Happy Tuesday!

I have a post coming later this week all about our new neighbourhood in Melbourne, but I thought I'd share some of my favourite pictures from our time in London (some of the photos are from our engagement shoot, so check out Patryk Stanisz).

We have been missing that city lately. I know some friends and family who are thinking of moving there and as we've been discussing it with them, I know Tj and I are both thinking about how lucky we were to live there.

When I first moved to Toronto it took me a while to fall in love with the city. I had to forget everything I thought I didn't like about downtown T.O. and discover what made it so great for me. My first year there was definitely an adjustment and Tj will probably tell you I hated it haha. When it came time to move to London, I was surprisingly really sad to leave.

But I loved London straight away! I wasn't expecting to love it so much. It's busy and expensive and grey. The weather is miserable and it's damp so even though I'm Canadian I was always cold. Did I say that it's really busy? I hate crowds.

It really helped when I moved that I had two good friends from Canada already living in London. I could ask them questions and they showed me around and helped me get settled. It was great to have people who knew what I was going through. Tj's family and friends made us feel welcome too, and I loved getting visitors from back home and getting to show them around.

Here are 10 things I miss about London:

1. Events - I went to a taping of the X Factor, a One Direction concert at the O2 arena, book signings for authors like Jojo Moyes, Linwood Barclay, Val McDermid, and Yogagirl, a special photography exhibit on Agatha Christie, and an NFL game. I even tagged along when a friend had an appointment at an artist's studio to see what he was working on. These aren't for everyone, but that's my whole point - I believe that there is so much going on, there is definitely something out there for everyone!
2. The History - I never fully realised that Canada is such a baby country. There was a pub on my street corner that has been around longer than Canada has been a proper country! I looked through the archives at the British Library and did a secret spy tour of the Tower of London after hours. I definitely regret not going to more of the free museums but my favourite thing I did while I was there was the Jack the Ripper tour! It was right through my neighbourhood and I found it extremely interesting and creepy.
3. Harry Potter - I'm a huge Harry Potter fan so London was awesome. I saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child play twice! I did the Warner Brothers Studio Tour where all the movies were filmed and tried Butterbeer (Fun fact: No, they do not do weddings in the Great Hall. I know this because I asked, even thought I wasn't even close to being engaged at that point LOL). I went on a Tour for Muggles where we walked around the city and they showed us where the movies were filmed. And I saw at King's Cross station where people lay flowers at Platform 9 3/4 after the death of Alan Rickman.
4. Theatre - I saw Les Miserables, and Gypsy, The Nutcracker and Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. I had tickets for Hamilton but had to return them when I found out we were moving. I saw one play with my dad that was a dud. It had some big names, but we didn't get it? It's all about the experience. Sitting in an ancient, crammed theatre and watching some really talented people perform - so good! I never get sick of the theatre. 
5. Christmas - I think London does Christmas right! The whole city is covered in lights and there are Christmas markets and beautiful window displays. It's the best time of the year in London. I don't think I'll ever get used to Christmas in the summer. Sorry Australia but London definitely wins Christmas.
6. Pubs - I'm not much of a drinker, but the pubs are pretty cool. They are always jam packed after work. I loved seeing really old pubs like the one near my flat where Jack the Ripper's victims hung out. I saw families all dressed up in the pub after a Christening and I've even seen dogs in the pub! And I only did it once, but I had a blast doing a pub quiz! It was so much fun and not nearly as impossible as I thought it would be. Definitely wish I had tried  one sooner.
7. The Tube - This is a love hate relationship. I hate the tube because it's crowded and sometimes hot and smelly but I love the transportation system in London because I can get anywhere I need to go! Considering I'm not much of a driver, it was a great feeling to have complete independence. Most people in London don't drive, and I found that public transportation was often faster than UBER or taxi.
8. Travel Hub - So many cheap flights out of London! Great place to have as a base to travel from. The downside was the airports were so freaking far, and sometimes we had to 'wake up' at like 2:30 in the morning to catch out flight, but the discount airlines are totally worth it.
9. ASOS - haha ok this one is kind of silly, but I loved online shopping from ASOS. It was so convenient. I had a premium membership so it was free next day delivery. I'd have my packages delivered to Doddle, where they sign for them and I could pick up on my way home from work. They did free returns with ASOS. So I could order as much as I wanted, try it on at home, and easily return everything I didn't like. I found some real gems, and this came in really handy when I was looking for a dress for our engagement pictures.
10. My neighbourhood - We lived right near Spitalfields Market and I loved it. There was always something going on or interesting people to watch. There were nice stores to browse in and lots of restaurants to try. On Sundays Brick Lane was even blocked off for a food market that had POUTINE with real cheese curds and vegetarian gravy!!! I went to an awesome gym that kept me really motivated and I found a great hair salon (that's important for a girl!) We loved our neighbourhood so much thatTj's proposal involved going around and doing our favourite things in our neighbourhood, including the Columbia Road flower market and drinks at a rooftop bar! It was perfect :)
11. Bonus: I miss Jelly Babies candy and going for walks in Hyde Park that turned into drinks and snacking on the grass. 

I can honestly say that London is my favourite city in the whole world (and I think it's Tj's too). I can't wait to go back and visit.