I’ve been back from London / Abu Dhabi for a few days now and I’m finallyyy feeling slightly adjusted and getting back into the swing of things. Looking back on these pictures from my time in London has me missing it dearly, though. Especially as I look around my house, which is kind of a hot mess as I prepare for my hopeful move across the pond. On that note, today I thought I’d share a handful of the reasons why I’d love to move to London in the first place. I think a lot of people assume that it’s because of my boyfriend, John, but the reality is there’s so much more I love about London. So much more that I’ve loved long before I met him, in fact. Here are those reasons …

• EXPERIENCING ALL OF THE SEASONS: As I’ve talked about [read: complained about] a good amount on here and Instagram, Florida’s weather is not my favorite. Yes, the warm days are nice sometimes, but it almost feels like Groundhog’s Day after a while. In Florida, seasons are just not something I have the luxury of experiencing. Especially as someone who LOVES Spring and Fall and fresh starts in general, London has all of that. The changing seasons [at least Spring and Fall] are so vibrant and colorful … it encourages and inspires me to get outside and is super motivating for me internally. I also adore that Londoner’s love going out for an evening or weekend stroll, which can really help you see more of your city and act as a relaxer after a long week.

As I’ve been slowly preparing for the hopeful move, I actually brought a bunch of Winter wear over with me and am leaving it at John’s. Included in that is basically an entire suitcase of coats and vests from Backcountry. I’ve talked about Backcountry countless times here [catch up here] and it’s still my tried-and-true place for outerwear. From a couple fleece or insulated jackets I have for more outdoorsy occasions to casual jackets that feel very cute and trending, it’s really a one-stop shop. I’m so happy I brought this jacket with me for the walks John and I took almost every evening and hopefully I’ll be living in even more of this stuff soon enough.

• EASY TO TRAVEL FROM: London is a launching pad to the world and, for someone like me, I am so excited at the thought that I could be stand-up paddle-boarding in Croatia in 3 hours or skiing in Austria in 2.5! It feels very central and it opens up the idea of traveling to new places so much more than leaving from Florida.

• HISTORY & NATURE COINCIDE AND ARE AT YOUR FINGERTIPS: Another reason why I want to move to London is because I love that you can pick just about any neighborhood and come across something historical. I was on my way to Covent Garden from the Embankment tube station and I passed where the author of ‘The Jungle Book’ lived back in the day and the oldest wine bar in London. In these photos, my friend Victoria and I took a stroll through Green Park, passed by Buckingham Palace, said hey to the Queen and ended in St. James Park before heading to dinner. Cool, right?

For our little day of exploration, I grabbed this slate green Varsity Jacket that I had snagged a couple of weeks ago. I saw it on Backcountry and just had to have it, not only for this trip but for Fall and Winter in the States. It doesn’t look like it, but it’s designed for pretty cold weather and it really holds up warmth wise. I also love how it’s a winter jacket but doesn’t necessarily look like one. It feels current and versatile, all while keeping you comfortable, and it’s one of the many ‘layerable’ coats I’ve snagged from Backcountry. Very happy with this buy and it happens to be 30% off! In fact, Backcountry has a ton of sales going on all month and holiday season, including their Big Brands Sale happening now through November 17th! They’re offering 30% off top brands like Patagonia, Mammut, Arc’teryx and more! See more on my IG stories today!

• READY FOR A CHANGE: I’ve felt ready for a change for a long time and I feel confident that London is the next chapter. I’ve been drawn to London for years and knew that it was only a matter of time before my move to London would happen. It’s crazy to think I may be so close but, of course, we will just have to wait and see! I’m so excited to have met John this year, and he only adds to the excitement. He and I both love making plans and getting outside, meeting friends, and can’t wait until it’s something we can do all the time together.

• INTERNATIONAL CITY: You can definitely get this in the US, or most countries for that matter, but not in my small north Florida beach town. Because London is a transient city of sorts, you meet people from all over the world here and it allows you to learn about other cultures and it’s certainly help me realize that no matter where we’re from, we all pretty much want the same things. It’s so cool going to the market and hearing several accents and meeting people from different walks of life whenever you’re out. So, this has to go on the list of why I want to move to London.