I moved to London a month ago andadjusting to city life has been difficult. It's not like I lived on a farm, in the middle of nowhere. I lived in Lancaster, technically a city and about an hours drive away from the Lake District.
The pace of life
The pace of life in Lancaster is a lot different to a big city. In London, there is a constant rush. People scurrying through their days, rushing to make it to work, rushing to make it to meetings and then to completely juxtapose this, there are the tourists, who walk agonisingly slow. And they abruptly halt as though a Lieutenant has ordered it.
This contrast does not sit well with me, but it's the capital, so what do you expect? A normal walking pace? You won't find it here.
Overcrowding vs. small crowds
The main adjustment is overcrowding. London is one of the most populated cities in the European Union, soon to be 'Brexited' (a whole other can of worms), it is estimated that 8.70 million people reside there. Whereas Lancaster has an estimated population of 142,300 people, very different numbers!
In Lancaster, I got annoyed when I went to the small city centre on a Saturday. But if the figures show anything it's that Lancaster isn't populated to any extent of London. Here my annoyance of overcrowding is centupled. I feel most at home when I breathe in fresh air in the Lake District on some deserted hill, so that explains why dealing with vast amounts of people isn't my speciality.
Overcrowding is impossible to turn your head up at when it comes to public transport. Tubes, trains, the DLR, buses and boats all crammed with the morning and evening rush. (I'm not too knowledgeable about the crammed boats, but I'll imagine!) These are the times that, as an unemployed newcomer, I can easily avoid. But I dread getting a 9-5 job and having to be another sardine in the tin!
Vibrant city life vs quiet country
I live on a main road, so there is always a constant drone of cars, no matter the time. It's a reminder that I'm in a city that doesn't sleep. In Lancaster, the shops close at 5pm, the pubs close at 11pm, there's a set routine. In London, there's always places open, always people around. I can see why the city life is appealing, there's never a shortage of things to do.
Whereas when darkness closes in, the northerner's batten down the hatches and sleep for the night.
The parks vs. countryside
The compromise for living in London, away from my beloved greenery, is the parks. I can admit that the parks in London are lovely, well maintained and a nice break away from the city feel. I refuse to admit that they are remotely like the countryside. There isn't the same feel and yet Londoner's rave on about how fantastic the parks are. It's man-made, like the rest of this city!
I'm convinced the longer I live here, the more London life will rub off on me. And I might even enjoy parts of it... one day. But there'll always just be something about the Countryside that appeals to me more than city life.
