You’ve just moved to London. Even though you don’t know anyone in this city yet, you like it here. It’s been three weeks since you arrived, and every day, you’re struck by how different London feels compared to the other European cities you’ve visited. But it’s hard to put your finger on exactly what makes it so unique.
language
You only know your native language and English. So whenever you’d visit another country, you’d never understand their language there. You had to use Google Translate in grocery stores, to figure out what you were buying. Or standing at a bus stop, you would hear people speak, but the words might as well have been gibberish.
But here, it’s different. You hear people talking around you, and suddenly, you know what they’re saying. It’s a strange feeling, almost disorienting. You’re not used to being in a foreign country and understanding the chatter around you.
culture
Obviously it is different. The first thing you notice is that people are so much more friendly here. You catch someone’s eye on the street, and instead of looking away, they smile. Back home, that kind of openness is rare, and it takes you by surprise. They sometimes say hello to you, when you pass on the street. Strangers are much more open to just start a random conversation with you.
There are people here from all over the world. You hear so many different languages on your way to work. You see people wearing all kinds of clothes.You notice how comfortable people are with their gender and sexuality, a stark contrast to the need to hide or conform that you’ve seen back home.
Or how you always have to remind yourself to respond “I’m great, and you?” when someone asks you how you’re doing, instead of actually telling them about your day, your worries and interests.
all the small differences that add up
They drive on a different side of the road. It constantly catches you off-guard, and you’ve almost walked into traffic a few times.
The currency isn’t the euro you’re familiar with, but pounds, and it takes some mental math to adjust. The shops you pass by are unfamiliar, and you realize you don’t recognize any of the brands You’ve never had any of the beers they serve in pubs. The parks all smaller - but there are so much more of them. Frankly speaking you’re surprised how green London turned out to be.
it all looks different
The buildings are so different. Many of them are older than anything in your home city. There are no trams on the streets, no cables hanging above cars. You’ve only seen double-decker buses in the movies before.
The metro (or rather, the tube) that you take everyday to work reminds you that you’re not at home. It’s built in a drastically different way than what you’re used to. And it’s so old, with a layout that feels like a maze.
feeling like an outsider
You feel like you might fit in here. Like you could blend in with the crowd. After all, London is such a big city that everyone can be at home here. Of course, you don’t speak with a British accent, but there are lots of people who don’t either. (you should be proud of your heritage, and shouldn’t be hiding your accent - you remind yourself).
The desire to fit in brings its own anxieties.
Never before could you actually fit when abroad. And so, you didn’t care. You were just a visitor, a tourist, and that was enough.
But here, you sense a real opportunity to make this place your own, and that makes you care. You start to wonder about all the little things you might be doing differently, the unspoken rules you might be breaking. Each interaction with someone new leaves you with a question “could they tell that I just moved here?“. It emphasizes all the differences, makes you notice them more often, makes you care about them more.
For the first time, you’re not just passing through—you’re trying to belong.
All these small and big differences, from the language to the culture to the everyday details, come together to create a city that feels entirely different from anywhere else you’ve been. It might take some time for you to adjust. But you’re already starting to appreciate what makes London so special.