fatbrit

Ditto -- gotta spread it!

Rete

Jim and I were looking at property in NC for our retirement home. Are rethinking our destination as it appears NC is going to soon be back under British rule ;-)

precise_diamond

I don't have any right now, sorry.

Rockgurl

Gotta say it...right now I'm ecstatically happy. I seem to have yet again landed on my feet, despite a few months hiatus of insecurity and feelings of alienation. Everything in my life is perfect right now and that mainly has to do with the fact I have the things that matter to me: a perfect relationship, a great job and a band. I totally believe that how you settle here is totally about how you approach your life. Just a few months ago I was down in the dumps and without focus and then all of a sudden, after making the decision to find a job and a band, everything fell into place. Now I'm living the dream I always wanted to live, and commence touring with my band next weekend. When I was a kid I used to fantasize about touring across America with a band, particularly and all-girl band, and now here I am about to play some of the best shows of my life and I wake up every morning pinching myself just to make sure I'm not dreaming. It really is true...you can do anything you want here. I'll be off to California next month to play in front of thousands of screaming women. Three days of clubs, pool parties and signing autographs on peoples boobies. It doesn't really get any better than that!

USBound

Well I'm happier here in LA (not city centre) than I ever have been. I have a great job, a nice place, a lovely girlfriend, 2 kids, 3 dogs a HOOOOGE lazy couch with the required HOOOG TV. I work probably 30% less of the time that I did in the UK and get paid a LOT more AND I get royalties, ESPP etc etc...

yes some people are materialistic, yes some people are "fake friends" but on the whole.. I love it.

andy

Eskimo

woodland hills - isnt that the land of porn ???

nottsinCT

OK I hate it here in CT and I hate it in the UK I have no desire to move back there although a visit sounds nice
(don't get me wrong I love England but its seems that whenever you go back from being away its like everything stopped in time nothing has changed if you get what I mean its like it picks up where you left off ) I live in CT right on the border of NEW YORK which is a real good thing because CT laws are no beer sales after 8pm and no beer sales on sunday so we can just hop over to NY its all work and money here and the people are sooooooooo Rude the winters have gotten so cold and oil prices have hit max so in order to heat the house to keep the fam warm we need to take a mortgage hahaha we are just waiting for interview for GC then we can decide what looks good so any options on nice warm livable locations please throw my way

AlastairUS

I've been in the states for 12 years now, I'm completely at home over here. The advantages are obvious. It boils down to opportunity. There is no class system, more economic opportunity and so on. Having said that, I would love to move back to the UK, if I could - go figure! I would gladly swap a big screen TV and a SUV for good bacon, the BBC and the rest of it.

Lesley1020

It was really interesting reading this thread... and I guess just goes to show how it all just depends on individual experiences on the people you meet, your job and ultimately what state you live in too,. I mean moving from Glasgow to the South was shall we say, more than a HUGE culture shock - I am sure if I had gone to say somewhere on the East Coast I might have settled in a little sooner, who knows.

Ultimately, I am happy here. My trip home did me the world of good, and yes I was breaking my heart when I got on the plane back, but that was at saying goodbye to people, and not the place. Like someone else said, I miss people and not necessarily the place, and although I don't hate it - I have no big desire to go back there any more.

I think this tends to fluctuate depending on how I feel, what's going on in my life - just like it would wherever you live. If you are unhappy, you are going to be unhappy anywhere until you resolve the issues - that is one thing I have learned from this whole experience.

Overall, 9 months down the road I am enjoying life here. I have learned not to react to every negative thing by "that's it, I'm going home".. but to hang in there and sit it out. I love where I live, enjoy my job most days, have truly probably the most genuine people as friends. And, honestly, I feel very lucky to have lived in both countries, there are great things, and not so great about both.

Do I want to stay for good? Yes, definitely (today, lol!). I am pressing on with the labor certification and now that PERM is live on March 29, it actually looks like it is going to be doable and we have started all the pre-application crap. I would for sure like to have, at leat, the option to stay.

The chocolate ( and bread) really does suck though.

Vicky88

We moved back to Australia after spending a total of 5 years in the San Diego. We have been back for 15 months and have recently come to the idea of moving back to the US, we are actually applying for our Green Cards, something we never wanted to do before. I am so excited at the prospect as I miss the US so much. I've lived in 7 different countries, moved about 18 times over the past 15 years, but San Diego is the place I want to be.

Yes there are lots of negatives about the US, but it is a place of hope. There are people with shallow values but it is possible to avoid them. Something I dislike about Australia and the UK is the welfare mentality, that it is ok to be on the dole for life, that you are "owed" something.

psb182

WOW!!!!!! can't belive what you posted...belive me the "welfare mentality" is ALIVE and KICKING in the good old US of A.......you may not see it in your neighborhood but in the inner city it is absolutley RAMPANT......and I don't just mean the big citys I mean downtown where YOU lived wherever that may have been........women popping out kids one after another for extra bennies foodstamps etc....guys living with women for years but won't get married because their welfare will stop......PLEASE open your eyes

fatbrit

Thank you -- I nearly posted but then decided I wanted a quiet life this evening!

Dan725

Hmm, just curious as I've never run into it myself (although I know its there), what sort of welfare system do they have here in the States? Is it like the dole mole UK thing where people pop down to get their benefits on a Friday (and spend them in the pub on the weekend), and how much do they get? Wouldn't have thought it'd be as much as in Europe, given the "pay for everything mentality" of the healthcare system etc

Bob

hehe...

Bob

You get "food stamps", which is a credit card used for food, but, well in maine, a lot of "poor" people use them to buy fags and pet food and sell weed for cash...generilsation, I know, but it happens lots...there's health care for the really poor, plus there are lots of other benefits, like cheap housing...