American wanting to move to UK
May 20th 2008, 9:17 am
#106
Sursum corda
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: Richmond Hill, GA USA
Posts: 38,860
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Yoo Hoo Henry Kissinger. 
May 20th 2008, 7:28 pm
#107
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41
Re: American wanting to move to UK
This is a great post and I agree with all of it, but will add my personal experience.
I'm American myself (from California) and wanting a change, like you, I moved here to Northern England 3 years ago to live with and marry my wife. Since taking that huge leap and grabbing the bull by the horns (which is very much unlike me), I've observed life here in general, and I've found that after 3 years I miss the US so much, that I literally can't wait to move back and am driving my wife crazy.
You really need to take some time to think over such a decision. If it helps, I'll list some of my personal observations that have affected me the most about moving from the US to the UK.
Weather: If you're used to the wide open, windows rolled down, sunny spaces of Arizona, it will be a massive shock to your system when you land in the sunless lands of Northern England and Scotland. I'm not using alliteration either when I say "sunless". It's not unusual to go months (even 6 months some years) without a break in the cloud cover. You really can't fathom either the affect it has on you and your mood when you literally don't see a ray of sunshine for 60, 90, or even more days in a row. Especially if you're used to the opposite.
As Scout said, last year we had about a week of sunshine in the summer (it was still fairly cold though if I remember correctly) and then another long string of clouds and rain. Everything looks grey all the time, it's always damp, and always cold.
Privacy: Unless you luck out and find a nice rural property, your house will be overlooked and you will overlook others. So much so that, and I'm not a very nosey person, you find yourself getting into the habit of looking at the window into other people's windows or gardens; and them into yours. Again, that'd be quite a shock to the wide spaces of Arizona. On a related note, because it's so dense, even in small villages, you're always hearing people noise from outside (in our case, as they walk past our house as well as noisy neighbours on all sides). Our village (which is a fairly middle-class one) also has a problem with vandalism from local kids who are either bored or neglected, but I guess you could get that anywhere.
Cost and convenience of living: Compared to the US (and even California as in my case, but especially Arizona), the cost of living in the UK will throw you for a loop. Everything, and I mean everything, here is at least 2, and sometimes 3, times the cost it would be in the US, even gasoline. Also, compared to what I'm used to from California (24 hour grocery stores and gas stations on every corner), it can be hard shopping because some shops close up fairly early and, especially if you live in a village or town, you will have to travel in pretty horrendous traffic most of the time. It's not like in the US suburbs where you can pick up some fast food or do some emergency shopping at the grocery store right around the corner at odd hours of the day/night.
My wife and I have resorted to having a grocery store deliver our weekly groceries because it's such a mission going there and getting out in a timely fashion without stress. Of course, with deliveries, they often get part of the order wrong, but it's worth it to us.
Housing quality: This gripe of mine really isn't any fault of the country, but it still needs to be kept in mind. Having lived in a planned housing development my whole life in a quiet suburb, it was quite a shock moving into a 300 year old amalgalm of 3 different houses stuck together. It's a trip when you think about how old some of these houses are, and being made of stone, they are sturdy. But the interiors of such old houses always need updating and work done to them. I don't mind DIY and have been doing it for the last couple years to improve our home for sale, but if you or your husband are shy about getting your hands dirty, I'd think twice. Just yesterday for example, we had a pipe leak upstairs that flooded a downstairs room and having called a plumber, we found it was a radiator pipe that leaked from a lead patch that was put on God knows when. So now we have to replace the floor that was torn up to get to the pipe, and maybe the ceiling of the room that flooded. Most houses here are basically money pits in that once you fix one part of them, another one breaks.
Another thing to note is that gardens and yards here are small (such that my son can't realistically play in it unattended) and you're lucky if you have a driveway to put your car into, let alone a garage. I've never been a fan of parking cars on the street and that's been proven to me by how many times my wife's side mirrors have been broken off.
Britain herself: It's no secret that many people feel as if the land of Britain is losing her identity due to mass immigration and mass emigration. More and more foreigners are moving in and taking over cities as more and more British people are moving out. It's sad to see that the very fabric and identity of what it means to be British is being lost, and other people have mentioned on these boards that it just isn't the same Britain as it was in the 90s.
