#and also i don't want the vibes

[bondsmagii]

Moving to london soon and very nervous bc a lot of people love it but also a lot of people hate it and I'm afraid of hating it so would you hype me up pleaseeeee also cheap places for a drink?

man there’s a lot about London that’s easy to hate or get frustrated by, but no more so than how there’s always gripes about a major city. even with the stuff that annoys me about London, I find it’s kind of an endeared annoyed. I think a lot of the people who hate the place probably feel somewhat the same way, and even if they don’t, there’s still a kind of “I can bitch about it but everyone else fuck off” kind of thing going on. there is a lot to dislike about London, if you look at the crowding and the poverty that the government doesn’t give a shit about and also the fact that breathing the fumes will actually try to kill you with its bare hands, but you know. that’s living in the city, baby.

I find London more than makes up for the things that annoy me about it. thanks to the current situation it’s been over a year since I was last there, and I don’t actually have any place in the city anymore, which kind of feels like part of a limb got amputated. I know it’s not for forever, but still. London, for me and for a lot of people, is one of those cities with an incredibly unique atmosphere. it’s an old city, an absolutely ancient city, and the vibes so much history leaves behind is incredible. everything seems possible there. so much is going on. so many different kinds of people from all backgrounds and interests and cultures are all existing in the same place, with all of their passions and talents co-existing, and it gives the place a kind of life I’ve never seen replicated. you can really do anything and be anyone you want there. there’s no such thing as being bored, or at least there never is for me. it’s the only place on earth where I’m never bored for even a second.

I think the biggest complaint about London is that it’s damn expensive, and yeah, it really can be. rent is pretty extortionate no matter where you are, and travel adds up. having said that I’ve found so many places to hang out in that costs absolutely nothing. most of the museums are free. the parks are free. wandering the streets is free, and I can walk 10-12 miles a day just looking around and taking in the atmosphere. I’ve spent what probably amounts to whole months of my time in the Waterstone’s on Piccadilly. and there’s so much great food to be had for less than you’d think if you’re armed with a smartphone. when you’re living there and you have all the time you need, you can find a lot to do that costs absolutely nothing. just the museums alone equal weeks and weeks of exploring to do.

I’ve never come away from London without a) knowing a little more about myself and what I want and b) having met a ton of new people. it’s impossible not to meet new people, and it’s refreshing as hell. I’ve just... got talking to strangers on a train and the next thing you know we’re going out together even though it’s already 1am. I’ve been at the pub and got talking to a friend of a friend and suddenly the next day we’re drunk in her kitchen co-hosting a dinner party. it’s an absolutely wild city full of impulsive and adventurous people, and I have a different adventure every time.

having said all this, I still haven’t found a cheap place to have a drink. cheapest I’ve found is St James’s Park, after I’ve spent £7 on a bottle of wine and £1 on some plastic cups 😂