A day in York!

On October 16, 2021October 17, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UKLeave a comment

One of the things I’m most excited about now that I’m living in London, is being able to explore the rest of the UK. For all the time I’ve spent in the UK, I’ve managed to not actually get to too many places outside of London, and I’m hoping to change that now. The first place I decided to visit? York!

From London, it’s an easy two hour train journey to York. I did have a slight adventure in that my initial train was cancelled, but luckily there was another one departing half an hour later and I was able to just hop on that one. I rode on LNER, and while I was disappointed in the lack of mask wearing on board the train, the journey up to York was comfortable and easy – they even have outlets between the seats so you can charge your devices! I left from King’s Cross in London, and arrived into York (there’s only the one train station in York so that makes booking tickets pretty easy).

Welcome to York sign in York Railway Station — A lovely welcome at the train station!

From the train station, it’s an easy walk into the city centre. You can also take bus 66 if you’d like, but I found that it was really easy to navigate around on foot (if you’re trying to get from the train station to the university, though, it’s about a 40 minute walk so if the weather isn’t nice, bus 66 is a quick and dry way to get there – one way journeys cost £2 but can be paid with contactless card).

My first stop was to visit York Minster, arguably the most famous thing to visit in York. I’m not sure if it’s down to Covid or if it’s always been like this, but you have to prebook tickets to gain entry into the Minster. You can opt to purchase a basic entry ticket, or a guided tour. For an additional £5, you can add on the Tower Challenge for a chance to climb up the Central Tower. If you’ve read my blog before, you know that I love a good tower, so I couldn’t resist booking myself this ticket. Regular entry slots are available every 15 minutes, while tower slots are every 45 minutes. I booked my entry slot to be 30 minutes before the tower so I could look around, but not feel rushed (you can also continue looking around after you climb the tower so you could book them for the same time and have no issues). The Minster itself is beautiful inside and out, with stained glass everywhere, and as some of the construction dates from the 7th Century, it’s full of history. There are seven main spots to make sure you visit while walking around inside: the Nave, Chapter House, Great East Window, Crypt, Quire, Rose Window, and the Central Tower (which is what you climb). There’s also the Undercroft Museum, which houses Roman and Viking artifacts under the cathedral, but unfortunately that was closed when I visited so I wasn’t able to see it.

Photo of the front of York Minster in York, England — I think probably 90% of my photos from York are of York Minster

I personally felt like half an hour was a good amount of time to walk around and see everything (I did manage to get in a few minutes before my entry time so I had a bit more than 30 minutes), but I can easily see how you could spend hours there, especially if doing it with a guide. Five minutes before my tower ticket slot, I went to the meeting point and waited for a Minster employee to come get all of us (I’d say there were 20 people, and the sign said our time slot was sold out, so if you’re wanting to do this, absolutely book in advance – I booked the night before, but the earlier the better. In theory you can buy it in the Minster on the day, but I heard them telling patrons the remaining slots were booked, so they still might be sold out). We were given a brief explanation of the fact that we’d be walking up 275 steps (that get increasingly narrower and narrower), and therefore anyone with health conditions shouldn’t ascend. The woman who warned us of the steep ascent wasn’t kidding – it’s 275 spiraling steps (I would say I counted, but they’ve written the number of steps every 25 steps so you can see how close you’re getting to the top). There’s one section around step 125 where you come out onto a section outdoors that gives you some lovely views and fresh air before you’re back into the ever narrowing staircase. Right towards the top, I had to move my purse to in front of me in order to fit properly – it certainly did get narrow, and the steps did as well. I’m glad I have small feet! The view at the top, though? Absolutely wonderful. I lucked out because the weather in York was truly beautiful all day while I was there, so I had a sweeping 360º view of the city’s skyline. Despite the fact that my ticket slot was only for 45 minutes (it took probably close to 15 minutes to do the full ascent as you can only move as fast as the person in front of you, and you’re asked to maintain some space between each other due to Covid), I didn’t feel rushed at all once I was at the top. From 72m up, it’s well worth the slightly intense journey to get up there, and there are placards on all four sides to tell you what direction you’re facing, and what’s in the distance. You do go down the same stairs you came up, and while it wasn’t as strenuous going down, I found it scarier!

