I split my year between London and Sydney — here's what it's like moving more than 10,000 miles every 6 months

• I'm a Brit who lives in Sydney, Australia, for six months and in London for the other six.
• I get to have an endless summer and see my friends and family on both sides of the world.

In 2019, I split my year in two, spending six months each on opposite sides of the world — Sydney and London.

It went so well that I've now done it twice and am gearing up to do it a third time later this year.

It all began in 2012 when I, a Brit, moved to Sydney when I was 29 years old. I didn't think I'd live in Australia for more than two years because of my visa and how I couldn't bear the thought of ripping myself away from London, a city I adored near friends and family I love.

But then I found myself on a pathway to permanent residency, then full citizenship. And after changing my job and becoming a freelance journalist, the opportunity to live on both sides of the world suddenly opened up.

Some may say my lifestyle is dreamy, but it certainly has its pros and cons.

I love having an endless summer

I loathe the cold and can't tolerate it even for 10 minutes. The minute it gets even slightly less warm in Australia, I'm on the plane straight into the British summer. Then I'm back to Australia again before the colder weather hits Britain.

I no longer see autumn or winter — and I'm totally happy with that.

In London, I'm near loved ones — plus some of my friendships have been reignited

Since I'm a Brit, I'm near family when I'm in London. I no longer need to rush my interactions with them.

Last year, mum and I even joined a Zumba dance class and were able to go every two or three weeks. Because I'm in the area longer, I've been able to visit my friends who moved to the suburbs to start families. In the past, I'd miss out while trying to cram everything into a three-week trip.

I've also reignited old friendships in London and made new ones. Getting away for months gives everything a reset. It gives me a fresh perspective, new stories to tell, and a newfound gratitude for the relationships I have in both countries.

I also get to experience so many new things

Both places have unique theater shows, restaurants, nightclubs, and parties to check out while I'm there.

While in London, I'm also able to take advantage of my proximity to Europe. In Australia, fly for almost five hours from Sydney and you get to another part of Australia. In London, you can fly for just over an hour and get to Amsterdam with a whole different language, currency, and culture.

But this lifestyle can be unpredictable and expensive

My lifestyle can be chaotic. I may not know where I'm living from one day to the next, or right until the last minute. This can also make dating tricky, especially when I have to explain I don't live in the same place all year.

I also inevitably miss out on important things, like weddings or fun events. Wherever I am, at some point, I start craving the other place.

The inability to plan too much and all the travel can also be expensive. This life, dreamy as it sounds, costs a lot, so I'm constantly finding ways to save money.

Planning in advance helps. To find a place to stay in London, I check on Facebook if any friends need a house sitter to water their plants while they're on holiday. When I'm in the UK, I rent my Sydney flat on Airbnb.

It also feels impossible for me to establish and stick to routines

Since I don't stay in one place too long, the momentum I've built on anything — a new hobby, friendship, relationship, creative project, gym class — gets interrupted.

I pretty much start from scratch when I return, like a staccato step back and forth. It's especially hard for me to stick to my fitness routine, since my regular gym classes change halfway through the year.

Having roots and routine can be good for you, so I don't think my lifestyle is for the faint of heart and creatures of habit.

I'm also reminded of the fact that I can't run away from my problems

Sometimes, when you're an expat living abroad and things aren't going so well, there's a tendency to say, "Maybe I'll just move back home — things will be better there."

I now know this to be definitively not true and it's been healing to learn it. Your problems travel with you and you can't run away from yourself.

My lifestyle has also kept me in check. Each city has its cons that I totally forget whilst I'm romanticizing it from afar. The minute I get to London, I become someone different: impatient, tougher. Yet, in Sydney, I sorely miss the nocturnal buzz of my UK city.

But I make it work by trying to stay present and in the moment

Embracing the present moment is the best thing I can do when living this way. I won't turn down a date because I'm moving across the world in two months — who knows what might happen?

I live in the city I'm currently in as if I'm there all year, not temporarily, to avoid always feeling anxious and in flux.