Today is the 6-year blog anniversary of the A Lady in London blog! It’s hard to believe that 2,190 days have gone by since I quit my hedge fund job, got a visa, and moved to London. But 6 years, 91 countries, and a lot of memorable experiences later, it’s time to celebrate.
6-Year Blog Anniversary
I get emails all the time from readers asking how I went from working in finance in San Francisco to running a travel blog in London.
Given the interest, I thought I would use this post as an opportunity to answer that question and tell a bit more of my story than most people know.
My Blogging Journey
Originally from Silicon Valley, I graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations.
I had done summer internships at the U.S. Embassy in Paris and the U.S. Mission to the EU in Brussels thinking that I wanted to be a diplomat.
But the government bureaucracy wasn’t my cup of tea, so I headed home to California to work in the private sector.
Specifically, Goldman Sachs (yes, I know, the evil empire). I spent two years working in asset management for them, then jumped over to a hedge fund to be a macroeconomic analyst.
It all sounded very exciting on paper, but I wasn’t passionate about the work.
A year after I took the hedge fund job, I was burned out from the long hours—I had to be at my desk at 5:30am and usually didn’t leave before 5pm—and wanted to do something else.
I was also getting restless in San Francisco. I loved the city and enjoyed living there, but I knew that if I didn’t leave I would spend the rest of my life there without seeing more of the world.
Having spent the two summers in Paris and Brussels as well as two college semesters abroad in Nice and Prague, I was itching to get back to Europe.
At the time, it was easy for Americans to get visas to live and work in the UK (sadly that’s no longer the case!). I quit my job, applied for a visa, and headed to London. I had no job, no plan, and no problem with that.
I had developed a passion for writing at a young age, so when I found myself waiting for my visa to be approved, I decided to start a blog.
I saw it as a refreshing creative outlet after years of sitting in front of spreadsheets, and a way to keep in touch with people back home once I moved overseas. I never imagined it would be anything more.
Two years later, the blog had attracted a following. I was working at a startup in London, but wasn’t particularly happy with it as a long-term career option.
I had always wanted to run my own business, and around that time blogging was coming into its own as a profitable enterprise.
Once again, I found myself quitting a job to take a risk. This time it was to run the A Lady in London blog full-time. I was excited, but nervous.
For the next few months, I woke up every morning in a state of panic. What if things didn’t work out? What if my business failed? What in the world was I doing?
But things did work out. The business didn’t fail. And soon I found that I was doing a lot of different things.
I expanded the blog to include travel planning services for clients, I added social media and blog coaching, and I’ve been teaching and lecturing about blogging and social media.
At the same time, I started getting commissioned to write for publications like Lonely Planet and photograph restaurants for big blogs like Eater.
A Lady in London got featured in leading media, and I was thrilled to see my hard work and passion paying off. I couldn’t wait to discover what was next.
And that’s the most exciting thing about my job. What started out as a hobby has turned into a career, and it’s a dream come true to be doing what I love and making a living from it.
I wake up every day excited to work, travel, and grow my business. Better still, my career keeps taking me in new and exciting directions.
When I celebrate the seventh anniversary of A Lady in London next year, I’m sure I will have even more new things to report.
In the meantime, I hope to keep providing you with entertaining, useful, and exciting blog posts.
Your support over the last six years has meant so much to me, and I’m incredibly grateful for all the fans, followers, and friends I’ve connected with through the blog. Here’s to another six years and more!
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54 Comments on Lady’s 6-Year Blog Anniversary
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Thank you so much for sharing your story – a great inspiration for those starting out on the blogging journey and testament to what can be achieved with trust and determination.
Thanks Linzi!
Happy Anniversary 🙂 I am so glad it worked out for u and that you took the plunge! It’s so true, if you are not passionate about your job. It will be difficult to be passionate about life! Since so many hours are taken up in the workplace. I wish you only more success and travels. Well done. I think a spot of tea and cake is deserved.
Thanks Michelle! I think I will take you up on your tea and cake recommendation! 🙂
Happy anniversary! I love and relate somehow very much with some parts of your story – including the morning panic. I keep saying that when things are going smoothly too fast there are maybe not too much worth the effort 🙂 Can’t wait to read your posts for many years to come. Happy writing party!
Thanks Ilana! Glad you can relate!
Happy six years! I’ve only found you this year so still have a lot to catch up on. It’s great that you get to do what you love every day. I started my blog for similar reasons, so my family and friends can see what I’m up to, who knows where I will be in six years as well, you give me hope! 🙂
Thanks Dannielle! It will be exciting to see what the next six years bring for your blog!
Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story, it certainly is an inspiration for people like myself fairly new in the blogging business looking to make the move from a hobby to a profitable business. Happy Anniversary!
Thanks Davide! I hope it works out for you to run your blog full-time, too!
Congratulations! I loved reading your background story and you are an inspiration about how to make things happen by following your passion and taking a risk! Love following you on Twitter too!
Thanks Margie! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I look forward to keeping in touch on Twitter!
So glad to read stories like this that show just how much is possible when you put your mind and your full effort into it. Been loving your adventures, and here’s to many more!
Thanks Lauren! I really appreciate it!
First of all, congratulations on six years! Your story is very interesting, and it’s so good to see your hard work paid off. Your blog is definitely one of my favorites – I hope you keep on doing this for many years!
Thanks Olivia! I’m glad you like it!