View of York Minster, and the city of York beyond from the top of the Central Tower in York, England — One of the four views you get from the top of the tower. On a clear day, it feels like you can see forever

View of York Minster's spires from the climb up the Central Tower in York, England — From the small non spiraling staircase break you get, you can examine some of the Minster’s architecture

Once back down on ground level, I decided to treat myself to a “York Minster Tower Champion” badge to commemorate not only the lovely views, but also my day in York. I mean, they do call it the Tower Challenge, so it only makes sense to have some kind of prize at the end of it! It was £3.50 for the badge, but I thought it was cute, and where else will I be able to get that? I also hadn’t seen any bloggers mentioning it, so here I am doing that!

Badge with Central Tower of York Minster that says "York Minster Tower Champion" — My Tower Champion Badge!

After York Minster, I wandered down to the Shambles Market, which is an iconic market and alleyway in York. It’s rumored that the Shambles is what inspired Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, and even if that’s not ultimately true, I can see why you’d think that! There are 70 food stalls, clothing stalls, locally owned businesses, and more in the market, and it was certainly buzzing on a Friday afternoon. You can also find a lot of tea rooms around the Shambles if you fancy an afternoon tea or a cream tea, and plenty of other eating or drinking establishments.

Arching sign that says "Shambles Market" at the entrance to the Shambles Market in York, England — Shambles Market

Streets of The Shambles in York, England — I can see the Diagon Alley inspiration rumor being true!

From the Shambles, it was a quick walk over to the Jorvik Viking Centre. Created by the York Archaeological Trust in 1984, this attraction is designed to take you back in time to the time of the Vikings living in York, which at the time was known as Jorvik. Your visit starts out in a room with glass floors, which showcases the ground below as it had been excavated. There was a guide there dressed in Viking attire (all staff in the exhibit area do, although ironically, they were all wearing masks that matched their outfits. As I overheard one other guest say “I’m sure Covid was big in the Viking era” – might not be entirely accurate, but I appreciate their dedication to keeping guests safe, even if it throws off the authenticity a little). Your journey back into time starts with an animatronic ride where you get in a buggy, and then spend 15 minutes learning about the different houses, partial skeletons, and artifacts found on Coppergate Street. They’ve reconstructed what Jorvik might’ve looked like, and the narrator will tell you all about how they know that fabric dye was used, or that pigs were kept (and eaten), and much more. I thought the ride was pretty interesting, although I’ll admit it was a little distracting when the mannequins spoke in Old Norse while the narrator was telling me in English about something. When the ride ends, you visit a museum that contains the artifacts spoken about during the ride. You’ll see jewelry, combs, fabric, skeletons, and more. You can even purchase a coin for £2 that will be struck for you there and then! I did find my visit interesting, but I’ll admit that I was expecting a little more from the museum part itself, although I wasn’t prepared for the animatronic ride! The ticket I bought is valid for 12 months though so if I return to York in the next year, I can visit again. It’s recommended you pre-book tickets, but if you don’t (I hadn’t as I wasn’t sure how long York Minster would take me), you can jump in a separate standby queue, and you’ll be let in as space allows. I waited maybe five minutes, so I can’t complain, but I can see how that wait could be long if spots were sold out for several hours.

Animatronics of Vikings at the Jorvik Viking Centre in York, England — Some of the settings you visit while on the ride at Jorvik Viking Centre

From the Viking Centre, I went to look at Clifford’s Tower, although unfortunately, it’s closed for conservation works so I wasn’t able to do much more than look at it (and even that wasn’t super impressive as it’s covered in scaffolding). Since that wasn’t open for visiting, I ventured over to the York City Walls to walk along those. These walls date from the Roman era, and as they’re still standing (and in good condition), you can walk along parts of them. It doesn’t circle the whole city as it might have done back when the Romans were defending it, but you can still walk along a solid portion of wall (some of it doesn’t have any railings, though, so be aware of that). The walk along the walls was pretty calm, and gave lovely views of York Minster in the distance. It’s also fascinating to be able to walk along something that is so historic, and look to your right to see a modern railway station, or a Travelodge. The view of York Minster is particularly stunning at Golden Hour, or just as the sun is setting (yes, I did hightail it back to the walls to see it in a different light).

