London Called, I Answered
For as long as I can remember, I have fantasized about moving to London.
It’s my favorite city in the world but then it hit me that it has been 14 years since my last visit — Instagram wasn’t even thought up yet the last time I was there! How could I have let that happen, to stay away that long?
So… when, earlier this year, my company announced that we would continue working from home until September (at least) and with my COVID vaccination secured, I saw my best opportunity to live out the dream.
Once Britain announced its re-opening plan, I pulled the trigger on plane and Airbnb reservations and made sure that I followed any and all COVID protocols required for entry.
The plane ticket was the easy part. My flight to England was even EMPTY. I guess people don’t quite feel up to touristing yet. And that is just how I like it.
Empty chairs and empty tray tables.
Finding a flat for a long-term stay was not hard either. At the time of my booking, England hadn’t opened completely; I suspected that their testing and quarantine requirements to be a deterrent to many would-be travelers so there was plenty of inventory.
The main caveat with Airbnbs is that you should vet the hosts (look up host and property reviews to avoid sketchy hosts and bait-and-switch scenarios.)
I’ve stayed in many neighborhoods in London throughout the years, and while Hampstead remains my personal favorite, I was keen on a more central location to get around more easily. That meant that Kensington was my best bet, especially with Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park in the vicinity so that I have a go-to spot for my daily walks.
I found a place that is just around the corner from a tube station, a Whole Foods and a Boots (it’s like their version of Walgreens where I can get OTC drugs along with toiletries, snacks and makeup.) There’s also a Marks & Spencer nearby, two Sainsbury stores within a half-mile in either direction, a pub and Thai restaurant four doors down and a cafe a block away.
My flat is cute, albeit small, and comes with wifi, a kitchenette (full stove/oven, small fridge and dishwasher, which I don’t even have at home!), large bay windows that give the space plenty of light, hot running water, blowdryer and an extremely accommodating host. That’s all I need! Even though I came armed with several plug adapters (like this and these) and voltage converters, there are plenty of these in the flat (likely left or forgotten by previous occupants. I haven’t even needed the converter, most of my electronics are good for 100V – 240V.) Though it is the first Airbnb I’ve stayed in that doesn’t have a Keurig coffee machine, but no worries, I brought my Aeropress. (I thought about bringing my grinder but figured I could just go to the nearest Starbucks and have them do that for me. And there is one of those around the corner too.)
My tiny yet adorable flat
Entry requirements were the trickiest part: at this time England requires a negative COVID test (PCR) within 72 hours of arrival, self-quarantine for 10 days if coming from an amber-list country (the US is one), and mandatory tests on days 2 and 8 (to be taken via mail-in kits or in-person testing center, the only time you’d be exempted to leave your place of quarantine). You are asked to provide proof of all this when checking in at the airport. I also signed up for the Test to Release scheme, which allowed me to take an additional test on Day 5 and if negative, can come out of quarantine early. (I still had to take the Day 8 test.) That’s four COVID tests in 11 days — a minor inconvenience that I was more than happy to take on.
They take COVID pretty seriously here, and despite the emergence of the Delta variant, I still feel safer here than I do at home. People wear masks and most places require you to check in on the NHS Test and Trace app. Someone from the NHS even came by the flat to check that I was indeed quarantining on top of daily calls every day for 10 days checking up on me. It was reassuring.
I couldn’t find a grocery delivery service that accepted US address for my credit card (they all required European addresses), but I had planned for that and brought supplies: ramen, quinoa, canned meat, beans and sardines… I could suck it up for five days.
Communication is the best it’s been since I started traveling. I remember having to travel with maps, bring heavy cumbersome guide books and use pay phones to make calls. Making international calls was a pain, not to mention expensive, so you only called your parents to check in once or twice and everyone else had to wait until you returned to chat. Remember postcards and letters and having to lick stamps and wonder if you placed enough postage and how long it would take to reach their destination? I even remember what it’s like to travel with several cameras and canisters of film.
Now, it’s all in the palm of your hand and you can find out what you need in seconds. Technology, for all its negatives, is amazing.
Just to cover my bases, I brought along my burner phone to use with UK SIM cards (purchased before I left the States though they are easy to buy here due to an abundance of telecom stores everywhere… there are three in my neighborhood. I do recommend buying before leaving America as things are more expensive here.) I’ve only used it once to place a takeaway order because I haven’t figured out how to call a UK number directly from my phone. My regular phone works just fine otherwise (my service is with T-Mobile and I added a global roaming plan that gives me unlimited calls and unlimited data, 15GB for high speed after which it goes down to 2G.) And just to be safe, I even brought along my trusty Teppy hotspot but have only needed to use it once. (Unless you are in dire need, you shouldn’t take up any free wi-fi offer. Ever.)
A room with a view: fun little reminder of where I am
Things are going swimmingly so far and I’ve settled in nicely. The five days of quarantine helped in getting past jet lag and acclimating to a new schedule. The 8-hour time difference is not painful at all; I’m officially on the work clock from 5 pm – 2 am, a minor adjustment from my regular routine as I’m normally up until midnight or 1 am anyway. This gives me the entire day to write, workout, run errands, be a tourist, or sleep in if I wanted to, although I save most of the touristy things for the weekend. I’ve been cooking my meals regularly (even made my favorite quinoa bowl and am ecstatic that they love avocados here too) and I’ve been good about taking out the trash. Sorry. I meant rubbish. (Small space you know, don’t want it stinking up in here.)
I’m not thrilled about having to buy food every 4-5 days (Europe is so much better about preservatives — meaning, they don’t like them) so most perishables have to be consumed right away. But that just means more walking for me, and that’s a good thing!
I arrived during a bank holiday weekend and my neighborhood was a tad noisy (there’s a Holiday Inn across the street) but it has quieted down considerably since then.
When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. — Samuel Johnson
The days are long (sunrise around 4:40 am, sunset about 9:20 pm)… so I had to get an eye mask at TK Maxx (yes, you read that right) to help me sleep. (Sadly, of the myriad pills and vitamins I brought, Ambien was not among them.) It was hot and muggy the first couple of weeks, and I rued wasting precious luggage space with turtlenecks, sweaters and jeans — but the thing about England is, if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change. It’s been cold and rainy the past few days and I’ve needed to wear a jacket.
I’ve managed to catch up on some streamers… binged Bridgerton (meh) and Emily in Paris (beaucoup meh) during quarantine and am now working my way through The Crown. (Thought it appropriate for the setting and all. I stroll by Kensington Palace almost every day, no royal sightings unfortunately. I walked by Buckingham Palace once, and was happy to find only a handful of tourists there — it usually draws a big crowd.)
Keep an eye on this space, I’ll be filling you in on my adventures as there’s loads to share. Ta-ta for now!
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One Response to “London Called, I Answered”
How exciting! Thanks for sharing your journey and giving some really great tips when traveling to London. Enjoy and I can’t wait for your update. ♥️