Back in Nice since the end of October, it took me a good week to recover from my emotions and settle down to finally write an article about these 3 incredible months in the English capital. After the ‘from Paris to Nice’ chapter, a new chapter in my life is opening up, and this time it’s ‘from Nice to London‘. But before getting to the heart of the matter, it’s best to recontextualise things a little.
I’ve often been asked why I decided to move back to the city.
The first reason is that I come from a major capital city (the Paris suburbs) and I’ve lived there for a large part of my life. I grew up there, did all my studies there and worked there. Then, ten years ago, I made the decision to leave Paris for Nice, a choice I’ve never regretted and, in fact, I’m still here even after 10 years! Nice has given me so much personally and spiritually that it’s hard to leave for good. But despite all these years, I’ve always felt that my urban origins are deeply rooted in me and, as life is made up of cycles and opportunities, I felt the great need to rediscover my urban origins, the energy of a big capital and the stimulation it provides, which I was beginning to miss in Nice. I wasn’t planning to leave Nice for good, but at least to take a break for a few months. Now that I was 100% self-employed, I could work from anywhere. A laptop and a WIFI connection were all I needed to work.
So why leave Nice and move to London?
I’ve been taking heels classrooms in Nice for a year now and that was the first reason I chose London. I’d already watched quite a few videos of heels classes in London and it was obvious that the level was much higher than in Nice. As well as taking heels classes, I’d already visited several European cities such as Brussels, Antwerp, Lisbon, Marseille and Paris… But none of these cities made me want to live there… Until I spent a 4-day weekend in London in May 2023. I’d finally found the city I wanted to settle in. It met all the criteria I’d been looking for: energy, dynamism, open-mindedness, fast life, stimulation… and so on.
Also, one of my best friends had lived there for 8 years and her feedback had a big influence on my decision to move to London. Plus, I simply wanted to experience life abroad while staying in Europe.
But before I left, I had a lot of things to take care of until the end of July (dance show, birthday, paperwork…). Once that was done, I booked everything in 1 week (one-way plane ticket only and my flat on the spareroom website for a month).
So I left on 7 August, took up residence in East London in Bow, 20 minutes from Shoreditch by tube and the adventure could finally begin.
From Nice to London: 10 things I loved
It’s very difficult to sum up everything I’ve experienced during these 3 months in London in one article. So many things happened: I changed flats 3 times, I spent an incredible weekend in Edinburgh, I tried out every possible and unimaginable dance studio, I signed up for intensive English courses, I met several people who each added something to my experience… In short, I felt so many emotions! I can assure you that everything was 90% positive.
For this article, I’ve listed 10 things I really loved about my London adventure
-
The crazy energy
I still think there’s an energy vortex in London lol. In other words, a place on Earth that contains more energy than any other usual place. This city has changed the lives of many people around me. There’s such a powerful vibe, you just let yourself be carried along and stimulated by the energy it gives off. You don’t have time to brood, to cogitate, to suffer your negative thoughts, you’re always in action. Is this good for the long term? I think you have to find the right balance. But for my part, after so many years of introspection in Nice, I felt like I’d risen from the ashes in the English capital, propelled by the dynamism it provides, whatever the weather.
-
The great parks
When I decided to leave Nice for London, I was afraid I’d miss out on nature, blue skies, the sea, greenery… But in reality, I was pleasantly surprised to see so many parks, especially big ones! London’s largest park is Hyde Park, which covers 140 hectares. And cherry on the cake, there are several lakes in each of the parks. What more could you ask for?
In addition to the ultra-dynamic side of the city, I had no problem recharging my batteries in green spaces away from the hustle and bustle. I was able to explore several parks such as Regent Park, Hyde Park, Hampstead Park, Victoria Park and so on. But my fondest memory will always be Greenwich Park and its incredible view of the towers of Canary Wharf.
-
Free museums
Yet another surprise! London is full of museums and exhibitions of all kinds. So what a surprise to find that museums are free (only for permanent exhibitions, but that’s something). I’ve always loved wandering around museums, feeling the special atmosphere, listening to the silence, deconstructing paintings… Wandering around London museums like the Tate Modern or the Barbican Center has rekindled in me the desire to paint again, a desire I lost 2 years ago.
-
Free workspaces with Wi-Fi connection
One of Nice’s biggest weaknesses :/
It’s so hard to find places to work with free WiFi that are open until late. I don’t think this is unique to Nice, but let’s just say that the big capitals like London and Paris offer free workspaces with WIFI connections that you don’t have to pay for (although in the end you do pay for them 🙂 ) and that are open until 10pm.
