Living In London

I have spent more than 1 year living in London and if I need to write about my life here, I consider it a difficult mission. I spent a long time thinking what to write about. Usually when you speak or write about another country you try to compare it with your own. I could speak about how different England is in comparison with Spain (the weather, the people, the food, the economy...) but I don't really want to do that. I´m almost certain no foreigner can say another country is the best place in the world especially when the experience is starting because when you leave your family and your life behind. Things become very different, even difficult sometimes, especially when you start to grow up and discover what real life is.

Normally people leave their own country because they have dreams and ambitions. Sometimes that can be hard but one of the best things when you are far from home is that you create very strong relationships. When you move to another country it is at that moment when you finally discover how important the people you left behind are and how important the people you meet start to become . You realize, with time, that it isn't about the city but about the people who are around you. Im from a really small village, but fortunately I have lived in Madrid, Milan and Den Hague (Holland) (yes, without speaking English and I survived!).

After my experiences in other countries I discovered how relevant the people that you meet on the way are. For example, everyone knows that Milan is not the most beautful city in Italy, it doesn't have a Coliseum or amazing history like Rome, but it gave me unforgettable memories and incredible friends. It makes me feel happy to think that after almost 4 years I still have my Erasmus Whatssap group and we are still very close. I feel delighted to think how close I feel to my Spanish friends even if I am far away from them. They welcomed me, took me in from a small village to such a big city like Madrid. They looked after me and gave me support every day. And Holland? There I had my first experience as an au pair; it was horrible but the best person that I came across on my way appeared, just in that moment. I can say she is one of the most important people in my life and even after more than 1 year we still speak every week.

I can remember the first time I visited London like it was yesterday, I remeber how I felt; I didn't want my trip to end, I didn't want to think about the last day here. The city looked amazing, all the possibilities, all the different people, the many things to do and see. That was a long time ago and with time and experience in your backpack, everything changes.

Actually, I think London has good and bad things like every country. For example, I can learn good English here, better than in Spain, of course, but this is also a very competitive city. There are many possibilities, but there are also many people trying to find a place. A lot of companies and businesses and also a lot of people are fighting for great opportunities. It's such an expensive city with a really very good quality of life.

I grew up in a village with 1 hundred inhabitants. Life was completely different for me. Kids are free and people don't compete to be on top of the mountain. My advice, if your stay here is temporary, is that you must enjoy as much as possible with nice people, visit many places and build as many memories as the day has hours. If your stay here is indefinite or you are planning to live here for a long time, be patient my friend. Persevere and create good relationships with people.