This week, as we get ever closer to our departure date, I’ve been reflecting on that day nearly 21 years ago that I arrived in London, and recalling how exciting it all felt.

Well the fact is, I’ve probably felt almost that amazed ever since, with every day I’ve lived here. London has been a fantastic place to live, filled with wonderful friendly people. (So why am I leaving? More on this below.)

For anyone reading this who hasn’t been to London, who might be thinking of doing the “2 year working visa” trip, just bloody do it. It is probably the best thing you will ever do in your life.

There are loads of reasons.

I arrived in London with £200 and a backpack. I leave with a lot more. And most of that is because London was definitely the city of opportunity for me. I feel so very fortunate to have worked for wonderful British employers, who funded me through 2 accountancy qualifications, countless other courses, sent me on business trips around the world, encouraged me to develop my career, gave me brilliant opportunities to do so (especially at PwC) and through whom I met some wonderful, decent, salt of the earth people, ex colleagues who I am proud to call my friends.

There was only one place in all of 21 years of working here where I experienced homophobia and at first had a pretty rough time – not a bad run rate really and probably meant to happen, to help me appreciate how lucky I had been overall. And I won’t let it colour my memories of London, life goes on. It could happen anywhere.

Living in London helped me to travel the parts of the world that were always that bit too far from oz – Europe in particular. I will never forget my trip to Moscow and our holidays in Greece.

Living in London – south London – was a wonderful experience. I spent the first 6 years in a Council flat, a classic one built in the old fashioned way in the fifties – and I met the most down to earth people you could ever wish to know. People who had bugger all but would still help you out with some milk or by taking in parcels for you etc. And I then spent the next 15 years in my “ideal” London house, in the friendliest, most neighbourly street in Camberwell. What can I say about our neighbours, fantastic. Once neighbours, now friends. Love them all.

Over those 21 years, the much maligned NHS saved my life (yes, it was very close), I had my car broken into only once, my house never, and I can’t remember receiving more than 2 parking tickets. Not bad at all.

Yes indeed, London will be the hardest act to follow. Friends, neighbours, opportunities – the bar is definitely set very high.

So with all this gushing over how wonderful the place is, why am I leaving?? I’ve had this discussion quite a bit lately.

Three reasons.

1 – I always said I would go back to Oz one day, and I want to go back while I am still young and healthy enough to really enjoy it, to either build a business or a career, to get a lovely home and so on

2 – I figured that if I stayed in london for another 5 years, my life, though enjoyable, wouldn’t really be that much different to today. Except that I’d be 5 years older. Whereas, in Oz, its bound to be different – and hopefully just as exciting.

3 – I believe that life is lived in phases – I’ve done the western suburbs school phase, the inner-Sydney uni phase and the London phase and now I’m totally up for the “living by the water in northern Australia” phase. Bring it on! It keeps life exciting!

And what’s life if you don’t take risks. Boring, that’s what!

I will definitely miss London, but I will definitely come back to visit.

And I recall what my dad said those 21 years ago when I told him I was coming to London. He was upset and worried, like any parent probably would be, but he said something along the lines of he would never stand in my way and I should always do whatever makes me happy.

It made me happy to come over, and now it makes me happy to finally go “home”.