say hello to the transplant
a space for Americans not in America
I moved from NYC to London just over 3 years ago. I’ve realised a lot of things in this time.
London bagels are bad
Paying taxes as an American sucks
Waiting longer than 5 minutes for a bus, train, or subway is unacceptable
British accents will eventually stop sounding interesting
Having multiple parks within a 10 minute walking radius is transformative for mental health
I dreamed of moving abroad since I was a child, and I was thrilled when I could finally make it happen at the age of 23. I have American passport privilege, and I didn’t realize what it actually took uproot oneself from a home and forge a new one, thousands of miles away.
While the UK is not too dissimilar from the US in the grand scheme of things, I found myself grasping a bit when I landed here. Whenever someone moves abroad, we are guided to believe that they immediately fall in love with an Italian chef (this did happen to me, but a story for another day) and find themselves outside on a sidewalk cafe eating croissants and sipping espresso everyday (h/t Emily in Paris). I, personally, was confused about basic things like where to buy batteries, how to see a doctor, and how to make friends.
I was also confused about important things like whether I needed to tell anyone important that I moved (like, do I need to send the state of New Jersey an email?), figuring out how to open a bank account without an address, and taxes.
Nobody interesting talks about how they got a visa, or how they found an apartment, or how they pay their taxes… (if you haven’t guessed, we’re going to talk a lot about taxes :/). I love that you can live an expansive life outside of the US, one that might feel richer with culture, experiences, and challenge — but I also want to feel like I can build for the long-term, financially and logistically.
I’m starting this space to share my learnings and my thoughts on living outside of the US, as a 20-something American and how I’m navigating the financial mess that comes with that decision! I also hope to talk to other cool people doing the same thing, share fun times and mistakes, and maybe even get to make some friends.
as the brits say,
xx
Lola