Friday, October 28, 2011
Lady for Four Years
Today is the four year anniversary of the day I moved to London. It’s hard to believe that I have been living in London for four years already. When I first moved here I thought I would be back in San Francisco after two years, but now it looks like I’m here for the foreseeable future.
Pending changes to UK immigration law, that is. Throughout my time in London, the laws determining my fate in this country have changed more times than I care to count. While those changes have caused me no small amount of stress and worry, they have also forced me to live every day in London as if it might be my last.
Over the past four years I have made it a goal that if I ever have to leave London, I won’t leave with any regrets. As such, I have made an effort to explore as many neighborhoods as I can, travel as much as I dare, and immerse myself in the culture of the city.
I think I’ve done a decent job. After living in London for four years, here are some of my stats:
1,461: Number of days I have lived in London
8: Number of times I have seen the Queen
52: Number of places I have visited in the UK since moving to London four years ago
1: Number of British racecourses of which I have been the face after randomly winning a modeling competition
Too many to count: Number of times I have eaten at restaurants in London
17: Number of times I have gone to afternoon tea
34: Number of London neighborhoods I have explored and written about in this London travel blog
1: Number of local Hampstead pubs I have helped save
75: Number of trips abroad I have taken since arriving in London
44: Number of new countries I have visited since moving to the UK (the total is now at 81 countries!)
Countless: Number of new experiences I hope to have in London in the future
A year from today I am eligible for Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK, which would give me the right to continue living in London for the rest of my life. I don’t want to get my hopes up—there is still a year for the rules to change again—but no matter what happens, I certainly won’t regret the time I have spent here!
Happy anniversary, and good luck for the next year! I hope they manage to keep the rules the same long enough that you can breathe easy.
Thanks Emily! I hope so too!
Anniversaries are a big deal. Congrats Lady!
(Four more years! Four more years!?)
Thanks Laura! I hope I will be here for at least four more years!
Have to ask…but why did you want to live in London in the first place?
Mark
Good question, Mark. I love this part of the world, and it used to be easy to get a visa to live here.
If you’re going to seize the day, that’s a great place to do it! Nice that you’re so mindful of what you have and immersing yourself in it daily.
Thanks Maria!
Happy anniversary, lady!!!
Thanks Oneika! See you soon!
This is soo adorable!
x
Cant wait to read more posts about the places u visit!
What a gorgeous life you have!
Thanks Andi!
Happy 4th!! I hope you stay at least as long as I’m here!!
Thanks Emily! I hope to stay here as long as you do, too!
Congrats on your anniversary– worth celebrating!
I recently stumbled upon your blog and I must say, you are a real inspiration to ladies everywhere bitten by the travel bug–myself included. Fingers crossed for your next year!
Thanks Maggie! I appreciate it!
I left just after my 4-year anniversary in London but I’m coming back in January
Can’t wait. I can’t believe you have visited 81 countries. Puts my meager 19 or whatever it is to shame!! Anyway, I just linked you up to my blog which I plan to start writing in again in January. Thought I’d let you know 
Thanks Steph! That’s great that you’re coming back in January!
Congratulations! You are indeed living the dream!
Thanks Richelle!
Congrats on your anniversary, and thumbs up for the posts about London. Was there two weeks ago for the first time and i can say it’s most definately the best city i visited
Thanks Antonio! I’m glad you enjoyed your trip to London!
Hi! Congrats on the Aniversary! You are such an inspiration to me! I hope to one day move over there. I have some friends who live around Oxford….Bicester to be exact and I am supposed to visit them next year. It will be my first trip over there. I am very excited and your blog is a big help! Thanks so much!
Thanks Alexis! I hope you get a chance to visit!
This is amazing! I have been saving and am planning to move to London by the fall. Do you know of any particular areas that are good to move to for a single girl? Thank you!
That’s great, Ashley! There are lots of good areas to move to, and a lot depends on your preference for the type of neighborhood you want to live in, and your budget for rent. Places like Clapham are always pretty popular, and fairly affordable.