View of York Minster as the sunset with purple clouds above it from York City Walls in York, England — Watching the sunset over York Minster from the York City Walls

Young woman taking a selfie of herself with York City Walls, and York Minster in the background in York, England — Can’t go somewhere without a cheesy tourist selfie!

As the sun was setting on my day in York, I made one last venture into the city centre to walk the cobblestone streets a final time before I had to catch my train back to London. I stumbled upon the Museum Garden, which houses the Yorkshire museum (unfortunately I missed the final entry for that), which was a lovely place for a stroll, and of course, contained some ruins as well. While I know London is steeped in history, York felt very much like you could actively see it at every turn (at least in the city centre). I returned back to the railway station on foot, grabbed some dinner (be advised that there aren’t many food options in the York Railway Station so if you’re going to grab food there, like me, just know your options will be limited), and caught my train back to King’s Cross. It was smooth sailing back, although it was a very full train (thank goodness for seat reservations)! I had yet another adventure once I got to King’s Cross as the tube station was closed, and of course the next closest stops on the line(s) I need to get back to my flat aren’t within walking distance. I found a way back, fear not, but my King’s Cross luck definitely wasn’t with me that day!

Sunset on the horizon with York Railway station in the foreground in York, England — Sunset over the Railway Station, and my time in York

All in all, I absolutely loved my day in York! I had no expectations when I boarded my early morning train, and while I’d done some research on what to do, I hadn’t mapped it out or given much thought beyond pre-booking tickets. It helps that I had beautiful weather. I definitely didn’t cover everything in York (I definitely have some things to do for next time), but I did manage to do a lot in my less than 12 hours there. If you’re thinking of visiting York – do it!

Things to do in York

York Minster

Deangate, York YO1 7HH
Visiting hours:
- Monday – Saturday: 9:30am-3:45pm
- Sunday: 12:45pm-2:45pm
- Tower trips: 10:15am-4:15pm
Tickets must be booked in advance. Book here – be sure to select “tower trip” if you want to climb the Central Tower. You’ll be prompted to select both an entry time for general admission, and for the tower – these can be as far apart or close together as you’d like
Cost: Minster only £12, Minster and Tower £17

Shambles Market

5 Silver St, York YO1 8RY
Open every day 9:00am-5:00pm

Jorvik Viking Centre

19 Coppergate, York YO1 9WT
Open every day 10:00am-5:00pm
Pre-book your visit here – you can opt to visit just Jorvik, or combine your ticket with visiting the DIG and/or Barley Hall
Cost: £12.50 adult, £18.00 triple ticket – tickets are valid for 12 months

City Walls

Unnamed Road, York YO1 7LJ (it comes up on Apple Maps as a destination)
Open every day 8:30am-9:00pm

Things (for me) to do (next time I’m) in York

While I did see a lot of York while I was there, I missed some things that I hope I’ll be able to return and visit. Here are those things!

Clifford’s Tower (I hope if I go back again that it’ll be open)
National Railway Museum
Yorkshire Museum
Betty’s Tea Room

Young woman in glasses taking a selfie from the top of the Central Tower at York Minster in York, England — Here’s to more selfies, and towers to climb!

Wandering around London

On September 24, 2021September 24, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn Travel, UK3 Comments

It’s been almost two years since I was last in London, and being back after that amount of time meant that I had to revisit some of my favorite places. It being London, of course, my first day was grey and overcast (although luckily the rain stayed away from the majority of the day). I love being back, and part of what I love so much about revisiting places, is getting to see them again with slightly different eyes – this time, it’s revisiting after not only a long break, but also with a hint of pandemic (and now viewing the city as the place where I live, rather than just a place I’m visiting).

Young woman stands in front of a red telephone booth in London — London’s calling!

