I am back in London after being at home for 2 weeks. I was so excited to get back to London and start my final term in school and get started on this dissertation! Yikes!! But when I came back to London, something troubled me.......I'm not in love with this city like I thought I would be.
I was more in love with London before I came here to study. I think I was rather naive in my feelings about this city. I was in love with the London that I read about in my literature classes as an undergrad. I was in love with the London of old. When I visited London in May for the first time, I fell more in love with this city. But when I came in September to actually LIVE and not TOUR, the rose tinted glasses were snatched off my eyes and my naivety slapped me in the face on BOTH cheeks! It was an eye opener. Don't get me wrong....I feel very privileged to be here. Not many people have this opportunity to come to a city as beautiful and historic as London to live for a year and half. I feel very blessed. Plus I've met some of the most interesting, dynamic group of people from all over the world. It's been a pure blessing in that aspect. But I wasn't prepared for the sun setting at 3:30 in the afternoon, no sunshine for weeks, people walk around with not a smile on their faces, people are rushing as if their lives depended on it, things take MUCH longer to get accomplished here. Something as simple as opening a bank account was a pain. Oh and finding a job hasn't been easy for me either. This place is so expensive that it's scary. There is NO middle class here. You either have it or you don't. Space here is also limited. I literally lived in a mansion compared to some of the space I've seen here and the prices are outrageous just to live in a nice place. I lucked out in finding a nice place to stay with inexpensive rent in a nice area but some people aren't so fortunate. Plus I'm used to living alone but because living alone is so expensive here, people do house share which is what I'm doing. It's pretty decent. My housemates are great. My landlords are great and the house is lovely. But even people who make a lot of money struggle here and it shouldn't be that way.
I don't want to sound jaded already but my term ends in April then I have the whole summer to work on my dissertation and I'm debating if I'm going to stay here in London or move on to bigger and better things. I'm still debating moving back to the States after I'm done. We'll see I guess.
But to prove that I don't hate London as it might appear, I went sightseeing with my friend Monica on Sunday because it was a rare sunny and beautiful day and I walked around and took pictures and it made me realize why I was here in the first place. Despite all of the negatives I listed, London is historic, beautiful, amazing and wonderful! Check out my pics below and tell me why would anyone not fall in love with this city?
Ciao!!
17 comments:
I had these same feelings when I first moved to London and still sorta do.
It's a great city but in terms of quality of living it isn't high on the list. Yes there is a lot to do as a tourist which is great but living here is another thing.
I'm going on year 3 of living here, and I continue to stay on because of my boyfriend who is a Brit. I like London a lot, but no, I don't love it either.
Thanks Melissa for your comment! I'm sad that I'm not as in love with London as I thought I would be. I'm still rather positive about the city but as you said, the quality of life here is not that great. I would never raise children here but while I'm single and still fairly young, it's ok!
Thanks for being so honest, you've just confirmed some of my biggest hesitations about moving to London. I've never had any real interest in London and have no real positive expectations, but I know how it is to be so in love with the thought of a place only to be dissatisfied with the reality of being there.
I hate when it gets dark at 6pm, so I can't even begin to imagine 3pm! Being a Southerner, I really can get where your coming from on how people being so seemingly unfriendly could be a hard adjustment.
You still have a good amount of time left so you never know, that spark might just be revived soon ;)
Thann, I am still going to remain optimistic because I haven't been here that long and I still have time, like you said, to get that spark! You have family here so maybe your situation will be a little better. I don't have any family and I have a few friends here but I wanted to make friends with actual natives and they aren't that friendly so I just stick with my American classmates! LOL! But I'm hoping it will get better. I really don't have that much time left here anyways, so I'm going to try to enjoy as much as I can! Thanks for reading and commenting!
Glad you are still positive about it! It's great being single here for sure. If I have kids I'd prefer not to have them here but it may happen that way.
To Thann - London is amazing in the summer so it does even out a bit.
I get your feelings - London is divisive. Have you thought about looking elsewhere in the UK? It is so much cheaper, for starters.
Also, take heart; we've passed the shortest day of the year and things are going to get lighter soon. By the time we get in to May, we're laughing.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/astronomy.html?n=136&month=5&year=2011&obj=sun&afl=-11&day=1
Serafina, thanks so much for reading and commenting! Well when May rolls around, I might be heading home and work on my dissertation there so I might not be able to enjoy the light and beauty of London in the summer. I hadn't decided yet. Also, I would live in another part of the UK if I were going to stay here after my student visa expired and I tried another visa scheme. Scotland is a place where I wouldn't mind living. BUT I don't think I'm going to be in England after 2012 BUT if I were, I'd definitely move to Scotland.
Sounds more like a big city thing then just London. Lived in New York most of my life I always traveled to different places. London was the most like New York City than anywhere I visited. I finally made it to Rome (yay)!! I can already tell this atmoshphere is much different. It gives enough of the Big City vibe without the some of the things that normally comes along with it. Especially with in regards to the people being more concerned with family and truly taking time off to cherish moments. Its a different experience than what I am using from studying and working NYC but I like it! Will keep you posted if I love Rome. Ciao!
