10 reasons I long for London.

It’s strange:  when I left London back, I swore that I wouldn’t miss it.  But I’m slowly realizing that I lied to myself. Because sometimes, out of nowhere, I’ll feel a twinge — a longing for a past life and a former postcode, a hankering for gratuitous bank holidays and sloppy Sunday roasts.  Other times, a picture, a smell, or a random word is the culprit, its appearance immediately transporting me back to the metropolis I called home for two years.

But what’s up with that?!? I currently live in an amazing city (Hong Kong) and in a few short months will be taking up residence in yet another amazing city (NYC!). I look at my life and it feels silly to get all melancholy and navel-gazing-y about the past. After all, the present and future are blindingly bright. Talk about first world problems!

However, despite this self-admonishment, despite knowing better, I still miss London intensely from time to time. I’ve thought about it for a bit recently and have identified a few reasons why. In no particular order, here they are:

1. The museums

The city is a hotbed of culture and I miss it. Even though I’m not a huge museum buff, Liebling and I spent many a weekend meandering in the likes of the V & A Museum, the British Museum, and the Tate Modern. The thing about museums in London is that they are abundant and accessible– dotted all throughout the city and mostly free they are perfect for a date night or a rainy day.

2. Views like these

I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves:

3. The travel opportunities

Even though I often travelled a lot (excessively?) when I lived in London, I didn’t realize what a fantastic travel hub it was until I left. For, when you live in London, the UK and continental Europe are at your proverbial fingertips. And I certainly took advantage: at least two weekends a month I was jetting off to places like Paris, Copenhagen, and Edinburgh. Seriously, it got to a point where Liebling and I had a standing Friday night “appointment” at either King’s Cross train station, Heathrow, or Gatwick Airport!

4. Crisp, clean air

People who have been to Asia will feel me on this: the humidity and pollution are awful here and taxing on weak respiratory systems. While London’s atmosphere can’t compare with, say, the alpine air in Switzerland or Austria, it’s still way cleaner and fresher than Hong Kong’s.

5. Shopping on Oxford and Regent Streets

The shopping. The shopping. The shopping!! I’m a confessed shopaholic who was content to let my wallet run loose on these packed commercial avenues. From department stores on Oxford like Selfridges, to standalone shops on Regent like French Connection, my soul sang upon every visit. The beautiful architecture there made my heart pitter patter as well.

6. The gorgeous parks

Parks make me happy: something about the vast swathes of emerald grass evokes… calm? Peace? A sense of freedom and gaiety? I can’t put my finger on it, but wide open green spaces always put me in a good mood. London is full of stately parks: St. James, Greenwich, and the one I used to frequent most often, Victoria Park.

7. The curries and markets on Brick Lane

I’ve written about the merits of my old neighbourhood so often that I won’t bore you with yet another praise-laden description of what makes Brick Lane special. But if you’re looking for a fun, edgy place where you can get banging South Asian food, this is it.

8. The 5-berry yogurt pot at Prêt

And since we’re talking about food… I can’t do a list like this without a mention of my favouritest food item at good ole Prêt à Manger! Yes, I fell fast and hard for… a yogurt, to the point where I had it for breakfast nearly every. single. day. For TWO YEARS. That’s a lot of yogurt. Sadly, the Prêts in Hong Kong and New York City don’t seem to sell the exact same flavour — believe me, I checked.

9. The Tube?!?

I never thought I’d say this, but despite all its shortcomings (spotty service, stiflingly hot train cars, and smelly drunk riders) I miss to-ing and fro-ing on the London Underground. It’s sprawling and a bit complicated but takes you everywhere you need to go — though you may arrive at your destination way later than expected due to delays. Once I became adept at navigating the Tube lines, I was able to tackle my daily commutes with aplomb — it made me feel like a true Londoner! “Red signals” and “improvement works” are still the bane of my existence though (people who live in London will know exactly what I mean by this statement!).

10. Very British traditions/festivals/pastimes

Living in London introduced me to distinctly British customs, pastimes, and celebrations. I’m a bit of a culture vulture (don’t worry, I’m not going to adopt a fake British accent and get all Madonna on y’all), so thoroughly enjoyed participating in two of my favourites: afternoon tea and the Royal Ascot Races. Because who doesn’t enjoy dressing up and stuffing their face with tasty cakes and fancy tea? Though I’m not a tennis fan, I have to admit that attending Wimbledon was pretty cool as well.

Lauren Pope