I have been living in London for one month now and my god has the time flown by. From the morning that my flight landed I have been on the go, working (as a nanny), travelling to France for an Easter skiing holiday, sightseeing in the city and making new friends, I dove straight into the deep end.
London is the largest city I have ever experienced, bursting with people, filled with history and above all else, rich with culture.
It has only been four weeks but I can already say that I have learned a lot about London and its lifestyle, so if you are like me and are moving to the UK for you overseas experience, here are my top ten tips and lessons that I have discovered along the way.
- Be brave-
Not much to add to this one, what have you got to lose? If you have always dreamed of living in London, just do it. Take the chance, as the saying goes... you only live once.
If you really don't like it (which I'm sure is impossible) you can always go home. And the added bonus of London is that there is a awesome community of Kiwi's and Aussie's already over here. Check out groups like Kiwi's In London to find fun activities, sort a place to live, travel advice and simply meeting other like minded people with our excellent accent, they can help you out. Definitely recommend! - Dive in-
Although these last four weeks have been very busy and on the go, I wouldn't change it at all. Each day I have seen something new, crossed somewhere off my list and met someone new, I can't think of a better way to completely immerse myself in this new life. Plus, that is the thing I love most about London, no matter where you are in the city, you will never be bored again. Flower market? Pop-up cafe? Palace? I get terrible FOMO if I don't do all of it at once, straight away. - Layering is your new best friend-
Start practicing as soon as possible, the art of layering remains a little bit of a struggle for me, but I will get there. Temperatures can change very quickly and its better to be overdressed than under. Put on around 50 layers to prepare for everything and you should be safe, then learn how to artfully remove some of them when your squished like sardines with other overly wrapped commuters. Only joking, but in all seriousness, outfit prep is key. Also, it's probably a good move to carry a handbag sized umbrella, just in case. - Escalator etiquette-
Obey the signs at the tube stations, always stand on the right side of the escalator. Standing on the left is pretty much the worst and most inconvenient thing you can do, ever. And someone will let you know, loudly... Oh, and walk off the escalator, standing for those last few moments will bring the whole system to a crash. - Don't be offended when they ignore you-
London is BUSY, especially on the tube during rush hour, so put your head down and let your elbows do the talking, there isn't much time for 'excuse me' and thank you. Also, bus drivers are nine times out of ten, meaner than the Grinch, so don't worry about thanking them, they'll ignore you anyway. - Wait for the green man-
As stated above, London can be a dangerous place during rush hour, so the sooner you learn to cross the streets safely, the better. Even if it looks clear and the little man is red, JUST WAIT, otherwise you will accidentally be playing chicken with oncoming traffic rushing around the corners. - Stranger danger-
Unless you are in my situation and have moved to the UK to be a live in nanny, with a lovely family in a beautiful home, or your best friends have moved over with you, chances are you will end up living with people you barely know. My advice is to try and meet with them for lunch or dinner before you sign up to live with a weirdo. What if you hate the way the eat? Or they have a dodgy history? A drunken convo at a 'speed flatmating' event isn't enough. - App happy-
At home, we don't need to rely on apps to get ourselves out and about, to work and back or to the the local pub, probably because there's about three main roads. But over here in the big smoke (Auckland is nothing) it is a risk for me to try and get from A to B without triple checking with at least two apps. My favourites are Citymapper and Transport for London (TFL). Just type in where you are and where you want to go, and they calculate multiple routes, times and methods of transport, all in the palm of your hand, truly my lifesavers. It's not worth winging it, if you go passed your stop, or end up on the wrong line...let's just not go there. - Sun's out guns out-
People go nuts when the sun comes out, t-shirts off, beers outside, iced lollies all round, so keep your sunnies and some jandals with you so you can head out and join in. - Learn the lingo-
Although I've put this at number ten, it is by no means the least important. If you want to be taken seriously, I strongly advise learning the 'English' words.
For example, Ice blocks are iced lollies, lollies are sweets, singlets are vests and pants does not mean pants such as jeans, it means underpants. Don't be caught out in the cold weather saying 'I wish I wore some pants today,' you might get a rather funny look.
Oh and p.s.... your new favourite hot drink will be tea, I recommend PG Tips, delicious! And you don't know scones until you have had an English scone, it really is an art and these guys have it sorted!
S. xx
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