New Plan

For now, I'm working from home on Mondays and Fridays, while staying at an Airbnb around the corner from work on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. This is the most cost efficient way of doing things, as it doesn't look like I'm going to be getting my money back from that last place.

I have found a new room to rent full time, but it won't be available until November. While it is quite a bit less than I was paying before, it's also quite a bit further out. It's in zone two of the Underground, which means it costs more, and take longer. At the moment, it's about seven stops away from work, but if I ever work anywhere else in London, it's going to be much more. It still all feels so up in the air.

Complete Disaster

Holy shit.

I moved out of my landlady's new flat in Kensington, because it was a little too noisy, and it was really a bit too small for two independent people. I found a new place on the other side of London at Shad Thames, right next to Tower Bridge. It was a huge flat in a new building with views of the City, Canary Wharf, the Thames, and St Katharine Docks. The apartment had three bedrooms. The man who rented me the room lived in one, and another man lived in the other.

Right off the bat, this guy had the television on loud. Like, really loud. You could hear it in France, probably. But I thought "well, he turns it off at 10, so I can't really complain". Then I realised the kitchen was a complete mess after just one day. I asked if he had a maid or a cleaner, and he said no. But the last straw was the most incredible thing I've ever witnessed in all the different places I've lived all over the world.

Thursday night at 1:30am, the other guy who lives there opens my bedroom door and asks if I "want to snuggle." You read that right. I say no, but he keeps asking. Eventually he shuts the door, but comes back a few seconds later asking again. Needless to say, I couldn't go back to sleep after that. At 6 o'clock, I got up, left the keys on the table, and left, never to go back. I spoke to the man who rented me the room, and he apologised for the other man's behaviour, and accepted me leaving. I'm not sure if I'll be getting my money back, but at least I won't be living in fear.

On a really sober note, this gave me an everso small glimpse of what many people around the world have to live with every day, in fear of abuse from someone they live with. I've been so fortunate to never have experienced anything like this, but if you find yourself in this situation, please leave or seek help.