An A-Z of surviving London

After 3 months of living in the ‘Big Smoke’, dos and don’ts emerged faster than Las Ketchup came, dropped the painstakingly thought-out ‘Ketchup Song’, and left again. While I’m definitely still no expert, here’s a list of tips and tricks to make navigating our capital city a little less like hard work.

A – Always carry a phone charger. Thanks to Pret (my main source of financial outgoings), you’re never far from a socket nor an overpriced fix of caffeine. I can’t tell you how intimidating getting lost in your first week is, only to find your battery died halfway between King’s Cross and Timbuktu. Better yet, get yourself a portable power pack.

B – Be prepared for delays. It’s London and they’re inevitable; infuriating, but inevitable. Factor them in, search them before you leave, don’t blame the ticket officer. OH and breathe.

C – Create an expenses document and stick to it. I don’t know if you’ve heard, but London is expensive. If, like me, you have a student debt, a used and abused overdraft and are dedicated to spending money you don’t have, formulating a budget will help keep you on track. I can’t guarantee you won’t STILL find yourself looking down the back of your sofa for loose change but at the very least you’re aware of what’s coming in and more importantly, going out.

D – Don’t feel bad about telling people to move out the way if they’re standing on the left of the escalator. THERE ARE SIGNS - KEEP RIGHT - HOW DIFFICULT IS IT?

E – Eat in as many different places as possible, as often as possible - seriously. 3 of the WORLD’S best restaurants are right here in London and that’s not to take anything away from the refreshingly inexpensive, yet authentic gems you’ll find in the likes of Brixton Village. Grab some friends, ask around and treat yourself to a dinner you can’t help but recommend to others.

F – Find a gym within walking distance to home or work. Any further and you won’t go I PROMISE.

G – Get CityMapper. Don’t ask questions.

H – Happy Hour is your best friend so utilise it. There are so many drink deals flying around it’s hard to know where to go, but once you’ve found a couple of hotspots (Barrio East, Bar Elba and the ever cheap and cheerful BeAtOne being some personal favourites) you’ll find justifying a post-work cocktail (or 4) categorically easier.

I – Invest in a pair of shoes that are comfortable and can be worn with everything, especially if your commute involves an intimidating number of escalators to navigate. I hate to sound like a Mum but chances are your daily steps are about to skyrocket and the pair of converse you’ve had for the last 7 years probably aren’t going to cut it.

J – Join a club. Whether it’s keeping fit, learning a new skill or even simply a book club, it’s a fool-proof way to meet new people and feel like you’re out of the rat race even just for a couple of hours.

K – Know your route before you leave anywhere. I like to run on ‘Laura time’: a timescale functioning 30 minutes behind everyone else (on a good day), so knowing exactly where I need to go helps diminish navigational nightmares – in theory!

L – Lunchboxes aren’t just for primary school. While my biggest expense may well be rent, unnecessary food purchases are definitely a close second. Being prepared in the working week with meal preparation and snacks to keep you going will save you a fortune.

M – Make the most of your time off. After a week of 9-5 (if you’re lucky) it can seem like a lot of effort to drag yourself into a world outside of your bed and Netflix duo, but trust me it’s worth it. Find events, text your friends and realise that there is quite literally ALWAYS something going on. What a wonderful thing it is to never have an excuse to be bored.

N – Navigate slow-walkers like it’s an Olympic sport. Get used to ducking, diving and dreading the thousands of humans who seem to have no sense of urgency. As long as your elbows are tucked in and you’re focused on your destination, there are no rules.

O – Only use Uber if you really have to. It’s convenient but expensive and realistically, it won’t get you there any faster.

P – People-watching is free and never more entertaining than in a city full of characters. Perch somewhere inconspicuous, grab yourself a coffee and be prepared to see things that cannot be unseen. It’s the best.

Q – Queue NICELY. Everyone hates the entitled ponce who skips the line to get on the bus first. We’ve all got places to be, don’t be that guy.

R – Rent somewhere nice, but know what you can afford. Don’t scrape by every month because you simply must have an en suite and a patio terrace. Shop around but be realistic. If you’re doing life right, you won’t be in your flat enough to care.

S – Sleep enough in the week. Don’t try to go out for work drinks every night and feel human enough to function for anything else if you’re not getting your 8 hours. Weekends are for the late ones.

T – Take advantage of anything and everything free. Markets, museums, pop-up events; there are plenty of them around so have a Google.

U – Use discount codes. OBVIOUSLY I never use Deliveroo (hahahahaha) but it’s a prime example of where codes and coupons are going to save you some pennies.

V – Visit the tourist hotspots in your first few weeks to tick them off your list. Even if you’ve been before, there’s a reason people travel from thousands of miles away to see the capital. Taking the time to walk from Southwark round to Tower Bridge, checking out the creative genius of Harrods’ windows and popping up the Shard for a panoramic view all hit the criteria. If you haven’t got a photo with an iconic London landmark, do you even live here though?

W – Wait for the next available tube or bus if you know it won’t be long and you’ve got the time to spare. Don’t risk losing a limb to the train doors or spending the journey wedged between every Tom, Dick and Harry, without readily available oxygen if it isn’t entirely necessary.

X – Xylophones. They have nothing to do with this list, but try thinking of one for ‘X’.

Y – YES. Say yes to new opportunities, new friendships, new foods, new challenges, new cultures, new languages, new rudeness, new everything. Everything is at your fingertips if you choose to say a big, fat yes.

Z – 0% (zero percent, see what I did there?) of anxiety around moving to London should be enough to put you off if you’re even considering it. It’s expensive, it’s busy, it’s frankly bizarre at times BUT IT’S SO MUCH FUN. What’s the worst that can happen?

So there’s my 25 (26, if we’re counting Xylophones) pieces of advice to help the transition to this concrete jungle seem like a breeze. Like I said, I’ve barely scratched the surface so if there are any MUST-HAVE tips that will help me along my merry London way, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for reading,

Laura

#advice #london #lifestyle