About Me

Image of Jen, the author of the blog London in Real Life.

Hi! I’m Jen.

I first moved to London in 2014. Emigrating from America after spending my whole life there–with only a few short trips to Europe on holiday–was daunting. But I did it, and then I did it again in 2021. 

This time, we’re hopefully here to stay (pretty please, Your Majesty?). 

The first time we moved to London, my children were 3 and 5. I had to relearn everything: schools, grocery stores, socialized health care, living without a car, and all of this while trying to take care of two tiny humans whose world was just flipped upside down.

And why was everyone was asking me if I was “alright” all the time? Did I look ill? Was I not pulling off this American-in-London vibe very well? Did everyone hate me? Was I doing it wrong? 

I did lots of things wrong along the way. But eventually I learned that “you alright?” is just a greeting, you must queue for everything even when there is no discernable queue, “pickle” is not a dill pickle, and Londoners don’t actually hate most Americans. 

And then I fell in love with this city and this country. London is my favourite place in the world, and I am extremely privileged to be able to call it home.

In 2021, we added one more child to our family, which made moving abroad again a little more complicated. But we’ve never looked back. For all of the hard things we’ve done, relocating to London has been the most rewarding. 

You can do it, too. 

Whether it’s moving here or just visiting, I’m here to help you navigate this massive city with ease and confidence. From London culture, to the best neighborhoods, to how to use the underground, I’ve compiled my essential London guides here so you can take advantage of all this amazing city has to offer. 

go to London 101: the Essential guide

Credentials

If you care about that sort of thing, here’s more about me:

  • BA Honors: English Creative Writing, Minor in European History
  • Masters in Teaching
  • Certified Teacher: grades 6-12 English & Social Studies, USA (that’s why my images may be a bit different from other sites – I know some of you are visual learners and only look at the photos 🙂
  • Published Author to a book that’s probably terrible but I’m too afraid to go back and read.
  • Being a mother of 3 which is harder and more meaningful than any degree.

Collabs & Sponsored Posts

I am only willing to discuss collaborations and/or sponsored posts for products and services I already use or that would be helpful for a London traveler or resident. Trust with my readership takes priority over everything else.

I do not accept advertiser-written content or paid links.

If your post, product, or service is London or UK-specific and you’d like to inquire about my rates, please email me at Jen @ London In Real Life (dot) com.

Guest Posts

I am not currently accepting guest posts.