Dossing

Please excuse my lack of recent posts as it has been aaaaaages since I have had the chance to sit down and write something exciting. My excuse this time is a great one as I have had my friend Shea to stay or whats known as 'dossing' over here in London Town.

Dossing is pretty much another word for couch surfing but its usually applied to people that stay for longer periods of time i.e over a week. Its a new term to me and as a previous couch surfer I felt slightly guilty as dossers usually chip 5 pounds a night for the bills/rent or booze fund for the flat (which I hadn't done - however I hadn't stayed over a week anywhere so I think I'm borderline ok).

It was so much fun having Shea back in London for good. We met on our Topdeck tour (like many of my London friends) but apart from Oktoberfest and one random day in July we hadn't spend much time together since May. It was good that she chose to doss here first so we had a chance to catch up and chill out together. Its also good for her as I have such a big room and such chillaxed housemates so she had a chance to relax after travelling for months and the opportunity to start her job/flat hunt in the comfort of a home rather then a hostel.

Words of wisdom for those who are thinking of moving overseas or anywhere else really - ALWAYS have more money then you think you should. Shea was like me and ended up in London with nothing after using all our travel funds for partying in Europe. When you first arrive in the city the last thing you want to be doing is staying indoors on a lappy all day without the money or opportunity to explore. How else are you going to know if your going to like it if you cant' even check out the local pubs... I mean... neighbourhood. Also, if you haven't ever worked in hospitality think of taking up a weekend job in a cafe or pub. When I arrived in London I didn't have much luck finding a hospitality job but since then I have seen so many places with signs in the window or adds online. Almost all of them need experience though and while they won't be your dream job and they pay is pretty average you will be out and about meeting new people and at least having some funds coming into your bank account.

I know that his post may not be that interesting for people who aren't planning on coming over but I feel like I should at least share a little bit of wisdom and the things I have learnt since I have been here. Now that I am back to being a loner and have my laptop readily available I plan on posting regular posts this week to catch you guys up on what I have been up to recently - including the party I went to in a retirement village, my Pamplona friends reunion and my new job!