"Paradise" To London: Catching Up To Myself...Again

Flatt's Inlet, Bermuda

You won't believe how many people ask "why would you leave paradise [Bermuda] to come to London?

Yes, I left a good job and a lovely flat near the beach on a stunning island so that I could come and train and dance and be a frikkin amazing dancer. Well, the short answer is: "Paradise" is a relative term and all that glitters on the surface isn't gold. It was time to escape the inertia of my comfortable box, and dance more, dance better and travel often and cheaply.

As you can see, my last post was exactly two years ago in November 2015, when I was traipsing around Southeast Asia enjoying three months of no work, teaching English, and trying to (unsuccessfully) avoid stomach flu. So once again, my blog needs to catch up with me, and here it is!

While still in Cambodia, I enrolled in a vigorous Cambridge University TEFL (CELTA) training course in London; I would have two weeks over Christmas to acclimatise to London life, then back to school full-time for the entire month of January. It was the most strenuous but most rewarding academic undertaking I've ever experienced: a Level 5 Qualification (or 4-year undergrad degree) compressed into 4 weeks. I passed with a grade in the top 20% (worldwide) with a certification that will enable me to teach English anywhere in the world - perfect!

Having landed right in the middle of the holiday season, there wasn't much going on for salsa parties, so I didn't dance much. During my studies I even had very little time to dance, but still carved out some time on Wednesday evenings to jump back into teaching at Caramelo Latin Dance. Then there was the task of finding a more permanent place to live - currently, Westfield Hostel was my home - as cozy as it was, I couldn't stay there long-term. Finally Upper Norwood in lush SE19 welcomed me home and there I stayed for a year.

I had a weekend to revel in the glory of being free from lesson plans and then work started at Capezio London, Europe's largest dance wear retailer If I'd forgotten how absolutely annoying retail work can be, I was quickly reminded...luckily, with an amazing team and the ability to test drive any dance gear I wanted made up for the occasional eye-rolling moments provided by well-meaning customers.

Now that the course was done and the holidays were over, it was time get down to the business of! This was flippin' amazing! It didn't take long to make loads of new Salsa friends.

Edyta, Me, Gabriella and Ovgu - "Agua Clara" Show

dancing as much as I can - and over the next few months I danced and taught and trained and performed and had an absolute blast, and I couldn't believe I was actually doing what I set out to! I was travelling more frequently than ever (without breaking the bank, as any congress trip from Bermuda meant a month's salary saved up). I even jumped back into choreographing for student performance teams, at Caramelo Latin Dance and finally Pro Team shows.

However, not everyone was as delighted about my intense focus on my passion; frequent late nights out, opposing schedules, ill-targeted jealousy, unnecessary drama and general gloom led to me pulling the plug on my relationship a year after the big move. Circumstances had changed, but other people wanted to remain the same, and to someone is literally always moving, felt like I was stuck in the mud.

Nevertheless, changes followed: I moved to West London, found partnership with a lovely man who 'gets' my life and just as nuts about dancing as I am and has dance visions clearer than the waters of Bermuda. Fast-forward to today: I've just returned from El Sol Salsa Festival in Warsaw, one of Europe's largest. This time, I was a performer and not just an attendee...more on that in the next blog!

"Any regrets?" I'm often asked. Nope...not one. Home #1 is one overpriced 6.5-hour flight away. Home #2 is right here for now, until the next international adventure about a month from now :)

Note: I started this blog as a medium to rant and tell stories about my life on the dance floor, and as I've grown, it grows with me. People ask for my advice all the time, and I feel the need to share! I've added pages that will feature tips, tricks and hack for dancers: beauty & personal care tips, shoe care, where to dance, music lists, etc. So please subscribe here by email, follow me on Instagram and Facebook (@salsagoddess6).