If you’ve read my post about how Instagram reunited me with an old friend, then you already know. For those who didn’t, I used to live in London. And I absolutely adore it.
London is my happy-place, and it is my soul-home.
And while I’m sure much of this blog will one day be filled with posts about London, let me, for now, share the top five things I miss most about no longer living there.
5. Everything is Better in London
This is actually something I used to say when I lived there: Everything is better in London. The bad things aren’t as bad, and the great things are phenomenal. London both puts things into perspective and drastically changes my point-of-view.
I realize how biased that statement is, but it’s how I feel.
Both times I lived in London, I had mental health blockages (in the form of toxic friendships, dying relatives, and later, a global pandemic), but everything worked out. Even me being back in the States for the last year, it’s made it so I could set myself up for an amazing job that will help me save the money I’ll need to move back to London.
I hate that I won’t be able to go back to London sooner. This amazing job has a contract for a year. It’ll be at least that before I move back. And I need to be able to pay for my Master’s and PhD when I move back, so it’ll probably take longer than a year.
It’s killing me not knowing when I can move back. It’s been killing me to be back here in Georgia for the past year.
But London has this calming effect on me. Even from all the way across the world. As long as London is the plan, it doesn’t matter how long it takes me to get back–because I will get back–it’ll be okay.
4. Londoner Personality
This is an odd one. Because as any of my English classmates will tell you, Londoners are mean.
That was never the mentality I faced. I do, however, know what they’re talking about.
Because I attended a university with a fairly big percentage of non-English students, I was lucky enough to know as many foreigners as England (and London) natives. This created two major groups of people: the English (or English-accented) and the foreigners (composed mostly of Americans).
I personally experienced only the response Londoners had to Americans: very sweet and helpful.
A couple of my expat-American friends, however, are married to English men, and they’ve experienced the nastiness that (apparently) Londoners are known for. (That said, neither has a horribly thick American accent. I’d argue neither has a thick English accent either.)
In other words, if you’re lost and needing help, put on the thickest lost-tourist American accent you have and stop someone on the street. If you want people to leave you alone, bring out that English accent.
3. The Public Transport
I understand there are people who don’t like public transport systems. They’d rather drive a car or ride a bike, and more power to them.
I am not one of these people.
Don’t get me wrong, I like the occasional stroll or ride on a bright spring day. But in case you’ve never seen London weather, that’s pretty rare. Usually, it’s cloudy (or rainy) and has a chilled wind to it.
If that’s your vibe, have at it. If not, come with me.
Honestly, I’ve been on other public transport systems before. I find them dirty and unsafe. (In Atlanta, the latter is especially true.) New York is filthy, D.C. is falling apart, and Rome was legitimately broken. While I was there.
So, the London system was a lovely surprise.
And people are so nice. (If they’re ignoring you, I’m serious about the accent. Throw in a Southern drawl, and they will love you.)
London is neat and clean, people are friendly, the workers are helpful, there are colour-coded maps everywhere, and your GPS app on your phone will work on the Tube, too, because there is WiFi in the tunnels!
I don’t think anything gets better than the London public transport system.
That said, if you live there long enough, you’ll definitely develop the Londoner impatience. The public transport is very well documented and your travel apps will adjust arrival times every few seconds. But still, if you live there, you’ll–like me, and everybody else–be rocking on your heels raring to go when that bus finally pulls up perfectly on time.
2. The Rowhouses
This is a silly thing to be so high on the list, I know, but I do love them.
These are the houses/flats that stand side-by-side and line the streets. They’re particularly common farther out in Greater London (rather than Central) in the more residential areas.
They come in several different styles and often in varying colours.
There are also versions called “Lion Houses”.
These were built around the same time all over London and are one of the older sets of rowhouses. They notably have lions on the gates or lion head door-knockers.
Obviously, many house owners in London have since stolen the aesthetic.
I’d probably be one of them. I just bought earrings that match this lion-knocker.
1. Christmas in London
London does Christmas right!
It’s actually amazing how far north London is on the globe. You really don’t realize how far up until you live through a winter season there.
The sun still sets early and rises late. It’s still cold. It’s still rainy.
But in the dead of winter, for context, the sun sets at 4 o’clock pm. In the middle of the afternoon, the sun just vanishes. It doesn’t rise until almost 9:00am the next morning.
I don’t love this.
What I do love–and desperately miss–are all the Christmas lights London puts up to compensate for the darkness! It more than makes up for it.
There are “Christmas” markets running from mid-November to early-February, and they are beautiful. Honestly, I feel like I’m in a Hallmark movie every time I go, and I am not upset about it.
Because winter is London’s rainy season, it’s bitter and cold and dark all the time, but with all the lights and the food and the hot chocolate from the festivals, WHO CARES??
The Christmas Markets are by far my favourite thing in the winter, and even writing this post, I’m feeling bittersweet as I remember all the memories my friends and I created at those festivals. The one friend I think of specifically will be back in London doing her Master’s soon, and I am hella jealous. (Leyla, I’m looking at you!)
Anyway, all of that to say: Everything is better in London.
