Nine years of change: Life abroad in Frankfurt

Living in Frankfurt has become so normal that I actually forgot my nine-year Germanniversary! Is it sad that a date that was once such a big deal has now blended into my day-to-day? Maybe. On the other hand, it means that I’m enjoying life in Frankfurt and am not counting down the days until I’m next back in London. Plus, since moving here, I have so many new nephews’ and nieces’ birthdays to keep track of, let alone my own Germanniversary.

Talking of which, there has indeed been a lot of change since my one-way flight from London to Frankfurt in August 2016. Remember when I used to publish a blog post every single week for years on end? If you’re still around, thank you. I sometimes miss those days because I had hours to write, wander around Frankfurt aimlessly and constantly be creative. What changed? I got a social life. Plus, the nature of blogging and social media is different too, isn’t it? Nevertheless, I still like to keep my little space on the internet alive, even if it’s not as often as it once was.

What else has changed? Well, Frankfurt for one. This city has gone from trying to be one of the cool kids, to finding its own groove, and thriving. I will forever (not have bias and) tell you that London is the best city in the world, but Frankfurt really has become something special over the last nine years.

This is because of the little things that, for me, make a city a city. From being able to grab food on the go and have easy access to numerous cafes, to more creative communities and a better balance of both history and innovation. Frankfurt has grown, just as I have.

As for me, I’ve been carving out my marketing career whilst picking up moderating and consulting on an ad-hoc basis – there’s never a dull day. I’ve got friendships that I truly cherish, and no longer have that odd feeling of lacking depth with the people I spend my time with. And very significantly, I got married this year, which was honestly just incredible.

I could talk about the changes forever, but to keep it concise, here are my top 9 changes in Frankfurt over the last 9 years:

1) 2016
The Old Town was reconstructed into the New Old Town. A spot I always take visitors to see 😍

2) 2018
A one-day travel card dropped from €7.20 to €5.35 (sadly back up now at €7.10)🚇

3) 2019
ADAN held Frankfurt’s first recruitment fair for Black and PoC talent🙋🏾‍♀️

4) 2020
You could finally pay by card almost everywhere. 🤣💸 (If you share my joy, know that I’m smiling back at you.)

5) 2021
The foundations were laid for the Frankfurt Four skyscrapers, which have now transformed the city’s iconic skyline with offices, hotels & a food court🌃

6) 2024
More about me than the city: I had a record number of visitors from the UK with one per month on average❤️

7) 2024
Germany passed a law allowing dual nationality, so I applied for German citizenship🎉

8) 2024/25
Café culture is finally thriving here, with so much compared to 2016. My faves: Bunca, Stacks & Barrio☕️🥞

9) 2025
Uniqlo and Arket are (finally!) opening in Frankfurt this autumn. It’s been a long fashion drought… 🧥👖


In 2016, I told people I’d be moving to Germany for at least three years. It’s now been three times as long, and it doesn’t look like I’ll be moving back to London any time soon!

But who knows what the future holds for Frankfurt and me. Hopefully, I won’t forget my Germanniversay next year, that would be a good start. Oh, and you know I mentioned that there’s more innovation than before? How about contactless payment for all public transport? I wouldn’t complain!

Happy 9 years in Germany to meeeeee! ✨🫶🏾🇩🇪

(Header photo taken in 2020!)