My connection to England stems from my grandfather. He
studied law at Oxford before I even knew that was one of the most prestigious
schools in the world, let alone before I ever thought about moving to England.
It’s funny—there are so many books and films about just
upping sticks and moving to London. Those films don’t actually go into the
difficulty of not just moving
countries, but after having decided you want to build your life here, they
never tell you how hard it is to stay.
Or rather, how hard the government tries to push you out.
I moved to London in 2011 to do my Masters in International
Journalism at City University. Moving to London never actually seemed like a
possibility to me before, because it was my ultimate goal to get to New York
City. But with $45,000 tuition fees at NYU, a £13,000
tuition fee for City seemed like pennies (although, who knows what students are
paying today).
Yes, it was actually cheaper
for me to move from Virginia to London than to move from Virginia to New York
City.
I always knew that I wouldn’t
end up living in my hometown, so when the opportunity actually arose, I just
went for it. I already had family in London, who had emigrated from Ghana over
20 years ago now. I also had friends there.
I slipped into my new London
life with ease. I’d found where I belonged.
It came easy for me. It’s
easy if you have the money. This is very important. You have to be prepared for
the visa fees, taxes and cost of living. No one cares where you get this money
from, as long as you have it and can pay.
I was lucky enough to have a
great deal of support from my parents. Not many people have this option.
