It’s come around again- I’m sitting in the study in my Dad’s house, typing on the laptop, and I’m going to be heading back to London tomorrow. Once I’m back, I’m straight into four days of subbing (the traditional Christmas issue brain-mash), and also into a two week countdown to the point where my life completely changes. There’s an awful lot to do- I’ve placed myself in charge of ‘shutting down’ our life in London, so there are people to call, things to cancel, things to transfer… the list is going to be pretty big. Hopefully there’s going to be lots of chance for social interaction as well, and I don’t want to let the stress get the better of me. Change is good. It may be scary and tumultuous, but it’s also good.

A phase of my life that’s gone on for an awful lot longer than I ever expected is going to be ending soon. I moved to London in November 1995 with a rucksack on my back, a suitcase, and two weeks worth of accomodation sorted out. I didn’t really have a choice at that point- I had to make it work. It was very, very tough, but I’ve made it through the last eleven years- and I’ve had a wider variety of adventures than I was expecting. I went to America. I became a freelance writer. I got married. None of that was stuff I expected to happen, and I don’t know what the next decade or so has in store for me- but as long as I can keep myself and George as happy as possible, and I can keep writing, that’ll be enough.

Last time, when I left here and went back to Cornwall, I instinctively knew that I needed to get out of London. This time, when I go back, we’re actually going to be doing it. It’s going to be financially very rough for longer than I’d like, and there’s a whole host of problems facing us as we try and set ourselves up down there… but I know that this is what I want. The timing may not be fantastic- and I might be the kind of guy who’d rather wait and avoid stress than have to face it- but I know that this is what I want. All that remains is to do it.

Gulp…