Sticky Notes
Ever wondered what it's actually like to build a fitness business from the ground up? Meet Rosie and Leila, two Pilates instructors who crossed paths at a London studio and discovered a shared vision that was too powerful to ignore.
This podcast—Sticky Notes—is our real-time chronicle of building something from nothing. We're relatively new teachers stepping into entrepreneurship, balancing Rosie's big-picture dreaming with Leila's pragmatic planning. We're challenging fitness industry norms, particularly the narrow concept of a "Pilates body," and creating spaces where everyone feels welcome regardless of how they look.
Join us weekly as we document every decision, meeting, and milestone. Whether you're interested in Pilates, entrepreneurship, or simply enjoy witnessing the unfiltered journey of two women betting on themselves and their vision—we're glad you're here for the ride.
Sticky Notes
Transitions, Haircuts, and New Beginnings: Navigating Life's Next Chapters (Ep. 8)
When physical changes mirror inner transformations, what emerges? Leila's new bob haircut becomes a powerful symbol of personal evolution – not just a practical choice for a Pilates instructor, but a declaration that her outer appearance now aligns with her inner self after two years of significant change.
Meanwhile, the challenges of relocating across continents reveal themselves as Rosie adjusts to Salt Lake City life after leaving London behind. From navigating gigantic grocery stores with "infinity aisles" to grappling with American tipping culture and finding community in unfamiliar terrain, every aspect of daily existence demands adaptation. The pursuit of new fitness communities – from Pilates studios to running groups – becomes a crucial bridge between past and present.
As these parallel journeys unfold, both hosts reflect on the profound impact London has had on shaping their identities. "It broke me down and then rebuilt me," Leila shares, contemplating her impending departure from a city that transformed her. The freedom and anonymity of metropolitan life created space for exploration impossible elsewhere, especially during formative years. Yet timing matters, as they embrace the wisdom to "leave the party while still having fun."
This episode captures the essence of transition – the vulnerability, the excitement, the nostalgia, and the anticipation of what comes next. Whether it's a haircut symbolizing personal growth or a move across continents opening new doors, these changes reveal our capacity for reinvention while maintaining our authentic selves. Join us for this heartfelt conversation about embracing change while honoring the experiences that shaped us.
What transitions are you navigating? We'd love to hear your stories of change and adaptation. Share your experiences with us and join the conversation!
I just I really love the system. Oh, we're back, woo.
Speaker 2:Episode. Don't tell me Eight, seven, I think eight or maybe eight. It sounds right because we did split six.
Speaker 1:Yes, we did six and seven and then we missed. Oh yeah, we missed last week. We missed last week.
Speaker 2:I almost I had it on my to-do list yesterday, Last week, this last week. I almost I had it on my to-do list yesterday. Make a little video about missing this week. Put it on the Sticky Notes, instagram. And then I just didn't do it.
Speaker 1:I was going to make a funny post, like a story.
Speaker 2:Your story, where you have your eyes all.
Speaker 1:It's my favorite filter that like bug, my favorite thing I was gonna do something about missing it and then I just got cut off with whatever I was doing I can't remember, um and then I just never got around to it I just realized that it it didn't matter too much and people could wait and it'd be okay.
Speaker 2:And then I checked on Buzzsprout and still two people listened to our podcast yesterday.
Speaker 1:Actually, oh my God, do you know what I realized as well that I, oh my God, I really meant to do? I forgot to upload the YouTube for the fitness episode, last week's episode. So I'm going to do that as a fun little extra.
Speaker 2:The whole thing is a fun little extra, but we did have some exciting. Was it last week that we interviewed Max?
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We did our first interview for Oral Histories, which was very exciting.
Speaker 1:I haven't listened to it back yet and I'm kind of scared to.
Speaker 2:I haven't listened to it either. When I logged on to Riverside today, I saw it. Yeah, I saw it Recordings.
Speaker 2:And I kind of forgot that we had done it, yeah, but I feel like we learned a lot from that experience. I learned that we are doing so. We're interviewing him again, probably two more times, because an hour wasn't even close to enough. I guess it was more like 45 minutes. It wasn't even close to enough time, which I kind of anticipated, but that's just the time that we all had, and I was actually so nervous, I was really tired, but I was also really nervous. I was really tired, I was also really nervous nerves.
Speaker 1:I couldn't tell tired but poor thing. I mean, like it was what 6am your time?
Speaker 2:like no one was expecting you which has usually been fine for me, but that specific morning I slept so poorly and then someone had scheduled a phone call with me at 5am so I had just been up. It just wasn't a phone call with me at 5 am, so it had just been up. It just wasn't a good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for me tomorrow will be better, but I'm so tired we can always, um, if we listen to it and just decide that it is a bit all over the place, then I don't think it's bad if we not scrap it, like, keep it for ourselves and almost like I would be down to tomorrow like at least go into it, maybe thinking, okay, this is the first part, or like blank slate, just because I think there's no heart, there's no loss in terms of we got the experience of.
Speaker 1:Okay, what do we like we've learned from that first part of like and this is I've literally just come to this idea now, so I'm talking through with you. I figure it's like a situation where we've learned sort of what questions we want to ask and how we want to root it and things like that, or just like the skills in general of interviewing. But it's a thing where I imagine the more we do it, the more comfortable we are going to get. So we can always go into tomorrow thinking, all right, let's go in with a bit more of a clear sort of route to things and then, if he can, hopefully give us a second hour, because then I think we can make more use of the hour, because maybe that was as well where we're, because we had, and he's just an interesting human. I mean, everyone is interesting. I don't think anyone on the planet is boring, but especially interesting, though, because he's so knowledgeable and funny.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's his mannerisms as well.
Speaker 1:He's a great person to chat to um, so I think that we could have go in with it less of a maybe less of a chatty mindset and more of like a we want to extract information from him kind of a mindset, if that makes sense um, and I didn't.
Speaker 2:I didn't. Obviously I know that interviewing someone is a skill, but I I didn't expect it to feel so different from when you and I are having these conversations. And then there were a few moments where I I felt like you I don't know if you realized it or not now, but you, you were sensing it as well of we would kind of ask a question, something along the lines of so how did you get into doing the training as a classical teacher? And he would answer that question sort of in a chronological way and I would kind of think but I want to know why. And there wasn't. You have to be actually so specific because they're not in your brain yeah they have.
Speaker 2:They don't know what you're the purpose of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what you're asking, I feel, the questions I feel I need to. That's why I'm like I should re-watch it, maybe ideally before we re-interview him, so I can just like brush up on, like what we asked him or like, yeah, the knowledge. But I think when I was asking him, I remember feeling for the most part satisfied or not that not satisfied with the response, but I do think he was sort of getting to what I was asking. There was one or two where I could tell that I felt that you wanted to go a different way with, or you met something different with, the question than how he answered it. Because I could almost see in your face you were like interested and then you were. He was like almost taking you down a different route, but I felt that he didn't answer it the way you wanted it answered.
