An American Abroad

I moved to London in September 2024. Although I have happily visited many times over the years, I didn’t realize just how different living in the city would be! Over time, I’ve come to identify what I think is the secret to a happy and fulfilled life in the busiest city in the UK! Oh, and at the end, I’ll share a bonus secret that works for me 🙂

Ahhh London. A world-famous metropolis, and the United Kingdom’s bustling center of culture, transportation, and history. With a population of nearly 10 million residents and an average of 20 million visitors each year, life in London promises to be full of excitement, beautiful sights, good food, and lots of people.

Most will visit for the eye-catching attractions:

• Big Ben
• London Eye
• Tower of London
• Kings Cross (definitely if you are a Harry Potter fan)
• Tower Bridge
• The Shard
• Buckingham Palace

But they fail to explore the greater area, which holds many more gems, such as:

• Kew Gardens
• Kensington Palace
• Richmond Park
• Surrey Hills

In my opinion, treasures such as these are the secret to living in London! The number and variety of parks or gardens scattered across the capital city help to break up the metropolitan landscape.

From those located in the center like Hyde Park or Green Park that tend to be more populated, to Highgate Wood in the outskirts of the city in which an adorable cafe is hidden, to parks more local to neighborhoods – these are the areas that bring the true life to London. People are always out for a stroll on their lunch break, grabbing coffee with their friends, enjoying a Sunday walk after a traditional roast, or soaking up some highly coveted Vitamin D with a good book. This is how they slow down and unwind in the midst of the whirling city.

Life in London is busy and loud. The city moves quickly and continuously, never at rest. The constant fast pace can be difficult for newcomers to adjust to, but the parks provide little bubbles of peace and quiet where one can take a few minutes away from the vibrant city life as needed.

My Secret as a Londoner

It is important to live in different environments over time. It provides new experiences and gives you an opportunity to learn about yourself in ways you never thought you would.

I had only ever lived in the mountains or in smaller city-towns where environments were generally calm, quiet, and the population density was low. Moving to London was a big change for me that honestly took some time to adjust to. The city is truly unlike any other city I have explored. While transportation is incredibly easy thanks to the unique mix of the tube, busses, and the overground, it can feel quite overwhelming from the sheer number of things to do or see.

My personal secret to successfully living in London (other than taking advantage of the parks and gardens!), is to find YOUR places. Whatever you like, find one and stick with it. For example, I love cafes, so after an initial explorative adventure, I have adopted a small cafe within walking distance to my house that I visit to read, write, or just to get a change of scenery. I know exactly where it is and what I like to order, which takes away the potential decision fatigue or uncertainty of trying yet another new place.

It also helps build my confidence. So, on days when I’m feeling adventurous, I can go explore more places to see if I find one to my liking. If I don’t find one, then I always have my little comfort cafe as a safe fallback option!

I practice a similar technique with the gym. Although I do not constantly try out new places, my gym is a safe space for me that I can go to rather than just staying in the house.

In the end, it doesn’t matter what your places happen to be or even where you live – you have to do what works for you!