From a LondonDiva to a.......Diva ???

Yes I know I've mentioned the show umpteen times, but so what, I can relate to certain elements of it as can many other women. I'm talking about Sex & The City. I made it through to the last episode again [the 2nd time around] where Carrie returns to New York from Paris rescued by Big [who we now know after 6 seasons as John] and back into the arms of her 4 girlfriends and it got me thinking.

I must admit I was slightly put off before I've even began, at the prospect of going overseas and experiencing a different type of life outside of the London one. Then a reality check pulls me back in and I'm reminded I'd be busy and not waiting on a man to finish his light project at a Paris museum, and roaming the streets trying to find things to do to occupy my day. I'd be out there wherever it maybe travelling and or working.

If Carrie was to fast forward a few years into 2008, she may have logged onto the Meet Up website and seen what was going on in and around Paris for bored and single Americans in the city so it wouldn't have been such a disappointment on the social level for her as an 'American Girl in Paris'.

With that said, when it comes down to it there really is no excuse to be alone or even lonely when taking that huge step and relocating somewhere else in the world, whether that be for a few months or a few years.

Millions of people travel with nothing but their possessions and their lonesome selves, and at times the thought of doing something is far scarier than actually doing it. I did say a few days ago, and quoting Eleanor Roosevelt "do something everyday that scares you." The thought of a temporary move even for a few months scares me, but I feel it's something that I need to do [even if it's just once] to say I've done it and not let it be a part of a "what if?" lifestyle.

When I talk to friends about whether it would ever be an option for them to ever up and leave London, I hear a lot of the same. I'm close to my mum and my friends are here.

Me: [Blank stare]

OK, I'm in exactly the same boat but not for a minute are my friends and family, [who I may also add are living their own lives for themselves], going to keep me here and experiencing life and breaking free from the London monotony just because they are based here. I would never do anything or go anywhere. Playing it safe is not really for me. I couldn't stay here because my parents, sister and best friends are here. Would I miss them? Of course I would, but my reality is I rarely see them everyday anyway. I e-mail and talk on the phone a lot more than I'm in physical contact so nothing really changes [except my location] should I be away overseas. In addition to that we have web cams, Instant messenger, social networks like Facebook and MySpace, free calls over the Internet, text messaging, media messaging which bridges the gap and takes the edge off of missing your people, so it's not as hard as it could have been 10 or even 20 years ago. It's not like the pen pal days where it was paper and a stamp and waiting 2 weeks for a response. Of course there are limitations like not being able to dress up and meet your girls for a drink or go to a bar. But there are planes and passports and new friendships to form. Nothing will ever replace my girls, but there's nothing evil about adopting some new ones along the way and building new real-life social networks. If it can work for my girl J in Chicago, then it can work with friendships and relationships only if you're committed in the first place to making it work.

Luckily I've never been one to put my life on hold because of other people and have no desire to use friends and family as an excuse just to 'deal' with a city I don't have much love for. The world is a big place and life is too short to just sit and wonder about it. I want to be able to live in that wonderment. So whether it be Sydney, Singapore, USA, Malaysia, Dubai or some other place, hopefully whichever corners of globe me and my girls end up in we'll be happy, and at the end of the day that's all that matters. Plus it will always give us an excuse to travel.