Day 20: My First Pasta & My First Contract

Rain. Last week it rained only once: please stop saying that it always rains in London, it isn't true! It is cold and the temperature is almost below zero, but all days were sunny and it was a pleasure to get around. 

Finally a bit of pasta. I dreamed of a big plate of pasta from the first day I came in England and finally it arrived after almost three weeks. After being disgusted from having tasted a dish of it at the restaurant of the hostel (a strange carbonara with oregano!), finally a taste of home. In fact, the only things needed to breathe a bit of Italy were a nice house and a nice girl. And then, De Cecco pasta and basil sauce bottled in Salerno: what more could I desire from a meal in London!

Permanent job. That dish of pasta gave me the right energy to go to sign the contract with Zara. At the Recruitment Centre, there were only two other people who had part to the group interview with me. Some signatures, details of your bank account and I've done. A permanent contract with three-month trial, a dream for those who come from Italy. My dream. I will start next Wednesday: ti will be hard and tiring, but I'm ready.

Day 15: I've got a job..

Second job interview. Today, at 11.30 am I went to the store in 333 Oxford street (close to Bond Street Tube Station) for the second job interview, in the same store where I'll work if I'm hired. Great preparation and great anxiety. The song "Hall of Fame" and the Al Pacino's motivational speech of the film "Any Given Sunday" gave me the power I needed.

Italians everywhere. I arrived early at the store, trying to find out information about that place: almost all people I asked where Italians, included the recruiter for the interview. But, as usual, we had to speak English. The interview was quick: after brief introduction of myself and of my CV, she started asking questions and explaining me the position I'll take if I'm successful. It was pretty easy, except for a question: "what's your weakness?". But I tried to give a positive idea of it, and it worked.. Anyway, if I was successful I would receive a call directly from the Zara Recruitment Centre in 120 Regent Street.

And it happened. On the way back to the hostel, I avoided taking the tube and I preferred the bus to be always reachable. At 4.30 pm the call came. I'm hired as a stockroom assistant: I will work 16 hours a week with two shifts of 8 hours on Wednesday and Saturday from midnight to 8 am. And due I will be working at night, Zara will pay me double. It means: working for 16 hours and being paid for 32! Perfect! On Monday I will sign the contract! I can't wait!

Day 14: A Strange Idea of Family (Zara & Leon)

Job interviews day. I had two different job interviews scheduled for today. The first one at Zara in 120 Regent Street, at 11.30 am for a group one. The second one at Leon Restaurant, a healthy fast food chain pretty famous in London, at 3pm in a place close to London Brigde tube station. A strange day with a funny epilogue. 

Zara time. I got there earlier than 11.30 am: punctuality in London very very important. The recruiter was an young Italian gay guy that spoke a good English but sometimes he found difficulty in finding the right word for the speech. For me, it was really easy because my Italian friend Eleonora the day before explained me her job interview step-by-step, so I knew before others the right answers to all questions. Indeed, I fully studied the company website, so I was the one who answered all questions about that. Preparation is better than luck. The interview lasted almost a hour: in my opinion, I did a great job. In fact, around 5pm the recruiter phoned me back to offer me the position of Stockroom Assistant and giving me the opportunity for a face-to-face interview tomorrow at Zara in Oxford Street. Just one last step, I can't wait for tomorrow. 

Funny family idea. At 3 pm I went to the job interview in Leon. The welcome wasn't one of the best because in the recruitment centre there were other twenty people, packed in a small and too warm room. It was a really strange group interview because all candidates had to play games (like quibbles, brainstorming, Jenga) while being watched by recruiters to show their proper skills for the job. A funny way to look for employees. The best part was to discover how the restaurant ran. Leon is considerate a real family so employees have to call managers' restaurants DAD and MOM. Hi Dad, hi Mom! The managers' chief was the UNCLE and Leon's boss was the GRANDFATHER. I'd never thought there could be another different idea of family. For me, it was too much, so I left the job interview, I couldn't handle that. 

