London, ten years on
On this day in 2002 I first set foot in London. Actually, it was the second time as I had a holiday here after finishing school in 1995, but anyway. I got on the Piccadilly line from Heathrow at 7am one bright spring morning, and promptly had my MP3 player stolen from my backpack somewhere on my way to Mudchute.
I only meant to be here for a few months, maybe a year or two. The year before I’d met Markus. We’d set up home together in Brisbane and when he had to return to Germany to finish the final year of his degree, we decided that I’d come over as well and try and find work in Stuttgart. I was desperate to get away from the mistake that was my law degree and thought a year off from studying would be a good idea. I spent six months zinging back and forth between London and Stuttgart before our relationship broke down. By then I’d fallen in love with London and decided to stay.
London really felt like the home I’d been looking all my life, after living in four different cities in Australia over the years. I loved the anonymity a big city like London could bring you. I still do. Conversely I really love that London is a series of villages, with Stoke Newington becoming my home. When I went to live in a real village five years ago I found I really missed living here and I loved that the city welcomed me back with open arms. Adelaide or Brisbane would have been mistrustful, like a wife whose husband has returned to the family home after an affair.
There’s been a few times when I’ve seriously thought about heading back down under - three years in, but then I met A. Then when A and I split a few years later. I miss my family like crazy. I am missing out on so much over here - the birth of my second niece, my sister in law’s pregnancy. But then it all comes down to the fact that I’ve created a life here which I love. I get homesick, I go home for a holiday and then I find that I am even more homesick for London.
Posted via m.livejournal.com.
I only meant to be here for a few months, maybe a year or two. The year before I’d met Markus. We’d set up home together in Brisbane and when he had to return to Germany to finish the final year of his degree, we decided that I’d come over as well and try and find work in Stuttgart. I was desperate to get away from the mistake that was my law degree and thought a year off from studying would be a good idea. I spent six months zinging back and forth between London and Stuttgart before our relationship broke down. By then I’d fallen in love with London and decided to stay.
London really felt like the home I’d been looking all my life, after living in four different cities in Australia over the years. I loved the anonymity a big city like London could bring you. I still do. Conversely I really love that London is a series of villages, with Stoke Newington becoming my home. When I went to live in a real village five years ago I found I really missed living here and I loved that the city welcomed me back with open arms. Adelaide or Brisbane would have been mistrustful, like a wife whose husband has returned to the family home after an affair.
There’s been a few times when I’ve seriously thought about heading back down under - three years in, but then I met A. Then when A and I split a few years later. I miss my family like crazy. I am missing out on so much over here - the birth of my second niece, my sister in law’s pregnancy. But then it all comes down to the fact that I’ve created a life here which I love. I get homesick, I go home for a holiday and then I find that I am even more homesick for London.
Posted via m.livejournal.com.