Relocating back to the UK (2)
After living on the little island of St. Maarten in the NE Caribbean for 28 years, I returned to the rural English countryside.
Photo: The old barn.
At last the high temperatures have cooled slightly I still find it as warm as the Caribbean, so I am not complaining. Cloudiness promises hope for rain relief for the crops, but so far its only promises. We had a light drizzle but need a good few days of solid rain, high hopes as drought has been declared in this region.. I ordered some new gesso-boards, varnish, mediums and oil paints again. Still painting every day. I have a little side job as a waitress in a local transport cafe/motel, where I do a bit of everything, serving, washing dishes and ironing. There is not a lot of choice up here for work unless its picking fruit and veg, sorting produce working in the greenhouses or working in the odd supermarket. I applied to all of them, including mail delivery with the Royal Mail (I passed all the checks but didn’t hear from them, probably because of my lack of insurance history). I failed my entrance test to stack shelves at Aldi, either I am too thick or too smart, ha ha ha. The motel job came back first. Its good. It gives me the cash to get by and its only 10 mins from my house, you gotta factoring travelling costs these days in these basic wage jobs as cost of fuel will eat all you little money. I am happy to have a reliable cash inflow and not use up savings, as I restart my life again here. Coming back something I noticed has changed. The NHS no longer covers dental care for new patients so I have to pay privately. Plus, I had hoped to get a little car, but as I have no driving history. Being out of the country so long, I have zero no claims bonus and my car insurance will be £1500, that's like almost $2000 per year. Yikes! So that's going to have to wait awhile. I have someone sign me onto their insurance so in time that will help bring that cost down in future. (I need my bike!)
Photo: Potato fields, Lincolnshire.
It can be pretty lonely too. I know its still a bit too early to make new friends and I miss all my friends in St. Maarten very much and think of them often. I am so happy I can still see and speak to them online. I have lots to keep me busy. I have a place to plant my little veg garden at last, a dream I always dreamt of. Earlier in the spring I have put in carrots, spinach, zucchini (courgette), rockette, pumpkin, onions and loads of tomatoes,...and of course they have these huge big fields of veg all around here and they wouldn't miss one or two that goes in my backpack now and then, lol.
photo: Old barn
Hi!, I am Stephanie Tihanyi, an artist-painter and illustrator. Welcome to my blog. This is where I write about my work, influences, exhibitions and latest news.
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