It’s over. Almost. Our time in London, that is. After nearly three years in the capital, it’s time to leave. But not quite yet, because London looks to be having the last laugh. We’ve been preparing our exit for about six months, sorting our lives out and getting rid of stuff, ready for the next chapter.
We had a wonderful Christmas in Cornwall, catching up with family, before returning to London to make our final preparations for the flat, before handing it back to the military. We also saw Stacey off at Gatwick Airport, which we’ll discuss shortly. The handover of the flat occurred this morning at 0915, and everything went smoothly until I packed my bag in the van and tried to start it. Nothing.
The weather app on my phone reported -5 °C, which is likely causing the van to have trouble starting. When I dropped Stacey off at Gatwick on Saturday, it was -2 °C, so that’s my benchmark for it firing up.
Right now, I’m sitting in a Pret a Manger on Putney High Street, nursing a white-filter coffee to escape the bitter cold outside and the few falling snowflakes. I’ll go back in a couple of hours and give it another go before I call the AA. Pray for Bumper.
What’s Next?
We have developed a love-hate relationship with London over the last year or so, probably driven by our plans to leave and our insatiable appetite to explore it. London is pretty intense at the best of times, and we’ve seen an awful lot of it since we’ve been here. You can never see it all, but we’ve given it a good go and finally got fed up with the place.
Our time in London was always on the clock, ending when I left the Navy. After almost 23 years, I went into the MOD Headquarters last month, handed in my laptop, said goodbye to a few colleagues, and had my ID card cut up and handed back to me, with a quick “That’s you done, c’ya”.
Stacey had the opportunity to relocate to Dubai for a few months for her job, which she accepted. The timings align well with our plans, and it’s an excellent opportunity for her. This move left me with two options. Stay in London alone, or leave. The latter seemed like the better option, so I am relocating back to West Yorkshire for three months until Stacey returns. It’s been 23 years since I last lived there, so I’m super excited to return, see some old faces, explore, and get to know the place again before it’s time to move on again.
What’s After That?
We have decided it will be Switzerland and the Grand Tour road trip. “What’s next?” is the question on everyone’s lips when they find out I am leaving the military. For a long time, we didn’t really know. We’d been planning this exit since 2018, but not what was to come after, other than some travel.
We came across an article talking about Switzerland’s Grand Tour road trip. Given that Switzerland is regarded as one of the world’s most beautiful countries, and spring will be just around the corner when Stacey returns home, this Central European country, famous for its alpine landscape, chocolate, and of course, the Swiss Army Knife, seemed like a good place to start our travels. We don’t yet know what lies beyond Switzerland, but we’ll figure something out eventually.
Anyway, it’s time to go. The weather app is indicating -1 °C, so I’ll head back and see if the van starts. Wish me luck.
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