One of my goals is to live abroad at some point in my life, whether that be for work, for a degree, 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 of living there. Although I love being by the sea and mountains, for me 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; to quote Samuel Johnson: 'when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford'. 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 cities in the world (though there is a lot to be done), and if you love mountains or the coast, you only have to go to one of London's multiple airports, which will take you anywhere 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. 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 there are only a very select number of cities that I would give up life in London for (temporarily, of course) and here is why:
1) Sydney
I absolutely loved Sydney. Similarly to London, it is diverse and there are plenty of bars and restaurants, as well as job opportunities. The option of spending the weekends surfing and swimming on the beach definitely appeals to me and I am fond of the Aussie 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 compulsory. As a young Brit, I'd be able to get a Youth Motility Visa so moving here wouldn't be too difficult, and the shared language would help tremendously, however the major downside for me would be the lack of travel opportunities. This country is massive, and apparently travel is expensive both domestically and internationally. Nonetheless, Sydney would provide a great base to be able to gradually explore the Pacific Islands and other parts of the continent, as well as parts of Asia and New Zealand.
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 be able to obtain the Youth Motility Visa and move to Canada easily, where the language wouldn't be a problem and the people are great. For me, Canada has most of the benefits of the US (such as good job opportunities and relatively high wages), with the additional (major) benefits of free healthcare and stricter firearms regulations - what's not to love? Additionally, it's close enough to the US and the Caribbean for holidays, and within Canada itself the scenery is breath-taking: Banff national park remains one of the most stunning places I've been to, and one of my favourite places to ski in is Whistler. Although international travel would be much harder from the West coast, Vancouver has it all with its mountains, coast, and city, and the ability to ski in Winter and sunbathe in Summer appeals greatly to me (the 2-week annual leave, not so much).
3) Barcelona
Once again, this city incorporates skyscrapers alongside the coast, and is one of my favourite cities. I would love to move here for at least a couple of months to improve my Spanish, and I love the cuisine and lifestyle. As a born and bred 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 than London in terms of the increased sexism and racism. Nonetheless, I would love to experience living in Barcelona for a couple of months and getting around on the Yego scooters (which is on my bucket-list!).
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 the regions where I have lots of family, hence my preference of Lisbon over Porto. The long summers, delicious cuisine, and nearby beaches all appeal to me, and I'm keen to immerse myself in my family's culture.
5) Vienna
The first time I travelled alone I visited Vienna, which one of my favourite songs (Vienna by Billy Joel) is named after. This city is beautiful and 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. Nonetheless, given that this city is frequently voted the best place to live in the world (see here), 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 the city. This was one of my favourite trips I've been on, and the city has so much to 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. I would move to Cape Town in a second, were it not for the safety aspect. Within hours of arriving in the city, it's many problems are clear as day, and as someone who values my independence, I think I'd struggle a lot 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'm fond of many aspects of South American culture including the dancing, the friendliness, and the unity over football, however, similarly to Cape Town, the palpable violence and wealth gap are the main deterrents for me. I think living here for up to a year would be an incredible experience, and would drastically improve my Portuguese and open my mind. I also like the idea of living in Buenos Aires for similar reasons, 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 arrived with no expectations, I left endeared by the city. Once again, this city is surrounded by mountains and the sea, however what I really loved was the go-getter vibe I got. This is a very particular feeling, which I've only otherwise felt in London and New York, and it's the feeling that everyone has somewhere to be. I know many people dislike these cities for exactly this reason, but to me it invokes inspiration and makes me feel like I can achieve anything. Hong Kong is also very multicultural and has incredible international connections, therefore meriting its 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 many friends or family there, so it wouldn't really make sense to move, but I definitely see the appeal.
9) New York
I debated omitting New York from this list, simply because I would much rather live in Canada given the friendlier culture, free healthcare, and lack of boundless firearms, 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 aforementioned 'vibe', which I really like, and I similarly to London, I love the fact that this city is so enriched with both history and modernity. To quote Michelle Obama: "New York always awakened a sense of awe in me, big and busy enough to dwarf anyone’s ego". I think that the US has quite a few downsides, for example the police brutality, extortionate rent, and unhealthy diet. 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, 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 leave London if I were to move internationally, however over this last year I've spent a lot of time exploring the UK, and I would genuinely consider moving to a couple of British cities. I love Edinburgh as a city and think that it's very quaint, however the weather is it's main drawback for me. Alternatively, I'd definitely consider living in Oxford or Manchester, but given that London has everything I could possibly want, I would only move elsewhere in the UK for a year at most.
It has been rather challenging to think of cities that I'd give up living in London for, however these exceptional few seem worth it to me, and I definitely hope to tick this feat off of my bucket list at some point in my life.
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