It’s the worst.
Haha, I joke. I joke. It’s just multi-faceted. Let me walk you through it.
THE GOOD:
London; it’s a city fantasised about by so many. Anything you can think to do, they’ve got it. The broadway shows, any kind of food, some of the coolest bars/pubs/clubs I have ever heard of, Harry Potter World, the sets and stars of many big films, etc. The lights twinkle in a way the ones back home wouldn’t even know how to if they tried. They almost professionally shine. The price of a ticket to anywhere in Europe are so offensively cheap compared to ones from Aus, it makes my chest hurt sometimes. That’s probably the best part.
THE BAD:
Everything costs an arm and a leg. I’ve moved over alone. I’ve moved over, quite poor. The stress of moving to a new country is quite high when you don’t have someone to tell you it’s going to be alright (I don’t know why I keep doing it).
Given the above, here’s my top five tips for moving to London:
- Bring a mate. That way, when shit hits the fan, you have someone to ground you. Especially if you’re wound up easily, like I am, this is a huge leg up.
- Bring as much fund$ as po$$ible. Realistically, I could have made the last two weeks much more enjoyable if I had some cash to throw around. I could have at least distracted myself from my constant sense of dread.
- Have a job lined up before you leave (I did this. It’s the only thing preventing a nervous melt down right now.)
- Have an open mind when you meet people – Make as many new friends as possible
- At the end of the day, remind yourself that you’re here to have fun and, as always, you can leave whenever you want to.
Also, a bonus tip would be to do it when you’re under 25. I’m scared of more things than I was when I was 21. I think I know myself so well now, I have no uncertainty about whether I like something or not and I have no qualms shutting something down because I’m afraid it won’t gel with those around me (See: jumping out of planes, getting wildly drunk in clubs, Tindering, etc).
To summarise: It’s gonna be hard, but do it anyway.
What Would Shannon Do? 