Speaker 1:So I wonder if. But I also wonder if, because, like we're saying, you were fuck you I mean you I'm trying not to surround this podcast you were tired. It was early in the morning for you, so I wasn't, and I was like I had been teaching, so I was. Not only was it later on in the day, but I felt very like awake and a bit more on it. So maybe I was able to, and maybe also I was. Because he was there in person with me, I could communicate a little bit easier to him, yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I also felt like there was kind of two. I realized as soon as we started talking that there was two, were two different directions, that it or two areas I really wanted to explore and one was history of Max. How did we get here? And if I had five hours I would have said what was your household like? I want to know the whole story and then the other half is More like psychoanalyze him. I just am so curious. And then the other half is what is your experience like now?
Speaker 2:Can we, without naming names, talk about specific clients. What do you actually experience when you're? Working with people Like there's just I feel like there's the before and the current.
Speaker 1:I wonder if it's more worth it to explore probably the second part, definitely Because it will pertain more to the classical, like I wonder if I guess.
Speaker 2:And maybe we'll watch the first part and think, oh, that's, we're scrapping it, but we kind of got the history of how max got, yeah, like if we use it.
Speaker 1:I would almost use yes or yes, last week's as almost not the first part, as like okay, this is like extra, a bit more of a chatty episode, like extra content, almost, whereas I feel if we go in tomorrow with like prompting questions and like we'll be like okay, max, we are gonna ask you some of the same things, just to like redefine, um and like for the new episode and then go into a bit more like I'm curious, because you obviously told us a bit about how he started with that like almost apprenticeship and sort of start from there, but okay about that and then go into the sort of last 10 years of teaching and more this, more of the sort of like classical style, his thoughts on classical systems or like conversations in that world, because that will be more relevant than to apprentices or people who are going to use it as a tool, um, and then whilst he is like, like you're saying, I I'm on the exact same boat as you, like I could chat to that man for hours, like he is just so interesting.
Speaker 2:Um, uh, maybe it's like just like the extra, like an extra bonus thing and the little detail when he said that I forget exactly what it was something about his dad, wasn't that his dad owned a skate shop or something? I just thought that that to me was, in the puzzle of max, a piece it made so much sense.
Speaker 1:I don't think I wish. I want to show, I want to post um. Oh, we need to get on those dumps. Actually, I should get more um on top of that, because I took a photo of him and I just sat on the cadillac and it's us swinging our legs because we're both on the shorter end, so obviously neither of our feet touch the floor, and I'm in my trainers and he's just in his like van sneaker shoes, and it was just such a I know I need to get on that too.
Speaker 1:I'm gonna try it every two weeks or week if I can post just I think it'd be so cool because, anyways, obviously I get to see your social media posts because I follow you and this all the salt lake stuff just looks so cool, um, so wild. I can't find it, but yeah I think, oh yeah, it's just, can you see? It's just.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that. See, that's so cute. Yeah, we need that out there.
Speaker 1:But I think it was just a good in general lesson and obviously there was also a lot going on in the studio. It was a bit chaotic. It was us figuring out how to record with another, so I think it was like a great practice.
Speaker 2:Hold on, I just oh, am I still here with you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just saying that the audio is going to record on a different file.
Speaker 2:Basically, I just unplugged my mic and then had to replug it in, so oh good. Why won't you work? Hold on, I might have to.
Speaker 1:You may not be able to charge, and Well now.
Speaker 2:I can, because they're both plugged in now, but I don't know why it's not letting me switch my mic over again.
Speaker 1:Oh strange, hold on now, but I don't know why it's not letting me switch my mic over again.
Speaker 2:Oh strange, hold on, I'm gonna leave and come back okay, oh, it's continued recording, well.
Speaker 1:Well, we're not gonna use this, it's gonna be cut out. But oh, my god, oh, I need to talk about the bob guys you're seeing you me, because obviously the bob was um put on display to the world in oral histories but you guys haven't seen it yet. Sorry, I didn't realize I would continue recording, so I didn't speak no, I love that.
Speaker 2:I just hopped on and I thought I was like about to record over something that we already recorded.
Speaker 1:I was very confused okay, cool I was talking about my bob, I realized no, you're fine. I just realized that the um sticky notes have not seen the bob yet because I was on oral history the bob is so cute.
Speaker 2:I thought you were talking about Bob, as in the person in Pilates.
Speaker 1:Oh no, he is a very prominent person.
Speaker 2:The Bob is very cute, though.
Speaker 1:I love it. Everyone who's been seeing me is like it just suits you so much.
Speaker 2:I was like thank you, it suits you really well.
Speaker 1:I do really feel like I've been sort of in line with like what we were talking about, talking about last week or last episode yeah I feel like I've gone through a lot of change in my personal life in the last two years just within within, with that transition to pilates and then everything that's come with that, and then in my personal life, and I feel like now I just chopped off a lot of like dead weight or like I chopped off the old Layla, the old hair. And I feel like now when I look at myself in the mirror, what I see outside matches what goes on on the inside. If that, makes sense.
Speaker 2:That's amazing and I wasn't expecting to love it that much.
Speaker 1:I mean, the whole reason why I chopped it in the end is because I've been thinking about it for so long and had taken up so much mental real estate that I was like I just need to do it, even if I hate it. It'll grow back Like I'm not that sentimental about my hair. But anyways, my hair was never done and it was never actually down. It was always just like up in a ponytail and I was always sweating from workouts and then just throwing it up, not shampooing it as much as I probably should have, cause I was also. I'm like I don't want to shampoo it every day that I sweat, so I would like wash out the sweat, but I wasn't shampooing it. It's like that age old like problem If you're a girl and workout like it's such forever, ever and ever.
Speaker 2:I also feel like you have such like you had such thick, long hair that to me I feel like it would be easy to think like, why would you cut that hair off? But it's still like thick and beautiful, it's just like so easy to maintain.
Speaker 1:Now it's also I'm just very lazy and I'm already very lucky in that my hair because I was talking to Laura and she has like curly hair, so she, her, styling her hair is a whole process, like with anyone with curly hair. It's like a yeah, a whole step routine and I was like, oh, like all I had to do, or all I have to do, is shampoo my hair and I'm very lucky it dries straight like air dries, um. So now there's even less that I have to do so, so good, and and I felt the wind on my neck the other day and I was like, oh, my gosh what is this?
Speaker 2:And in this heat too.
Speaker 1:Do you just put?
Speaker 2:it in a clip most of the time, yeah, when I work out.
Speaker 1:I've been having to tie it in this half up, half down, just because it is too short to have it all up. But my favorite is styled like with that with the clip. Um, I also like it with a cap and I like it when it's all down so long as it hasn't like if I've worn a cap or something that makes it puff or a bit more rounded. I don't love the rounded, but when it's sort of like down and just like behind the ear, um, I really like it so and I get to sleep. I can sleep with it all down, which is so nice because I know it's good for your hair to like not be tied up and things like that.
Speaker 2:I also think during Pilates with my hair, and you probably had this way. More is, even if it's up when you're doing like long stretch or something, it's just like here.
Speaker 1:Not even that it's so annoying I have lost so much hair to the headrest or to like doing backstroke, the amount of times the handle just rips out my hair, um, I didn't even realize that was a thing.
Speaker 2:The the shoulder block headpiece all the hair around there.
Speaker 1:Oh, I didn't even know that.
Speaker 2:John. Yeah, until someone was, I think John was talking to me about just cleaning the reformers and stuff. He was like, yeah, all the hair. Like now that you say that duh, because everyone's laying there with their head.
