Today marks the day I’ve been living in London for a year. One year ago this evening my Eurostar from Paris pulled into Waterloo station. I was met by my boyfriend, who was holding a big bouquet of welcome-to-London flowers and had a surprise dinner reservation for us.
Living in London for a Year
Since that day I’ve traveled all over the world, made a lot of great new friends, and gotten to explore London thoroughly.
Living in London for a year has treated me extremely well, and I’m looking forward to the next year being even better. Here’s what I’ll have to top:
Things I’ve Done in London in a Year
24: Number of countries I’ve traveled to since moving to London a year ago (some of them–including France, Spain, Italy, and the USA–more than once!).
5: Number of continents I’ve been to since moving to London last year. The highlight was my first trip to Australia.
9: Number of friends and family members that have visited me in the last 12 months (this number needs to go up!).
19: Number of cities in the UK I’ve visited while living in London for a year. Highlights have included Bath, Winchester, Canterbury, and Oxford.
4: Number of wonderful weddings I for which I’ve gone back to North America. From my cousin’s wedding on Lopez Island in Washington to my friends’ destination wedding in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, they were all amazing.
1: Number of modeling competitions I’ve randomly been scouted for and unexpectedly won. I never imagined that would happen in my year in London.
2: Number of 3-Michelin-starred restaurants at which I’ve dined. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay in London and Akelarre in San Sebastian, Spain were both great culinary experiences.
4: Number of places I’ve resided while living in London for a year, including:
1: Number of months I spent living in a hotel in Belgravia.
1: Number of months I spent living in corporate housing in South Kensington.
6: Number of months I spent living in my first flat in Hampstead.
4: Number of months I’ve lived in my current flat in Hampstead. I hope to be here for a lot longer!
1: Number of foxes I’ve attempted (unsuccessfully) to befriend. I might need to give up on this one.
4 and 3: Number of zoos I’ve visited and number of continents on which they were located.
The first highlight was seeing my favorite animal, the red panda, on Christmas in Sydney, Australia. The second was seeing adorable baby polar bear Flocke in Nuremberg on my trip to the Romantic Road in Germany.
2.0523: Closing spot rate for GBP/USD one year ago today. All my savings were in USD.
1.5537: Current spot rate for GBP/USD. My salary is paid in GBP. Sigh.
Living in London for One Year
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at living in London for a year. It’s a great city and I’m so glad I moved here. I can’t wait to see what my second year in London has in store.
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