I arrived last Thursday. I am staying in a hotel in Basildon until I can rent a flat. I have been learning to get around on buses since I won't have a car for a week or so. I am so enjoying all the surprises I find. For example, diet pepsi tastes different! Who knew there would be a different recipe! It's good, just different. I have enjoyed the food since I got here. There are things I had read about that I wanted to try, so I'm doing it and have been delighted.
My new job starts on Nov. 2 and I hope to have a car and a flat before then. Jet lag wasn't so bad. The day I arrived, I was exhausted. The second day, I slept on and off all day and then slept again all night. After that, I have been fine. I have had regular online contact with family, which is great! Can't imagine what it would be like without the internet making this huge transition.
For fun, I traveled to the Basildown Town Center for two days. Found everything I need there, too. Found my bank, found a realtor to help with housing search. Found a few household things I needed. The shops are impressive and the open market is fun.
All in all, it's going well so far!
Also, wondering if there are any ExPats in Basildon area?