My second family. It's really amazing to find different ways of family around the world. I found one here in hostel. Some other wonderful Italian guys with whom share time, meals and days. Beers, chocolate pralines and cakes: we can't wish for better. I think I'll miss this hostel life and this way of family. 

Day 10: Room... Coffee... Job!

It's a lot of time I don't write here. I had plenty of things to do and time is very short. In these days, I visited at least ten different rooms, I applied for some jobs, I dropped plenty of my CVs in the streets and more other things. Very tiring days passed in a kind of fast motion: I usually run from a place to another one, so I have just a little spare time and I prefer to spend it with the friends I met in hostel and have a beer with them every evening.

I visited many kinds of rooms and I met many strange people. Two of them were truly dirty: the space outside the door was full of garbage and inside the situation was ever worst. Others were family house, so I would have my single room, but I had to share the house with a family with children: I felt uncomfortable since I got inside. Finally, in other cases, landlords wanted particular kind of tenant, like a vegetarian one or an early night sleeper. Mankind can be really surprising. Anyway, maybe I found a room that I really like and I even went out to have a beer with the current tenants. Next week I'll be able to say more on that. 

These days were almost sunny. Wednesday was a strong windy day and Thursday evening there was a heavy shower until the next morning. Anyway, it is very pleasant to be outside and walk: cold isn't yet so strong. 

I started drinking coffee even here. In London, there is a very famous chain called Caffe' Nero that serves one of the best espresso I've ever had abroad. It's a little expensive (1,45£, about 1,80€) but it's worth it. And this company has also a loyalty card: after nine paid coffees you get one for free! I tasted even some other espresso at Starbucks, Costa and Coffee Republic but Caffe' Nero is really the best one. 

Now I have to go... see you soon in the next post. :)

Day 5: Coffee & Sandwich

A coffee. A real Italian espresso. That's what I miss. In hostel, an espresso is a weak instant coffee made of hot water and coffee powder and so watery that it can take up even more than half big cup. It smells good but its taste was weak and disgusting. Anyway, I think it may contain a little amount of caffeine and I need it in the morning, so I decided I should drink it. Outside the hostel, unfortunately, an espresso costs too much, at least more than two euros, so I just quit it. I'm waiting to a room and a kitchen to set up my personal moka and my coffee powder. I can't wait anymore.

Nice to meet Mr. Sandwich. Yes, it's me. Living in a hostel forced me to eat out all my meals. I strongly decided not to eat pizza and pasta until I can cook by myself, so the only solution is eating sandwiches. I mean homemade sandwiches, not just fast food ones, like McDonald's, Burger King or Subway. In London there are a lot of "penny markets" (like "Dollarama" in Canada) where you can buy everything for a pound or less. That's my favourite shop. And that's where I eat everyday. Yes, Mr. Sandwich!

Day 4: Lovely Camden

Camden, lovely Camden. Today I took a long walk from my hostel to Camden Town, around 40 minutes. I really love enjoy all places by feeling them on my skin. Every street, every corner has something different and it's very amazing to experience it. And Camden is one of my favourite place in London: a lot of curios shops, strange bunch of people, new kind of food and further more.  I went there for lunch and it was for me a great surprise. I tasted plenty of different food: Turkish wrap, Argentinian sausage, British pork, chips without fish, Chinese noodles and Brazilian chorizo. Just a place to eat after another, so the choice was pretty easy. Then, I took another long walk until Piccadilly Circus, trying to digest everything.

What about rooms? While walking on Oxford Street, I received an email to allow me to visit a room close to Shepherd's Bush Station. So, I ran by bus to get there in time, but it wasn't easy to find the place. Anyway, along the way, I met some other guys that were there for these same reason. It was a nice room, but too expensive, so I decided to extend my stay at the hostel and keep looking for it. I've already arranged some visits for tomorrow, hoping to find a nice place to stay. Finding a room is more difficult than I could think before departing. 

