Things I've learnt from one year in Europe

It's been more than a year since I upped and left my life in Sydney to come to the craziness of London and Amsterdam. Setting up a new business, Mora Approved (shameless plug!), has meant that I've not had much time to blog about things I love or regular silliness. But sometimes, you do need to sit back for a moment and mentally digest all the deliciousness that life has served up to you. So here is a list of things I've learnt/loved/disliked/experienced/ so far since I've moved to Europe.

1. Getting fat in Europe is nowhere near as dramatic as getting fat in Sydney. In Europe people look at you funny when you tell them you're on a diet. In Sydney, people ask you what detox you're on and will offer up advice on which one is more 'cleansing'. When I move back home one day, I'll deal with the horrific repercussions of getting a stroopwaffle gut, but until then, pass me another one.

Get in my belly.

2. Skype is a lifesaver. I love it so much I want to name my first born Skype. I think about the first time I came to Europe when I was sixteen and calling my mum from Rome with a calling card. After it cut out for the seventeenth time in about as many minutes, I gave up. And it cost an absolute fortune. I have a lot of respect for people who moved away from home without skype (and by extension the Internet). They essentially cut themselves off from home, their family and friends. So I'm grateful that when I'm lonely or sad, or just need to hear a friend's voice, I can hop on skype and it's almost like they're here with me.

3. Despite the ridiculously low cost and availability of alcohol in Europe, I drink a lot less of it. The first time I moved to London I was shocked that you could buy wine in the supermarket and that it cost less than your average lean cuisine meal. I drank most nights simply because for the first time in my life, I could actually afford it. For non-Australian readers, alcohol (and cigarettes) are heavily taxed in Australia - a 'decent' bottle of red is about $15-20. Any wines that cost less than that and you'll probably need a new liver in the morning. But, like too much of anything, you get used to it. And seeing as the drinking culture in Europe is less 'let's get trashed and do a nudie run' and more 'let's have a nice glass of chianti with this pasta and call it a night', I drink a lot less than I used to in Sydney. And I'm on speaking terms with my liver again. Sort of.

4. Related to number three, I've discovered I like European beer. Particularly those fancy Belgian ones.

Or perhaps I just like looking through beer?

5. Mayonnaise with fries. Always.

6. Vegemite never goes off. Has anyone else thought that was weird and then just refused to think about it any further?

7. If you're planning on making the big move from the Southern hemisphere to the Northern, be prepared to talk about the weather, ALL THE TIME (except in Spain, where the locals are charmingly smug about their delicious churros and wonderful weather). The one thing that connects all northern Europeans together is their mutual hatred of Central/Northern European weather. Everyone is woefully cynical: 'oh look, there's sun...let's see how long before it disappears', woefully depressed: 'summer? What summer?!', or woefully in Portugal/Spain/Italy: 'Thank you for your email, I am currently on holiday in Majorca for two months/a year/until sun shows up in Britain again - whichever comes first. I will attend to your query when I get back/never'. In a way it's nice to always have one point in common with strangers, but in other ways, I kind of wish everyone would drink a nice tall glass of 'get over it'.

8. Related to seven, never, ever leave the house without a scarf, an umbrella and a big jacket with a hood. Even in summer. The reason why everyone complains about the weather is most likely because they've been caught unprepared in a random rainstorm. And in an outfit choice between open-toed sandals and boots - always the boots.

Ok well maybe open-toed sandals with socks.

8. Don't ever tell anyone that you 'don't mind the tube' when you're still in your first week in London. There's a reason they'll respond with a knowing cynical smile. And if you actually don't mind the tube (really?), don't admit that to any Londoners. After dismal weather, the Tube is the second most complained about topic of conversation in London. Hating the tube is what connects Londoners - don't pretend to be above it all. You're not. (And if you really don't mind the tube...you're lying).

9. Nothing is ever easy with Easyjet. And for the love of God, measure your carry-on before you get to the airport and get smacked with luggage fees.

10. Sweden is ridiculously cool. So is Copenhagen, and Helsinki. Go!

11. Don't be afraid of riding a bike in Amsterdam. Everyone rides for a reason - it is seriously the best place in the world to ride a bike. Plus everyone seems to ride so casually (and on their phones with Ikea furniture strapped to the back) that it's unlikely that you'd get hit. I got hit the other day and barely felt a thing.

12. Cheese. Europe is all about the cheese. If you have a dairy intolerance, forget about it. Bring those pills that make your tummy better and get into some gouda.

Dairy intolerants need not apply.

13. You don't have to try every local food in every new European country you visit. For example, I think Dutch haring actually tastes as awful as it looks. Of course this rule doesn't apply to Spain where everything is delicious.

Mmmm. Haring. 

14. When you move to a foreign country, you need to have at least one friend already established there to take you out and to talk you down from the ledge when you get homesick. I was incredibly lucky to have a few, but even more blessed to have had Claudia, who pretty much babysat me until I could manage the tube on my own without throwing up.

15. Fourteen is so important, I'm reiterating it in fifteen.

16. Self care in a foreign country is hairy business. Literally. I've stopped getting waxes because a) expensive, b) expensive c) Shut the front door, a Brazilian wax is HOW MUCH?! Plus, I consider vast amounts of body hair to be extra insulation in winter.

17.  Coffee. If you're from Australia, you need to understand that it will NEVER be as good as the coffee from back home. Even in Italy. Luckily I have developed a taste for instant. Ugh. That said, I've never tried these places, so there might still be hope yet.

18. I learnt that when a European says it's cold, then it's really goddamn cold. Not 'okay fine, I'll bring a light pashmina out' cold, but 'scary goretex jacket' cold. So invest in one. Even if you look like you just ingested the Michelin man. Because it's one thing to mentally prepare yourself for the cold when you're luxuriating in the late July sun, but it's quite another when you can't feel your fingers waiting in line for the bus.

Just checking to see if there's still blood flow to my hand. With my mouth.

19. European men do this insidious thing where it doesn't seem like they're picking you up, but they're actually picking you up. It's charming, subtle and scary because you think you might be in control of the situation, but you're not. Not even a little bit.

20. European women do this insidious thing where they're all thinner, prettier and cooler than you. It's why European men love foreigners. Because we're easy easily charmed.

Until next time! xx