Lynnette: A couple years ago, Kurt mentioned the small possibility he could get a job in his field in England. I told him that if it comes up, there’s no need to check with me, just take it. Little did I know…
Kurt: After eighteen years in the same job, I decided it was time to move on. I won’t go into the details of my unhappiness there, except to say that I’d been thinking dreaming about quitting for at least a decade. Sometimes it takes me a long time to admit that I’ve made a decision. (Understatement intentional.)
L: I lived in England two different times growing up. The first time, I was a little curious about England (OK, really, I was fascinated with the idea of kings and queens and castles) but miserable about leaving my friends behind. I was just too young to appreciate it. Luckily, our parents dragged took my brothers and me on numerous forced family fun (or Triple-F, as we call it) outings, and we explored as much as they could afford with a family of six.
The second time, I was excited and wanted to see and do as much as I could. I saw and did a lot and even made it to the continent. But is there ever enough time to see and do everything in England? Plus, there’s the rest of Britain and Europe.
K: I have pretty much always wanted to spend some time in the United Kingdom. The list of things I’ve wanted to see and do in the UK has grown longer as my awareness of the world has expanded, and to be perfectly honest, part of the attraction I feel for my completely amazing wife is that she has seen and done many of those things (and things I have yet to imagine).
After I told Lynnette that I was tired of feeling unfulfilled at work, we worked out a five-year plan. The mission statement for that plan went something like this: “I will be earning a living as a writer by April 1, 2021.” For thirteen months, I worked toward that goal, and she supported me. I wrote more. I submitted my work for publishing. I applied for and was accepted to a playwriting program at the La Jolla Playhouse. I got published twice. I created a website and started building a social media presence. I found a tribe of fellow writers.
The plan lasted for thirteen months.
I got a note from a friend. There’s a job in London, she wrote. If you’re interested.
Of course we’re interested. Because London.
L: So, here I am again. This time, I’m with the love of my life and he is as determined and excited as I am to make the most of our time here. We’re off to a good start.
K: And so, I am writing in my living room in London. We’re still getting settled in our new life. Most of our stuff hasn’t arrived yet, so the house is mostly empty. The only furniture in my study is the cardboard box we’re using as a printer stand. We don’t yet have a car.
L: Right now, we’re “indoor camping” in our new home. We’re exploring the city and planning adventures. So far, we’ve mastered British public transit and pubs—obviously the two most important things to figure out right away. Figuring out less essential things like healthcare and how to get credit in the UK so we can get cell phones (or mobiles as the Brits say) is a work in progress.
K: I love the new job and especially love the people I work with. That 2021 deadline is just under three years away, and I’m certain that it’ll be pushed back a bit.
L: I’m also remembering how fast the time will go, which makes me anxious and a little sad. Will we have enough time and money to experience it all? Of course not, but that’s the beauty of it—there’s just so much art, culture, history, food, architecture, theatre, nature…
Gotta run. We have choices to make, places to go and history to see.
K: Our first “trip” is coming up on Saturday, to Windsor ahead of the Royal Wedding.
This is gonna be fun.