Beer time. After all walking day, I got hostel by bus. In these days, I'm choosing buses instead of subways as much as possible. Moving by bus is in fact the best way to enjoy the trip and look all around the city. So, after this tiring day, I really deserved a beer. And I enjoyed it. 

Day 3: Small single or large double room?

Finding a room abroad it's always a problem. Or can be an opportunity to discover new styles of life. Living in London offers a new everyday discovery. Anyway, to really enjoy the city (and to save money of public transportation) is important to stay within the zones 2 or 3. That's the problem. Room rents are pretty high, so the main question is: should I prefer a small single or a large shared double room for the same price?

Today I visited few of them both. Some small single rooms were very small like box rooms with a bed put in a closet large less the two meters, while some others missed basic stuff washing machine or internet connection. The large double rooms that I visited where spacious and comfortable with all modern cons, but I was not sure about sharing with someone else. Prices and zones are almost the same, so it's just a question of way of life. I'm still doubtful and maybe tomorrow I'll take a decision by visiting some other rooms.

Breakfast in hostel is always a great experience. Even though the quality is sometimes poor, the opportunity of talking with people from every part of the world is unbelievable. Today I met a Finnish girl and an Aussie woman. It's always nice to have a different point of view about the city, about what was going on in the world and even about own lives. In particular, the woman told me that I should act and live differently, not just following common ways of live and work, but trying to create my own one. And she gave me some good ideas. That's one of the reasons why I prefer to stay in hostel than in hotel.

Day 1: Hostel & O2

I'm here. I arrived at Gatwick Airport around 9 am. The flight was pleasant with a save landing and luckily no one claps the hands to the pilot. It was a cold but sunny day. Thanks to my elettronic passport, I jumped all the long queue to allow you to get inside UK and London. I could decide the way to get to the city between train and bus, and I chose the last one. In fact, I decided to feel immediately the sensation of driving in the wrong way: it was pretty short because I felt asleep as I got in and woke up just ten minutes before arriving. Then I arrived at Victoria Station and I needed to carry up and down all the stairs my two luggage. Remember me next time not to bring them any more, but just bags I can load on my shoulders.

I arrived sweating at my hostel. It was pretty easy to find. The 28-bed-room was conformable and not so full of people. I looked my important stuff, left my two heavy luggage and then I went out. At the beginning, I felt some strange sensations: I thought I still was in Rome, but just people, buildings and streets were different. For few minutes, I kept asking myself what I was doing here, then I just enjoyed the day. 

Look right, look left. Before crossing the streets, here it is necessary to look before at the own right then at the own left. My first times were really risky, but I was lucky because were anyway far. Then I slowly learn to handle it, even because as I put a feet on the street cars would immediaely stop. I took a long walk avoiding to spend money for the undergound and I really enjoyed it, even if I got lost several times. The neighbourhood (West Hampstead) was sorrounded of beautiful shops, cheap grocieres stores and especially KFC fastfoods. They are at every corner and even if I don't like it, I know I'm gonna try it. But not now, because I'm trying not to spend so much money by eating in the restaurants.

New mobile number. At the end, I finally reach the reason of my walking: the O2 shop. And there I bought a prepaid sim card, like in the CSI films. You don't need to registrate, nor to leave your I.D. or signature. You just pay and get a new phone number. So, now I can be a serial killer. Then, I walked back to the hostel. My day is over, I can hard spell correclty out my words. Good night! :)

1 Day to London: Goodbye Rome

 

Goodbye Rome. Time is over. I enjoyed all my years spent here, but now I need a change. London is pretty close and so I'll periodically be back to Italy, but only for short period.

Thoughts. I think I'll miss every person I've ever met and, of course, all my friends, relatives and parents. All you will be in heart and maybe in my Skype (lele_ballack, add me!).

Traffic? I don't know if I will miss anything else of Rome, anyway I'll tell you during the next days. For sure not the GRA and the traffic, maybe just the climate! So, see you somewhere in the world.

