Saara van Rugge

• Pack a picnic and make the most of the day.
• Take a poncho, if it’s raining you don’t want to have to huddle under an umbrella all day.
• Thongs/flip flops are an appropriate footwear for later in the day.
• Get there early if you want a place on the fence. 

London sure knows how to do sweet treats, and we sure know how to indulge in them. We will continue trying all of them and sharing them here.

In all the times I've visited the UK I have never been to Brighton, so it was high on my list of must-see places now that I live here.

Departing from Victoria Station on the Gatwick express, the faster, more expensive option, we made the hour and a half journey to Brighton.


Fish & Chips by the Seaside
Coming from a coastal city in Australia, we were keen to see the ocean again. Brighton has numerous fish and chip shops along the boardwalk, so naturally we bought fish and chips for lunch and enjoyed the sunshine.


Brighton Pier
An ice cream and a walk around the famous Brighton Pier. Full of sweet treats, rides and, of course deck chairs!



Brighton Pavilion and Gardens 
A must see on a day trip! The pavilion is a beautiful example of Indian inspired architecture. The gardens are also a wonderful place for a picnic.


Walk the Boardwalk and the Eclectic Streets
There are so many wonderful shops and cafes along both the boardwalk and through the streets of Brighton, particularly North Laine. You can find pretty much anything you can think there from souvenirs to second hand records.

We had a wonderful day in Brighton!

All my love, S

I first visited London when I was 16, and I loved it! I recall telling my mum, "I could definitely live here". It was fast and lively, yet felt familiar. I visited twice more before I made the decision to just do it!

I had come to the point in my life when I thought it wasn't an option in the foreseeable future. Then my opportunity came and I grabbed it with both hands. 

After A LOT of packing and a lot of tears, my best friend and I boarded our flight to London. We had intended to be a little more prepared, but we had done all we could and it was time to go.

We learnt very quickly that some of the information we had gathered online pre-trip was absolute gold, some was rubbish, and some was just missing. 

So, here is my Moving to London: 10 Things I Wish I Knew.


1. You need an address for pretty much everything!
Other than actually finding somewhere to live, you need an address for everything. 
Bank accounts, phone contracts, National Insurance Numbers, collecting your BRP card, and registering for the doctor. I couldn't even register for tickets to a show without an address. 
I would advise everyone that finding somewhere to live should be your number 1 priority. 

2. Rent is expensive!
Okay, so I did expect this. I knew that I wasn't going to get much for my money. My advise, do plenty of research. You are extremely lucky to spend under £700 per month. The closer you are to the centre of London the more expensive it is, but the further out you are the more you spend on transport. It's a delicate balance. 

3. Transport is expensive!
In my first month I spent £100+ on traveling in and out of London on the tube. 
Thankfully, our housemates (fellow Australians and seasoned Londoners) are full of useful tips, including the bus being a flat rate of £1.50. 





4. Finding a job will take time. 
My qualifications are in architecture, and I knew I wanted to work in this field. As I was being very specific I knew it wouldn't be easy. I started to put in the leg work a few months before I arrived in London, and starting contacting recruitment agencies. I was so confident I would have interviews to attend as soon as I arrived. However, recruiters like to meet with you before they start searching for opportunities.
My best friend works in office administration. We thought she would find a job straight away, so she didn't start her search until we arrived. In reality it took her 7 weeks to get her first job offer. 
The lesson is, come prepared!

5. Where you live may impact where you want to work. 
Getting in and out of London can take time. Finding a job that is close to where you live, or vice versa, is valuable.  Keep in mind, it's acknowledged that anything under an hour is considered reasonable. 

6. Monzo is actually really, really good!
You'll need a UK bank account to get paid into, and to set up any direct debits. 
I'll be honest, I was slightly skeptical when reading about Monzo in forums pre-trip. Everyone was raving on about it, but it wasn't until I arrived I realised why. Now, while you still need an address, its super simple to set up from your smart phone. You also only need one account and then you can creating "pots" for saving. 

7. Wages are a lot less. 
Don't have big expectations as wages are a lot less in London. A little shocking considering the cost of living is quite high. £9-10 an hour is consider to be good. £10-12 an hour is considered great. Of course this can depend a lot on your employment type, but I have definitely had to accept I'd be stepping down a pay grade. 

8. People can be a bit rude. 
Possibly its a product of living in a big city but people can be a little be short, even flat out rude. Customer service is not what I am used to back home. The other day, a woman even felt it necessary to tell me it was raining anymore when I still had my umbrella up. 
Just don't take it to heart, it's not you!

9. Always stand to the right!
Or face the wrath of your fellow commuters. You've been warned!



10. There is that much to do in London!
In fact, there is so much to do you will never need to travel anywhere else. 
London is full of iconic attractions, parks, museums, galleries, west end and east end shows, quirky streets, shops, and restaurants and cafes. 

Now tell me why you wouldn't move to London! I sure don't regret!

All my love, S

I would love to say that my late twenties arrived with a bang, it would make a great story. The truth is they didn't. I started to notice small changes around the age of 25. It was as though I unknowingly crossed into the next level of adulthood. Suddenly, people felt it was okay to ask when I was going to get married, because up until now I had always been told I was "too young" to think about marriage. To my friends in their early-twenties I like to describe this as a switch being flicked. One day you are 24 and next minute its time to...go full adult?

By 26 it became obvious that a lot of my friends had crossed this magical line, whether they realised it or not. They were all getting engaged and married, or buying fur babies and houses.  

I'm not sure why, but always thought I would be married and have a house by the time I was 25. Maybe 25 sounds old when you are 16. While it didn't happen that quickly, I have never been disappointed. I was still working away at achieving what I wanted. I had wonderful friends, a boyfriend who was working towards his own dream career, I lived with my best friend, and I was happy at my first job in my chosen career. 

In the space of a week, it felt like the carpet had been ripped out from under my feet. A series of events lead me to question everything in my life. Is this life? Is this it? Have I worked so hard towards these things and now I don't know if I really want them anymore? Everything was tossed into the air and I just wanted to close my eyes. 

The best thing that happened next was a 3 1/2 week holiday to the UK with my best friend. We had booked it 6 months earlier. It gave me time to think and breathe. I realised I had never truly worried about what I wanted out of life. I was too busy making everyone proud. I came back from my trip a different person. I felt more ambitious, although I didn't know what I needed to do with all this new found ambition. 

While I was slightly concern about their reaction, I opened up to my parents about the way I was feeling, and I am so glad I did. After all they had once been in their late twenties too. It was my Dad who gave me the best piece of advice, which I have subsequently passed on to other friends. He explained that in my late twenties, I was coming into the most productive years of my life, and starting to understand myself and what makes me tick. 

I started searching for the answer which lead me to the other side of the world. At 27 I made the decision to move to London in search of adventure. Also, I had always promised myself I'd see as much of the world as I could before I was 30! (Yeah, I know what you're all thinking!)

Welcome to my page! Please feel free to follow along with my adventure!

All my love, S