On the edge of nowhere

Click for more photos.

I've finished working at the BBC now so I returned from London and headed up to the Outer Hebrides for a short break and a chance to catch up with some old friends. This place is breathtaking. It's a barren, yet very lived in, environment. Occasionally, while driving around, we'd spot old tractors, trucks and buses abandoned by the roadside to decay, because they'd never make it back to the town or to the mainland. Unused houses are left empty, and the moors are dotted with seemingly untouched shielings.

Some of the shielings really are untouched, crumbling or barely standing against the elements. Some are still used during the summer months and show distant signs of life inside - a gas stove or an old board game for instance.

After my interview and my visa gets approved, I want to fly out as soon as I can. I have a bit of time now to take a UK tour, meeting up with friends and family to say farewell. Right now, I really am on the edge of nowhere. It's not a bad place to be.

A shieling. Click for more photos.

Consulation

I was sitting in the BBC bar chatting to the production team tonight after working on the live show when something exciting happened.

I've had a blast working down here. From the moment I stepped into Television Centre, I thought "I belong here!". It reminded me of my days as a theatre brat. TVC in itself is an amazing building steeped in history. I hear the BBC is selling it off in a few years, so it's been a real honour to get the chance to be a part of its history.

So I was talking to some of the interns and they are all interested in my situation. One of them asked when I was heading to the New World, to which I said "I don't know exactly, I don't have my visa interview yet. Once I get the date I'll have a firmer idea of when I'm going."

People ask us this question a lot and it's hard to answer because I've been living week to week recently. I deliberately left my previous job early so I didn't have to keep them hanging on while I'm hanging on. The next stage could happen very fast, when it happens.

During our conversation, someone poured me a glass of wine and I checked my emails on my phone. And there it was. A letter from the National Visa Center with a date for US embassy interview.

"Hey, can you repeat your question to me?"

"When are you moving to the States?"

I showed them my phone. "It looks like I'm moving in June!"