The parting of ways

I want to start this last blog entry by thanking everybody who has been reading my blog, especially everyone who has visited this blog weekly. I'd never thought there would be this many people interested in my adventures in London. It has been a joy reading your comments and hearing what you think of all the things I have seen and done. It has also been a joy for me to walk through the great city that is London and visiting all the places I have.
Also, thank you to the people who sent me a postcard. They made a very nice collage on the wall!

This week was quite a strange one. During my final week at work, I had to learn how to do Quality Checks for Netflix, which are a bit different from the ones I've been doing the rest of the time, so that I will be able to help out with all the Netflix work as a freelancer once I'm home. Doing Quality Checks for Netflix turned out to be a bit of a complex thing at the start. I am very happy I had a whole week to learn it at the office, because I had a lot of questions about all the steps I had to go through. But at the end of the week, I was able to get through it all without any doubts, and now I can definitely say that I have my first job as a freelancer for Deluxe Media, which is to do Quality Checks on an entire season of a Netflix series. I couldn't be happier.

Apart from the work, there was also some fun. On Thursday, I went out for dinner with my colleagues and they gave me way too many presents for which I love them dearly. I have heard several times that night that if I ever find myself back in London, I can always give them a call, which brought a smile to my face every time I heard it. I might even take them up on that in a couple of years.
All I can say, is that I've had a great five months working in the PSS-team and that I've learned so much from my colleagues, not only things concerning subtitling, but also about teamwork, planning and many other things. I was very nervous about the internship at first, because I had not learned anything about subtitling yet and did not know anything about the things I would be doing during my internship, didn't even know Quality Checks on subtitles existed, but from day one I've been a valued member of the PSS-team. Apparently, my colleagues were even surprised by how fast I was able to understand all the information they threw at me. The fact that I was included in a new project on my first day, which I didn't think much of, since I was learning new things anyway, was very special indeed. Normally, interns first get tought all the "normal" things the PSS-team does and if they are ready after all that, they will get included in special projects. I seemed to be ready for one of those from day one. It is very rewarding to hear all these things and to know that the team would love to have me back as an actual member of the team one day. Right now, I really wouldn't mind that happening in a few years. Settling in London for a while does not sound like such a bad thing at all (and it gives you all a good excuse to visit the city once or twice, which sounds like a very good deal to me).
But that is talk for the future. Let me first finish my studies during the next year and a half.
The dinner itself was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss these nights out with the PSS-team!

For Friday, I'd baked my leaving cake. There was bubbly (champagne) for the whole team and I got a goodbye-card that had gone through the office. My co-workers had written down a few very sweet messages for me.
That day I also signed the contract that has now officially made me a freelancer for the PSS-team. I am very happy that I will be able to continue my work for the team this way and that I will stay in contact with the company like this too. Of course, the extra money I will be earning is a very nice thing as well.
Saying goodbye to everybody felt a bit strange, but I will still be in contact with them once I get home, which is a very nice thing to know.

The past two days, I spent walking through London with my parents, who have especially come to escort me home on Tuesday. Today we packed most of my stuff, which makes my room feel very empty, apart from the three big suitcases and a few other bags standing around in my room. The walls are empty again and my desk nearly is too. It feels right to go now, it isn't exactly my room anymore.
Tomorrow, I move out and I will be spending my last night at the hotel my parents are staying at. But tomorrow, something else exciting is happening. My last red carpet event in London, featuring the one and only JOHNNY DEPP!!!!!! I think I could not be luckier, especially since I have dad here, who will be able to take pictures with his camera while mom and I will be fangirling with all the other women. I do have to mention that apart from dear Johnny, Paul Bettany will be joining us on the red carpet as well, an actor I really like as well (you might know him from A Beautiful Mind or A Knight's Tale). Yes, I am going to end my stay in London with a bang.

Tuesday morning I will be heading home again, back to family, cats, friends, school and studying (that last one, I am not looking forward to very much).

Thank you again for reading about everything I have been up to over the past five months. I have had a blast doing everything I have been doing and writing to you about it. If you want to hear my stories in person, feel free to come over when I'm back home again!
Should anyone be interested to taste something out of my cookery book, please let me know, there are some great recipies in there!