kinto

I last updated one month ago

...which goes to show that whether you're extremely busy & over-worked or just not doing so much... time flies all the same.

Many friends have asked me what was happening, where the fuck I was, what I've been up to etc... well, see answers below if you're still interested.

After I left the UK, I spent some time in France, mainly staying at my parents' since I knew I would probably not see them for quite a while, and sorting last minute stuff that needed sorting (mostly admin crap, not worthy getting into detail).

Then I left for the US, to stay in Florida with N for a while and plan some travelling around the US and the Eastern part of the world.

Now, as you can imagine, nothing really happened according to plan...

Firstly, I soon learnt that Florida is the only American state also known as "The right to work state", which can be translated by "The right to shut up, have no rights whatsoever & be a slave if you want to keep your job state". Basically, work legislation obliges you to do as many overtime hours as your employers see fit or face the sack... Being the run-up to xmas, N subsequently often had to work 12-hour afternoon shifts, 5 to 6 times a week, a pattern that would even go on through early January... with "holidays" not being an option, of course... so there went any early plans...

Then, N received a letter saying she was awarded an extension to finish the dissertation that will seal the work she did during her year in the UK. It's a post-graduate thingy, I can never remember exactly what it is. Let's just say it's a big diploma regarding psychology, Jung & para-psychology . We're both glad she got that extension, since it would pretty much have been impossible for her to finish within the original given amount of time, and she was about to give up on it. This has become the main priority for her and consequently, travel plans were further postponed.

2005 had been a really long year, psychologically very tough to go through & very frustrating at times for me & for her... but we had the most fantastic times together, and it got better & better as the year grew older.

We got married in January 2006. It wasn't part of the original plan either. The year was new & we just felt it was right.

For many years I truly believed I'd never marry anybody, for different reasons, but mainly because I didn't really believe I could find someone that I could get along with so well, for so long, someone so genuine, so beautiful, so gentle as N. She's truly some kind of angel & frankly I have to mentally pinch myself hard sometimes to believe I can share some of my time on earth with her. I hope I'll never ever take us for granted.

So 2006 started with a bang, we're like on cloud 9 & a half, and then all shit breaks loose with her (very slightly unstable) mother. I don't want to get into detail. Let's just say that I never thought I'd have such a close look at such a level of schizophrenia. Less than 1 week into our married life, she threw us (and N's brother) out of her house. Luckily, there are amazing people on this planet, and we got help when we really needed it. We're now staying at one of N's closest friends' mother's house.

Back to admin stuff... (it is endless)

I am now filing for adjustment of status (green card), right to work, etc... We were delayed finding a good attorney, since the town we're in isn't exactly NY, where you can find a lawyer every block... but we finally found one. It's going to be a long process & basically, I shouldn't be able to work until end of May/early June at the earliest.

It's all fine & dandy, I hear you say, and yes, it's great not to work, but money runs dry very, very fast (especially when you have to repay loans) and we have to be very tight right now.

Also, I didn't expect the $2000 fee that filing + attorney fee was going to cost me (and it's a good price compared to other attorneys we've seen...). On top of that, I received a letter from the UK's Inland Revenue, telling me that I was going to get pretty much nothing as tax back. The way they do their calculations, I got totally screwed. So, yes, so much for the myth of getting your tax back when you're a foreigner leaving the UK for good. That's bullshit.

On top of that, sometimes I miss my friends a lot; it can be quite reclusive and I can't really go anywhere, since I don't have the money to buy a car & N needs hers for work. It's no fun seeing her go to work every day and not being able to do anything to help... to the point where you even miss having a job... but there's nothing I can do right now and being gloomy is not an option, N doesn't need any additional stress.

So that's about what happened to me these last few months (in a very summarized version, with much drama & stress not included).

Those are hectic times, but we're both looking forward to a not-too-distant future, when we can finally get out of Florida and start another chapter of our lives

I'll leave you on that for now... I hope you're all doing good and finding happiness and the causes of happiness.