Congratulations! This was very inspiring to read and I hope one day to turn my passion of travel into a career as well. If only Uk visas were easier to obtain now… London is my favorite city in the entire world! Your blog is such a pleasure to read every week and you deserve every bit of success coming your way.
Happy travels 🙂
Thanks Lauren! I’m glad you enjoy reading it!
CONGRATS!!!!!!! Wow you have accomplished so much, I’m so proud of you! You’re living the dream girl. 🙂
Thanks Andi!
Wow, sounds like you’ve had an amazing few years 🙂 can’t wait to keep following your blog to hear more about your adventures! Lots of love! Keep in touch 🙂
Andrea xxx
Thanks Andrea!
Happy anniversary! I’m glad we met through the blog, and I love following along with all of your adventures.
Thanks Emily! I’m glad we met through our blogs, too!
Congrats on your 6th Blog Anniversary! Its really inspiring to read how you took such a risk and have it pay off. It really is a most wonderful thing to be able to wake up in the morning and do the thing you are most passionate about – and you do it so well! Looking forward to the next 6 years!
Thanks! I’m glad you found it inspirational!
Wow 6 years is amazing! I haven’t been doing anything consistent for that long! congratulations and I look forward to reading for another 6!
Thanks Laura!
And it’s a lovely blog you’ve created in these past 6 years! You should feel proud…
Thanks! I appreciate it!
I managed to wrangle a UK work visa for 2 years, and I took the plunge to come over from Canada. Reading about the courage you had to start fresh in a different country makes me smile, because it is familiar to me. I can only hope that my tiny blog will one day have a fraction of your success!
Congratulations, you deserve the success you have worked so hard to create for yourself.
Thanks Leslie! I wish you continued success with your blog, too!
Wow, this is SO inspiring. I, too, left a career in finance to pursue something I love – events. I write a travel blog, but can’t seem to make it a business – it still remains as a wonderful (really fulfilling) hobby.
Congratulations on that fantastic move and cheers to more successful years to come!
Thanks Katherina!
Happy Six Year Anniversary! Loved reading about your adventures in becoming a monetarily successful blogger. Fascinating. Looking forward reading about your future travels.
Thanks Patti!
Your story is really inspiring. I’ve been trying to find work in London and would love to live between two cities. I love the pics you are posting and I hope I’ll move to London one day!
Thanks Isa!
I’m about to start a blog actually. And you’ve inspired me! Any words of advice pls?
That’s great! I’m glad I’ve inspired you. I run lots of classes and webinars about blogging, so feel free to check them out!
Such an inspiring story! So nice to read an honest story of hard work paying off. I totally relate to writing being a creative outlet after years of sitting in front of spreadsheets!
Thanks JP!
Going through a similar thing right now as you did when you came to London… Sometimes you just need to go for it. Either it works or it doesn’t but if don’t try you will never know and you will surely regret later in life that you did not chase after your dreams. I am happy for you and wish you all the best for the future ♥
Thanks Nadine. Good luck!
your story is so inspiring; thanks for sharing! i’ll be graduating pharmacy school and starting a residency program this summer, and i have no plans to quit (yet), but have been flirting with the thought of starting a blog to document my adventures/keep myself looking forward to new ones– who knows, maybe someday it’ll become something 🙂
i am curious about how you were practically able to quit your job and move to london. i know london is not cheap! you probably had a good amount saved up (and being in finance i’m sure you knew how to manage your own well 😉 ) but did you also look for small side jobs when you first got there? sorry, i don’t mean to ask anything too personal, but i have so many things i want to do and find myself limited by–surprise surprise–time and money. how did you go about living frugally in london before your blog had really picked up?
Thanks Eva! I hope you’re able to live your dream soon! I saved up for awhile before moving to London, so thankfully didn’t need to worry about earning money when I first got here.
Absolutely love your story! And it sounds a lot like me (but you’re correct when you say getting a visa is no longer that easy)! The beginning of your journey (International Relations degree + analyst work) is exactly where I’m at right now. I’ve also lived/worked in Brussels as well as London and a few other countries (and ALSO itching to get back).
So motivational to read.
Thanks, Ana! It sounds like we have a lot in common. I hope your journey goes well!
Love reading your blog. Keep it up and us informed. Waiting to travel to London again. All the best from Cape Town, South Africa.
Thanks so much! I hope you can visit soon.
Have been following for quite some time on Facebook, as a love of England, I am excited to maybe visit next summer 2022. I have even thought of starting blogging myself from time to time I do it here on FB. I love to travel & as I am from Chicago I’m eager to travel worldwide. My oldest is now 18 now & off to college. I also have a 15yrs old homeschooled so this might be an ideal way to show her life especially in other countries. I enjoy your bloggs & pics & thanks for the posts they motivate me to starting my own blog. Happy Travels Alexandra
Thanks so much! Good luck with your blogging!
I only discovered your blog (via Instagram) a few months ago and I absolutely love it. I love to travel, but sadly don’t have much opportunity to do so. I also love walking around my favourite city (yay, London) and have already done several of your London walking tours and LOVED every one of them.
I visit your blog frequently, it’s my favourite one by a country mile.
Given the date of this article your blog must be around 15 years old now. Huge Congratulations for that. It’s a beautiful treat to read.
I love that your travel writing shows how it’s possible to explore the world, even on a budget.
I have lived in London all my life, but through your blog I have discovered hidden areas I never knew about.
Thank you
You’re welcome! Thanks so much for the kind words. I’m glad you found my blog and that you’ve enjoyed it.