Lessons on commuting to Oxford Street

When I moved to London in August, it was for a new job.

My office is just off Oxford Street.

I like to think that was me throwing myself in at the deep end, ‘doing London properly’. To be right in the centre of the city, on one of the busiest shopping streets around, was me entering into the heart of this exciting, busy city.

Commuting to and from Oxford Street has taught me a few lessons over the last few months.

Here are my top five:

• People can be really rude. And apparently have zero awareness that there are any other people anywhere near them. Either that or they just don’t care about anyone else, and believe themselves to be the most important people in the universe.
• Oxford Street at around 7am can be pretty great. Especially if there’s a nice sunrise that day. It’s quiet, it’s open and the world is waking up.
• Oxford Street at around 5pm is horrible. My walk from the office to the tube is downright unbearable, which is not what you want after a day in the office. Let me get home!
• London is a bit busy. There’s a lot of people. All of the time. This is simultaneously exciting and downright annoying.
• You will get angry at a 2 minute tube wait, even though you swore you’d never be that person. Because once I’ve battled my way down the road itself, through the barriers and down the escalators, I just want to step onto that tube carriage and get home.