I whined to my friends and family for the final months I lived in London for, that it was a money pit (expensive rent, expensive travel, expensive food & drink) and I couldn't wait to move away.

 

With that being said, I didn't live exactly in the centre. For six months I lived in suburbia on the city outskirts near my university in North London. Forget heading to the local pub or going for a nice jog, I was surrounded by concrete walkways and fast roads which led to the motorway.

I worked in this suburbia land in a huge shopping centre, part-time in a fashion retail shop, selling expensive clothes to rich people.

The feeling of having nothing in a rich land (London) was, without a doubt, challenging. The problem with living in a city is that it makes you want everything, but you can't afford anything.

Standing behind a till selling clothes to successful, rich women, left me feeling frustrated with my own life and empty inside.

 

I'm a single lady and this outskirts, student lifestyle wasn't helping any romance bloom either.

 

Guys I dated were already in full-time professions and weirdly this made a divide between us, firstly in how often I could afford to go out and do nice things together in the evening, and secondly when they would have the weekends off, I would be working until 8.30 at night in the shop! By the time I got to them, it would be 9:30pm and I was knackered. How about that for a romance killer?

 

So my house contract ends early and I feel thrilled to move back to my parents house.

I quit the retail job and prepared myself for commuting once a week into the city for a fashion tutorial at University. 

 

Pre-moving, I was damn excited to move back home and felt sure that it was a good move which would make me a much happier person without the stress of paying high rent and living in an anti-social area.

 

However, a week into moving away and I already have mixed feelings on moving back to the South Coast.

 

I love this place for the beaches, the grassy fields and the fresh air. I love the people that make me feel at home in the workplace.

However, I feel the pace of life has completely slowed down, and I'm missing that drive to succeed and the pace of the busy city which I felt pushed me to find my dreams.

 

So I guess I've figured out already that I truly love and suit the cosmopolitan city lifestyle, and it's only when you're away from it something you feel like you truly miss it.

 

I don't miss the concrete jungle on the outskirts of London that I called home, but I miss the city centre. I miss the fabric markets, Camden lock and I miss the tube. I miss being able to jump on the tube and visit vintage markets, and I miss being drunk and lost in Soho.

 

I'll be returning to London on Monday for my lesson.

 

Feel free to let me know your thoughts on quiet/cosmopolitan lifestyles in the comments below!