London, One Year In

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my moving to London.  What a year it has been.  I've been able to see some amazing places, in and out of the UK.  Most importantly, I've met some wonderful people, many of whom I now consider close friends.  Yes, I am a very lucky person.

I wrote some tips for ex-pats at the 6-month mark, to which I'll add some more:

-There's no sugar-coating it: the weather is atrocious.  So buy yourself some 'brollies', resign yourself to getting wet on occasion, and make the most of the nice days - go to the park, get out of the city, or find a pub with a nice garden.

-Know that there will be an adjustment period.  Most ex-pats I talk to said it took them from 6 months to a year before they really felt like they'd settled in, after which they started loving it.    

-Go to gigs. The city has a wealth of cultural goings-on.  Take advantage.  

-Walk.  London is one of the best walking cities.  There are organized walking tours, which I have yet to do.  But it's also a great place to just walk around, take in the sights and the atmosphere.

-If you get the chance, go on a boat ride down the Thames (either via water taxi or boat cruise).  It's a great way of seeing the city from a different point of view.

All in all, I've greatly enjoyed my first year here and am looking forward to year two.