London skyline
London’s skyline from St Paul’s Cathedral

If you know me you’ve probably heard me say the words “love” and “London” in the same sentence at some point in time. I’ve always loved London and though I’ve only been to the city twice, it’s a place that’s almost always on my mind.

But it’s been five years since I’ve last visited London. My semester abroad in London is what set me off on my desire to live and work in Europe—something I’ve only recently figured out how to do successfully. (Curious about how to find work abroad? Check out the Inspiring Traveller’s tips here)

England and the UK has been on my mind a lot as of late, partly because I’m finally living the dream of a life in Europe, but also because living in Berlin, while amazing, isn’t always easy. I don’t speak German (shame, I know) and some of the cultural differences can be a bit tiring.

So with all this on my mind, I’m heading to Brighton & London this weekend. And I’m pretty damn excited about it, too.

London t-shirt

5 reasons why I think I might still love London

  1. It’s the center of the universe
    I read the BBC news website (and app) almost religiously at this point. While I know Berlin is inching closer to overtaking London as Europe’s start-up capital, so much of the world is focused in London.
  2. It can actually be affordable
    When I studied abroad in London, I was extremely cautious preparing for the term. I saved my pennies, but when I was there, I realized I could actually afford to eat out (albeit cheaply) and still have a nice time. This is why I love cities—though they may be expensive, they still have to accommodate for every salary-type. Just may be harder to find, but there’s always something affordable—from cheap hotels in London to £2 sandwiches.
  3. Art! And culture!
    Theatre, museums, galleries, designers. Everything is in London. Most of the museums are FREE. How can you beat that? One of my favorite things to do when visiting the city is to go to a London show and hotel bar for a nightcap. It always reminds me of what I imagine life was like in Victorian England.
  4. The accent
    It’s been said to death, but the British accent is one fine accent. Not to mention that the Scottish are just a few hours away… Oh, and, you know, they speak English there…even if it’s a bit superfluous with extra letters interspersed in words.
  5. Music
    I’m a bit of a music junkie (or at least I used to be) and it’s been a while since I saw some proper gigs or shows. One of my favorite parts from living in London years ago was that I could stumble into club or bar and hear some truly great music.
London is also a great transport hub. It’s easy to get to other cities in Europe (and with Heathrow, around the world). I hardly ever left Londontown when living there because it was so cool, but based on the fact that there are so many things to do in Winchester, in Oxford, Brighton, Scotland and hundreds of other UK cities, the next time I find myself there, I plan to get out more.

I don’t know if these reasons will hold up now that I’m visiting the city for the first time in 5 years. But it’s nice to hold onto memories every once in a while. And it could be fun to shatter my expectations. We’ll see. I’ll let you know.

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