I Almost Left London — Here's What Stopped Me

London etiquette / personal safety

• If you recognize someone in public, don’t grab their arm or touch them—keep the interaction respectful and non-invasive.
• Quick, positive recognition (e.g., a simple “Hi”) is fine, but stay mindful of how attention is managed—especially if multiple people approach at once.

Hidden local life + low-key travel highlight

• There’s a favorite London spot that “tourists don’t really know about,” where you can sit and enjoy the view—and it’s supposedly possible to swim.
• The discovery is notable because it was found only after getting a bike (about 2 years prior), despite living in London for 13+ years.

Why he’s staying in London (despite considering leaving)

• The main pressure factor is London’s high cost, especially the difficulty of getting on the property ladder.
• He considered leaving for another European big city that he could afford.
• Ultimately, he explains he developed deep roots and affection for London.
• He also clarifies a key point: London ≠ the UK. He’s lived in and visited multiple other UK cities, but doesn’t think you can generalize the whole country from limited experience.

Lifestyle fit: “don’t force an American suburban life”

• He believes some Americans struggle in the UK when they try to replicate a space-heavy suburban lifestyle, filling houses with lots of “knick-knacks.”
• The issue is that UK space constraints and daily-life logistics can clash with transplanted expectations—so he argues the culture and practical realities don’t always match one-to-one.

What he values most in city living

He prefers big cities because they offer:

• Walkable neighborhoods
• Good public transit
• Safe cycling and the ability to move around with minimal friction

He can’t imagine living in a smaller town/city without those features.

He emphasizes that it’s less about specific gadgets (e.g., rice cookers or garbage disposals) and more about infrastructure—how easily the country supports everyday life.

Travel philosophy (health/mindset for better perspective)

• He suggests that the best personal growth comes from being a “fish out of water”—getting uncomfortable in a good way by actively noticing differences.
• Instead of only “enjoying the scenery,” he recommends asking:
  • Why is it nice?
  • How do they do things differently?

He also gives examples of small infrastructure details he noticed elsewhere—such as transit organization/signage—that London could improve.

Example infrastructure learnings from Taiwan

• He observed platform waiting lines painted on the floor to prevent people from clashing during boarding/alighting.
• He noted a small but meaningful cultural behavior: people actually follow the painted line rule.

Cycling + transit travel highlight

• He describes multi-country travel across Europe with his ebike, combining train rides with cycling around.
• He references routes toward the Netherlands and other countries.
• He says this style of multi-country travel is harder to replicate across the US in a similar way.

Content creation / channel evolution (behind-the-scenes tips)

• His channel “niche” is described as whatever he’s currently learning, rather than one fixed category.
• Past shifts included:
  • During a calorie deficit/cutting phase for fitness, he leaned more into nutrition/food because that’s what he was researching.
  • Later, he moved into other interests.

Why travel vlogs take a backseat now

• Vlogs are harder because he spends more time on log shooting and color grading.
• He notes that YouTube is “not vlog friendly,” and more complex editing/packaging makes it harder to sustain audience retention.

Publishing rhythm

• He keeps a consistent main-channel schedule: every Sunday, one video.

Creative workspace / home setup

• He strongly values a dedicated in-house studio space for filming and editing.
• The reason is reducing “friction”—having to leave the house or work from another location can reduce motivation and dampen how expressive he feels he can be.

Language learning

• German: not practiced much lately. He can still read and understands some spoken German, but confidence is lower and he’d need dedicated speaking practice (e.g., after completing a Duolingo tree).
• Spanish: confident and strong. He mentions an upcoming/unfinished video from Mexico City where he speaks Spanish extensively.

How he sees social interaction / recognition

• He wants friendliness and comfort, but prefers no touch and no invasive interruptions.

Sponsor / privacy tool (Incogn)

• He mentions using Incogn to reduce spam caused by data brokers.
• Framing/goal:
  • Helps manage removing personal data from data broker lists
  • Aims to reduce spam calls/emails by limiting exposed information

Notable locations / products / people (mentioned)

Locations

• London: Broadway Market, Hackney, London Bridge, Westfield, Oxford Circus (station exits)
• Other places mentioned: Copenhagen, Taipei, Mexico City, Amsterdam/Netherlands, various places across Europe, Germany/Belgium/US/Seattle/Kansas City/Mississippi (comparisons), Cambridge, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Norwich, Walsul, Luton, Mississipi (spelling as spoken)

Products / services

• Incogn (data privacy sponsor)
• ebike
• Duolingo (German practice)

Amusement park

• Tivoli (Copenhagen sponsor-adjacent mention)