You will travel back in time to attend the masquerade ball

I’m home sick and bored so I’ve switched between rewatching Bridgerton and watching the Olympics for several days…

(I’ve also seen Outlander before, I like history and am a genealogist)

This got me thinking.

In three months time you will travel back in time to 1817, just in time for the Bridgerton masquerade ball. Your mission is to sneak in!

You are also tasked with creating a life for yourself in the era.

The three months is for you to prepare yourself for a life 200 years ago. You need to create a backstory for yourself (forge documents to verify who you are etc). You will bring all your skills and knowledge that you have today, as well as your name and nationality. Since those may not be enough for life in 1817 you have some time to brush up on skills you need to secure a position; a cook, a maid, governess, modiste, any other profession that will make you have contact with the ton. Or can you even think of a way to become part of the ton? (You can travel back as a younger self)

You also need to create your masquerade costume, a wardrobe for daily life and gather other items to help you settle. When you travel back you can bring smaller one leather suite case (like the one Colin has when he returns from his travels or Sophie has when she leaves the Penwood house) and a slightly larger canvas bag like sailors used to have. Normally you would have had a trunk, but in this case you will need to be able to carry your belongings yourself.

To get you started you’ll have a room at a respectable hotel/boarding house for two weeks while you search for work.

So:

Who will you dress up as at the masquerade?

What is your backstory? How do you end up in London?

What profession/position will you aim for?

What will you pack?

Anything else you can think of that you as a time traveler can learn to get an upper hand? Like reading up on historical events, that will happen after you arrive.