Life Update
I don’t really know where I will be when this post goes up. I’ve scheduled it for Friday, 18th November at 1 o’clock in the afternoon. At this time I should be in the air, on my way to San Francisco for 18 Months. A lot has happened in the past few months so here is a brief update...
June 2016
I attended ‘Graduate Fashion Week’ and exhibited my collection. (I intend on writing a post of my graduate fashion week experience at some point in the future)
I produced and sent off a design project to a brief provided by Old Navy, Gap Inc. Can be seen here
Offered an interview by Old Navy
July 2016
Had an interview with several member of the Old Navy design team
Received a job offer from Old Navy (of course I accepted)
Graduated
August 2016
Originally scheduled to fly out to San Francisco (postponed due to visa delays)
September 2016
More Visa Delays
First Visa denied (very sad)
October 2016
New petition for visa submitted
More visa delays
Petition accepted
Embassy appointment scheduled
November 2016
U.S Embassy appointment
Visa approved
Flight confirmed
FLY OUT!
As you can see, it’s been a long time coming and has definitely tested my patience to the maximum. There has been many highs and lows through out this process but I’ve learnt to take it each day at a time- I’ve also learnt that if something is that important to you, it’s worth waiting for!
When I first found out I’d be joining the Old Navy Design Team, based in San Francisco, I couldn’t believe it! It was beyond my wildest dreams and I never thought my first job out of university, my graduate job, would involve moving to a different country!
My final year at university was very difficult, to say the least. It was no walk in the park and anytime I found it was getting on top of me, or I thought I couldn’t keep going, I thought about the rewards that would come after- and the job I hoped I would one day get.
I’ve always been ready to go wherever life would take me, so when offered a dream job in San Francisco, I didn’t even think about it. What an opportunity! What a dream! I just said yes, and knew it would be an adventure and an experience I’d never forget! I’m ready to get out there and start living that California life, and start putting to use everything I learnt while at uni.
But this extra time at home has given me time to fully prepared, I would have been nowhere near ready to go in August, as originally planned. Tax briefings, Air shipments, completing document after document, appointments and phone calls. It was all a lot to get my head around, and most of it I still don’t really understand. But I know once I’m there, things will fall into place much better and I’ll understand things much more!
While at home I got in contact with an old friend. I was bored at home waiting to hear about visas and appointments, so I thought I start a blog to 1) to put my time to good use while waiting to hear something, and 2) to document my adventure, if I did actually get to go. I’d seen my friend Violet had a blog up and running and I loved checking it out, seeing her latest posts and what she’d been buying. I reached out and mentioned I was thinking of starting one up, and if she wanted to take some picture for each other, so we did. We were quite good friends when we were younger, but like people do, we drifted apart when we both went our seperate ways with university and stuff. So as you can imagine a good ol’ chat was long overdue, and thanks to a flat tyre we were able to natter about all sorts. We met up a few times, and now I’m actually pretty sad to be leaving and wish I’d got in contact sooner. But when we meet up for the first time in years, it was like no time had pasted at all, so I know it will be like that again when I next see her. Please check out her blog as it’s beautiful, and I wouldn’t have had mine if it wasn’t for her.
I’ve been able to spend much more time with my family. I didn’t really go home much while at university because of the workload, and only saw my family at Christmas, Easter, and when they’d come and visit me. So this time at home has been really special for me, and I felt like a little kid again- having all my washing done, home cooked meals, lovely clean bedding. OMG! I’m really going to miss all of that! But most of all, I’ll miss all of them! Anyone who knows me knows how close I am with my family, so saying goodbye to them and not knowing when I’ll see them again is going to be hard, but that just gives them the excuse to visit me!
So who knows where life is going to go now, well I know to San Francisco but I looking forward to what’s ahead and will try to document as much as possible…