Speaker 1:I mean, I just think of it in my part, like the amount of times I will lay down and then I'm lowering the headrest from like short spine and I'm like, oh, there goes about three hairs, yeah, um. But I was really happy because when I went to cut it, um, my hairdresser who I've been with her for a long time now, but because we had to thin out the back slightly, just because where my hair is very thick, she's like it's gonna look very rounded if we don't, and I was like I trust you go for it. Yeah, with my hair, my like individual strands are very fine, I just have a lot of it. So it then gives me that very like thick hair, um, but she's like, oh, your hair is still like really thick and like there's a lot of new hair growing, which was a big priority for me because I wanted to make sure that all right was really focused on, as I've been leaning out, making sure that I'm eating enough and like eat enough, like, um, micronutrients and like all of that.
Speaker 1:And I know, like with a lot of people, when you lose a lot of weight, um, your hair can thin out or you can like shed because obviously your body is like trying to, it's like getting rid of what it like it's trying to utilize the energy as much as they can. So, like I don't know if people lose hair. Um, I think it has happened to me before when I've like lost weight in an unhealthy way. So not to always bring it back to weight loss, but I was. It was satisfying to know that okay, even just like from a hair standpoint, I was in at a healthy point or healthy good indicator of health?
Speaker 2:I think yeah.
Speaker 1:Not necessarily if someone doesn't have super thick hair, but if it's staying consistent, so that's a good sign yeah, is that thing where very unrelated but like people always say, like how it's a regular amount to like go to the bathroom and it's what like. Whilst they're like very like an overall range, it's more so that you need to be worried when there is an change and an inconsistency. That is where there's a problem. So, although it's a very unrelated topic to me, it's the sort of same thing with hair, where it's like it doesn't matter if your hair is thick or thin. If there's like been a big change, that you had thick hair and it's thinning out, then there is a cause for concern, although I guess if you had very thin hair and it's thickening, then that that's probably a good thing.
Speaker 2:You'd be like that's a win. I don't care, yeah, whatever, but that would lead to quite a big change.
Speaker 1:That means there's probably some big internal change.
Speaker 2:Something going on. Maybe a good thing.
Speaker 1:When I went to a dermatologist a few months ago just for a skin check, she told me one of the biggest things is to just know your skin, because people have all kinds of stuff that happens on their skin and doesn't mean it's a bad thing or a cancerous or whatever, but you just have to know what's normal for you yeah, I've been seeing people get their um moles checked and like mapped and it's a thing that they sort of now come in because I've got quite a lot of moles on my body, um, and it's easy to look at a mole and say, well, well, I don't think that there is anything wrong with that. But you would obviously never know, and I don't know if it's just a thing that's now like being pumped onto my algorithm and my system and is just like being advertised to me. But yeah, it's something that's like now in the back of my mind.
Speaker 2:It's interesting in the UK it's not, at least in my experience. It was not a part of what was accessible to me as just normal preventative care. In the US you can just go to your doctor and get a mole check as a part of your insurance. But I tried to do that in the UK because that's what I was used to.
Speaker 1:And they were kind of like no, I think you have to do it private here, probably.
Speaker 2:I did it privately, just because I had done it. So I'm just going to keep doing it again, but that was just an interesting thing.
Speaker 1:I want to check out in Saudi a way to do it, but I don't even think, not that I don't think they have that.
Speaker 2:I don't even think, not that I don't think they have that, but I just I really can't imagine what is the health insurance sitch.
Speaker 1:There I'm on my dad's health insurance.
Speaker 2:Is it mostly private?
Speaker 1:no-transcript uh levels accessible for them and especially across sort of education.
Speaker 2:And then I remember you said that was education.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah so I believe it. It's the same in healthcare. I don't know if that is extended to foreigners, but most foreigners that are in the country or actually, sorry, all foreigners that are in the country are there in a work visa or on a work visa, and then, if you're on a work visa, you will have health insurance. Okay, and what level of health insurance you have, I guess depends, but everyone has some sort of insurance and I believe across the board, it's, for the most part, very good, I would imagine. Yeah, from what I hear. So I've been on my dad's health insurance my whole life, um, and I remember once looking at the price of something and then what it would be without insurance, and I was just gobsmacked, shocking prices.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's insane game, yeah, yeah um, so yeah, everything you would do is private. That's what I came here and there was like the whole private versus public. I didn't really understand to a point, because I was had always been used to private but it was not seen it's. I don't think it's a luxury there the way it is a luxury here, if that makes sense sort of, to do everything private because most people have like levels of health insurance, so I would imagine you will. This is probably less covered, especially like by the health insurance we are on like getting a check, but it probably does exist there to an extent because also we will be getting large levels of sun, of sun exposure.
Speaker 2:I was going to say yeah, probably would be. It's just interesting the way different places handle it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's why I've heard of it being such a big deal. I feel like I hear a lot more from people I follow from the States and it's only now becoming a bigger deal in the UK and that's why it's being pumped on my algorithm or like I've seen people here do it. So it's interesting how like rhetoric from social media can be like influence. You know wellness patterns.
Speaker 2:And I remember I believe it was Sarah at one point trying to schedule just a checkup with her. Gp in the NHS and they were kind of like we don't, we don't do that. We don't do just a physical, Whereas in the U S it's that's pretty standard every year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would do like a checkup. I would do like a do you take your, do they take run any tests? Do that checkup or is it just like a general?
Speaker 2:I haven't had one in the US in a while. I'm going to have one soon, so I can let you know. But I'm pretty sure they. I don't think they draw blood or anything. I think they just check your blood pressure. Listen to your yeah, we.
Speaker 1:So I had a similar thing growing up. I mean it was also when I would go and like get like my vaccines or like whenever I was like it. I don't know, I don't know if it was like they timed up at the same time or lined up that I was getting my vaccines. And then also it was like the yearly checkup. But yeah, I mean I, for example, I've even though I've been in London for the last five years, I do my dentistry when I go home, so I'll go and I get my teeth cleaned, or like the general checkup every time I'm back.
Speaker 2:I did go to a private dentist in the UK when I had my wisdom teeth were starting to really really hurt and I went to a UK dentist and he told me super great, loved it, really good experience. And he told me don't worry about it, Don't even think about it, Take something for the pain, it will pass. And then I went to the US and they were like immediately, get these taken out. So it was a very interesting dichotomy between the two and I ended up getting them taken out.
Speaker 2:So it was a very interesting dichotomy between the two and I ended up getting them taken out in the US. But I remember thinking how is this possibly such a different?
Speaker 1:diagnosis. Yeah, let's see, that is what to do. I'm so, so confused I mean I've heard of and I know places and are like hospitals that will, if they know you're under insurance, run extra tests or procedures because they know it's not that you're gonna pay it and then the insurance company is gonna have to pay it, so they do it to make extra yeah, basically it's pretty wild.
Speaker 2:I believe that's scary. Um, I don't know how we start talking about health insurance how is your?
Speaker 1:yeah, oh yeah, because of the bulb. I mean, that's my biggest life.
Speaker 2:Update is my last thing on max, should we before tomorrow write out some questions in a Google Doc or something just?
