“I hope you have a good birthday, but it’s time for you to come home now.”
It’s been 960 days since I moved away, and it was only supposed to be 365. My family’s thoughts about this time difference have gotten significantly less subtle in the last 100.
It was only supposed to be one country, one visa.
Then it was two countries.
And it will be four visas by the time I’ve submitted our life story (as told through 200 pages of photos, employment contracts and payslips, bank statements and a multiple-choice test that shows just how British I’ve become) to the UK Border Agency for a final time next January.
“Rumor has it that you’re thinking about moving back?”
I’ve said that I will leave London when I feel like I’ve done London. But I still get lost walking around Piccadilly Circus, I’ve never been inside Westminster Abbey and I’ve visited only 30% of London’s Tube stations.
How will I know when I’ve done London? I looked to the experts for help. And when my go-to blog Londonist called Time Out’s “1,000 Things To Do In London” one of the best guides to the city for n00bs and adopted Londoners alike, I knew I was set.
1,000 London things! Who could know the city better than someone who had accomplished that task?
“Even if we do one thing every day, we’ll be here for almost three more years.” — The British Other Half is skeptical.
London, prepare to be done.
Ground Rules: We’ll be following Time Out’s guide to London Things, but not to a T.
I also picked up a copy of Tom Jones’ wonderful “Tired of London, Tired of Life,” which highlights a thing to do in the capital every day. These Things will be sprinkled throughout this mission.
- The Things can be done in any order.
- If the Thing costs more than £50 per person (and doesn’t involve food), it can be crossed off the list and substituted for another Thing.
- Things that have already been ticked off the list do not necessarily have to be revisited, but will be written about.
- The Thing must be sufficiently London-y. Although I’m sure Thing #276: Learn Aikido, an ancient Japanese martial art, is a good time, it’s not something I need to do while I’m in London.
Perhaps when I move to Japan… (just kidding, family!)
Have a favorite London Thing to Do? Just say the word, and London shall be done.
