point, so low that all I thought about was hopping on a plane and never looking back... I mean who wouldn't.  But I stayed, I kept trying and the darkest period for me was the end of 2014/beginning of 2015.  I had moved to a job in Tel Aviv in Binary Options!!! Doing customer service and because of changes in management I got the boot and it was a struggle to find work.  

I knew I was coming to the UK on Holiday in March 2015 and at that point, I wondered if I was coming back for good.  Fortunately or unfortunately I found a job at a law firm, which as much as a horrible place it was to work at... okay the people for the most part were very nice and some of them I am still in touch with me, even though I've now been gone almost 5 months.  But still if not for the job, I would have been back in the UK for good, so in some ways I owe that place a lot.

But after all the short term and bad jobs I've had, I feel like I've finally found a place where I'm doing good work and appreciated and liked by my co-workers, even if one of them does now run at the sight of me!!! Okay that's because our department wants him to do some IT work for us and he can't at the moment, but still I feel finally in a good work environment that I can stay for a long time...

Socially it hasn't been easy, but then I don't think it was ever that easy in the UK.  Maybe I'm wrong and maybe someone reads this and will feel upset, but it’s always felt like I've had to chase people to do stuff, that if I didn't reach out, it could easily be weeks before I went out or I saw people.  I think I've always felt that way, slightly invisible even among good friends, I'm the one that slips into the background and only noticed every so often, even if it’s because someone needs me for something.  But yep I'm still here, still trying to go out and I've made friends who do include me, but still it’s hard I'm at an age now where all my friends are either dating, married or married with children and it’s a feeling like I'm being left behind.  I'm not saying I haven't dated since I've been here, I have, but it never lasts, like I'm not the one they're looking for, but I'm good enough to kill a couple of hours, before they fade away like a ghost... still everyone tells me the one is out there!! Certain people tell me I should be asking my friends if they know people that I can be set up with... maybe I've not been dropping enough hints!!! Generally though socially things are okay, I just wish friends would sometimes reach out a bit more, instead of me feeling like I'm always chasing.

Living situation, since I've been here, I've lived in 6 places so almost like 1 place for every year I've been here.  I started off with 5 months in dorms, while doing Ulpan and that was fun. Then I spent a year in Rishon in a lovely apartment with a friend I made from the Ulpan.  It’s funny that when I was living in Rishon I was 15 minute’s walk from where I am now working, but at that time my jobs where in Tel Aviv or Ramat Gan and now I live in Ramat Gan and work in Rishon... it is funny how life goes.  But so I moved to Tel Aviv, spent 6 months in an apartment that I'm pretty sure if it was blown up, the dirt would still be there!! Then I spent 18 months in Ramat Aviv, a year sharing with Kylie and Kiki and then 6 months in the apartment on my own.  It gave me a taste for living on my own and for a year I lived in south Tel Aviv by myself and while the apartment was good, the neighbourhood not so much and finally here I am for almost 18 months in Ramat Gan and I like it, close to Tel Aviv, easy access to the train station and also buses to my office.  It’s a good location and I'm happy to be able to go to the park most Saturday's to chill out.

The fact is Israel has taken me, chewed up and tried to spit me out, but I'm still here, still fighting, maybe I don't have everything I would like, but I'm not going to stop trying and in answer to the question, would I change any of it?  Nope, bring on the next 6 years I'm ready

So read, comment, criticize, or just say hi.  I'm still here.