---
author: "Robert Pearce"
authorTwitter: "@RobertWPearce"
desc: "If you can go on an adventure, then what are you waiting for?"
keywords: "travel, remote work, adventure, london, digital nomad"
title: "Moving To London"
updated: "2023-02-04T13:00:00Z"
---

2 months ago I decided I wanted to go to London for an indefinite amount of time.

<img
  alt="Willow tree near water in London"
  decoding="async"
  src="./images/london-tree.webp"
  width="680"
  height="510"
/>

There were no external driving factors behind this decision; no significant
other, no new job, no criminal charges, no desire to leave my home in
Charleston, SC.

I love my family, friends, beaches, the spartina grass (marshes), the plough
mud, and the odd&mdash;yet wonderful&mdash;assortment of personalities that
exist in Charleston.

> _&quot;If everything is so wonderful, why leave?&quot;_

Because I can. Because of this list of things I don't have:

* no wife
* no kids
* no house
* no debt

Here is another way to view this list:

* wife-free
* kid-free
* house-free
* debt-free

I understand that &frac34; of the items on that list are desired by many folks,
and that what I have just described could also be classified as
&quot;responsibility-free.&quot; Or, as I have understood before, that _the life
of the traveler is rootless and thereby does not bear the burden of creating
something lasting_. I find this statement accurate; however, I also find that
safety makes me complacent and breeds stagnation and settling: the opposite of
my battle and striving for excellence, or the Greek _areté_. Thus, in order to
better myself, I decided to shake things up a bit!

Additionally, and worthy of note, every single person I spoke with about
traveling this way said this:

> _&quot;If I were you, I'd be gone in a second.&quot;_

I will miss my grandparents, parents, siblings, my dogs, aunts, uncles, cousins,
surfing, and everything that makes Charleston great.

But I shall return!

## My Time Thus far

After serenading the Delta counter attendants in the Charleston airport with my
guitar and song, I had a sleepless and safe flight to London!

When I finished riding a number of trains and other ground transportation, I
arrived in [Clapham](https://www.google.com/maps/preview?q=clapham+london&ie=UTF-8&ei=ApsEVOSbJaeu0QXc84HYCw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ)
at Sam's house, where I was greeted with smiles, cheers, and Heineken.

Soon thereafter, I decided to get to know my new area better. My solution? _Go
on a run and get lost._ Here is my fitbit from that day:

<img
  alt="My first day in London fitbit data"
  decoding="async"
  height="710"
  loading="lazy"
  src="./images/london-fitbit.webp"
  width="400"
/>

You could say I got lost. I like to think I was &quot;exploring.&quot;
Nevertheless, I had a fantastic time and look forward to many more.