Speaker 1:to kind of get situated. Yeah, maybe we structure it out and if we can do a rough sort of outline, or maybe if we even decide not, who is going to ask what exactly. But then it also allows us to know so we don't cut each other off too much, because there will be a bit of a lag and I don't want either of us to.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe we can, just we can think about it.
Speaker 1:Should we make a note A notes app, because then I can have my notes open tomorrow on the screen and it can just be easy. Yeah, that's notes app, because then I can have my notes open tomorrow on the screen and it can just be easy. Yeah, that's a good idea. Yeah, I'm T. I have a. I was. I have to leave. I've got another hour in, like 20 um tomorrow.
Speaker 2:I feel like it'll be a bit smoother because we'll let's set up.
Speaker 1:Oh, I meant today, because I need to leave at four in my time to go teach, but once I'm just doing two classes of cover this evening, but once I'm done I will just like add into that note. Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:I'll start doing it once we're off. Yeah, okay, so personal updates.
Speaker 1:So yeah, Bob. Bob is my biggest personal update.
Speaker 2:That's a big update to be fair, it is New hair.
Speaker 1:I mean, he is literally my. I was telling everyone my only regret is not cutting it sooner. But also, to be fair, I think now is like I don't think I would have loved it as much before now, because whilst my hair was always up, I do feel like my neck and like arms are even more exposed and I'm like obviously quite comfortable and confident like my upper body. Um. So, but I think if I wasn't before, yeah, I don't think I would have been as loving of the bob.
Speaker 1:So yeah big fan, though it's so easy to maintain, and I just sometimes my hair was literally causing me over simulation, like if I would put like a hoodie on, like it's getting stuck, and oh, I can literally feel it. And the other day I put on a hoodie and I went to like go, yank my hair out of it and it wasn't even there, like it wasn't. I was just like habitual that I did it.
Speaker 2:I was like I'm so free you're so free it doesn't get stuck when you put things on. No, yeah, I'm living the life dreamy.
Speaker 1:But this is to say, if I haven't because everyone's been, I've been like you should get it, chop your all your hair off because everyone's like, I've been thinking about it. I was like, chop it off. But if you hate it and if this is convinced, you don't blame me.
Speaker 2:I take no I only chopped my hair once and I really loved it, so I feel like everyone should give it a try at some point, and I have some friends who they have their hair cut almost jawline like super bob and it looks so good.
Speaker 1:Okay, I feel like it's a very bold I mean I think we went a little bit shorter than I had. I was originally thinking about there and then obviously this is like a bit curled and wet because I was sweating before this. But also she was like it's going to grow so quickly and I was like you know what, cut it to whatever length. You're thinking Like I trust her and I really like it like this. I'll be interested to see how thank you, as it grows out to about there what it will be like. But then she was like I was going to say you might get some.
Speaker 2:maybe it'll grow out a little bit and you'll love that length even more.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you'll just get a few different waves of it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, different styles. And then it's nice because I think I would always probably cut it shorter than I want, because my hair does grow quite quick. That means that cutting it to that length it would never. It would instantly grow out to that weird not weird, the more sort of like awkward in-between growth, whereas between this and then that it makes more sense. Um, which, having hair that grows quick is like thick hair is great until you have it all over your body and it's not as fun to deal with. So so they used to always tell my mom it's like, mom, I wish I had your hair, because my mom has very fine hair. But she's like, yeah, but I wish you I had your hair that's on your head. And I was like, yeah, well, I well I got to deal with it everywhere Cause she's like, yeah, she will epilate her arms. And I was like that is the most painful thing. I could not even imagine doing that.
Speaker 2:Yeah. It's like no, I'm just really beautiful eyebrows because they just have thick hair Like you have. That it's just a gift.
Speaker 1:You have lovely hair as well. The grass is always greener. The grass is always greener.
Speaker 2:Yes, literally my hair's a bit all over the place. One thing that's been really nice living here is that the water is not nearly as hard. I was about to ask about the water, because everyone that I see, or just in general I feel like, whenever people leave London or are out of the city for a little bit.
Speaker 1:There's like a glow that comes back to them and it truly is like the. I think it's the water. Yeah, because I. It doesn't affect everyone's hair, but it really affected my hair in london. My hair was just dry. You're also on the thames 24 7.
Speaker 2:I can't imagine that helped yeah, I do miss the thames a lot. It has been a big transition.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tell us. Okay, my only update is the hair and like some exciting potential, like business meetings, but like nothing is set in stone. I'm excited to hear about that. Once, I promise, once things are official and go through, you'll be the first to hear.
Speaker 2:But Pilates related.
Speaker 1:Yeah, okay cool. It's sort of like my future and where I'm gonna end up related. That's very exciting, yeah it is. It's seeming quite positive, but I'm always like I'm so, I'm like, until everything is signed, I don't even believe that it's going to happen but yeah, so my biggest sealed delivered yeah, so my biggest update is literally the bob and life has been normal. I teach pilates, do pilates, learn pilates on repeat, so I'm gonna hear about the move to salt lake.
Speaker 2:Well, I keep looking out here because I have a very beautiful view of the mountains, which is lovely, but it's been a very up and down transition. I think moving is challenging no matter what, but it has felt a lot more uprooting than I really expected it to. When we first moved here, tristan's parents were here for a week and that was amazing week and that was amazing. I think my body kind of felt like I was just on holiday because we were going out to dinner and we were going to the very few museums here and exploring around. And then they left and I kind of had a moment of oh wait, we live here now. That feels really intense.
Speaker 2:So literally up until yesterday morning it was so challenging. I just felt very up and down and I didn't have such a big part of my identity as rowing, and I don't have that here, which I think is a good thing. It's pushing me to explore other things. But every single piece of life here is just so different. The grocery store that we go to is gigantic. There's just infinity aisles and every time I go in I'm like why does there need to be this many aisles, like it's so hard to find?
Speaker 1:anything. The one thing I really am envious of everyone that lives in the States for. Oh well, there's two things. First of all, barnes Noble seems like it would be my just heaven, but also the size of an iced latte that is like this big, but it's just coffee.
Speaker 2:It's so funny you say that because I actually feel very grateful. The area that we're in is quite walkable. You need a car, but if you were to just be like today, right now we only have one car Tristan's going to drive to work and I'll be totally fine to walk everywhere I need to go. So there's a few coffee shops nearby and I have been getting iced lattes from a place across the street and every time I am just floored still at how big it is, the quantities. It's crazy.
Speaker 1:Saudi's quantities are more similar to the U S and it is to London Like largest. There are quite big, but I still don't think it compares to American sizing. I don't think anywhere in the world compares to American sizes. But anytime I see an influencer with their gigantic ice latte that is as big as my Stanley cup, I'm like wow, that would cure me. I think as big as my Stanley cup. I'm like wow, that would cure me.
Speaker 2:I think it's pretty crazy People need so many caffeine addictions, that and little things like tipping. I kind of forgot about tipping and there's a few places here that in my mind they're a bit sneaky about it, because you get the receipt and then you pay and the little thing they bring you, you tap your card and immediately this happened at a pizza place we went to. What popped up was the first option was 40%, and then 30% and then 25. Those were the three options and then it said other and we were like you are kidding me and it's tough because people aren't getting paid what they should be paid. So you feel a good pressure to tip and we try to tip. Well, but it's such a shift from just knowing exactly how much your thing is going to cost or even taxes. If you go to a store in the UK and taxes are included, you know exactly.