My HQ during these 3 months: the Barbican Centre cinema, the Wellcome Collection museum and the British Library.
-
Bookshops
Another activity I love: reading! It was like paradise for me when I discovered all these bookshops in London and Edinburgh. Everything is there to help you get into that mood that makes you want to plunge into the world of reading: cosy music, a fireplace for some, the smell of books… One of my best memories is of the ‘ Word on the water ‘ bookshop, a small bookshop on a barge in King’s cross.
-
English courses at Speak Up London
Freelance life isn’t always easy. The loneliness can become overwhelming at times, and the need for social interaction can be overwhelming. So I decided to sign up for intensive English classes three times a week from 4pm to 7pm to improve my level and meet new people. After a test to find out my level, I found myself in the Advanced Intermediate section. For a month, I took part in quality English lessons with really good teachers. Although we were learning the grammar rules of Shakespeare’s language, I loved the fun way of teaching and the content of the lessons, which encouraged us to think and opened up some very enriching debates. On top of that, I had a lot of laughs with the classmates!
-
Dance lessons
Of course I couldn’t fail to mention dance in this TOP list.
I have no words to describe the power of dance classes in London. For any dancer or dance enthusiast, there’s no better city than London in Europe to develop and challenge yourself. I booked a heels class with Jenny de fattore at Pineapple Studio straight away. I got right into the swing of things and was more than satisfied with the classes. It was exactly what I’d expected and I didn’t realise at the time that I was making one of my dreams come true. I continued to try out all the classes in different dance studios: base studio, dancework London, the Manor LDN… As time went by, I slowed down because the rhythm was so strong. My body was telling me to rest, I hadn’t been conditioned to such a pace. So I questioned myself and decided to abandon the intermediate classes designed for professional dancers. I moved on to the more beginners’ classes (the equivalent of high level in Nice lol) and I found that I liked them a bit more. The quality of the classes is just exceptional, I’ve never felt such energy, such stimulation that makes you pull out your guts. Cutting out your mind and your brain made perfect sense in the London dance classes. You don’t have a minute to think, you have to move forward and that required a huge effort of concentration to retain all the steps. It’s good, but at the same time I found it more performance than depth. Once again, it’s a question of balance.
-
The weather
Yes, yes, I did say the weather! I left Nice for London in the middle of a heatwave and it was becoming unbearable. Living in London with 10 degrees less was a real joy! I could breathe and the conditions were pleasant to work in.
On top of that, I had an exceptional summer with several sunny weeks in a row. I was able to witness some magnificent sunrises and sunsets, particularly from my 2nd flat in Upper Riverside, where I was staying on the 16th floor. On the other hand, the last two weeks of October were very rainy, grey and cold. I was discovering real London weather for the first time :p I couldn’t wait to get back to Nice then.
-
International cuisine
It’s a real treat for food lovers like me! Every time I find myself in a major capital city, I’m more than happy to sample new cuisines from around the world. London is no exception to the rule, where you can find EVERYTHING, even more than in Paris, and I loved being able to sample a wide variety of cuisines: Malaysian, Indian, Cantonese, Chinese, Nepalese, Pakistani, Turkish, English brunch, shake snack… A real treat! But I have to admit that after three months with the British, I was looking forward to getting back to my little restaurants in Nice and their Mediterranean cuisine.
-
A wealth of cultural activities
There is so much to see, discover and explore culturally in London. It’s hard to do it all, there’s so much choice. In the end, I let myself be carried along by the flow and it was Mister who organised everything. I felt very lucky to have been able to share all these incredible moments. We saw a great dance concert at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, an incredible play at the Young Vic, an exceptional choir at St Pauls Cathedral for the London Design Festival… etc And that’s just a quarter of what London has to offer.
I have so much more to say about this experience!
Despite all these positive points, London still had its share of negative ones: exorbitant rents, transport costs, supermarkets, too much choice can kill the moment, lack of depth in heels courses… etc. After my return from Edinburgh, I felt it was time to go back to Nice, to find my independence, my cat, my dancing friends, to find myself at home. After all, you change when you live abroad, you have less control and you trust life and everything around you.
I have so many incredibly happy memories in my head, which have helped me to heal certain wounds from the past. I came back to Nice with a fresh and calmer outlook. I hope it lasts!