Anyway, those are the negatives and big differences from the states that I have noticed. Of course there are positives. The people are generally very nice, and mind their own business. The landscape is really beautiful with hills full of sheep and farms everywhere you look. The pubs that you can find on every street corner are a unique experience to Britain and great to hang out in once in a while. The TV and chocolate here is better (even though they lack a lot of the snack foods we love in the US).
All in all, I'm glad I took the chance to move here and experience it firsthand, but I can't wait until I get back to California and don't think I'll ever come back to the UK, at least not for any great length of time. To me, it is inferior in just too many important ways to the US and the standard of living we enjoy there.
So naturally my advice would be to stay where you are if you're happy, but if you do have that itch to experience life here, by all means, take a few months and live here. If you like it stay, if not, you can always go back and be satisfied that you experienced it here. I wouldn't make any radical life changes though or permanent immigration plans.
I'm American myself (from California) and wanting a change, like you, I moved here to Northern England 3 years ago to live with and marry my wife. Since taking that huge leap and grabbing the bull by the horns (which is very much unlike me), I've observed life here in general, and I've found that after 3 years I miss the US so much, that I literally can't wait to move back and am driving my wife crazy.
You really need to take some time to think over such a decision. If it helps, I'll list some of my personal observations that have affected me the most about moving from the US to the UK.
Weather: If you're used to the wide open, windows rolled down, sunny spaces of Arizona, it will be a massive shock to your system when you land in the sunless lands of Northern England and Scotland. I'm not using alliteration either when I say "sunless". It's not unusual to go months (even 6 months some years) without a break in the cloud cover. You really can't fathom either the affect it has on you and your mood when you literally don't see a ray of sunshine for 60, 90, or even more days in a row. Especially if you're used to the opposite.
As Scout said, last year we had about a week of sunshine in the summer (it was still fairly cold though if I remember correctly) and then another long string of clouds and rain. Everything looks grey all the time, it's always damp, and always cold.
Privacy: Unless you luck out and find a nice rural property, your house will be overlooked and you will overlook others. So much so that, and I'm not a very nosey person, you find yourself getting into the habit of looking at the window into other people's windows or gardens; and them into yours. Again, that'd be quite a shock to the wide spaces of Arizona. On a related note, because it's so dense, even in small villages, you're always hearing people noise from outside (in our case, as they walk past our house as well as noisy neighbours on all sides). Our village (which is a fairly middle-class one) also has a problem with vandalism from local kids who are either bored or neglected, but I guess you could get that anywhere.
Cost and convenience of living: Compared to the US (and even California as in my case, but especially Arizona), the cost of living in the UK will throw you for a loop. Everything, and I mean everything, here is at least 2, and sometimes 3, times the cost it would be in the US, even gasoline. Also, compared to what I'm used to from California (24 hour grocery stores and gas stations on every corner), it can be hard shopping because some shops close up fairly early and, especially if you live in a village or town, you will have to travel in pretty horrendous traffic most of the time. It's not like in the US suburbs where you can pick up some fast food or do some emergency shopping at the grocery store right around the corner at odd hours of the day/night.
My wife and I have resorted to having a grocery store deliver our weekly groceries because it's such a mission going there and getting out in a timely fashion without stress. Of course, with deliveries, they often get part of the order wrong, but it's worth it to us.
Housing quality: This gripe of mine really isn't any fault of the country, but it still needs to be kept in mind. Having lived in a planned housing development my whole life in a quiet suburb, it was quite a shock moving into a 300 year old amalgalm of 3 different houses stuck together. It's a trip when you think about how old some of these houses are, and being made of stone, they are sturdy. But the interiors of such old houses always need updating and work done to them. I don't mind DIY and have been doing it for the last couple years to improve our home for sale, but if you or your husband are shy about getting your hands dirty, I'd think twice. Just yesterday for example, we had a pipe leak upstairs that flooded a downstairs room and having called a plumber, we found it was a radiator pipe that leaked from a lead patch that was put on God knows when. So now we have to replace the floor that was torn up to get to the pipe, and maybe the ceiling of the room that flooded. Most houses here are basically money pits in that once you fix one part of them, another one breaks.
