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They say there are two things you need to do before being able to dig your roots into a new city:
1. Get a job
2. Find a place to call home

While I continue to endlessly apply for jobs online and have enlisted recruitment agencies to be on the job for me (more on that subject later... recruitment agencies are a beast of their own), there's hope that something will eventuate before long. House hunting, however, possibly requires even more patience and perseverance. For although you might be happy to take an O-K job that simply pays the bills, you need to be a little more selective about the place you return to after escaping said less-than-desirable job after a long day.

It begins with scouring the internet for hot leads (I swear you could rule the world from sitting in bed in your pyjamas, with simply a computer and an internet connection as weapons) in areas you hope live up the the opinions of fellow bloggers. Allowing enough time to get from A to B in order to be on time to view the place. Soak in the general atmosphere of the area and picture yourself making the walk from the tube home everyday. Then, and finally then, ringing the doorbell of your potential new home and praying that this will be it.

So far, I have looked at ten places thinking each of them would be it. Needless to say, none of them were it. I have a renewed respect for Goldilocks and her quest for perfection. She demonstrated great perseverance sitting on all of those seats, eating all of that porridge and lying down in all of those beds. She has become my new inspiration as I continue the search for somewhere to live.

So far, I have encountered lovely area/lovely room/old people, dodgy area/average room/amazing people, lovely area/lovely room/person who was watching the TV in the background the whole time while we were having our first conversation, dodgy area/dodgy room/dodgy people (I'm trying hard to forget that one) and okay area/okay room/lovely people/wayyy too expensive combinations.

It would be quite easy to spend months searching for the perfect place. Unfortunately, I've got until next Thursday until I'm kicked out of my broomstick cupboard in Central London.

So, with that in mind, I reluctantly left my broomstick cupboard sanctuary to have a look at a place at 8pm last night. It was in an area I came across by chance on Friday heading to a recruitment agency interview. Immediately I knew something was different, as the first attractive boy I've seen here sat on the tube and gave me a beaming smile. Getting off at the station, I walked up the stairs and emerged in heaven. Sunshine. Bounding acres of green grass where people were simply lying and soaking it all in. Children being picked up from school in little British uniforms. Red double decker buses driving by every couple of minutes. Cute delis and corner stores, and twinkles in people's eyes.

Clapham.

Yes, thought Goldilocks. I could live here.

So, with heart in hand I knocked on the door of my potential new home in gorgeous Clapham.

The girls were lovely. Their friends who were over were lovely. The room was perfect and it even had its own ensuite. There was a washing machine and clothes drying rack. Yes, thought Goldilocks. I could live here. However, while I was still plucking up the courage to let the girls know that I would happily sign any paperwork that was needed, the doorbell rang.

Another girl coming to have a look at this perfect room.

Unfortunately it's easy to forget that there are other people also in search for a perfect space, and rejection in favour of another is quite likely. For all of the dodgy places I'd looked at, that were happy to offer me a place on the spot, of course it wouldn't be the case for the place I had fallen in love with. Unfortunately, the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears failed to offer any kind of guidance as to what to do when a Competitor Goldilocks enters the competition rink. In an attempt to avoid awkward confrontation, I instead sat down on the couch and pretended to be one of the existing friends while the competition check out my new room and laughed with my new roomies. Fortunately, I timed my exist just as she was standing outside with New Roomie #1 and as we faked friends saying goodbye, I managed to give her a big hug before walking on my way. Take that, Competition Goldilocks.

So now we play the waiting game. Despite hoping for the best, I continue to arrange viewings of other places in the area. Next time though, I will be armed with something more sinister such as stink bombs should another encounter with the competition arise.

Love, Em xxx