I just really enjoyed the story because it was very informative, and gives your perspective and it is probably one that most foreigners come to grips with in London. I would not stay in London too long because like you said the quality of living is so expensive. I don't find value in spending a ton of money just to live in a place where people seem to be bitter about life a majority of the time. I know the weather plays on that a lot too but just knowing that either makes you except the experience and get used to it which to me is really not worth it or maybe even become socially isolated there. Long Term no place is worth that feeling for me.
Thank you Doug e. fresh for reading! LOL! And honestly, If I stayed here longer than 2 years, I feel like I will start acting like how the majority of people act here. But I also think it I were in another part of the UK, say the northern part of England or Scotland, I'd probably enjoy it more as I hear people are much friendlier even with the lack of sunshine. Meh....
Same deal here Tecla (as you already know). And I'd been to London twice before for 30 days each before I moved in September (and then moved back). I can remember how excited we talked about it early in 2010 and how sure we both were. It's definitely sad to be so disappointed, but it's reality and I was naive as hell. I just should have stayed to get a degree, since as you said in your blog it's a rare opportunity. Ah well, I'll be back this year. You were strong to stay, way stronger than I, and it was the right decision.
And Scotland is amazing to live in, at least from what I saw when I was there. Actually me living in London was mainly to get my EU Visa. The plan was to move to Paris and then Edinburgh, Scotland and then Eastern Europe (Austria). It seems like every rich and/or famous British person from London or England that I know of ends up moving and living in Scotland. Hell the Queen lives there most of the year.
Ann - That's awesome to have made it to Rome! I'm like Tecla in that I've wanted to live in London for many, many years now and to move over there, and I was vastly disillusioned once I did do it. Yet, even before getting hit with reality, I'd have wanted to live in Rome over London too! I've been all over Italy, from Sicily to Venice, and while the "vision of what Italy is" and "what it actually is" are completely different, I still loved it. I was also very surprised to like Florence more than Rome... crazy! But, I loved it all, Verona, Venice, etc. Unfortunately citizenship with Italy is much more difficult for me. Once, and if, I get EU citizenship, I'll move all over Eastern Europe!
I also love how everyone is patient and enjoys there day in Rome/Italy... probably the result of siestas LOL! It's a shame that it's becoming more Westernized and they seem to be losing some of that, less and less businesses doing siestas and businesses working more. Still, everyone has no problem spending 3 hours at a restaurant, and nobody scolds them!
I had a favorite restaurant near The Pantheon in Rome, down a small side street, that had a beautiful and private back-room that most people didn't realize existed. I'd go there when tired or my feet hurt and just drink beer and occasionally eat more lasagna and pizza for hours and hours. Watching the Italian T.V. and people-watching through the corridor. Some of my best memories were hanging out there or at other Italian restaurants! It's hard to find the authentic ones in the touristy areas, that favorite one I just talked about was super bizarre and rare for where it was, but walking far off from the touristy areas (as you know) always yields amazing homely restaurants. Feels like you have an Italian grandmother taking care of you!
You may be used to London now. No need to be in love with it to be able to live here. And whoever said that summertime is amazing here, is absolutely correct. And Scotland is quite nice; that might be a decent alternative.
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yo whassup iam feeling your blog very interesting and fresh ,,, good luck with your studies. As a Guyanese whose been here for many years your appraisal of London is on the mark. this is from someone who spent many years in the north of England[don't go there} this country is a weird one
reverse of the u.s where the south is weird and the north is happening{Mississippi new York } coming from such a big place to a cramped island such as this would be a culture shock ,ive been too the u.s, big apple and Miami and i am in the process of trying too move there after my studies. From my personal experience this country is a very racist one a little less so too women.But in the inner city areas there is apathied the police treat young black males as all criminals i admit sometimes we dont help ourselves.but what happened too innocent till proven guilty????
black British are 0.8 of the population .but according to the media we shoot all the guns sell all the crack and basically good for nothing. obviously false but for those without the strength of mind its only a matter of time b4 you start doing what's expected of you. don't even get me started on how they treat black males in schools.ive had such a negative experience that ive gave up working as a builder and now training too be a lawyer a few more years of learning but it will be worth it too stick the law down ignorant peoples throats. the best revenge is success do ya thing peeps {j. bazz
I'm English and I wouldn't want to live in London. I love London and it's brilliant to visit, but it's so expensive! I am more of a country girl too, I like to see the countryside, rolling green fields etc. Perhaps London isn't for you, but England is not just London, there are loads of other cities- I personally love Bath and Bristol- and loads of towns and villages. Cornwall is simply stunning!
Thank you so much for the response and for reading. I didn't get a chance to really travel around England like I wanted to. I agree about London being a great place to visit but I probably would never live there again because it is expensive and crowded! Great tourist place though!
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