three years in london, this week's my londonversary.

Three years ago, I would have what most people would describe as a pretty big week. Within the space of a couple of days, I moved from the Midlands to London, started a new job and turned twenty-three. It was pretty overwhelming. Overwhelming is a good adjective to describe life in London generally. I can't remember the last time I didn't feel exhausted by life here, managed to walk down a street that wasn't crowded with people, had a commute that didn't infuriate me or managed to get home from work without seeing someone or going out somewhere first. It's fast, but let's be honest, it's pretty fun too.

Life in London started in what can now be described in hindsight in one of the worst flatshares known to man. It started with a lot of promise, because seriously, how bad can living in Pimlico be? Well, it turns out that unless you like being woken up at 4 am regularly by the smell of a violent flatmate cooking kippers, pretty bad. Eventually, though, I moved to a place in Clapham and things have considerably moved up. 

Work has been a world of adventure I would never have had in Birmingham. From fighting various by-elections, European elections, the general election and being seconded to the referendum campaign, I've seen it all. I've drunk in Downing Street, stood next to Big Ben when it chimed 11 and got lost in a myriad of corridors in the Houses of Parliament. It might now be time for a change, but I wouldn't have changed that section of London life. 

But would I change it all for the world? Yes, to be honest. In my three years of living here, I've seen friends come and go and I know that one day, I'll more than likely be one of the people who make the big move out of the big smoke. I enjoy being here, and even though it's not on the cards for anytime soon, it's also somewhere I can't imagine starting a family. One day I want to buy my own house, and I know that unless something drastic happens like my boss coming into work and giving me a £300,000 pay rise, it's unlikely to ever happen. I miss my family and to be quite honest, I miss always being able to get a seat in a pub. I don't realllly know how to make friends in this city, and find it quite difficult on lots of occasions. 

That being said, I'm not going anywhere just yet! Where else are there new restaurants to eat at each week? Where else can you head up the Shard one day and head below a tube station the next? Visit somewhere like Columbia Road? Where else can you find something new to see, something new to explore each week? There's still so much to do and so much to see. 

So here's to three more years...maybe?

Annie x