Hello everyone, hope you’re having a great weekend and enjoying Bonfire Night if you’re in GB! I’ve been thinking about my experiences in London and the lessons I’ve learned since I moved to this city five years ago (where has the time gone?). I wanted to share some of these lessons with you in case you’re also thinking about moving here or just wondering what it’s like to live in London.
- London is busy. All the time. Probably one of the busiest places I have ever been to is Piccadilly Circus. It’s a major tourist attraction and extremely crowded at any time of the day. I try to avoid it as much as possible.
- Everything is expensive, especially in Central London where I live and work, from rent to travel to food. You have to be very good at budgeting and saving (or very rich) if you want to have money left at the end of the month. You’d be surprised how quickly money can disappear when you live in London.
- Winters are usually long but mild and summers are short…but mild. It rarely gets too cold or hot to be out and about, which is good, but if you’re hoping for a lot of snow in the winter or a lot of sun in the summer, you’d be disappointed. And what this means in terms of your wardrobe is that you can spend most of the year in a leather jacket and ankle boots.
- Pretty much everyone uses the underground. It’s always crowded and hot, but at least it helps you get from A to B quickly. If you use the underground, you have to learn to walk fast and make sure you’ve got your payment card ready before you get to the gates. Everyone is always in a rush and you don’t want to be in the way.
- There’s always something new to discover. You can try a new restaurant every time you go out, see the most amazing west end shows, and find shops that you didn’t even know existed. There is so much to see and do here, that it can never get boring.
- You can get your groceries and pretty much anything delivered to your door. It’s so convenient and saves you precious time by not having to run all the time to the supermarket.
- People hold the door for you, most of the time. It might seem like a small gesture, but in a city where everyone is always in a hurry and things can get a little crazy sometimes, it really makes a difference.
- Quality over quantity. Working in the fashion industry in London has opened my eyes to all those amazing brands out there and taught me to distinguish and appreciate quality. I’m a firm believer in quality over quantity and this can be applied to all aspects of life, not just fashion.
- London is dangerous. Some places more than others. My house has been burgled and I know so many people who have encountered crime, so you have to be careful and always on the alert.
- Career opportunities are endless. You can study anything you genuinely want and work in any field you like, and if you’re ambitious, you can find yourself in a top firm or running your own business. But you have to be prepared for some tough competition, because this city is full of people just as smart and determined to make it to the top as you.
