What do you miss most now you are no longer living in the UK?

Seeing my daughter twice a week.
My close friends.
The ‘pub life’. My local village pub was the meeting place for the whole village. A quick pint after work, or a Sunday ‘pub lunch’. Friday night ‘with the boys’ shooting pool and flirting with the bar maids (I was single, and better looking back then).
High streets you can walk around and window shop.
Supermarkets that don’t require a 3 mile walk to navigate all the isles.

How badly, if at all, has homesickness affected you?

Ha, I used to say “the only time I get homesick is when I get home”.
If I could have my daughter living here, and one of my best friends, I would not miss anything else. My wife has been a very positive influence in my life. My life is so different here that I do not get homesick.

How easy was it to find employment?

Finding work was the condition of my visa. I flew here on a VWP and hunted for a job. I turned my C.V. in to about 8 local companies. On a subsequent visit I called in to one of the places I really wanted to work. On the managers wall he had stuck my C.V. (resume) to a notice board. We chatted and he admitted he felt I was over qualified for the position. After explaining I wasn’t concerned I was over qualified if he wasn’t, we shook hands and a job offer was complete! I took a job to be near the girl I fell in love with.

How does the work environment differ from the UK?

I have not noticed much difference. I do all the hard work and my boss gets richer, which is just how it is anywhere you work for someone else. I have the free time now to pursue other opportunities outside the office. I have just started a small business, and I am working on an exciting project I aim to market in a couple of years. I would never have had time for my own ventures in the UK.

Has your quality of life improved, if so how?

My quality of life has improved no end. I finish work every evening, and have a short commute home to collect my two dogs and go and ride my horse.  My weekends are free for leisure time. I have financial independence (mainly as a result of making a profit on my UK house sale and paying off all my debts). We have many nice things but no debt.  I gave up smoking when I moved here and don’t binge drink anymore. I also don’t need to get drunk to sleep at night.

How does the cost of living compare?

For me, it’s a world apart. Having money here helps. We rent a nice house on a small piece of land. Having cash in the bank meant I could negotiate the rent down 30% by offering to pay 12 months in advance, I could never have done this in England. Gas is cheaper. Clothes are cheaper. Horse stabling and feed is cheaper. Medical care is expensive though, and good coverage comprises a good portion of our monthly expenses. Eating out can be cheap, but the nicer restaurants are no cheaper than a good meal in England. The exchange rate is not very good at the moment so sending money back each month for my daughter is very expensive. Factoring in plane tickets each time my daughter visits is also a big expense.

I’ve discovered everyone seems to be trying to make a quick buck at your expense here. Even the most basic phone line has 10 itemized charges on the bill.

Commercials always show how much things cost per month and not the real cost. Commercials also state “S&H” not included, but you never know how much that is until you call. Many ‘free’ offers are going to cost you in reality. I never noticed this was the case in England.

Poor people are discriminated against.

America really is capitalism at its best (worst).

In what way does the USA fit into your long term plans?

Sue has lived all her life in the US. We are here to stay. Sue and I married in March 2006 and I just adjusted my status to that of a permanent resident. In 3 years I’ll be applying for naturalization.  We plan to settle down near her elderly parents for the foreseeable future.

We are considering fostering or adopting once we are established, and if that happens we will be staying where we are for a good while. We feel we are a little old to start a family and with so many great kids in the world looking for a home it would be selfish not to at least consider those options.

In retrospect is there anything you would change?

Using an attorney for my H1B was a waste of money. We adjusted my status and completed the forms to adjust my status on our own. Doing it ourselves was a great deal easier than using the attorney!

Are there any final thoughts you would like to share?

If you have a dream, always go for it. The worst that can happen is you will fail, but you will not be any worse than having never tried. Always aim high, if you miss you will at least be looking in the right direction.

My grandma (my nan) used to say “you’re a long time dead” – so live life to the full.

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