Suburgatory

So after four years, I have left London. Due to financial reasons (or rather, a lack of finances) I have returned to south Wales as a 22 year-old graduate and am currently living with my parents again.



As I'm writing this, I've been back a grand total of 11 days. There are people I already miss, not to mention my independence, the convenience of  London life, the convenience of transport and definitely the night life. However, there's something oddly comforting about being around my family again, who I feel that I've somewhat neglected since I moved away from home aged 18.
I seem to have reverted back to my 18 year-old self. It's as if my life in London was a dream. I'm older, not vastly wiser, and yet I feel that nothing has changed since I left. I'm still looking for a job, I have the same friends and often rely on friends and family members for the occasional lift (it goes without saying that not being able to drive in London isn't an issue, in the valleys on the other hand, getting around isn't quite as straightforward as I've become accustomed to).

When I was in the process of leaving London, I was in a cocktail of mixed emotions. Sad to be leaving the life that I had single-handedly carved out for myself, the friends I had made, the places I frequented, but then I was so looking forward to having a weight lifted off my shoulders. That being, the weight of ridiculously pricey rent, bills, council tax, transport etc. Even with a wage, I was left with very little at the end of each month. I wanted to be able save money and actually LIVE. Be able to save for a holiday, a new computer, driving lessons perhaps, basically afford to actually do nice things, and have what I considered to be a "normal" life, as opposed to the heightened reality that people in London seem to be floating around in.

I have my daily panics of "Oh my God what am I going to do with my life? What about my career? What career do I even want?" But for now, I need to gather my thoughts, get my head together and just figure out what it is exactly I want to do with my life and how I'm going to do it.

It was hard to leave London, that break-up wasn't easy. But we remain good friends and I'll be visiting regularly (I have a plethora of couches to crash on with thanks to some very understanding friends) so maybe it isn't a break up at all... perhaps we're on a 'break'.



Yes I'll have my days when I'm sobbing uncontrollably in the corner of my room while I repeatedly blast Lily Allen's "LDN", and I've already had days when I've felt like a complete failure at life and I've spent an innumerable amount of hours blobbed out in front of the Food Network. But I know moving home will be good for me and that it's the logical thing to do, in the long run.

So to keep me sane (and you entertained) I've decided to document what will undoubtedly be an interesting time in my life. Adjusting to living with my parents again, and in the countryside that I grew up in after four years of living in one of the busiest cities in the world. I will be frank and I will be brutally honest, just think of it as being similar to that TV show 'Suburgatory'... but y'know... funnier.

For more updates on how hilarious my life is, be sure to follow me on twitter! - @JackDMurphy