My actual plan was to relocate from London to Berlin, so I ended up in Frankfurt. For those who aren’t aware, a friend once said that Berlin is like the Shoreditch, London of Germany and Frankfurt is more like Canary Wharf. And you know what, I totally agree. I would have rather gone to Shoreditch any day.

So what the hell am I doing in Frankfurt?

Well, an opportunity came up and I just went with it. Life is short. In hindsight, I definitely could have given such a huge decision more thought, but I was excited for something new and had absolutely nothing to lose. Luckily for me, it’s all worked out.

“Do you love Frankfurt?”

Expats will know that people often ask if they are happy with their ‘new’ life, if they like their new city and if it’s better than what they were doing before. When asked If I love Frankfurt and plan to stay here for the unforeseeable future, I reply with “Hmm, not really,” and then feel obliged to give an explanation as to why that answer doesn’t truly reflect my feelings at all.

You win some you lose some

Frankfurt is a business city and people come here to work. It’s not #1 on people’s ‘places to go’ list and it’s certainly not rammed with tourists. I relocated from London to Frankfurt and I honestly feel that Frankfurt doesn’t have the same ‘wow’ factor, but as I mentioned in Moving from London to Frankfurt, it certainly has it’s specialities that make living here worthwhile.

So I relocated to a city that I didn’t really know, and although I don’t actually love Frankfurt itself, I do love life here.

Here’s why:

1. You can be so in love with a city in itself, but living somewhere is different to being on holiday, and everyday life satisfaction is what defines true happiness (at least to me).

2. A high standard of living makes a serious difference to your everyday life.

3. No matter where you are, it’s the people you’re surrounded by who can make life either pretty amazing or simply horrendous. I’ve been lucky to meet some nice ones 🙂

4. People aren’t trees and you have the rest of your life to live in other places too – no rush!

5. Your home city isn’t just the city itself, it’s your life-long friends, your childhood memories and your family. When comparing, you simply won’t find that anywhere else.

So if you’re ever feeling concerned about how much you love the city you’ve relocated to or if you’ve made the right choice, remember it’s not just about the place, rather the life you build for yourself whilst you’re there.