Another thing to note is that gardens and yards here are small (such that my son can't realistically play in it unattended) and you're lucky if you have a driveway to put your car into, let alone a garage. I've never been a fan of parking cars on the street and that's been proven to me by how many times my wife's side mirrors have been broken off.
Britain herself: It's no secret that many people feel as if the land of Britain is losing her identity due to mass immigration and mass emigration. More and more foreigners are moving in and taking over cities as more and more British people are moving out. It's sad to see that the very fabric and identity of what it means to be British is being lost, and other people have mentioned on these boards that it just isn't the same Britain as it was in the 90s.
Anyway, those are the negatives and big differences from the states that I have noticed. Of course there are positives. The people are generally very nice, and mind their own business. The landscape is really beautiful with hills full of sheep and farms everywhere you look. The pubs that you can find on every street corner are a unique experience to Britain and great to hang out in once in a while. The TV and chocolate here is better (even though they lack a lot of the snack foods we love in the US).
All in all, I'm glad I took the chance to move here and experience it firsthand, but I can't wait until I get back to California and don't think I'll ever come back to the UK, at least not for any great length of time. To me, it is inferior in just too many important ways to the US and the standard of living we enjoy there.
So naturally my advice would be to stay where you are if you're happy, but if you do have that itch to experience life here, by all means, take a few months and live here. If you like it stay, if not, you can always go back and be satisfied that you experienced it here. I wouldn't make any radical life changes though or permanent immigration plans.
Standard of living I feel is subjective and I think you should take into consideration the much longer holidays, the lower levels of crime (and much lower numbers of people carrying guns), the free NHS, culture, proximity to Europe, better schools and the absence of the tipping culture that is so unfortunate in the US. Even if your house is smaller. If you don't insist on living in a village you are able to get much larger houses for decent money anyhow..
Other people have mentioned your stupid comments about immigration and the parallels with the hispanic community in California so I won't do so again. Hope you, as promised, leave and don't come back to the UK. It has obviously been wasted on you.
May 21st 2008, 10:01 pm
#108
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Wales, UK
Posts: 1,216
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Whoa!.....and why am I not surprised that this thread went south??
Everyone take a deep breath and calm down. Is it necessary to sink into the my country is better than your country crap? Or your country is worse than my country arguments? Neither is better or worse......they are just different. And lay off Panda.........he offered his perspective to one American to another of some things to expect. .....and Panda.........some people just want to stir things up and jump on people for the free entertainment....so take some comments to you with a grain of salt.
Jersygirl, with all due respect..........sometimes people do need to hear some criticism of the UK from those living here before they make the leap to move here themselves. .........and they also need to hear good things. People need a balance of things to expect. Balance in thsi case means good things and bad things.
Now I sort of stared with some of these negatives......the point I was trying to get across to the OP is that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.........it comes in various shades.....if that makes sense.
OP............I too hate the sun and heat. I'm originally from Atlanta so I really hate sun, heat and humidity. The good news is.........the heat here never lasts very long. It's wonderful to live without AC. The bad news is that sometimes itseems like we haven't seen the sun for weeks on end. As I said earlier, last summer lasted about a week or 10 days. The year before that we had a lovely summer..........so hot one week that I threatened to go out and buy a fan and hubby still makes fun of me for that original idea
This spring it's been pretty nice weatherwise........some glorious days the past few weeks. .........the other good thing about the weather where I am (SE Wales).........is it never gets too cold or too hot. The climate is much more moderate. ...........now in Scotland this winter.........it seemed like everytime I watched the Weather Report on the telly they were talking about more snow.........while we never got more than a stray flurry here in SE Wales. .............but earlier this spring....even I, sun hater that I am was longing for a few sunny days. ...........luckily they finally arrived.
About the cost of things........it's my opinion that Panda was correct about items being twice as expensive here as in the States..........and gas (petrol) even more expensive. The prices seem the same....but it takes two dollars to equal a pound .........and I don't recall paying $2 for a coke in any convenience stores in Atlanta.........or $6 for a quarter pounder with cheese at McDonalds and that's what the prices convert to over here. £1 for a coke and £3 for a cheeseburger.......at least that's a rough estimate given the current rate of exchange. And gas here is about $8.50 a US gallon.
