I’ve embarked on a new journey. Read on for details!
Surprise! I’ve left London.
And I’ve moved here.
Yes, I’ve moved back to Hong Kong!
Full disclosure: try as I might, I never fell in love with London. Such a proclamation nearly seems blasphemous given the amount of rave reviews the city receives, but the truth is that life in London left me uninspired and gripe-y. The little things I at first tried to laugh off (the grey and wet weather, the inconsistent tube, the crippling expense) gradually became deal-breakers, slowly spread a dull film over my steadfastly planted rose-coloured glasses. I started getting the expat itch again, so it was the perfect time to think about taking a leap.
And leap I did! Some months ago I polished up my CV and started the job search, keeping my eyes and ears open for something good in the wild and wonderful world of education. When I was offered an incredible opportunity to teach at a school in Hong Kong, Liebling and I decided I would go for it, and we’re thrilled as we love the city. I called this dynamic metropolis home for two years and always felt that I had some unfinished business here. Hot on the heels of my trip to the Balkans just a couple of weeks ago, I’ve switched European scenery for Asian skyscrapers and the difference couldn’t be more stark!
So look forward to some more Hong Kong and expat-living posts mixed in with my most recent travel updates and photos. Also look out for more Asian peregrinations — Liebling and I are headed back to Thailand in the coming months. Stay tuned!
Have you ever been to Asia?
86 Comments
Awesome! Congrats! Looking forward to your Hong Kong posts! When I started following your blog you were on the tail end of your (first) journey in Hong Kong. Excited!
Thank you!! That’s cool that you’ve been around for a while. 🙂 Hope you will continue to stick around!
Feeling happy and comfortable wherever we are is vital – it sounds like you’ve made the right decision and I am so happy for you. . Happy to have connected with you so many times in London and look forward to visiting you in Asia. xx
So happy that we were able to meet in London! Definitely one of the highlights of my time there. 🙂 Come visit!
London is uninspiring. And that’s coming from a Brit. Understand your decision to move on. If you ever drop by Bangkok let me know. We can repeat our Madrid meet-up!
Will be in Bangkok in October. Let’s definitely meet up again!
Congrats on the new(/old?) adventure! Maybe we can have a meet-up in Asia? In the meantime, drink some of that amazing milk tea for me 😉
Thanks! Would love to meet!!! Would love to go to Laos for Chinese New Year, think you’ll still be there?
Cheers to leaps, changes, and new adventures and pursuits. All the BEST!
Thanks so much!
Wow! I am surprised and also VERY excited for you. Did Liebling move to Hong Kong as well or are you two now in a long distance relationship again? OMG Oneika, you are so inspiring!
Yes, but he’ll be here in a few weeks. 🙂
Hardly a surprise 😉
I wish you all the best with this (kinda) new life! It’s important to move when you feel a city doesn’t match your expectations.
Merci! Je suis tout a fait d’accord avec ce que tu dis. 🙂
So I guess I’ll have to visit you in Hong Kong, for this French-speaking session ?
All the best in your latest adventures! I love sending my little cousins to your blog so that they’ll be inspired to love and love across borders, too. 🙂
Danke, Tatiana!
I’ve never been to Asia before. But I’ve been to London once…and will be going again later this year. I am sorry I missed ya. But hope that Hong Kong redux is a blast!
Thanks!! You should really come to Asia when you get the chance!
Welcome back to Asia, when you visit Japan let me know. I would so love to meet you. Take care.
A trip to Japan is in the works! Which city are you in? Would love to meet you.
London just wasn’t ready for you, gorgeous. Glad you get to shine among the flashing lights of Hong Kong once again. And make sure that air mattress is inflated, cuz I’m coming to see ya!
I humbly accept your well-wishes, doll. I remember our Hong Kong meetup years ago with fondness. 🙂 You’re welcome anytime!
Welcome back to Hong Kong! Right now there’s just nowhere else I can imagine living. As a matter of fact, I just renewed my working visa for 2 years today! 😉
Will you be working for an actual school here again?
HK is great, isn’t it? Yes, I will be working for an actual school again and am looking forward to it!