My best song: You can be the best

Yeah, You could be the greatest 

You can be the best 

You can be the king kong banging on your chest 

You could beat the world 

You could beat the war 

You could talk to God, go banging on his door 

You can throw your hands up 

You can be the clock 

You can move a mountain 

You can break rocks 

You can be a master 

Don't wait for luck 

Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself 

Standing in the hall of fame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

Cause you burn with the brightest flame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame 

You could go the distance 

You could run the mile 

You could walk straight through hell with a smile 

You could be the hero 

You could get the gold 

Breaking all the records that thought never could be broke 

Do it for your people 

Do it for your pride 

Never gonna know if you never even try 

Do it for your counrty 

Do it for you name 

Cause there's gonna be a day 

When your, standing in the hall of fame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

Cause you burn with the brightest flame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame 

Be a champion, Be a champion, Be a champion, Be a champion 

On the walls of the hall of fame 

Be students 

Be teachers 

Be politicians 

Be preachers 

Be believers 

Be leaders 

Be astronauts 

Be champions 

Be true seekers 

Be students 

Be teachers 

Be politicians 

Be preachers 

Be believers 

Be leaders 

Be astronauts 

Be champions 

Standing in the hall of fame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

Cause you burn with the brightest flame 

And the world's gonna know your name 

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame 

(You can be a champion) 

You could be the greatest 

(You can be a champion) 

You can be the best 

(You can be a champion) 

You can be the king kong banging on your chest 

(You can be a champion) 

You could beat the world 

(You can be a champion) 

You could beat the war 

(You can be a champion) 

You could talk to God, go banging on his door 

(You can be a champion) 

You can throw your hands up 

(You can be a champion) 

You can be the clock 

(You can be a champion) 

You can move a mountain 

(You can be a champion) 

You can break rocks 

(You can be a champion) 

You can be a master 

(You can be a champion) 

Don't wait for luck 

(You can be a champion) 

Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself 

(You can be a champion) 

Standing in the hall of fame

2 Days to London: Packing Time

I've always loved to pack. It needs organisation, precision, attention and a bit of madness. It's not easy to put all my life in such a small space like a suitcase. However, is a great challenge.

Mess, just mess. All the clothes are scattered around the room, accessories packed in several boxes and everything else no one knows if it will fit in. No worries, just order and method, as said Poirot.

Weight issue. The good news is that everything fits in, but the only problem is the weight: not more than 30 kg. I will face it maybe few hours before leaving or directly at the airport. Anyway, all things that will exceed, maybe will be useless.

Today is the my mom birthday. I delayed my trip for this reason, I wanted to give her this last gift. And, of course, it is nice to spend one last night with the whole family.

Time is over. Finally, only a last goodbye and a promise, perhaps vain, like many others, or maybe not. Time will tell us, I hope.

3 Days to London: Carpe Diem

Life is so beautiful. There can be changes, surprises and a lot of last-minute unexpected things. That's why I always focus on the present. Thinking and planning the future is quite important, but everyone shouldn't forget that life is now. 

My motto is: carpe (that fucking) diem. We are the creators of our own destiny and we decide our lives through our choices. Situations can not be repeated, trains do not return and instants go by very fast. It is very important to take risks to get rewards.

The today's key-word is timing. Unfortunately, things do not always happen when you want, some days they arrive too early and burn, some others they arrive too late and you can not enjoy it fully. I have learned to take life as it comes: there is always a part of it that we can not decide and I call it destiny. It is not an excuse, but the simple consideration that there are coincidences that do not depend on our will. Anyway, I think we must always live our lives, every second, without remorse or regret.

4 Days to London: My last movie

Wonderful experience. I went to watch the film without too many expectations. I hadn't seen the trailer of the film, nor had read his story. It worthily represented my last Italian film. Its title was: "Viva l'Italia".

