Not sure if this is where to post. Just off the boat so to speak.
Anyway, we have arrived in Raleigh from Hampshire UK.
Me, hubby and son, Nick, 16.
Home is now Cary NC.
Would like to make friends here.
We're originally from SA and Zim respectively but have been living in the UK for the last 23 years - now this move!
Looking forward to meeting up with fellow expats.
Gabi and Jim Schneeberger.

Hi Gabi and Jim, welcome to BE, there is a 'welcome inn' forum too, but this is just as good a way as any to jump in

We are in SC, so not too far away, I bet the heat/humidity are a bit of a shock huh? I know it was for me.

If you can work on your Visa, you will meet/make most friends that way, or through your hubby's work. There is a site called 'meetup.com' that has groups that meet in your area, they sometimes have newcomers groups.

Keep in touch and let us know if you need any help

forgot to mention there is the meet ups thread on here too, but you will make friends (at least to chat too) on here too

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=97624
Welcome, we're Brits in Chapel Hill, thought you might like to know there are a few SAs around as well at Brits! There are Meetup groups too that you'll find online.
I Know there are plenty of expats in Cary, we know quite a few.
Try http://www.city-data.com/forum/ralei...pel-hill-cary/ too, often a good place to find local info.
The Triangle is great, just expect things to move slower here, "I'll call you back." doesn't always mean the same day for example
Practice the NC shuffle not the London dash and you'll deal with the heat a little better too. Foreign foods are getting easier to find, and if you give a shout out on those boards people are glad to help.
Best of luck with the transition and feel free to PM me if you have any questions for me.

The first thing you should know is why it's called Cary.

(Community of Aliens and Relocated Yankees).

There's lots of things we like in Raleigh, such as:

* Its not a busy, crowded town and its easy to get around.
* Traffic is mainly light (compared to London and other large cities)
* Shops are seemingly open all the time, uncrowded and mostly (95%+) give excellent service
* Generally, you can get what you want
* Weather is mostly nice and warm (winters are very light)
* People are curious and interested in foreigners and why you have come here.
* Hey, you're in America!

A few we don't like and some provisos

* Very few adequately paid jobs (major problem, even if you have jobs)
* Fresh/good food (grocery shopping) will raise your eyebrows a bit unless you are used to shopping at Selfridges/Fortnum & Masons, etc.
* Watch out when you're driving. Lots of potholes too.
* People's understanding of you and the UK is likely to be less than you know about them and this area, so just go easy for a while on any expectations or assumptions you may have.
* There's almost no news about the UK here on mainstream media - you have to search it out/go online, which is time consuming - you may 'forget' about the UK after a while unless you make a determined effort to K.I.T.
* If you are going to rent a private home, a lot of rented property here falls way below a good standard (that you would expect) and although the more rent you pay generally gets you a lot more house/land/amenities, it doesn't necessarily get you better quality.
Apartments are in fierce competition with each other so they generally offer higher quality and sometimes new fittings/appliances, fresh decor, new carpets, but apartments are mostly poorly insulated for sound and many have a variety of social problems.
* Realtors (Estate Agents) here are not geared around tenants, so you have to do a lot of ringing around and constant chasing. checking web sites.
* Electric / Internet / TV / phone services here all cost much more than in the UK
* Mobile phone contracts and credit card agreements are the most vicious/restrictive you've ever seen (don't sign up with these if you can avoid them).
* Raleigh is not really an international city, its a fairly insular place and a "Who do you know" kind of town.

Another version of CARY = Containment Area for Relocated Yankees.

Actually, Cary is much nicer than Raleigh and one of the most safest towns in the whole USA, if you can afford to live there.