I’ve only been reading your blog for a couple of weeks but it has already changed my perspective on living abroad. Plus, I think I’ve finally convinced my husband to move abroad! I have even been looking into International Schools like you did! Thanks for the inspiration and good luck in Hong Kong. I’ve never been too impressed with London either 🙂
Visiting London is amazing, living here is a whole other thing. In my (almost) five years here I’ve had plenty friends come and go so no surprise you left. I’m am definitely coming to visit and look forward to your HK expat posts.
WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I had to read the beginning of this a few times… I had to make sure this was a new post and also that my eyes did not deceive me!! WOW! How HUGE!!!! Whoa!!!!
I’m glad you followed your heart. I’m sorry that London didn’t meet your fancy, but I’m excited for you to go some place that you feel is more “you.” I look forward to hearing more about the move and how it went and your life in Hong Kong — especially with Liebling!
Oneika, yo había pensado ir a Londres a visitarte, ya que no nos conocemos en persona, ahora lo tengo muy difícil. Lo más importante es que te sientas feliz, no importa donde….suerte en Hong Kong. Besos desde Asturias
When I read your blog, I sometimes feel that you are in my head!
I just left London in January. I lived there for just a year, doing rotations in a hospital on the West side of London. It was a dream come true! But…but…but, like you, I couldn’t get over the nagging feeling that London is not all that it is cracked up to be. I kept feeling like I should enjoy this more, nevermind the fact that last year was probably the best year to be in London (Olympics, many concerts/events, Queen’s Jubilee) and the worst year, owing to the lack of summer ( I hear there is actually a summer this year in London).
The best part of the experience was the ease of travel to the rest of Europe and even Africa. I love the geographical location minus the weather.
Then I was excited about moving to New York to finish my studies, and within a month, I was over it. It was then that I realized that it’s the “big city” life that I’m no longer fond of. I’ve lived in several major cities around the world, and I’m weary. While I love the “happenings” and opportunities, I miss my peace and quiet and realized I would rather live close to a large city, but really be part of a quaint town, with lots of natural beauty, a body of water of sorts, outdoor cafes, museums, book shops, cultural events, cobblestone streets, and history. And sadly, I’ve only found this in Europe. Sigh.
And as for Asia: I thank this continent for showing me that I didn’t have to wait to make lots of money to afford travel. That is when I realized the best way to travel often is to find some excuse to live in a continent and travel around the continent. I lived in South Korea for over 2 years teaching English, and traveled extensively throughout Asia, and those were some of the best moments of my life. I truly enjoyed Hong Kong. I loved the Big Buddha on the mountain and the steeeeep cable car ride to get there, I loved the also steepest train ride up a mountain, I loved the Bun Festival on the island, and I loved the daily morning Tai Chi on the pier and nightly light show!!
Oh, to reminisce!
Yay, I’m so excited for your new job and new expat adventure – although of course I’m sad we won’t have any more London meet-ups. Suerte!
Hong Kong sounds amazing! My best friend is off to HK for a year so I will keep my eyes glued for any interesting places for her! Good luck!
WOW! You are such a GO GETTER! I’m so HAPPY for you and Liebling and I’m glad you are making this move together. I’ll be moving to London in 2 years after my international post in Qatar and truth be told I’m having mixed feelings about it. On one hand, moving to London from the US seems so exciting and London is great location for traveling to other parts of Europe. On the other hand, the weather in London SUCKS! Some people think that is such a little thing but like you, I like sunshine and research has proven that weather can affect your mood. Also, London is REALLY expensive and WAY too crowded for my taste. But, I’m hoping it will work out fine and my London husband – to-be will be open to possibly moving in the future! GOOD LUCK and keep us updated.
Woot! I think this is great. You are living your life for you and you only. I remember I found your blog while you were prepping to leave for HK and you are heading back. Excellent girl.
So happy that you have made the move. I get what you mean about London and shame you didn’t love it but hey HK will be a blast and that means you can hop on over to Indonesia and I will cart you around Jakarta or wherever,lol!
How exciting!!!!!!!! Good luck on your next adventure, loooove HK!
