Two weeks living in London update!

Hellllloooo from across the pond! 🇬🇧

Today marks officially two weeks since I touched down in London. I’m not sure what I expected the first couple weeks to be like here, but so far they have definitely been filled with adventure, exciting experiences, and also a bit of roadblocks.

There’s a lot to break down/cover of what’s been going on as I try to get settled here, so buckle up and get ready to read!

This is the first time since I studied abroad in 2012 that I was flying somewhere knowing I was going to be there longer than two weeks. I think for that reason alone, my anxiousness and anticipation was somehow less? Maybe because I had been preparing for this move for almost 2 years now? Or maybe because I knew I had time and didn’t need to rush through everything I wanted to do? Like, on a trip I always hit the ground running trying to squeeze in all the excitement that usually after a week I’m completely exhausted. So this time, knowing there was no rush, I really did try to pace myself.
But true to form, I still managed to overdo it after the first week. 😅 Alright I’m getting ahead of myself… let’s break it down.

Very proud of myself for getting my whole life worth of material items into three suitcases!

I flew to London with just two big suitcases, a roll-aboard, and a backpack. This was a BIG deal for me as I am a chronic over packer! I knew it was mostly just going to be clothes, toiletries, and some sentimental items. But moving here and knowing fall/winter is very quickly approaching the jackets & sweaters alone started to take up half a suitcase. 😳 I do actually have a box though at my parents house with more winter clothes and hopefully my parents will be able to come visit this fall to bring them, but worst case to ship something overseas will probably cost me about $75-100 bucks. I’ll probably do a post down the road telling you what I feel I should have brought/ glad I did or didn’t bring!

Just the beginning stages of laying out what I was going to bring with me. This really tested my organization skills!

The logistics

When I landed in Heathrow airport, I was honestly surprised by how easy it was to enter the country. I mean heck it took over six months to get my CAS form from the school, apply for my visa, take all the biometrics, and finally getting approval to enter! Other than my paperwork being checked at the gate before I flew out, the process to arrive is the same as any other travelers from the United States. The passport line was completely empty and I breezed right through customs. (PS, if you are curious about Covid restrictions in the UK right now for leisurely travel, go take a look at my highlight reel on my Instagram HERE)

Some of the biggest things I needed to work on getting settled here was finding a place to live, getting my US/UK phone sorted, joining the NHS (their healthcare system) and figuring out banking. These are all things that I am so glad I came early to figure out in person because woof, it’s a cycle of misinformation. I had tried to do a little research three months or so before my move to figure out what type of living is available, what neighborhoods I would be looking at living in, what my budget will be, etc. I even tried to do some virtual viewings of options, but it’s just so hard to get a good feel and vibe of the neighborhood and area without being there in person, ya know? Plus all the good stuff seemed to go fast and I wasn’t ready to start putting a deposit down on anything I wasn’t comfortable with. So that led me to getting my Airbnb! Again, we are going for budget here haha so I currently am in a room in a flat near Clapham junction station. I chose this because the neighborhood is between my school in Brentford & central London so it was my top neighborhood to live in & because the host was super flexible when I told him my situation that I may leave early depending on if I found a place or not. And again, while I could’ve found my own place in a trendy London neighborhood, this isn’t a vacation and I didn’t want someplace too fancy so that I was motivated to explore the area & find my own space!

My little safe space for the first few weeks while I apt search. I should hopefully be in my new apt end of Sept!

I swear, I probably saw around 3 to 4 places a day the first week! I saw them in areas around Clapham, Wandsworth, Fulham, and Vauxhall. They ranged from a tiny bedroom in a large house share to studios to very nice king size bedrooms with their own bathroom in a fancy penthouse flat. I mostly used the website spare room, since I knew with my budget the best option would be to find a two or three bedroom flat with professionals around my age. On the second day, I toured a building that was converted into six 2 bedroom flats and found a bright and cute apartment with a sweet Italian girl who lives there. The vibes were good, so I was sold! But finding the right fit apartment was just the beginning. I then had to get approved with a leasing agency. Because I am on a student visa and do not have an employer note stating a salary, they make you pay six months of rent in advance which is pretty intimidating. Plus, they also asked for a landlord reference, Proof of funds, and copies of my passport and visa biometrics. I am now on the final stages though of the leasing process and should be moving in the last weekend in September!

Phew, so that was the apartment sorted. Now onto the phone! My visa is technically one year on the student visa, then two years afterwards an extension to be able to work in the UK. I have no idea what life looks like in the next year, and when you have had your US phone number for half your life (literally, 15 years!!) it’s hard to let go. After doing a lot of research, I decided to port my US phone number. Essentially, when you “port” your number, it’s moved to a virtual e-sim through a service like google voice or what I used which is openphone. Instead of paying a bunch of money to the US carrier & UK carrier, getting a second phone, etc., I pay only $10 a month and can still receive text messages and calls to my US number through the app. This now frees up your phone’s Sim card to then go get a UK data sim and number. The only downside to porting your phone is that it takes about 5 to 7 business days which left me the whole first week and a half only being able to use my phone when on Wi-Fi.

SO while I do finally have a UK number, I am only on a sim top up plan until I get my bank account opened to move to a contract. Getting the bank account set up is on my to do list for this week along with figuring out my NHS number and getting registered with a doctors office here locally.

Baby steps people! Lol.

The fun stuff

Now for the fun stuff! I had planned all those apt viewings, covid tests, etc. in advance, but I also arranged some fun stuff to break up all the mundane tasks that needed to be done in the beginning. I actually knew quite a few people in the city before arriving, so it’s been great being able to reconnect. My second night in the city, I was actually invited to an insurance industry happy hour. It was amazing to network right away with others in the London insurance market and start making connections for my career. We started off with happy hour at a bar in the financial district, then they took me to the Ned which is a super exclusive swanky hotel & members only club with over 10 different bars/restaurants and a beautiful rooftop pool.

Let’s see, what else have I been up to? Oh I met up with my friend Jack and we walked along the entire south bank on that first Friday. The whole walk was lined with outdoor bars, food trucks, arcade games, and music. Passed by all the classic London spots like the London Eye, St. Paul’s Cathedral, millennium Bridge, Tower of London, Borough Market, and the Globe. Everyone was out & about as you’d expect in a lively city like London. The next day, I met up with my friend Bella, who used to also live in Tampa, for dinner and drinks at Sophie‘s in Soho and then followed by drinks at Han Yard. I also went out to my school to walk around the campus and pick up some forms, did a little shopping in Chelsea, and even found an F45 studio down the road in Wandsworth!

Of course by the end of my first week, I could feel the jetlag and sinus congestion starting. I kept it much more tame the second week, just walking around exploring new neighborhoods, figuring out things like where to do laundry (yup, no dryers here and not even a washer in my airbnb), which coffee shop will be my go-to, and eating lots of yummy food!

The weather has been absolutely PERFECT though these last two weeks, usually it’s in the 60s in the morning and 70s or 80s in the late afternoon! It hasn’t even rained since I’ve been here *Knocks on wood. Who are we kidding though, it’s London it’s not if it will rain, but when.

I still have a few more weeks till classes start, so in the meantime I’m hoping to meet some new people, do some touristy things, and maybe take my first day trip outside the city! Tomorrow I actually have a Shoreditch street art tour so I am very excited about that.

Alright, I think that’s it for now! Let me know any questions you have about life in London in the comments below! x

Sincerely,

Sarah

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