New To Me

As I sit cross-legged on my bed observing the view outside my window with the overcast, washed out sky turning a deep purple while the rain sweeps over the gardens and buildings that lay ahead in the distance, I can't help but reflect on London so far.  The ever-changing experience that living in London is has made me realise that there are multiple things that have become very new to me.  For instance, the layering of three different shirts is a completely new everyday routine for me and the need to wear enclosed shoes everywhere I walk is also a definite new experience.  Even the closeness of grocery stores is an exciting new idea in my life.  It's most certainly safe to say that the past eight months have brought various new things into my life.
So if by any chance you're an Australian and if you ever find yourself moving to London for any particular reason I've thought up, written, rewritten and finally typed out what I think are the most overwhelming new things that I have come across so far.

Be financially prepared.  I mean it.  Whatever you think your financially prepared amount is, DOUBLE IT.  You can't begin to imagine how much you'll thank yourself for this later.

When finding a place to rent, it's best to do this once in London.  Although people say to start looking while you're in Australia, it's much easier when you're in London as a lot of landlords want you to do viewings.  Trust me when I say you'll want to do the viewings as images on websites aren't always legitimate...

Making friends is difficult.  Unless you're an absolute socialite that makes friends wherever you go, this statement is utterly true.  London is a place where friends from other towns, cities and countries come to explore as a group, so if you've ventured here on your own just like myself then good luck.  

Carry an umbrella with you everywhere you go.  Seriously, do this.  Your umbrella will become your best friend and you may as well get used to it ASAP.

Drinking on the street is completely acceptable.  For me, this one was a pretty new thing since Brisbane is an anti-drink-on-the-street kind of place.

Claustrophobic?  Forget about moving to London.  Everywhere you go your personal bubble will be popped.  Leicester Square, the tube, the elevator at your new workplace, your new room, heck even the street will be to small and squished!

No matter how cute squirrels are they are considered vermin.  This one will always separate you as a foreigner because all Brits are disgusted by them.

Do your research and you could be living cheaply.  It really is brilliant how much free stuff is hidden in the media over here.  Make sure you do your research in order to explore the city further and score free things all of the time.

Be prepared to see things that can't be unseen.  From the neighbours' windows who are so close to yours that you can touch them to the random dog on the tube that starts humping everything in its view, you will see anything and everything in London.

No matter how long you've lived here, this city will always be beautiful.  It still overwhelms me how beautiful this city is.  It's like walking into a magical Harry Potter world wherever I go. 

Hope for the best and prepare for the worst.  I swear this idiom was made for London.  For me anyway it's something that I've learnt while living in this major city.

On that note I'll leave you with a few photographs from my past week.  I hope you've all had a wonderful few weeks and I apologise for the rather delayed blog post!  Make sure you spread the love by sharing my blog around.  I also have twitter and Facebook as well!



This is my favourite picture to date.  A line of seagulls in the middle of Hyde Park.

A trip to Fortnum & Mason (the Queen's favourite store) was always on the "bucket list" 

This pigeon at Hyde Park decided to have a nap in the sun