It's that time again.

In 9 hours a flight will be leaving London Heathrow destined for the Midwestern United States with this here young fellow aboard. I'm moving to Chicago for 4 months and right now it still doesn't seem like a reality. I'm going to start this blog up again after vague requests from elusive people that they want to read my writing once again, which is nice. I'll try to find time to channel my woes and fortunes among the three jobs I'm likely to have.

For anyone that doesn't know, I'm moving to Chicago using the J-1 working visa to undertake two intern positions. One is as a Communications Intern at the Council of American-Islamic Relations and the other is for the magazine Newcity Chicago where I'll be writing about all things musical and doing my best to get those musical writings published. Both these positions can be filed under exploitation as I don't get paid a dime, but that's the way the world works and if I really cared that much I guess I wouldn't be doing them yet, I haven't changed and I still love a moan. To pay my way I have nothing as yet, just a piece of paper in my passport that is a ticket to potentially being able my way. My hope is that I'll get a bar job and use this gift of an accent to sweet talk my way into the bottom of everyone's tip pocket. Time shall tell whether these hopes come to light.

I should be excited, really. But that emotion I can't muster right now. This troubles me as it makes me feel ungrateful for the opportunity whilst people tell me of the amazing time I am (probably) going to have. I'm not ungrateful, just anxious and daunted, feelings that stem from a number of sources: the financial insecurity of not having a job or much money, no where to live and that my initial motivations for this trip have mostly fallen by the wayside. I am a relentless worrier and that is something that my mother always hastens to tell me I inherited from her. It serves little purpose other than to stress me out and numb my excitement.

When I write the next entry I hope to think it will be wholly more positive and I'll be speaking of the amazing job I have, the Midwestern sun and the best people that I've ever met. As a good friend of mine once said, "everything always works out in the end".

See you at the Fest.