Can you tell me about moving to London?

I need advice on moving to London, living with what you have or self improvement?

• This question is not about some drone complaining about how downright terrible their life is, I am actually annoyed by that. To be honest, I have a pretty nice life. Decent family, nice town- every girl's dream, sort of. You see, as a child, my family and I lived in London, England- and I loved every minute of it. Now back in the states, in a town that we lived in even before London, I am feeling trapped. Besides the fact that I am irritated by every lax bro and little twerp of a girl I see, everyone's small mindedness just pushes me farther away. I used to be able to fit in well, but now since my eyes are seeing people clearer, I cannot see me associating myself with these people much longer. My Dad has been offered another job, in the same company, back in London. And although it would be hard to leave my only best friend (who is probably the greatest friend I've ever had), I would be so happy to leave. The only problem is- everything. My sister is graduating this year and all her colleges she applied to are of course in the states. My Dad always tries to make me happy, saying we could move to London again, but my Mom is more realistic. She says we cannot go to an entirely different country while my sister is in her freshman year of college. Which she is right. Besides, it'd be a nightmare to sell the house and ship all of our stuff, and I feel like I'd miss my room. However, this means my Dad would have a long commute. He comes home every 2 weeks for a week usually then leaves for whatever place he's been put in, from London to Tokyo. We've lived in this town for 7 years and have been doing this commuting thing for 3 years now, and I feel like I don't see my Dad as much as I'd like. 3 years ago, when he was offered to go back to London, he refused claiming that he didn't want to move his family. But now it all makes this so much harder . But don't you ever wonder what if? I feel like if I stay here, I won't be as happy as I may be. And in your advice, please don't tell me that I 'don't know what I want, and that I'm acting spoiled', because I'm not. I'm just a fourteen year old girl who feels she can do better somewhere else. I want to be able to take the train to Paris and scour the flea markets for vintage designer finds, I want to be able to stroll through Regents Park again like I used to, and I want to be in a city so diverse, that the only thing alike will be that we are all equal. It makes me sad to think about the fact that this may not come true. I am not looking forward to 3 more years of this town, and even then- I feel like besides my extracurriculars and grades, nothing will set me apart to get into the school I want. Living here determines my future I feel like, and its not fair. If you have any advice at all about my London moving predicament, learning to love this town (I doubt I'll take that in though) or just general self improvement (please do not tell me to stop whining or to grow up. this is a serious question and I refuse to be mocked.) please help. I have talked to my family and friends but I feel alone in a struggle to find true happiness.

• Answer:

  I don't think that you need any self improvement. I was yearning to move to London when I was 14 (I lived in a small town that I loathed). I had to wait four years, until I came to University here. Unfortunately life is not so easy for you. The things that could bring you here are your parents moving here (a dependency visa needs be issued), you coming to college here (you'd have to pay fees though, as a non-EU student, and that is not chesp, no no) or coming for a year here on an exchange with a US university (not easy to find the right one) or to wait until you are in the job market and get a job that brings you here and gives you a work visa. I'm sure you won't fall in love with a small town. Not from what you say. But you sound to me that you will acheive whatever you want to in life. You sound very articulate to me. I know that it sounds incredibly patronising and it's probably of little use, but you have one advantage over most of us, you have your whole life ahead of you! Just hang in there! Write songs or poems or stories about how dreadful a small town is.