Despite the fact that travel to the UK has reopened, London feels emptier than when I’ve been before. I’ve never felt less jostled or surrounded by people than I have wandering around these past few days. I’ve taken some very touristy photos that I’ve felt too awkward to take in years past because there have been so few people around. That’s not to say that there’s nobody around anywhere, but it’s certainly not what I’ve experienced in peak tourist season (which is what it still is, to be fair). Some areas are still quite hustle and bustle, but others are shockingly deserted.

Young woman stands in front of the front gates of Buckingham Palace in London — I’ve never seen the front gates of Buckingham Palace this empty

The first bit of sightseeing I did was to revisit the Sky Garden. The only other time I’ve done this was when I studied abroad in 2016, so it’s been some time. The experience and the view were virtually identical to what I remember them being, but since Sky Garden tickets are free, I can’t really complain. Plus, it’s never not fun to get a view from 35 stories up of London!

View from the Sky Garden in London — The Shard and the Thames from the balcony of the Sky Garden

One of my favorite walks in London is along the South Bank. Starting at the Eye (although I prefer to start at Southbank Centre to avoid the crowd that can gather in front of the Eye), you’ll walk past the National Theatre, the Globe, Tate Modern, Millennium Bridge (the bridge destroyed by death eaters in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, but also a bridge you can walk across to get to Saint Paul’s), and then I typically stop at Tower Bridge. When the weather is nice, you’ll get beautiful views stretching down the Thames as well. There are also some great outdoor restaurants along the South Bank where you can partake in outdoor dining (when the weather is nice), and have a lovely view of the Thames.

young woman stands with arms outstretched with Saint Paul's in the background — Hands in the air if you’re excited to be in London!

Something new I decided to do was visit Kensington Palace. I’ve wandered around the gardens before (although on the side closer to Hyde Park), but I’ve never made it into the Palace before. I had to prebook tickets for a designated time slot (I’m not sure if this was the case pre pandemic), but entry was easy. You can take the rooms at your own pace, but it took me about an hour from start to finish to walk through the Jewel Room, Queen Victoria’s childhood, the King (George II) and Queen (Mary II)’s state apartments, and the special Royal Style exhibit. Without needing to enter the palace, you can see the Princess Diana status and garden located very close to the entrance. Once you’re done with the palace, you can wander through Kensington Gardens, and over into Hyde Park – if you go far enough, you’ll end up at Buckingham Palace! You can also stop to have tea inside or just outside the gift shop.

Kensington Palace in London — View from outside Kensington Palace

Another fun thing that’s happened is I’ve gotten to see Tower Bridge open twice! That area of London isn’t one that I’ve massively frequented in the past, so I never timed it right to see it happen, but I managed to catch it twice in two days within my first week in London. It’s a very fast process (a far cry from the Interstate Bridge between WA and OR – if you know, you know), and it’s quite cool to see it up close. I managed to see it once from afar, and once from the pedestrian walkway on the bridge (as they say, it’s all in the timing).

Tower Bridge lifting in London, UK — Watching Tower Bridge lift

As another way of recreating my first time in London five years ago, I decided to visit the Tower of London again, something I did in my first weeks in London all those years ago. It’s been enough time that I remembered some of it, but certainly not all of it. Given the pandemic, you have to prebook your tickets for one of three allotted time slots (10:00, 12:00, or 14:00), but tickets were pretty easy to book. In some areas of the Tower, it felt very crowded, and others felt fairly empty, but I can’t imagine what it would be like without them restricting numbers to a certain extent. The indoor exhibits were where you felt the crowd the most, I’ll say. As with all the Historic Royal Palaces, you get to see history, and learn all about it. The Tower is where Anne Boleyn was famously beheaded, where the Crown Jewels are kept, and of course, the home of the ravens (and so much more). I managed to spend a solid three hours there, which is in line with the amount of time they say you should allow. It’s pretty easy to navigate, and a definite must visit!