Speaker 1:That's my thing, that I don't understand why they are not.
Speaker 1:Because one of my best friends came and she was doing a bit of shopping as well and she had just been in Canada and then also in the States and she was like it's so crazy, cause when I go to the bill, I just know what I'm going to be charged. And I was like, well, yeah, of course, why would you we're not out here doing maths in the store Like it's crazy to me that you would have to. You would pick things up and if you were like sticking to a tight budget, you would get to the till and you maybe you've mapped it wrong or not. But yeah, you don't know exactly you're going to be charged because, like the tipping thing, okay, I, because, like someone was complaining, I saw on social media that in the uk you're sort of like being forced to already pay that sort of like 20%, which I actually quite prefer, cause then you don't have to figure out how much to tip. But I was like, okay, why would you not at least do that on items in the store?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I know it's very confusing and the place where I get my ice lattes really, really, really nice people and I am growing to love that space. Every time I go they ask me, do you want to tip? And every time I do, but I'm still not used to that moment of them asking me knowing I should. Me kind of calculating things in my head. It's just a very different. It creates a different culture.
Speaker 1:Yeah there, for every sort of level layer of service as well, cause to me I would think like in an in a coffee shop or where, for example, they're just handing you the drink and obviously there's someone who's making the drink. But to me those are there's less layers of not work that's gone into it, but I would tip. I would think to tip less versus a waitress or a waiter, but obviously you have to tip everything.
Speaker 2:Basically, yeah, you have to kind of tip everything. I mean that's kind of that's a small one, but it feels. It feels very different. I'm trying to think.
Speaker 1:I imagine it's hard as well because you're still. You've continued your work at Pi, so you're working like UK hours, and then also you're not there indefinitely, you're only there for a short period of time. So I imagine, while you want to create roots there, it's hard because you probably in the back of your mind know this isn't forever. So I can't even imagine.
Speaker 2:The pie stuff has been awesome. The first week that I was doing it I way overloaded myself with early mornings. I just thought it'll be great. I'll start work at 5 AM and I'll be done at 11 or noon. It'll be great, and no one ever told me that I needed to do that. No one ever pushed that, and so now starting a bit more this week and then, for sure, next week that work I'm going to be doing more. Yeah, 7 am fine that sounds much more.
Speaker 1:6 am fine.
Speaker 2:But people were booking 5 am calls with me and stuff and it just was not reasonable.
Speaker 1:You want to give yourself the time to wake up and sort of have a moment before you start and just yeah, it just was too much.
Speaker 2:Maybe at some point it'll be fine, but I have been loving still being really involved in that. Yesterday I was just in such a zone doing the website stuff and just kind of some bigger management things and it was so much fun. I love that I'm still connected to the studio and I'll be back in hopefully two times in the autumn so I'll get to touch base with pie physically again. So I think it has been kind of a saving grace that I'm still super connected to the studio, because I feel very disconnected from. I feel very kind of like ah, like I'm just sort of floating in the abyss.
Speaker 2:I did find a studio here and did we talk about that?
Speaker 2:We mentioned it briefly in the chat with Max Right because I went that day I said text me or give me the details and we'll put it on the directory if it is With Max about, or maybe it was just you and I had spoken about how to define classical Pilates, which we will have a later longer episode about. But one thing we had talked about or kind of landed on was the apparatus. I think Holly had said if they're not using classical apparatus it's not classical, said if they're not using classical apparatus it's not classical. And I went into the studio and was instantly looking around like is this classical apparatus? Blah, blah, blah. And then I kind of realized I guess I don't know entirely what that means, because I know that the that means, because I know that the equipment in pie is classical. And then I thought but are there other types besides grots? And I'm like I know there are, but I don't know what the exhaustive list is.
Speaker 1:I think less brands to look out for more like springs and straps, is the big one.
Speaker 2:Yes, so they had, it was all classical, which was great. And then we I did a reformer class and I just was so nervous thinking what if this is? Not at all what I want it to be, and then it was exactly what I knew and it was great and really enjoyed it, so that was a huge win.
Speaker 1:Are you looking at? I don't know if you want to, we can always cut out. Are you looking at wanting to teach there? I'm going to teach there.
Speaker 2:Yes, very excited about it, I'm going to teach. It's pretty nice because the owner she used to work there pre-COVID left during COVID to open up a studio in her home, which is strangely enough like a few blocks away from where I live, and then two years ago went back and bought the studio because the owner was ready to leave. So she's kind of had a personal journey with it and is super nice and I think Get her on the podcast.
Speaker 2:I know I got to ask her now that we're friends I'm like once she like trusts me a little bit, I'm like let's wait a really good chat. I will totally ask her to be on the podcast. Super interesting woman and is still you know, she's two years into running this studio.
Speaker 2:It's kind of funny because she was asking me about just what I'm doing and my life and blah, blah, blah and I mentioned working for Pi and she said, oh, do you do any social media? And I could tell she was then going to ask. And I was like nope, we have an excellent person named Lily who does that and that is not me.
Speaker 2:I'm already trying to do that for a few other things and no. So she's trying to figure out, including, I can tell, kind of like the teachers and the schedule. But she's so sweet, they're doing a photo shoot next week for just to kind of update the website and they have a really nice, clean website. I was very drawn to it, um, and she, she's like there's just a lot of pictures of the old owner, which is fine, but we need to sort of revamp it.
Speaker 1:So I'm going to be a part of that, so I'll get some more pictures which is great perfect timing as well, I guess but you're moving over and it's in a studio, it'll be good, and then, oh, we can check dates for the studio we want to look at here for when you need to do that. Yes, that has to show why I need to put that in um and I'm going to be teaching a mat class and a apparatus class you haven't taught them up I or were you teaching I?
Speaker 2:so I, before I did the full comp, I did my mat training at pi, so I actually feel very confident in the mat and actually when I started teaching originally at pi, it was a. I took on um. Why am I blanking on her name? Who used to teach um? Oh my god, why am I blanking ella? Ella's, yes, I took ella's. Nice, I covered that until whoever else it was natalia came in to take it so I and I feel like matt, I like it a lot, so I'm really excited to do that.
Speaker 1:I love teaching a math class in the week. It's very nice.
Speaker 2:So I'm glad you're going to have that. And I told her. I said I was only teaching reformer at Pi and so I don't feel as comfortable. I feel comfortable teaching tower, but I don't feel as comfortable teaching something like chair. She has a chair workshop coming up in early Septemberember that I'm gonna do, so it's already kind of starting to swirl.
Speaker 1:I don't know if I would. I covered some chair classes last summer for one of the teachers at pi and I had one format and I heard like one class flow that I just did every single week because I could just not I was struggling to come up with anything else um, and I'll just see, because I feel like the chair is just so much harder to like build out a whole class of that um, so sometimes he have years class teaching or when he's teaching the chair and he just comes up with the most wild things, um, because he obviously has so much more knowledge than I do, um, and knows so many more exercises. Yeah, but I think I was just also so much more scared that people were going to fall off of the chair, whereas he has like a lot more confidence in them, whereas I was very hesitant.
