When I share with people that I made the move from Australia to the UK, the most common question I get is, why?! People are often surprised that I traded golden beaches and sunshine for dreary and cold weather.
The short answer I give them is: new opportunities and travel!
I initially moved to London for what was supposed to be a brief working holiday, but here I am, 12 years later, still calling it home.
Unsurprisingly, uprooting my life and relocating to the other side of the world has had its ups and downs, and no two experiences would be the same. But here’s my list of pros and cons, based on my own journey.
The pros
Travel
This is the obvious one. The UK’s proximity to the rest of Europe makes travel so much more accessible. I can be in another country in less than 2 hours and can even get there by train!
I spent much of my first couple of years doing weekend city breaks. This would usually consist of a 3am wake up to get a flight that hadn’t seemed so horrendously early when I booked it for a bargain price. And back late on Sunday ready to go into work on Monday with just a few hours sleep. But it was worth it. Trips to Paris, Rome, Prague, Barcelona, Munich, Stockholm, and so many more!
I had very unrealistic expectations that I would “see Europe” in those first two years and despite my attempts, there was a lot more I wanted to see.
In more recent years I’ve mixed the city breaks with week-long sailing trips in the Mediterranean, hiking in the mountains of Andorra and Montenegro, and easy train trips through the Netherlands and Belgium. Even getting to New York City or Toronto is only 7 hours rather than 20+ from Australia.
Work opportunities
I am sure the corporate world has great work opportunities but even in social work, there are lots of options because of the geographical break up of services in the UK.
In Australia a lot of public services are managed state-wide, with offices scattered across the state to break down the geographical areas to cover. This meant there was only one office I could work in within a 400 km radius.
In the UK, local councils are responsible for much of the same services as states in Australia. In London alone there are 32 local authorities, each responsible for their own child protection and adult social care services. This means, there are 32 potential social work employers in London alone!
Gigs
In Australia if I wanted to see a well known, overseas band, I would usually have to fly at least an hour and a half to see them. But in London, I have actually walked (it was about 45 minutes so not a short walk) to see well known international bands playing at a festival in East London.
London is an easy stop on European tours and there are some massive venues so the big artists almost always make a stop.
And the UK has some great music festivals, (and I’m not just talking about Glastonbury), where you can usually catch some pretty decent acts.
The UK is actually really pretty
Even London with its urban hustle has big beautiful parks where you can feel like you’re nowhere near a city. You can even see wild deer while walking around Richmond park in South West London.
And you don’t have to go far from London to feel like you’re in the countryside. All of that rain means lots of beautiful green countryside. And there is also a beautiful and dramatic coastline that is well worth a visit. Note: I said coastline, not beaches! Think cliffs and rocks, not golden sand.
Food, shopping, and activities
You will never run out of things to do and places to eat.
Restaurants, cafes, pop-up venues, London has it all. And you can get just about any cuisine you want. And all across the country are some of the best curries I’ve ever had!
When I first arrived in the UK, I thought the food was boring and bland. But that’s on me! It turns out that eating in very touristy locations is not the best… who would have thought?
Want high end fashion? Or budget friendly chains? They’ve got them all covered.
And not to mention, amazing museums (often for free), art galleries, theatre, comedy and so much more.
The cons
The distance
You are literally on the other side of the world.
Moving away from your friends and family is probably going to make you feel homesick at some point. And I think physically being so far away makes this harder. It’s not easy to get home to see people and you will probably miss big events like births, deaths, and marriages. Thank goodness for technology. I don’t know how I would manage without it.
The weather
An obvious one and to be fair, it isn’t all bad. There have been some long and hot summers (even by Australian standards) in the time I’ve lived in the UK. And even after 12 years I still get excited by snow!
But it does rain a lot. And it is cold. And in winter it is dark a lot more of the time than I am used to.
Housing
It can be tough to find somewhere to live and when you do, it will probably be more expensive and poorer quality than you’re used to. More densely populated areas means a lack of space, smaller homes and few gardens, particularly in London.
There are no ceiling fans or air conditioning so when it is hot, it can be pretty unbearable.
London’s bustle
With 8 million people in the city, it’s not suprising that it can feel like there are people everywhere. Getting the tube during rush hour or walking down Oxford Street or anywhere near tourist hot spots can feel overwhelming. But there are lots of parts of London that don’t feel like that and that’s where I spend most of my time.
When family or friends visit from Australia or even outside of London, they comment on the sound of sirens and I realise I hadn’t even noticed. To be clear, it’s not like there are constant sirens… just more than you’re used to if you haven’t been living in such a big city.
Coming from Australia and the days of “Clean Up Australia Day” and “emu parades”, it upsets me when I see people littering. For those who are not familiar with emu parades, way back when I was at school, every so often, all of the students would spend a short period of time walking in line scouring the school’s grounds for rubbish. I didn’t actually mind it and it didn’t seem weird at the time. But I’m not sure they happen anymore!
On balance, for me at least, it’s worth it.
When I weigh up my list of pros and cons, the positives outweigh the negatives.
It took some time to settle into London life and I still have times when I miss home desperately and I question why I am here. But I do love it. And I am so very glad I made the move.
If you’re considering a move to the UK, check out these FAQs and some of the delightful quirks of British life.
Work and Life in the UK 
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