White Tower at the Tower of London in London, UK — The White Tower at the Tower of London

Historic Royal Palaces tip: If you’re thinking of visiting Kensington Palace and the Tower of London, or any combination of the sites included in the Historic Royal Palaces, think about purchasing a membership, or upgrading your first full price ticket to a membership. At £59, this ends up being cheaper than purchasing multiple entrance tickets, especially if the two sites you want to visit are Kensington Palace and the Tower of London. If you’re like me and have just moved to London, you’ll then get one year of free entrance to any of the Historic Royal Palaces sites!

As another fun little way to celebrate my moving to the UK, I decided to partake in an afternoon tea! Since this is London, there are countless places to do this, at various price points. If you want to fully indulge, you can do Fortnum and Mason’s afternoon tea, which is divine in so many ways, but does run a steep price tag. If you’re more on a budget (like me), you can still fully partake in the afternoon tea tradition. I opted for a £15 tea at Cafe Rouge, and while that’s a chain, I have no complaints about the food! I was given my pot of English breakfast tea, and then some savories (mini jambon beurre baguette, mini brie baguette, a sausage roll, and a vegetable quiche), and some sweets (a lemon meringue tart, chocolate cake, a mini orange chocolate gateau, and a scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam – the true highlight of tea)! It was definitely enough food to eat, and you can never go wrong with a pot of tea.

Young woman sits holding a cup of tea with a tray of food from afternoon tea at Le Cafe Rouge in London, UK — Keep calm and drink tea, right?

Obviously my wanderings have barely scratched the surface of all London has to offer, but since I’m here for a while now, I know that I have the time to see all my old haunts, and to discover some new ones as well! I can’t get over the fact that I get to (for the foreseeable) call London home, and wander the streets whenever I want. It feels like this has been a longtime goal of mine, and I can’t quite describe what it feels like to have achieved it (although really, that’s a whole other blog post). I’m not fully employed, so my free time is more limited than when I first moved over, but I’ll be doing my best to enjoy London – even just being here is enough some days – but here’s to more London wanderings!

Moving to the UK!

On September 12, 2021September 12, 2021 By notyouravggiraffeIn UKLeave a comment

I’ve been pretty quiet on the blog the past few weeks, and while a lot of that is due to the fact that I haven’t been up to much, it’s also because I’ve been preparing for an(other) international move! This time, I’m headed to London. I’m absolutely thrilled to be heading back to the UK, and to be doing so for a job, since that feels way more adult and legit (and in a different way than my experience with TAPIF, not to disparage that at all, but this has more of a long lasting feeling). Much as it feels weird to write, this move has the makings of being a more permanent one, so the process has been overwhelming to say the least! With that in mind, I figured I’d write up a little bit about the process, since it’s not all been super smooth and easy.

Pre-departure preparation

As with any kind of move, there was a lot of packing to be done. Luckily, I had been planning on moving to the UK in September anyway (the initial plan had been grad school but sometimes life hands us different plans, and that’s okay!), so it wasn’t like I was completely unprepared when it came to figuring out what I would bring. Once again, I was thrown back into the mindset of weeding through my closet to decide what clothes I wanted to bring, what shoes were coming along (and trust me, it was a lot), and anything else that I wanted to have immediately. It’s always a weird feeling to try and pack up your life, and you’d think after the several times I’ve done it that it would be a piece of cake, but alas, it only gets marginally easier each time. All I can say is thank goodness for space bags.

Pandemic Travels

Much like when I went over to France, pandemic restrictions are still in place. Unlike last time though, more is open so more people are traveling, and you can definitely feel it in the airports (and even in checking my seat assignments before leaving). The UK currently requires a negative Covid test taken within three days of departure, based on the date of departure of the flight that will actually take you to the UK (I had to take two flights given that no non-stops were running from PDX). It’s a bit confusing compared to France’s 72 hour requirement, but it’s three calendar days – I left Wednesday September 8, and was tested Sunday, September 5 to ensure I had the results back in time (my provider where I was tested was estimating 48-72 hour turnaround time, but it ended up being just over 24 hours so it was fine anyway). The US is currently an amber list country, but vaccinated Americans are given the same treatment as travelers coming from green list countries – no need for isolation, and a requirement to take another Covid test within two days of arrival. Unvaccinated Americans are classed with any other amber list traveler, and must isolate for 10 days, taking tests on days two and eight (with an option to book an additional day five test for test and release). Any tests must be booked before arrival, and you have to fill out the information on the Passenger Locator Form (which will include a unique code given to you when you book your Covid test), which also indicates where you will be staying and your purpose of travel, within 48 hours of your arrival into the UK. Here are all the documents I needed:

LIST OF REQUIRED TRAVEL DOCUMENTS

Passport
Boarding pass
Negative Covid test, taken within three days of boarding flight to the UK
Passenger Locator Form (with unique reference code for prebooked day two test)
CDC vaccination card

Although the journey was long, it was fairly painless (other than the backs of my ears, which by hour ten of the journey were less than happy from the mask – I’d love to hear earsaver techniques, I am ALL EARS, pun intended). Due to it being an international flight, I was unable to check in online with Delta, and had to wait to do so at the airport, so that meant allowing slightly more time in the morning before my flight. In Portland, they verified my Covid test, vaccination card, and passport before issuing me my boarding pass. I had to first fly to Atlanta, and although the flight was pretty full, it wasn’t as full as my app had indicated it might be (no complaints from me)! As they’ve been for several months now, masks were required on both legs of my journey, and just like when I flew to France, I had no issues with it (other than the ear thing, but that’s because I went in a KN95 this time instead of a cloth mask so the straps were less forgiving). The three hour layover in ATL went pretty quickly, given that around 45 minutes before boarding started, everyone was called to the gate so they could verify our documents. There they checked covid tests, vaccination cards, passenger locator forms, and passports, before writing all that information down and putting a red sticker on my boarding pass to indicate I’d cleared document check. They were making people fill out the locator form if they hadn’t done so before they’d be considered fully checked in, so that’s a much needed document (in addition to everything else). The flight to London was pretty good, all things considered. There was dinner and lunch service, plus some good snacks so can’t complain about that! I was able to watch the new David Copperfield film, and apart from the uncomfortable headphones, and the fact that the flight tracker map didn’t work (I might be the only one, but it’s absolutely one of my favorite parts about flying), I enjoyed my flight, and was able to sleep for a lot of it. Delta isn’t currently running flights to the UK from the US, so I flew with Virgin Atlantic (a codeshare). I’ve never flown them before, but I enjoyed their service and the experience was comparable to the flights I’ve taken with Delta. Other than some pre-departure drama involving a cancelled flight with no notification, the whole process of flying during this next phase of the pandemic wasn’t horrible.

Customs at Heathrow oddly didn’t feel that much different than in non-pandemic times. Since I used an EU passport (although this applies to UK citizens, US passport holders, and a handful of other country passports), I used the E-gates. Nobody checked any of my documents once I arrived in London, but if you can’t use the E-gates, they absolutely will, and if there are any problems with the E-gates, customs can check those documents, too. Getting my bags took a while, and because I have so much stuff (moving will do that to you), I took a cab to where I was staying instead of trying to navigate the tube (which I would’ve done given any other circumstance). The traffic was absolutely horrific, and for that alone, if you can take the tube, do it.

Some ambiance lighting (and orange juice) to set the mood for the long flight to London

After Arrival: the Practical Things

After I was able to unload all my things, the first task I had to conquer was getting my day two Covid test taken. You can do this anytime between arrival (day 0) and day two, so I booked mine for the same day I arrived just so I could get it done. There’s a long list of providers you can use, and you can opt to have it swabbed by a professional, or to have a kit mailed to you. Considering I was staying at an AirBnb, and didn’t know the mail situation, I opted for finding a place in person. I used a testing center in Canary Wharf, and was able to get in before my appointment time so that was nice. It was five minutes to get the swab done (which was less painful than France, but more-so than the US – I have thoughts on the somewhat metaphorical analogy this makes), and I was pleased with the process, although I’ll grumble a bit about the price of it (£65 for those of you curious). The test results came via email in 54 hours, which was longer than the 48 hours I was promised. I will say it’s a little odd that they ask you to take a test within two days of arrival, but you have no requirement to isolate while you wait for the results. It seems a little risky, given a lot can happen in two-three days, but here we are.

