London! It’s Lovely! Cold! Wet! Pretty! And full of opportunity! Ever since I can remember, running away somewhere unfamiliar has been a distant dream. As I got older and started working with children and my friends took the plunge, that dream made it's way closer and closer. And now! It is real! Here I am sitting in a cafe in LONDON! Yes London, cold, wet, happy and lovely, writing this!
Before I get into a few essentials I wanted to admit something. We all paint the idea of moving overseas as exotic, exciting, accomplishing. And it is. But most people leave out the reality side or maybe once they return home they have forgotten that side of it. It is hard, it is cold, and it is still life as normal. Granted life as normal is in another city, one in the UK, a really big one with plenty to do and travel around Europe is cheap. It just isn't all parties and smiles. One weekend I was travelling to Europe, only 2 hours away mind you, for drinks, exploring and frivolity, full of parties and smilies. The next I was curled up in a ball, home sick and felt like I had no where to turn. I am what you would call a 'total mush' person, I have plenty of emotions and lots of love, so for me not having 'my people' was a hard thing to overcome. I am confident and have made new friends, great ones, but sometimes you just need 'your people' surrounding you although they may not be next to you.
Now that's out of the way, here are some tips and tricks that I have learnt along the way (in only 4 weeks). It's a whole new world and these little bits and pieces may help you to stay on track once you arrive.
(Your first step in the process is figuring out whether you can actually come over to the UK. You will need a working visa (must be under 31 years old) or the use of your ancestry for a temp visa or passport. Every visa has different guidelines so jump onto the www.gov.uk website and see which one you can get.)
1 - Be realistic
Why do you want to go? If it is to make money, think again. The best reason for moving overseas is definitely for the experience. It is a big thing moving this far around the world! If you are running away from something at home, must be aware that this is a hard way to do it. Know that you will feel lonely, scared, cold, confused and so many more emotions at one point. Not nervous? , that's great but you will be at some point I am sure of it! Now I sound like a crazy lady, sorry! Just trying to be honest. On top of all the hard and scary things London is amazing, you will love it and you may never want to leave. Total roller coaster I know, just trying to prepare you! Now, everyone will tell you different things, don't listen to any of it, just know that you will soon figure it out for yourself and it will be great or not!
2 - Jobs
The best thing you can do is line up a job or at least some interviews before you come over. The Aussie dollar (sorry if you are based in another country, check your exchange rate as it may work in your favour) doesn't go a long way so you really want to be earning pounds as soon as you can. If you have no qualifications or experience be honest to yourself about the kind of work you will get. Agencies over here are wonderful and there is just about an agency for every person! So find one and get onto them ASAP at least so you know where you are headed.
3 - Time of year
Choose right! If you are used to the heat and decide to move over to the cold try not to leave home in summer and walk into this winter or you will be driven home and go mad all at once! London is always on the go, so check out what is on when you arrive to get you into the groove of it. Shows, festivals, there are endless options!
4 - What you need
Pack light. You will want to buy a few things on arrival. Like a jacket. They are great over here and you will really be dressing for the weather then, if you are from Queensland they don't really have many jackets to suit London cold. If you are coming in Summer you can always wait until it gets colder to buy a jacket. You don't want to have to spend your Aussies (other) dollars as I said before they don't go as far so try not to spend it on pointless things.
5 - Home away from home
Living in London is expensive and hard to manage. You will attend too many room inspections to count, be stood up by lots of people and most likely fight someone for a room! Of course some people have it smooth sailing and find the perfect fit straight away. You will be living in a share house unless you have won the lottery. So be prepared to pay around 800 pound a month for a room and a shared bathroom with a minimum of two others. Ensure you have about 1300 pound aside for a bond before you look for a place to live. Short term lets are a great way to get to know which areas you like and where you want to live (London is massive and you may like some places more than others), it is always a way to have a 'home' while you look rather than living in a hostel (which is expensive and uncomfortable). www.spareroom.co.uk is a good place to start. Be prepared for anything and get started as soon as you can. Having somewhere to go home in a big city is something I am sure most of us take advantage of.
No comments:
Post a Comment