I lived in Beijing, China for two years and I almost moved to HK after going there for a visa run. Hong Kong is a beautiful city and more interesting than London though ive never been to the later. I look forward to your posts about Life in Asia!
themanecaptain.blogspot.ca
That’s great news. I love Hong Kong. I went for my honeymoon a few years ago and it is one of those cities I could actually imagine living one day.
Congratulations on your move back!
I think it is wonderful that you are going back to a place that inspires you and I must admit I did taper off consistently following your blog because I prefer your posts with travel related to Asia more than the European ones so I am eager for what’s to come.
Congratulations to you! Sometimes you just have to follow your heart – and if it wasn’t in London, that’s okay!
I lived in London for two years and I also couldn’t wait to get away. It’s loud, crowded and expensive. (Although Hong Kong may of course be the same. 🙂 )
You’re back in HK! Happy for you! London is amaze but I totally agree with you about ‘gripey’! Can’t wait for my next expat adventure myself! When I first saw your HK pics I thought they were throw back posts but then I was like HOLD UP she’s back in HK! LOL! Love it!
So exciting! (I’m incredibly jealous.) Good luck on your next adventure x
Wonderful! I wish you the best. Having just left Singapore for a new life in NYC, I can’t picture moving back to Asia right now but maybe I’ll get another expat itch in a couple of years….;) ?! Looking forward to reading your posts which will “take me back” to South East Asian adventures. It is a wonderful place to live and travel. Enjoy!
I haven’t visited your blog in a while (I know I know!) and was surprised to read that you will be leaving London but happy to see that you are going back to Hong Kong! I can’t wait to read about your Hong Kong updates. Reading this post, makes me believe that I won’t like London either. I do plan to visit one day though. I was lived in southern Spain for several months and while the weather was good at times, when it got clouded over and rained I literally stayed in all evening (so basically all fall winter and parts of spring). When the sun came out I went out more…one day it was bright and sunny but by the time I went to go for a walk it was grey. I couldn’t even finish the walk.,.it had an immediate effect on my mood.
Please excuse my typos!
Congrats on your move! I am always inspired by your stories and adventure!
Haahah . I think we’re living eachothers lives in reverse. When you moved to london, I moved to hong kong and I’m now back in london and you are back in hong kong. I fully understand your reasons for moving back it’s only a day and I miss that place already. Most people were excited for me to be going back to london however, they don’t really understand how expensive it is and the inconvenience of travel, which makes it so annoying.
Must say, now I’m back, looking forward to the range of food and music scene. That’s what i really missed.
My twin sister and I were in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, and Xi’an) December 2012/January 2013. We visited a graduate school friend of mine who left a small town in South Carolina and took the leap to Shanghai. He’s been there with his girlfriend since October 2011. We enjoyed our experience in China. If we were to go back, we would visit and see more of Shanghai. Congrats on your return to Hong Kong, as we hope to make it out there soon.
I haven’t been to Asia but I am looking to change that soon. London isn’t my favorite city either. I went there every summer for a few years for business but it just isn’t a city that I love so you aren’t alone there. Happy you are loving Hong Kong and maybe if I make it out there we can finally meet up! I love your pics, fabulous as always.
Oh my goodness this is so exciting! Is Leibling moving with you?
I’m moving to Hong Kong to study abroad at the CityU of Hong Kong in a couple of days. It’s going to be amazing to be able to read your blog and get tips while I’m there. I was wondering, should I learn some Cantonese before I go, or will I be fine with English?
Wow – you are back! That’s great. I read all about your life in Hong Kong before moving here 2.5 years ago. I was sad to hear you had left, now you are back again. Amazing, can’t wait to read about your explorations here in Hong Kong. All the best, Ruth
As much as I looooove London, I understand why it may not be everyone’s favorite place. I wish you the best back in H.K. and with any luck I’ll be there for a visit one day soon. Its been over 10 years since I’ve been there so it is definitely time for a return.
Ohhhh, very exciting! Don’t get how you couldn’t love London but totally appreciate you wanting to try somewhere new! Can’t wait to hear all about it!
I hope to be teaching in S. Korea later on this year it ill be my first time in Asia.
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