Speaker 2:I mean, I'm worried that I'm going to fall off the chair. So of course I'm worried that clients will fall off the chair too. I do think it's such an interesting little tool and I haven't spent enough time with it to know. But, one cool thing about the studio is she does, she has math classes and then, as far as I can tell actually I guess she does she has a reformer class, a tower class, and then some are just apparatus.
Speaker 1:Oh nice you jump around between them.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So she said I could have one of those. And then if I wanted to teach a full, like the class that I went into was an apparatus class. And then there were two other women there, both teachers, and she asked what do you want to do? And they both said reformer. So we did reformer. But it was my understanding that that would be pretty open if someone just texted me. How rude.
Speaker 1:Do they not know that we're filming our world class podcast Do?
Speaker 2:they not know that we're filming Sticky Notes. Yeah, it's my understanding that I could kind of like jump around, so that'd be cool, I can throw in some. I started to put some chair in at the end of my reformer classes, at the end of my.
Speaker 1:I remember cause you in general were taking reformer and then sometimes like going into tap cause you were doing the level one class and, like you're saying sometimes that level one you can, I had to have cause I covered one of those recently and we finished on the reformer with like 10 minutes to spare and I was like right, let's head on to a tower.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I just I feel like it's good, it's good practice, because then you can just slowly start to. I was like, okay, I can teach a few exercises on the chair without having to do a full 50 minutes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's nice because, also, if you're not teaching even I mean, even if you are teaching private clients I don't tend to take them onto the chair all that much, or the ones I've currently got. I'm not taking them onto the chair just because that's not what their body needs necessarily. So it's good to keep up the knowledge of how to teach certain exercises, like there are some exercises that I have not taught since my exam, so I'm like I need to almost refresh myself and teach them.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, sarah, she's sending me really nice things, but hide alerts like how is it living away from her?
Speaker 2:It's such a bummer. It's such a bummer. It's kind of I think it's such a special thing that we both I was in Chiswick for a year. She joined her school. We both met our partners in Chiswick and I mean Tristan and I were living together with her and then moved out into a few different locations before we moved here. So this feels like the first place we've actually moved in together just us and then she's doing the same with her partner in a few short days.
Speaker 2:So it feels like we sort of held each other's hands through this next phase and now we're doing it at the same time, which I think is really sweet.
Speaker 2:but it's definitely tough, like when we we filmed an episode and I was impressed with her and her sister and her mom, and the only piece really missing in that was my mom because she wasn't able to come. But there is something I mean your best friend is far away. It's tough to not be with your person. Your best friend is far away. It's tough to not be with your person. It's so fun to have. I cannot believe that I was able to. We lived together for four years almost. It was the best. It was so much fun. I feel like to be able to do that in this phase of life and not as students at the end of it just being people.
Speaker 2:It was just so fun.
Speaker 1:So that's tough.
Speaker 2:I miss that for sure. But I'm a lot closer to one of my brothers, I'm closer to a few other friends who live on the West Coast, so that's good. The West Coast, so that's good. I definitely had a few moments where I just was like why are we here? We need to leave. This is terrible. And it's not terrible. There's a lot of wonderful things about Salt Lake.
Speaker 1:Surprisingly, the food has been really, really good, oh, whatever I was, I was gonna tell you something, but then I realized I know this information from you. I was gonna make a story about people leaving permissions and coming back you know, I mean, I was gonna say that I'm not to say no, you can. But I realized I was like oh my god, I heard. And then I was, I heard it from you.
Speaker 2:I don't know if this is true. I haven't had a. I'm not studying the culture here, I'm just observing it, but we do have this book that Tristan's mom got us just about restaurants and food in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, and it was saying how there's a really high demand for good international cuisine because a lot of people are leaving to go to other parts of the world to do missions and then come back, which makes sense whether it's true or not, I don't know.
Speaker 2:It makes sense and a lot of the food that we've had restaurants we've been to has been really, really good so that is a huge win. Tristan's mom, who I adore and is very European. She went to sort of explore some bakeries for us and she came back and basically said just don't even bother.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:There's no good bakeries. There is a really really good cinnamon roll specific place, okay, right around the corner from us, and the first week here I was eating like two cinnamon rolls a day. Oh, I love that, living my best life. It was so good. But beyond that, there are a couple of as my.
Speaker 1:I can say it officially here because I've told most of the people I still need to email Holly, but my time in London is also coming to an end.
Speaker 2:I've got a couple. I subtly, by mistake mentioned it to Holly, that's all right.
Speaker 1:I need to email her because now things are materializing on the other side. I mean, anyways, I was always going to have to leave at a certain date because my visa is up.
Speaker 2:It worked out. It was because she emailed me and she said she's like I won't say who the teacher was, but she was like, have we already added in this person? And I was like, yes, x person is starting blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And she said, oh man, I have a really, really awesome teacher I want to bring in. Is there any room?
Speaker 2:And I was like I think maybe Layla might be potentially at some point maybe leaving, but I'm not quite sure. She was like oh great, she'll be missed, but let me know. Sure she was like oh great, like she'll be missed, but let me know. And I was like yeah okay, perfect.
Speaker 1:That makes me glad to hear that, not that she wants, not that she is wanting me out, but that there is people like I don't want to put her in a leave her in a situation where she's no, she has a someone she's very excited to bring in, so that works out, um, but yeah, so I've got limited time left it's still like two and a bit months but I'm just trying to be more conscious of my last few weeks here and just really trying to.
Speaker 1:There's a lot of things that when you live in a city, you say I'll get around to it eventually and you just don't. So even just like there's a couple or quite a few bakeries and like places that I want to try. So that is my main thing that I think I am going to miss here. So I'm going to make it a thing on my Sundays. So I also need to be doing some more runs. I'm going to try to run to and or around, or like finish my runs at bakeries, or even like halfway through my run, so that I just will force me to run, which I need to be doing for my training, and then also to like knock off some of those pastries places.
Speaker 2:I have two questions.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I have one about running. Okay, tristan wants me to sign up for a run.
Speaker 1:Ooh.
Speaker 2:In October it started off as a proposal of a half marathon. Okay, and I don't know about that.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:I am enticed to just sign up and see what happens, but I am not really a runner. I have run on and off. Sarah and I used to run together a lot, but we would do max, I think, eight miles. I'd sort of get a little bit bored after that. You weren't a runner before you started running. Do you have advice? Have you used an app or any type of specific?
Speaker 1:training plan I have. The Nike Run Club app is really great. They do very good guided runs. I would recommend them them. I've heard a lot about runner and I do have, like I am technically on a runner plan for my half marathon. I just haven't really been uh, listening to it because, anyways, my back had been gone. So I stopped running for a while and then I woke up on sunday and was like, well, the clock is ticking and this is either going to be a very painful half I've also got a couple of 10Ks I'm signed up to before then Like they're either going to be very painful or I'm going to do my training and they're going to be less painful.
Speaker 2:So do you enjoy it now when you're running or getting to that point?
Speaker 1:Some runs, yes, not every run, yeah.
Speaker 2:But I mean, I enjoyed my run on sunday, but the weather was really great, because I think afterwards it's amazing.
