"A fresh start" - from London to Falmouth

Deciding to move to Falmouth was a really daunting yet exciting experience for me. I’m from Hertfordshire, which is really close to London, so it takes me 6-7 hours to drive home, and due to petrol costs etc this is something I only do once or twice a year. There’s no such thing as popping home for the weekend to do your laundry at that distance!

I chose to move to Falmouth for a multitude of reasons, but the biggest one being that I adored the relaxed atmosphere and creative vibe of the place.

It really is like nowhere else in the UK and is certainly very different from London, but in all the right ways! Hertfordshire is very inland — the nearest beach is a two hour drive away — and I often felt very trapped and closed-in there, but in contrast, living by the sea makes me feel free and limitless.

Being surrounded by so much natural beauty is super inspiring and I can always find time to relax at the beach or explore somewhere new — which has definitely made lockdown far more bearable!

Living by the sea makes me feel free and limitless. 

Being a small seaside town, Falmouth has a real community feel to it; I always see the same people out and about and I find there’s something really comforting and warm in the familiarity of this.

Back home, people don’t really talk to each other on the street and many people can be quite standoffish in that typical ‘city’ way, but the locals here are so genuinely kind and talkative for the most part, and there are many lovely dogs and cats on the beach (and even horses!) to make friends with too.

I felt at home in Falmouth almost instantly as it felt so warm (not weather-wise though, unfortunately!) and I met so many friendly people which made settling in a lot smoother. Even now, halfway through my second year, I’m still meeting some lovely new people and making great memories.

I totally understand that it can be scary moving somewhere completely new where you don’t know anybody, but the biggest encouragement I can give is to get out of your comfort zone socially and get involved in a range of events and activities. The more people you meet the more friends you’ll make, and even having just one good friend will drastically improve your uni experience and help to avoid the dreaded homesickness!

If you’ll be moving far from home to go to Falmouth, try and think of it as a fresh start and an opportunity to develop your confidence, and I’m sure you’ll love it and feel just as settled as I have — Falmouth really is such a special place to live.