I couldn't wish for more. A film denouncing all faults, vices and bad things of Italy. A country where rich people always prevail over poor ones and where money and corruption always win. A perfect picture that summarise all the reasons why I decided to left Italy. There isn't really much to save in this country, but many people seem not to notice.

Open your eyes. Go to the theatre and watch it, especially those who remain in Italy. You won't regret it and maybe you will understand you that anger which prompted me to take this decision. I just can not live any more in the Italy of today.

6 Days to London: Friends Night

I'm ready. Today I did the last medical exam and I'm finally ready to go. Now, it's my moment, everything is already planned and 14th November I'll finally go. I can't wait any more.

Here we are. The countdown now runs towards the end. The last major step is to greet all most important friends and that's why I organized a fantastic goodbye beer. Among invitations not received, missed calls and last-minute surprises, the night was really satisfying and especially long, as usual.

Thanks friends. I will miss you very much. Hope to see you soon... in London!

7 Days to London: Goodbye Books

I donated all my books to the local library. I just saved my favourite ten and then I let them go on their way.

I think that the culture should be shared. Books don't belong to anybody: they just belong to the world. Leaving books on the shelf collecting dust it's a great waste: they can still be read by many people.

Reading is a pleasure. I think that everyone should have the possibility to read books for free. Even because the current price of the books in the bookshops is pretty expensive. 

So books, have a safe and funny journey. I hope you'll be treated well as I did and you could make dream many other readers.

8 Days to London: CV Day & Friends

CVs and UK: mistake. Someone told me that my European standard CV wasn’t suitable for United Kingdom.  That was really a bad news. So, I had to write afresh a new curriculum. I goggled to collect as more information as I could about this new standard but I didn’t find anything really official. Finding common aspects among different models, I started it. But, it wasn't so easy as I thought it was.  At the top of the blank page I just wrote: “Curriculum Vitae”, than a guide that I downloaded showed me that I shouldn't  So, I just wrote my name. And after e-mail address and my Italian cell phone number. Now, the trouble started. 

Too much space to fill in. CVs for UK should have “Key Skills” and “Profile” sections. I really didn't know what to write in. Every guide I read proposed to use an original template: it was already hard to outline it that I was almost to give it up. But I resisted and I just decided to fill as better I could this blank page: after it I’ll take care of the rest. That part of the work was very funny: finding right sentences, associating words  and summarising information. In my opinion, I did a good work. Changes will be put tomorrow: I believe a new mind will fix any problems.

Friends night. I stood up from the chair and got dressed: it was time to go out and met all my Krav Maga friends. That was an amazing dinner and night: it always very pleasant to know people that before were just training partners.  I’ve always loved this kind of way to stay together. And as always it ended very late: travel talking usually last very long. Every word, suggest, idea I received enrich me. 

Now, I’m even more enthusiastic to start this trip. Of course, there will be difficulties but I kwon I can overcome them. 

9 Days to London: I've got a job... maybe!

Maybe today was my lucky day! I got up again late, but now I stop focusing on this problem and I tried to find a proper solution: maybe tomorrow I’ll have the first results. After spent night before watching movies online, I decided I wanted to watch some episodes of my favourite TV series, but it was difficult to find them available online. So, this morning I spent more than hour downloading TV series episodes from eMule: now I can choose among episodes of CSI New York and Miami, and Criminal Minds. I think the latter will be on my way tonight, after writing this post. I’m not afraid of going bed just after watching movie like this. Not yet.

Later in the morning I went to my bank to fix last issues about my account. After all operations done, I started chatting with the other bank workers of the room, obviously free of work. Everyone asked me to tell my story and then they gave me all suggests that people don’t like to travel usually give to fearless travellers. But one of them, suddenly, said something different. I finally found a person that had already been in London and that above all love travelling. “If you want to work there I have a solution for you” he said to me. And in few minutes he contacted two friends of him. 