Speaker 1:Oh no, I have that with hit workouts as well, though yeah, I get that same endorphin pilates I feel incredible after. But it's a different type of endorphin to like that post hit, yeah, or endorph. So I got a similar endorphin from F45 that I that I do to running, so I would equate them to the same level, I think. Whilst obviously obviously I've been on a couple of runs now in this like running era, I think definitely all the cardio I was doing at F45 has translated over to running, is building up my endurance, or like my engine is what people would say um. So I think that had has helped, because even weeks where I'm not running, I know I'm still pushing a lot from the cardio side. So whilst it doesn't fully even out, I'm like, okay, it's at least something. Um, so I think. But I think also you've got to just book something, because then you have something to train for. I think it's harder to run or stick to any type, but right now it's getting better.
Speaker 2:It very quickly gets better, but my first few days here my resting heart rate was like 61.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 2:My body was just like where have you landed?
Speaker 2:And where does yours fit, naturally, or normally Around like 48, 49-ish, which now it's getting back there. I think a few days ago it was like 51. But we did a. I'm trying to learn to appreciate trail running, which is a lot of fun because it's basically just like running around in the mountains and Tristan is like very familiar with that. He's super comfortable in the mountains. So he took me on a what ended up being two and a half-ish hours of like hiking running and my average heart rate was 160 for the whole thing. Heart rate was 160 for the whole thing and I just and I the whole time was like I could not breathe, um, but we did like five hour big hike on monday and my heart rate was a lot better. So I'm hoping it would be great if I could sign up for a half marathon.
Speaker 1:That'd be so fun. I'm doing my half in October, so then we'd both.
Speaker 2:When is it in?
Speaker 1:October, October like 12.
Speaker 2:Okay, I feel like this one's around similar time. It's like mid October. So, maybe I'll just do that. They also have like a 10 K and a five K, so maybe I'll just pace myself and do something different. Um, one thing that has been very different here is just the. The outdoor culture is so, so, so, so strong, which makes sense because the mountains are five minutes away literally, but I'm not super comfortable in that zone, so I'm having to learn a lot.
Speaker 2:Adjust. Yeah, Um, and I went to F45, which I told you I loved. I didn't do it for that long in London, but I loved the location I went to in London. I went to the Hammersmith one and they were just I'm sure it's the same at yours because you love it and they're just like energetic, pumped up, exciting, like such a fun group of people. And I went to the one here and I did not get the same energy.
Speaker 1:Too bad. Yeah, I'm sure you'll find something that's got that or something yeah.
Speaker 2:It was only one, it was only my first time and they had an intro offer, so I'm signed up for two more. So we'll do them, but and we'll see if it pivots but I did then find a gym because I had to drive there, which I didn't love that. I did find a place that is very close to me, a gym, and I went there yesterday to touch base with the owner. Really liked him, nice, very good energy, so kind of finding I've got my Pilates, I've got my gym.
Speaker 1:You're building out your community Building it all out.
Speaker 2:But do I think it's my forever home? Definitely not. But Tristan loves what he's doing, so that's the most important, because that's why we're here, so he loves it, and moving is just a weird, weird thing. And the other thing I was going to ask you is just on the topic of London, since you are now in your twilight hours. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, what are your favorite things about being in?
Speaker 1:London. I think what I'm going to struggle to find elsewhere, especially in the middle East, which is most likely where I'm going to end up, is just the walkability of the city is what I adore more than anything, and just the green spaces that exist. So I think Tristan just walked out of the bedroom. I was like he's going to come into view, but he didn't the greenness is huge.
Speaker 2:So I think Tristan just walked out of the bedroom. I was like he's going to come into view, but he didn't. The greenness is huge. The parks.
Speaker 1:That is the thing that I think. That's what I'm trying to make use of now and really not take for granted. Even just this morning, I was like, no, let me go go, like, just to the coffee shop that's on my street and I tried a new bakery shop that's on my street. When I tried a new bakery, um yeah, and I'm just trying to make use of that or enjoy those things specifically.
Speaker 1:I think that is what I will miss more than anything, obviously the communities I've built here as well, in the people a lot of my closest friends, though I know I can always contact and see and we'll most likely all be like living very near to one another. I think I'm more going to miss like the barista that I see every day when I go to grab my coffee, like those sort of people. It was a similar thing when I was leaving high school, where, of course, I was going to miss my best friend, but we were going to stay in contact. I miss the people I had in classes where we may not have been the closest friends, but they're people you're friendly with because of the environment you're in. Yeah, so I think I'll also definitely I'm with my friends at F45 as well, for sure.
Speaker 2:Because you'll be moving back to Saudi, is that yeah?
Speaker 1:That will be at least the sort of that is where all my belongings are going to be shipped to and sent to. Yeah, that is where all my belongings are going to be shipped to and sent to, um, my parents' place in Riyadh, and then from there I shall see where life takes me. Yeah, um, but I think if I can find somewhere where I've still got a lot of outdoor ness, of doorsiness, which is just unfortunately does not exist really in the Middle East, but just cause it's so hot, yeah, and just there. It's similar to the states in that all those cities are built to like driving cities. You'd never walk anywhere. Yeah, in lebanon maybe. I mean lebanon, yes, there are parts of it that are very walkable, um, but I don't foresee myself living in lebanon. And then the uae is just the same thing it's a driving city. I'm sure there are pockets that are walkable, but then in the summer you're looking at 40, 50 degrees Celsius.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's like here. We got in the car yesterday and it said our outside temp was 105 Fahrenheit, which I don't know what that translates to in Celsius, but it is hot. Yeah, it's hot and dry. That has been a huge adjustment. It's really really dry and, yeah, people don't in the summer. Anyway, you are not walking unless you really need to, because it's like you walk outside, you feel like you're in an oven. It's crazy, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I think the food or no, the food, the greenery, is what I'm going to miss a lot, yeah, and just in general, I love it, I miss the.
Speaker 2:I kind of miss the grayness.
Speaker 1:It is very gloomy right now. Is it gloomy? Yeah, I think I'm going to send it to you.
Speaker 2:It was to say it is very gloomy right now outside. Is it gloomy? Yeah, I think I'll send it to you this morning, but it's just taking a turn. Every single day here and I anticipate it will change because you get four full seasons, which I'm very excited about, but, um, the every single day is sunny and hot and blue skies, and that's great. But I did have during one of my sad moments a few days ago. I was like I miss the rain, like there's no cozy rain here which is just-, oh, I will miss that actually for sure.
Speaker 1:I love a cozy winter day or gloomy day, and I think my body is now so used to the climate here that I'm no longer adjusted for the heat, whereas obviously, growing up, hot temperatures were fine, and if it dropped below 20, I almost found that very cold, whereas now it hits 13. And after a long winter I'm like, oh my God, let's get to the park. It's time to go town, you know, in the sun.
Speaker 2:So I think it'll be Do you feel? Like it's the right time to be moving on from London, or were you did? You have any moments of like I need to figure out how I can stay here.
Speaker 1:Yes and no. I don't think I mean I think I could have stayed for like many more years and been lived a very sort of comfortable life here, um, but I think I knew I never wanted to settle permanently in London. I mean, I always just saw myself longer term going back to the Middle East just to like, have a family and kids. It just felt more, um, natural, not natural, but that's what I saw for myself.
