How living in London has been
13/08/2023, I got on a one-way flight to London, along with my dad and my brother who assisted in helping me find an apartment and settle in at the time.
Naturally, one of the questions I get asked the most is how living in London has been. I definitely won’t be able to sum up this experience in one post, so this blog is my own “personal space” to share my journey as a master’s student living abroad. Especially to answer some important questions people have asked me over the months, however, I may do that in short youtube videos, but we’ll see.
Living in London has been an incredible experience so far, with its fair share of ups and downs. When I moved, it was quite a tumultuous time for not only England but the whole of the UK. Since I moved HRM The Queen passed away, a new king was sworn in, Britain’s Prime Minister(PM) Liz Truss ended her tenure, and a new PM stepped into office. Amongst all these immense changes, Britain’s workforce was going through and is still going through a difficult time. Unions are striking for better salaries in the economic crisis, which means that, since my arrival, various service industries have gone or are still on strikes, such as the royal mail service, buses, and trains, as well as the ambulances and health care workers. Not to mention the energy crisis as a result of the Russia and Ukraine turmoil. Needless to say, what a time in History, to be living in London.
Despite all of this, I have had a lovely time here, from learning about the history and culture to visiting some key tourist sites, although I am yet to try a famous fish and chips. As you can see, there is still a lot for me to experience and try, but I am quite excited to do so. Contrary to this photo, London had great weather in the summer, I saw the sun most of the time and as for rain, it wasn’t all too bad, in my neighborhood at least. Even in Autumn, despite it getting cold, skies were clear for me on most days and I even got to see snow for the first time. Christmas time is already a lovely time to be in London, with all the various stalls and lights set up leading up to the day. This coupled with seeing snow for the first time was truly magical. However, I must confess, I was also in the thick of writing exams and did not spend as much time outside exploring as I would’ve liked. Nonetheless, we made it to Winter Wonderland before flying home for the holidays, and it is an experience I definitely recommend.
My highlights of living in London so far include the independence people are given through easily accessible transport, like being able to take day trips on your own to Cambridge for 11 pounds, which I also recommend. London definitely has some of the best Indian food I have ever tasted, and anyone who knows me knows that it is one of my favorite cuisines. Back home I would spend 3-4 hours in the kitchen trying to perfect curry recipes of my own, just because I wanted to be able to make my favorite dishes for myself and my loved ones. London is also a very popular place for sweet treats and dessert shops, it’s almost impossible to see them all, and it isn’t doing my sweet tooth very well. However, all I will say for now is that moving abroad is glamorized a lot, and leaving home to a new country, without knowing many people and studying for a degree or starting a new job, are big life changes, that take some time to adjust to. But as with anything in life, when you find your feet, and manage to look up again, a world of possibilities awaits you, and when you make the most of it, it turns out to be quite an adventure.