Category Archives: living in London

Today I am excited to share an interview with Kristina Smith from “American Expat in London” fame.  She took the time to answer common questions about moving to the UK from the states and what her life is really like in London.  Thanks Kristina! 

Read on my friends…

Name:  Kristina Smith

Current Location:  London, UK

Home town: Orginally from Hickory, NC.  Most recently from Seattle, WA-which is ‘home’ to me.

Education (if relevant):  Undergrad in Accounting from UNC-Charlotte (*so* not relevant any longer, thank goodness!).  MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill.  Concentration in Marketing.  Definitely relevant…

Hi Kristina. Thanks so much for letting me interview you for this little blog.  So you are an American now living in the UK, and specifically in London. 

 When did you make the move across the pond? 

I landed on March 1, 2008.

 Why did you decide to move to London? 

I relocated with my company. I’d always wanted to live abroad, and knew I’d never have such an opportunity practically given to me like this.  So, I decided to take full advantage.

What was the visa process like for you? 

I got lucky.  My company handled all of the ugly paperwork for me.  I completed the application, and gathered all of necessary documentation, but in terms of actually liasing with the British Consulate, that was all handled for me.  Talk about being made to feel like you have to prove your worth!  Literally. 

Do you have any stories to share about flat hunting in London? 

Well…my first experience was quite easy-again, thanks to the corporate relo.  I worked with a company who specializes in helping expats flat hunt.  The 2nd time I searched for a flat-to move in with my boyfriend-was on my own.  I can certainly say, I’ve probably had both ends of the spectrum by now.  The truth of the matter is:  the rental market-and aproach to renting is so completely different from the US (except perhaps NYC?…), and Rental agents can be vultures.  Sorry.  Not all, but a good number of them; and, some companies are good-some certainly aren’t.  I’ve been fairly fortunate wtih both of mine, but have heard the horror stories.  Regardless, a good starting point-whether you have help or not-is www.findaproperty.com   it’s like a ‘clearing house’ of rental properties that most, if not all, agencies post their property to.  Provide your post code, and a few details of what you’re looking for, and voila. 

Contrary to what I’ve heard about landlords, both of mine have been exemplary.  The contract that is used is *definitely* in the landlord’s favor-and makes me rethink the silly one-pager I’m using to rent my place back in the US- but assuming your landlords are reasonable humans, actual dealings with them shouldn’t be that bad. 

What do you do in the UK? (Job that is…) 

 I’m in Search Marketing (PPC & SEO) for a large, online retailer.

Was it easy to find this job?  Can you tell us more about the job application process? 

Well, since I transferred with my company from headquarters to the UK, my process wasn’t like it is for most.  That being said…for the particular field that I’m in, I don’t think I could live in a better city for what I do. The Search industry is very strong here, a bit more advanced than in the US, and unlike the US…people in this space are refreshingly open about what they do-and what they do for their companies.  I really enjoy it, and at this stage in my career, am appreciative of the experience.

To the general question about job searching…like flat-searching, it’s also a different beast.  Agencies (Recruiters) are the norm here.  I don’t know of many people who don’t have their current positions not due to a recruiter.  I’m not even sure if some companies hire in the more direct approach (ie internal recruiting) from the US.  Recruiters are very direct here-I probably get a phone call a week, and a ping on LinkedIn weekly.  I recognize that the level of activity is somewhat due to my industry, but nonetheless-if you’re looking for a job here, get yourself on LinkedIn!

Okay, so now that we understand your life history in regards to moving to London and what your work is, let’s get into some more nitty-gritty details.

What do you absolutely love about your life in London? 

Borough Market on Saturday mornings, free museums and the vast selection of plays to be able to attend, the ability to ‘pop’ over to the continent-for next to nothing-for the weekend, public transportation (I know, I know-it can be a nightmare, but comparitvely, it’s leaps ahead of the US).  I’ll stop there-I could probably list another 10 things!

 And what could you do without? 

Tourists who clog up the sidewalks, the intrusion of my personal space when on said public transport, and the cost of living.  I could also probably list another 10 things, but will try to stay positive.

 Do you miss “home”?  Or do you call London your home now? 

There are days when I miss Seattle, my friends & family, a good, cheap-meal, and a good IPA to the point it physically hurts.  Then, there are days when I’m so flipping happy to be here, I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.  Which side of the coin seems to change almost as frequently as the weather here.

 Who are your friends and community?  Do you mostly spend time with other Expat Americans or do you have other friends as well?  Were there any cultural barriers to overcome? 

My friends here fall into 2-3 clusters….Expats (and a few who aren’t) from work, my British boyfriend-and his friends-many of which are mine now, and other various, random folks that I’ve met-thru pup quiz, industry events, friends of friends (of friends…).  It’s a somewhat diverse group.  Probably 50% US; 40% Brit; 10% ‘other’.

Cultural barriers?…yes and no.  I’ve thought a lot about this in the two years I’ve been here.  I think the ‘cultural barriers’ I’ve personally experienced have nothing to do with differences between the US & UK.  Rather, my experiences are due to living in a truly *big* city for the first time.  I think that’s where I’ve struggled the most.  I’m not used to the crowds-and the need to be aggressive to sometimes get from point A to B, and the brusque attitude you can sometimes encounter.  I don’t think that’s a UK thing-I think it’s a big city thing.

The actual ‘cultural’ differences don’t seem too noticeable to me.  Again, having thought about this a bit, I think it’s due to having been raised in the South.  I see a lot of similarities in the culture of the South-and British culture, and think that becuase of this, it was an easy transistion for me.  Either that, or I’m completely oblivious!

But, the fact that my bf is British certainly helps.  He gives me ‘street cred’ immediately when we’re out & about, and I’m sure I’ve picked up on cultural bits from him-even subconsciously-that have made my living here seem so smooth.

 In terms of lifestyle, what do you think is different about your lifestyle in the UK compared to your lifestyle in the states?  And what’s the same?

WHERE DO I BEGIN?!?!?

In short, everything-both good and bad: I walk, I don’t drive.  I pay more for rent here than my mortgage in the US.  I never wear a shoe that’s higher than 1 inch.  I drink coffee without half & half.  I get tons more vacation.  I don’t exercise as much, but I drink more. I eat less Asian food, but more Mediterannean food.  I don’t go shopping every other weekend, and buy more ‘stuff.’  I realize how good the customer service in the US is now-actually, make that *exemplary.*  I don’t go out during the week as spontaneously as I used to-but at the same time, have more scheduled social events.

 If you could offer any advice to fellow Americans considering the move to the UK, what would it be?

Whew. Where do I begin?…Brace yourself!   I think you won’t even realize how valuable of an experience living in the UK has been-until you move back to the US.  Assuming you do!..

 Thanks so much Kristina! I really enjoyed this interview.  Keep up the great blogging!

Check out Kristina’s blog here & please tell her that I sent you.  Thanks!

Any other questions for Kristina? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to let me know if you know of another blogger I should interview for this blog.  Thanks.