Giulia Dini (@giuliadini)

From: Turin, Italy

Living in: London, England

To fill a Sunday morning: Check out the Columbia Flower Market

To get some exercise: Cycle along Regent’s Canal

To see wildlife in the city: Search for deer in Richmond Park

To watch the sunset: Head to the top of Primrose Hill

Giulia doesn’t mind London’s rainy gray weather during the winter, but she finds herself missing Italy’s sunny, hot days in the summer.

London still isn’t quite home yet, and she often feels as though, as an expat, she lives in a gray area, a constant shift between loving her new city and missing her homeland. At first she felt like a stranger, but she soon settled into a daily routine and started to meet other people. The friends she found make London feel more like home.

Still, sometimes she is struck by homesickness — thinking of Turin and her life in Italy. Sometimes she yearns for a more relaxed way of living.

But other times, she finds London fascinating.

She loves its multicultural nature. How she can learn about people and experience cultures foreign to her. How the city seems to prioritize educating its citizens about celebrating diversity and disregarding stereotypes.

She loves the parks. How every neighborhood has at least one and how some are so well kept that they remind her of urban oases. How often people actually use the green areas to run, play sports, host parties, or simply lay in the grass on a sunny day.

She loves the city’s energetic, continuously evolving atmosphere. How she can find things both classic and modern, trendy and underground, big and small. How experiencing the city feels like a constant discovery.

She loves that London makes her feel as though anything is possible.