The next thing I had to do was get a SIM for my phone (if only because for as well as I know London, I’m still not an expert at getting from place to place without a little maps assistance). Since I was out at Canary Wharf for my test, I hopped on the DLR to get to Westfield Stratford so I could visit a Three store. There are loads of mobile providers in the UK – and I’ve used three and EE in the past – but I used Three when I studied abroad so I had an urge to use them again. It wasn’t nearly as smooth as I wanted it to be, but the good news is that since I’m on a Pay As You Go plan, I can switch providers at any point if I want to do that. Either way, my phone is now fully functional in the UK.

The element I still haven’t sorted though is opening a bank account. For as much as I thought France was horrifically bureaucratic and difficult, the UK is proving to be worse (who would’ve thought that was possible??). In order to open an account, you need a proof of address. Since I’ve already sorted my living situation, this should be easy, right? WRONG. To prove that I’ll be earning in the UK, I have a letter from my employer confirming my employment with them, as well as my UK address (where I’ll be moving next month). This, however, isn’t enough for any banks. They want post that was delivered to you or a lease agreement (but this can only be from an Estate agent or through a council agreement, which mine isn’t, so my lease agreement doesn’t count). A lot of the things you can use as proof of address aren’t available to me as a non UK citizen (registration on the voter roll, current driver’s license – I could apply for a provisional license but that involves sending off your passport and has a massive wait time, etc…). I’ve changed by address with HMRC so they can send me an updated letter with my National Insurance Number (thank goodness I already had one of these since the backlog is running ~ 16 weeks to get one right now), but that’s going to take 10-16 business days, so that’s essentially my time frame for when I’ll be able to open a bank account. I couldn’t update my address until I was actually in the UK, so really this whole process is a whole catch-22 of epic proportions. I tried opening online accounts like Monzo and Monese, since that’s recommended to try and get something with your address on it, but Monzo denied me (with no reason given, much to the consternation of the bank tellers with whom I spoke about it), and Monese required paying for the debit card (which didn’t seem worth it just to generate a statement I could use for opening an account somewhere else). It’s definitely still a work in progress, and an infuriating one at that. Fingers crossed I’m able to resolve that at some point in the near future, if only so I can be paid (just a small thing, really).

Random moving to the UK tip: Since there’s a possibility this move will be for a while, one thing that could become important for me down the line is having UK credit history. Unfortunately, my US credit history doesn’t transfer outside the country, so I’m essentially starting from scratch. That means I’ll be back in the endless cycle of being unable to get credit cards because of a lack of credit history, but being unable to generate any credit history because I can’t get a credit card. Something that was suggested to me was to get an American Express credit card in the US. After three months of use, I can exchange it for a UK one, no questions asked. This way (in at least three months’ time), I’ll be able to start generating some credit history in the UK! I have no idea if it’ll be successful or seamless, but I’ll report back on that one. I was, however, impressed with the speed with which I received my card in the US!

Despite the minor bank account hiccup, my arrival into London has been lovely, and I’m over the moon to be back. I’ve been able to wander around a bit (blog post incoming on that one), and it really does feel like coming home in a weird way. I’m still definitely stressed about the pandemic, and its effects on the UK (and my job), but I can tell I’m going to have to channel my worries differently over here. Contrary to what I’m used to in Washington (I can’t say the US because not every state has handled the pandemic the same), mask wearing is not really a thing outside, nor is it truly required/enforced inside. I’ve been a little disappointed by how many places have signage recommending the use of a face mask, but not requiring it – seems silly to think most people would automatically comply with recommended than required. It’s more lax than France for sure, but I’ll have to adjust since this is where I’m going to be living for the foreseeable.

It’s hard to believe that I set foot in London for the first time (almost exactly) five years ago, and here I am moving here. If only my 20 year old studying abroad self could see me now. I had no idea at the time how much my life would change from studying abroad (which is cliché, I know, but I do have some proof of that fact), and I’m truly so grateful that the stars have seemingly aligned to make my coming back possible. Here’s to a new adventure!

Not Your Average Giraffe

Category: UK