In keeping with my recent bout of homesickness, I've had a some nice pics of Cape town as my wallpaper on my work PC.
Inevitably, one of my English colleagues asked the question: "Is that Cape Town? Whoa, it's gorgeous. Why'd you leave that to move here?"

Here's the thing. A pretty view doesn't pay the bills.

After I left high school, I did my national service, and a month or so after leaving the army I started working at the bank. I worked hard and got on with things.... after meeting Mrs G and getting her into the bank as well (it's never what you know, it's always who you know) we both decided to do some further studying into bank related subjects. You need to give the boss a reason to promote you, you see.
We studied hard, put in the hours and got our diplomas.
Certificates in our grubby hands we went off to see Clive, a.k.a The Man. He, in his usual style, laid it out plainly for us-- We were both white and already near the top of our salary scale.

There was no way he could consider us for promotion or an increase for the next 7 - 8 years.

I'm still grateful to him for not sugar-coating the truth. Affirmative action is a bastard.
A few days later we were sipping tea, watching an episode of Highlander, the one where McLeod (Adrian Paul) goes to Scotland for the first time in yonks..they were doing these wide, sweeping aerial shots of the Highlands- we fell in love with Scotland, and what started out as a fanciful notion branched into full scale research into immigration. Six months later we were drawing deep breaths of fresh January air outside Earl's Court station.

Getting back to the question though- why did we move here? - because here, despite London being considered expensive, your money means something.
With £1 I can buy myself lunch at the local supermarket. The price of a new jeep is less than my annual salary. I can go to a bookshop and buy a book and go to a coffee shop, have a big ass cappucino and a croissant and still have change left from £10.
It's also the little things like being able to drive around with my windows down. I can even stop at traffic lights at night. I don't have to spend my life's savings to go on a holiday break in Europe.
It's all the things people over here take for granted, and I live in fear of the day that I no longer recognise how lucky I am to be here.