What I found surprising after swapping London for West Wales
I went from living in a massive city where everything is on your doorstep, to a rural yet beautiful part of the world.
And it is safe to say that the move has made me aware of some large differences between life in London and my new home of west Wales.
Here are five things I have found surprising since my life-changing move.
1) It rains more
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After living in London for the majority of my life, I never imagined there would be a place with more rain.
But Pembrokeshire is officially the wettest place I have ever lived.
Due to both being in the UK, I expected a similar level of downpour. In West Wales, though, it can be relentless.
Thankfully, spring has been much kinder to us.
2) Driving is less stressful when compared to London
It sounds obvious, but driving around country roads is more pleasant than constantly getting stuck in traffic.
You do have your fair share of 20mph zones, although this is balanced out by areas where you can drive a tad faster to reach your destination.
The natural scenery when driving also adds a feeling of relaxation, compared to being on the look-out for buses, Ubers, black taxis and general congestion.
3) Recycling is taken very seriously
In London, it's not uncommon to have a black bag for general rubbish and one extra bin to recycle plastics.
But having separate bins for cardboard, plastic, paper and food waste is not commonplace.
In contrast, this seems to be the norm in the couple of shared houses I have stayed in Pembrokeshire.
As long as the right bags are used, recyclable items are collected every week without fail.
4) How unreliable trains are
When I first moved to Pembrokeshire, I decided to take the train for my monthly visits back to London.
There has been more than one occasion when I have missed my connecting train due to delays which has resulted in me taking another route and arriving significantly later than I should have.
Londoners often complain about transport. But most of the time, your train is less than five minutes away.
Unlike Pembrokeshire, if you miss one, there's another on the way and various alternative routes if all else fails.
5) The amount of shopping options
There is the perception that rural areas in the UK like Pembrokeshire are scarce when it comes to shopping options.
I'm glad to say this is not the case in this county.
I have had the luxury of doing my weekly food shopping at supermarkets like Tesco, Co-Op, M&S, Aldi and Lidl.
Plus, Withybush Retail Park has been a great place to shop for new clothes.
This is a republished version of an article that first appeared on the Western Telegraph, South Wales Guardian and Tivyside Advertiser websites in December 2024.
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