Speaker 2:Hold on. Tristan's going to say hello, is that what you wear to work? Is this his first time on the podcast? That's what, that's where to work. Swim shorts, yeah. Swim shorts, yeah, all right, love you. I have the same sentiment about London, where I'm like I always knew I didn't want to settle down there, but it's a very good place to have that phase of life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's a great, I think, for your early mid twenties or just any, I mean, at any time. Really it's. It's an amazing city and I think it it's so great because there are so many different versions of London, I mean each borough, versus, like West, north, east, south. I think there's a part of London for everyone and there are communities for everyone. But I was saying this to someone actually the other day London is not an I don't think it is an easy city to live in or an easy city to love. But I think if you put, if you give it that love and effort, I think you are rewarded for that. But I don't think you can just coast through the city. I mean you could, but I think to really get the most out of it you have to put effort into it.
Speaker 1:Um, so I think people who have had negative experiences with the city maybe that is because I was talking to someone and she was moving back to houston, um, and I was telling her I was like it's not an easy city to live in, for sure, but I it has definitely become a home. Um, I would have loved to. I always say at least like another year here, just because I feel like I've gone through so many phases I and I only now feel very settled in my life and in teaching and what I want for my future. So I wish I could have had another year to learn from mentors here and from working in studios here, but hopefully also be able to continue a lot of it through like virtual workshops and virtual training. But I also know if I was not being forced out of the city, I don't think I would ever leave.
Speaker 1:So I, whilst I was like looking into ways that I could sort of finesse a work sponsorship or not finesse it, but work around those restrictions, ultimately my I was if to me what was meant to be would be, and if I was supposed to be in London for another year, an opportunity would present itself. Or there would be times yeah, absolutely, or there were good times, um, but when I tell you more about what I'm cooking up, I think to me it was an opportunity that almost landed in my lap and it is just to me. I took that as a sign that you know I do need to leave, um, as it should, totally yeah. So yeah, I don't think I was just on a quote and it was like, leave the party while you're still having fun, and I think that is so true.
Speaker 1:I will I like that, and it was really, what were you gonna say?
Speaker 2:but I don't get to talk to fairly what were you gonna say? What were you gonna? Say I don't want to just ask how you're feeling about friday, well no she's. We're not on our topic of art I know, but no, we don't have that much time. Can you go away? Please, Can you go away? I love you.
Speaker 1:Tristan's first time on the podcast.
Speaker 2:We can interview you one day. I was going to say Plus a dog.
Speaker 1:We should have done like an exit interview for you leaving the UK to go back. But you'll be back to London.
Speaker 2:I told Holly that she should have done an exit interview with me for pie and then she was like you're not leaving, and I was like you're so right, I would do an exit interview and still be like incredibly present on all of the communications and emails and everything. Yeah, oh wait, I was going to say something else about.
Speaker 1:Tristan would be good to speak. I mean because we can now speak to him on sticky notes, because it's become a bit more of a personal life.
Speaker 2:I know I actually really like the direction that it is going in. I think it adds sort of a fun layer. And at one point you said people are going to be communicating with us working with us, hopefully knowing us. So I feel like it does make sense to have an avenue where they're learning more about us.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I also like that. It's a way for us to catch up and be in contact.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Okay, love you. Bye, yeah, sounds good, bye, yeah. I really liked that quote about leave the party while you're still having fun, because I that was. I felt like I was actually getting to the point with London where I was starting to kind of not have fun.
Speaker 2:Like I needed the change and the change has been so good for me. But it's, it's kind of funny. My dad's from London. He's a Londoner and he would never I mean maybe not never, but he has no interest in coming back, even to visit. He just doesn't really care that much. But then if you ever say anything bad about London he's like no city holds a candle to London. It is the best place on earth.
Speaker 1:It's truly such a melting pot of so much. I know there are a lot of cities like it. I know New York is compared a lot to London, but it is so unique in what I've seen from London how many different walks of life and types of people there are here. I think there are no two same people in the city and it is just such a cool place to be and I think it's. I think big cities in general in your twenties are great places to be in because it allows for levels of self exploration that you may not have in sort of smaller towns and or cities, because you can truly no one. I mean I walk down the street and some of the things I see like I'm truly so unfazed by it and I know everyone else is like the amount of stuff that is just going on. No one cares.
Speaker 1:You could do whatever you want in the city I mean within reason, obviously legally, but and no one will bat an eyelid, and so I think in that way it is so freeing, and I think that is I mean that actually more than even the greenery. I think I will miss that a lot when I go back to Middle East, because in the Middle East there is like a microscope on what you are doing and people like to talk and everyone is connected, so you feel like you're always being watched almost, and I think that is what I will miss. Here there's like a level of freedom and independence that I don't know if I will have again.
Speaker 2:So yeah, I also think learning how to be a Pilates teacher, classical teacher in London. Maybe I'm biased, because that's where it happened for me it's still happening, but where it started for me it is such a good place to learn that world. What a great community here, oh my gosh. And so much good community.
Speaker 1:And there's so many people, so many different studios.
Speaker 2:And it's funny because I remember Holly saying to me, in the US is where it's really popular, classical Pilates, which makes sense because of its origins in New York. But then I was kind of like, oh yeah, that's so cool, I can't wait to be really surrounded by that, but it's also spread out over 50 UKs or whatever it is. You know it's.
Speaker 1:Yeah, soon was a very good spot for that but no, leave the party while you're still having fun it? And I don't think. I think, especially now in these last few months, my love of london has reignited because I'm like, okay, you've only got two and a bit months left. Like just give it your like, love it as much as you can. But I do think I could.
Speaker 1:I can see how I would have tired from the city and like got into a burnout just because it is also a hard city to live in. It's becoming more expensive by the month. It feels like yeah, and it, you know it is very fast paced, um, and I'm also very far from like you were, I'm very far from family being here, so I can see how it would have eventually got to me. It is just I, I think because I am so new in this new phase of life, it doesn't actually feel like I've been here for that long, because I'm like, oh, but now I'm Layla, but that is what I will always owe and love and like have so much love to the city.
Speaker 1:For I think it I was saying it to someone, it broke me down and then it rebuilt me and put me back together into the person I am now and I feel like it's sending me off and sending me back as the Layla that I needed to be or need to be now. I love that and I'm so glad that I'm leaving the city with so much love for it, because it means I can always come back. It's not going anywhere and I'll have fond memories of it, rather than almost dragging out my time here and trying to figure out alternate ways to stay or for something that wasn't meant to be. So, whilst I don't think I'll ever have felt ready to leave, that's why I'm like okay, leave the party while I'm still having fun is what I keep reminding myself, and you know it'll be all right.
Speaker 2:I had a good friend text me the day that I moved here and she said something like a few things and at the end she said God knows, london isn't going anywhere. Yeah, and I was kind of like you're so, right, it's not. And I know when I visit in September I will land like I feel so grateful to know a place so well. That is such an amazing thing and lots of people have that with lots of places, but I'm, I feel, very lucky to know London. So when I land I'll, you know, have all my spots.
Speaker 1:You'll be right back on Such a gift.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, thanks for listening.
Speaker 1:That's all the personal updates and we're going to get into the business chat in next week's episode because we went a bit longer than planned. So all the business stuff coming next week.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Including our scam update To be listened to.
Speaker 2:So see coming next week.
Speaker 1:Yeah, including our scam. Our scam is to be listened to, so see you next week. Yeah,