No surprise: he was a pioneer. He spent over five years in London working and studying at the university about ten years ago. And now, he sent her 15-year-old daughter attending High School in London. He gave me two chances of work: night porter hotel or bar-waiter in a place in Oxford Street. Now I have to go there and check what’s the best suitable solution for me, for what I want to do and for where I live. I’ll  always be grateful to him and.. to destiny that allows me to have this meeting.

Wish me good luck, please! 

11 Days to London: Last Things to Buy

Waking up early is my Achilles' heel. It's more than a wish, but it's for me to realize. Every night I plan to get up early and do a lot of things, but invariably in the morning I'm too sleepy to open my eyes and I snooze my alarm until exasperation. In fact, I have the innate ability of being able to hit "snooze" button without rising out of unconsciousness. Even after going through the whole to search and turn off the alarm, I usually go back to bed. I tried many different methods, but I can't still succeed.  

Today, after snoozing many times my alarm clock, I stopped it by mistake. But I wake up just in time. Washed and dressed in seven minutes, I had a very short time to arrive to medical laboratory before closing. Fortunately, I did arrive in time to do my blood test. Probably no one knows that I have a terrible fear of needles, so the doctor preferred to lie me down on the couch and I survive it.

And after it, I went shopping to relief myself. It was my lucky day: I found a beautiful pair of black jeans in the first shop where I went in. Anyway, my shopping phase was pretty fast: I just bought a neck warmer, a pack of bed sheets and some pharmacy stuff. Only few things to delete last names on my to-buy-list. But I still need an Italian coffee maker (how can I drop it?) and a travel hair-dryer (even if I shaved my hair). Hope to find very cheap items. 

I'm almost ready to pack my suitcase, but it's still too early. Should I start? Maybe at the beginning of the next week. The problem is that I have only 30 kg. to fill up. Will the space be enough? You'll discover it in the next episodes!

12 Days to London: 3 Reasons to Leave

The most tiring and stressful moment before departing is to gather all documents. A long work that includes the necessity to refer to bureaucracy. Long queues in various offices, like post office, registry office and other spaces always crowded of people.

I don't like to be in the queue: it's boring. And in Italy queues can take all day long. Fortunately, today wasn't my case. I've lost the pin-code of my prepaid credit card, so I needed to pay and subscribe a new card because shipping a new pin-code took over a week. Anyway, in a hour I did it. This was just the last stage of a long series of queues to prepare all papers.

Things in, things out. On the one hand I gathered all documents in my folder and on the other hand I got rid of some superfluous things, like unused electric cable, old cellphones and other broken computer stuff. I brought them to a communal recycling depot where they gather all same materials in a depository, trying to save and reuse as many parts as they can. It is a free service, but nobody in Italy seems to need it. People prefer to put all waste, whether recyclable or not, in the same bin. That's one of long list of unsolvable problems in this country. Unfortunately, there isn't hope something will happen in the next future: maybe Italy will never move to efficient systems to gather and recycle waste like in the rest of Europe.

Reasons to leave Italy are many and they concern especially job market, public transportation and mind-set.

a) Job: Italy has one of highest unemployment rate in Europe. Over 25% of young people doesn't have job (free stages or underpaid works are not included): a condition that is inconceivable in other European countries. This situation kill every wish of independence and bring people to drop the idea of living alone to remain at parents' house well over 30 years old.

b) Public Transport: at the end of 2012, Rome has still only two metro lines. That's the main difference with other European capitals. For example, Paris has fourteen lines, London thirteen and Berlin ten. A really great difference. Moving from a side to another of the city in Rome can take even half a day: no certainty about buses time transit, long waits even under the rain and stressful trips packed like sardines.

c) Mind-set: no respect for others, every-man-for-himself way of life, slyness against rules and institutions, non-existent meritocracy and favouritism logic, embarrassing politics class and bureaucracy. The list is still long but I prefer to stop. Do you really need other reasons?

I can't live in a country like this. There is no future. I deserve something better and I'll get it somewhere else.  

13 Days to London: Travel Talking

Talk about travel is always a romantic moment. Share experiences, ideas, desires and ways of life makes me dream. Every trip is not only a way to discover the world, but to know a new part of themselves. When you figure it out, you'll never stop travelling.

