Surviving the first Month

So I've survived the first month in London, and its been a month full of fun and exciting things as well as new and different challenges. I haven't posted as much as I've wanted to over the past month. Mostly due to this stupid Broadband issue. But for a first month if I look at all the things I needed to get done to get this all started, I've done pretty good. If you are looking to relocate to London, here are the things you need to do in the first month if possible

1. Setup a Local Bank Account with a Debit Card (this is the key to everything)

2. Get a phone. It doesn't have to be a fancy phone. I was holding out for an iPhone(the greatest phone ever), but when the iPhone proved illusive, my friend Jeff got me to get a cheap Pay as you go phone. These cheapo pay as you go phones with TalkMobile have the cheapest International calling rates. About 1/5 the rates offered by 02. In fact, I'll probably keep the cheapo phone as my international calling phone. I just have to use it once every 2 months or they reassign the number.

3. Get an Oyster Card. I bought the Month Pass. You may do better to just do a Top Up on the card, and pay as you go. You'll have to look to see how much you think you'll use public transportation. I found a bike within the first 2 weeks here, so I haven't used the bus or tube as much as I initially thought I would. Hands down, a bike is the fastest mode of transportation in London.

4. Find an Apartment. The best advice was to look at the different neighborhoods. Find one that appeals to you and then go into the different Estate Agencies and have them show you what is available. We tried to do a lot of work in advance, but I don't know how useful it ultimately was other than getting us to think about what living in London was going to cost, and what we should expect to find here. Tony was still shocked by the size of the apts.

5. Take lots of Vitamin C. It's going to be tough on you due to the time change, and it is a very challenging thing. As a wise person put it when I was feeling down about how long things were taking, "It's not like you're simply moving across town."

6. You won't believe I'm going to say this. Get or have a laptop with WiFi and/or get a USB Mobile Broadband. The only brand I recommend is 3(three) as they allow access to Skype.

7. Be prepared for everything to take longer than you think (and not just a little longer). You are at the whims of Public Transportation in London, and that adds time.

8. Take a little time away from all the tasks and enjoy the fact that you are in an amazing country full of beauty and history