How it Began

Since 2003 my life has largely revolved around 3 things: acting, my boyfriend and Moving to London. Why London? It’s a great city and I fell in love with a British man who lives here. But before the permanent move, we agreed on a try-out period. A taster, if you will. So in October 2003 I left my swanky apartment near Washington, DC, my friends, my family, put my acting career on hold, put 95% of my worldly possessions in storage and the other 5% in suitcases and flew away. The taster that was supposed to last 6 months ended up being 9. Mostly good times were had and by the end we thought, “OK let’s do it.” I’ll move to London. Just one little thing stood in our way. A work visa.

As two university-educated (one from Cambridge, no less), resourceful adults we eventually worked it out. It only took 6 months, a couple thousand pounds in solicitor’s fees, a stint as a Crate & Barrel seasonal (great discounts!), and supreme patience. Visas came and went as I spent the months living with my parents back in Maryland. Meanwhile my boyfriend was all the way across the ocean. Finally, finally, in January 2004 all was ready. I sold nearly all of my stored stuff, packed the rest and flew away.

Fortunately all of that trouble came to some good. Soon after the move I was upgraded to fiancée and now I’m living happily in wedded bliss.

As romantic as I think the story is, my love life isn't the focus of this blog. It merely sets the scene, provides a context for what is to follow.

Now I’m here, living in the greatest metropolitan city in the world. Hooray!? As anyone who has moved to a foreign country will know, it’s a serious transition. Even though I’ve moved from one “English-speaking” country to another, it’s still completely different than life in America. It can be lonely and frustrating and sometimes it seems like I’ll always be an outsider. Desperate to fit in, adjust, understand how things work, be accepted, I’ve devoted a lot of time to making those things happen. When I first arrived, I would have been grateful to know another American in the same situation who could ease the pain – tell me what to expect, ways to meet people, how long I’d feel like a fish out of water etc. etc. Not only personally but professionally too. It’s a whole new acting community to break into, new ropes to learn, and contacts to make. And that’s why I’ve begun this blog: to share some of my experiences and offer a few shortcuts to any Americans settling in the UK, and specifically American actors who want to work in London.