Travels require a great deal of wish and courage. It's never easy, especially when you choose a one-way trip. I was just excited and willing to begin this new experience: other people made me feel brave by telling me that I had to have a lot of courage to do such a thing. I've never thought about it. I decided to do it and I bought a ticket: the rest will come.

When your brain perceives the idea of leaving, you feel like a grasp in your stomach. I think it's really important to go away by yourself, because being with someone else involves an inevitable sense of responsibility and coherence inside your intimate person. Instead, what you need is a reset with the past, a change of character and personality that make you a different person just after a step out of your door.

That's the point. Travel is an inner impulse: you can pretend to ignore it by contenting yourself of your life or try to follow your instinct. It's always a matter of choice. I chose the second option. 

14 Days to London: Raining

Rainy day. Rain coming down all day long, non-stop. In the common sense, it's a perfect London day. But I've never been afraid of bad weather. So, let's go out.

I woke up late, failing all my daily plans. I had many things to do before leaving, but I just quit them. So, my day started with disappointment: I wasn't able to respect what I planned to do. It has always happened, but now my days in Italy are very few.

So, I went out just wearing my coat and bringing an umbrella with me. I didn't need anything else, expect for a book in my pocket. People angry and annoyed everywhere. Why should you be angry about bad weather?  You can't do anything to change it, just live and be in peace with yourself. Open your umbrella and go wherever you have to, but please stop complain about it.

I felt so in peace with myself that I called my barber and asked him if he could cut all my hair off. He said yes: I was the happiest guy in that bus stop under the rain. I took two crowded buses with all my patience, and finally I got there. And I shaved my head. That beautiful sensation of not caring any more about my hair. Another step towards greater comfort and, obviously, towards London.

Then, I went back home. I changed my wet clothes and I went swimming. From the water to the water: no pain, just relaxing sensations. Being in the pool always give me back my forces. The best conclusion for a tiring and rainy day. Or not.

It's the Halloween night, but I don't care. Saving money is my first principle now. So, feeling a little bad with a starting cold I just went bed. Good night to ghosts and monsters. 

15 Days to London: Special Goodbye

Special person deserves special goodbye. What makes someone special is not a question of time, but the way that person can reach and touch your heart. Indeed, the amount of time you spent together is really less important than its quality. So, it's truly hard to say goodbye, especially pretending not to be sorry at all.

I think there are many crossroads in life and only choices make the difference. There aren't good or bad choices, but just choices. They change people, places, situations and the way the World turns. And our choices were different. It's not a matter of guilt, but a matter of freedom. That's the ground of happiness.

To say goodbye is not an end, but a new start. Two different lives, two different places, two different worlds, but the idea of a connection that will never stop. I already told and wrote you all my thoughts, sensations and emotions, but I never confessed that I'll sure miss you.

We have an appointment. In the future. Is up to each one to remember. So.... see you.

15 Days to London: Greetings Time

It always happens. The awkward moment when I have to say goodbye. It means there will be a change and something will happen soon.

Yes, I'm leaving: I don't know how long I'll be away, maybe a year, maybe forever. Anyway, I'll be far away for a long time and I'll probably miss every thing and every person of my previous life, but I have and I want to go. There will be a rift and after it nobody knows what can happen. I don't know and I'm afraid, but I'll do my best.

Saying goodbye is for sure the last step before leaving, but usually is the first I think about. Leaving people with whom you spent most of your life is not easy. How to survive it? I prefer to avoid sad situations, but I have to face them. Tell someone that I'll leave, grab some money and assure him we'll keep in touch is pretty simple. The hardest part of this ritual is to say goodbye to old relatives. Uncertainty, anxiety, emotion and a mix of different sensations usually block me. Only reading happiness in their faces rewards me, but I truly hope to see them again.

So, goodbye. But not now, just in 15 days.

Starting....