One of my goals is to live abroad at some point in my life, whether that be for work, for a Master's, or on a sabbatical. The issue is that having been born and raised in London, it would take a lot to get me out of here. Even Bristol, which is one of England's biggest cities, was too small for me and I wanted to move explore somewhere new after only two years. Although I love being by the sea and mountains, nothing beats a big city to live in. Take London for example, the job opportunities, international connections, and education are all world-class, with the bonus of it being impossible to get bored. The city is rife with the historical alongside the cutting-edge, and you will never have explored all that London has to offer. On top of that, it is one of the most progressive and diverse places in the world (and even though there is a lot to be done, that doesn't stop it from being a leader), and it provides you with one of the most-spoken languages in the world. Alongside that, the fact that many of my university friends have moved to London means that my parents, home friends, work friends, and now university friends are all in one place. If you love mountains or the coast, you only have to go to any of London's multiple airports, which will take you anywhere in the world. I could go on and on about how much I love London, and why it is my favourite city in the world (after all, it is home), but that is besides the point. This was all to say that I would only really consider moving to another major city for similar reasons.
Of the cities I have visited, there are only a few that I'd move to, and here is why:
1) Sydney
I absolutely loved Sydney. Similarly to London, it was diverse and there were plenty of bars and restaurants, as well as job opportunities. Alongside these factors, the things that sold it to me were the beach (being able to easily swim and surf on the weekend sounds very appealing to me) and the culture. Not only are Aussies extremely relaxed, sporty, and friendly, but I also found them to be very progressive and I love that voting is a legal requirement. Being a young Brit means that I'd be able to get a Youth Motility Visa so moving here wouldn't be too difficult, and the shared language helps tremendously, however the major downside for me would be travel opportunities. Sydney is obviously quite out of the way, however it would be great to explore the Pacific Islands and other parts of Australia, Asia, and New Zealand. Following on, I wouldn't mind moving to New Zealand either, but I'd definitely prefer Sydney.
2) Toronto/Vancouver
To be honest, I didn't really fall in love with either of these cities so much as Canada itself. Similarly to Australia, I'd also be able to obtain the Youth Motility Visa and move to Canada fairly easily, where the language wouldn't be a problem and the culture is great. It has all of the benefits of the US, but without the gun violence, and with free healthcare - what's not to love. Plus it's close enough to the US and Caribbean for holidays, and within Canada itself the scenery is breath-taking. Vancouver has it all with mountains, sea, and city, however international travel would be much harder from the West coast. The ability to ski in Winter and sunbathe in Summer appeals greatly to me; but the 2 week annual leave, not so much.
3) Barcelona
Once again, this city offers skyscrapers alongside a coastline, and is one of my favourite cities. I would love to move here for a couple of months to improve my Spanish, and I love the cuisine, international opportunities, and lifestyle. As a Londoner, I like to be very productive and get things done, so I think that their laid-back culture could initially grate on me, but would also do me some good. One negative I've found is that it can sometimes feel less progressive (including somewhat sexist and racist) compared to in London. Nonetheless, I would love to experience living in Barcelona for a couple of months and getting around on the Yego scooters.
4) Lisbon
Similarly to Barcelona, I would love to move to Lisbon to improve my Portuguese and experience the lifestyle. This move would be a relatively easy option, as I have family and friends in mainland Portugal, but a big reason I'd want to move somewhere new is to make it my own, so I wouldn't move to areas where I have lots of family. The long summers, delicious cuisine, and nearby beaches all appeal to me, but my main fear with Portugal is the culture for the exact same reasons as with Barcelona.
5) Vienna
The first time I travelled alone, I visited Vienna, which one of my favourite songs is named after. This city is not only beautiful, but it's also clean, the people are lovely, and there's a lot to history here. It's also in the centre of Europe, making it easy to explore to continent, however the main issues for me would be the fact that I don't speak German, and how far it is from the coast. Nonetheless, I would definitely learn German if the opportunity arose to move here. A major plus is that housing doesn't tend to be very expensive here, as a lot of it is government-owned!
6) Cape Town
If you've read my blog post on Cape Town, you'll know how much I loved Cape Town. This was one of my favourite trips I've been on, and the city has everything on offer including mountains to hike, the sea to surf, and the city to work. The vineyards, wildlife, and stunning sunsets aren't too shabby either. Surprisingly, Cape Town is only 2 hours ahead of London too, so the time difference isn't bad at all. I would move to Cape Town in a second, were it not for the safety aspect. Within hours of arriving to the city, it's many problems are clear as day, and as someone who values my independence, I think I'd struggle with not being able to walk anywhere alone. The obvious racism and extreme wealth gap is also appalling, but I'm hopeful that this city will progress and develop to unleash it's full potential as the two weeks I spent here were some of the best of my life.
7) Rio de Janeiro
You're probably starting to see a theme here: once again we have a massive city with mountains and the coast at its doorstep. Brazil was also one of my favourite trips and I'd love to revisit now as an adult. I love many aspects of South American culture: the dancing, the friendliness, the unity over football; however, similarly to Cape Town, the violence and wealth gap are the main deterrents for me. There were several times when I felt slightly on edge so I couldn't raise a family there, but I think living here for up to a year would be an insane experience, and would drastically improve my Portuguese. I'd also consider living in Buenos Aires, however since I've never been I can't say for sure.
8) Hong Kong
We visited Hong Kong as a stop-over for a few days en-route to Japan, and although I went in with no expectations, I came out loving the city. Once again, this city is surrounded by mountains and the sea, however what I really loved was the vibe I got. I can't really explain it, but it reminded me of London and New York in that it felt like everyone had somewhere to be, which really inspires me and makes me feel like I can achieve anything. Hong Kong is also very multicultural, has incredible international connections, and therefore deserves a place on this list. To be honest, the only reason I wouldn't move here is because I simply have no reason to - I don't speak Cantonese and I don't have friends or family there, so it wouldn't really make sense to move, but I definitely see the appeal.
9) New York
I debated leaving New York off the list, simply because I would much rather go to Canada given the friendlier culture, free healthcare, and lack of armed citizens, however on further consideration, I think I would like to experience life in New York in the short-term. This is one of the only cities in the world, apart from London and Hong Kong, that I've gotten the 'everyone has somewhere to be' vibe, which as mentioned before, I really like. I think that the US has quite a few downsides, for example the homeless issue, overt racism, extortionate rents, and underpaid staff put me off moving there, and the minimal annual leave and cuisine doesn't particularly appeal to me. Nonetheless, I have always loved visiting the US, and this is one city that I can see myself living in and enjoying for a few months. Alternatively, I think I'd love living in Hawaii more, but since I've never been, this is just speculation.
10) Edinburgh
Lastly, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, is Edinburgh! I always thought that I would only move out of London if I were to move internationally, however over this last year I've spent a lot more time exploring the UK than ever before, and I would genuinely consider moving to a couple of cities. I love Edinburgh as a city and think that it's very quaint, however the weather is it's main con. Alternatively, I'd definitely consider living in Oxford or Manchester, but given that London has everything I could possibly want, I probably wouldn't move to either of those for more than a couple of months.
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