I run a retail shop so I am pretty current on the prices and I am well informed regarding the prices.
Now.........to get off the negative side of things. Here's some wonderful positives. You can usually walk to your village and buy fresh fruit and veg......although ASDA (aka Walmart) is doing their damndest to kill the High Streets over here just like they did the Main Streets in the US........another store named Tesco helps them out with this project. I am not a fan.......oh sure they are convenient and have cheap beer, wine and spirits (not cheaper than the US, but cheaper than off liscenses)........and their meat is crap. ....but the positive side is you still have local butchers here........and their meat is lovely and local. Also bakeries are still in the villages. With lovely fresh baked bread, pies, pasties, cakes, eclairs.............put it this way.........be glad gas is expensive here because you will need to walk more to walk off those calories.
The Chip Shops are also wonderful ..........with nice crisp cod and chips to die for. ..........the bad thing is that I think that the Chinese takeaways are not as good as the States. Now hubby who is British would probably disagree........but my American tastebuds prefer American Chinese to the British Chinese. ...............BUT.............the best is the British Indian Curry places. Oh they are lovely.............and there is nothing like them in the States.
Other good things.......the politics.............no more George Bush.
The sense of community is still alive here..........at least in the villages where I live. Charity over here is not a tax deductable amount you give. If people see a need..........they'll hold a raffle and a show at a local pub and the cause will be a local one that you can actually see where your donations are helping.
Crime.............yes it's here............but relevant to where I'm from, the rates of violence is much, , much lower here than the States. You don't have to worry about being robbed at gunpoint over here.........or being car-jacked. Burgleries can break out in some areas...........but no more so than the States and car thefts are much, much lower.
Schools..........I know some people here complain aboiut some bad schools in some areas of the UK.............but for the most part.........any child here in the UK will get a better education at the worst school in the Uk when compared to many US schools. ....that's my opinion based on just chatting with people in general. UK citizens seem much more informed than Americans on most issues, history, science, laws, etc.....you definately will get better conversation here.
TV............we have satellite so we can pretty much watch anything.........including US Nightly newscasts from the States. I love the British Soaps....which are in the eveneings over here.....we have history, science, news, DIY channels just like in the States...........and just like in the States............sometimes everything that's on all 200 or 300 channels sucks.
Soccer is football over here. Rugby is big too. American Football can be had on the Pay Sports channels.............then there's Cricket........I apologize to all the British Expats here in advance..............but cricket bores me to tears......but fairplay........so does baseball and golf
I could go on and on about the positives over here. Just as I could about the positives in the States. To sum it all up.........it's just different. The attitude to approach living over here is not about the bad things or the things you miss...........but to concentrate on the things you like and enjoy. To try new and different things. To talk to and make friends with new people.
Everyone take a deep breath and calm down. Is it necessary to sink into the my country is better than your country crap? Or your country is worse than my country arguments? Neither is better or worse......they are just different. And lay off Panda.........he offered his perspective to one American to another of some things to expect. .....and Panda.........some people just want to stir things up and jump on people for the free entertainment....so take some comments to you with a grain of salt.
Jersygirl, with all due respect..........sometimes people do need to hear some criticism of the UK from those living here before they make the leap to move here themselves. .........and they also need to hear good things. People need a balance of things to expect. Balance in thsi case means good things and bad things.
Now I sort of stared with some of these negatives......the point I was trying to get across to the OP is that the grass is not always greener elsewhere.........it comes in various shades.....if that makes sense.
OP............I too hate the sun and heat. I'm originally from Atlanta so I really hate sun, heat and humidity. The good news is.........the heat here never lasts very long. It's wonderful to live without AC. The bad news is that sometimes itseems like we haven't seen the sun for weeks on end. As I said earlier, last summer lasted about a week or 10 days. The year before that we had a lovely summer..........so hot one week that I threatened to go out and buy a fan and hubby still makes fun of me for that original idea
This spring it's been pretty nice weatherwise........some glorious days the past few weeks. .........the other good thing about the weather where I am (SE Wales).........is it never gets too cold or too hot. The climate is much more moderate. ...........now in Scotland this winter.........it seemed like everytime I watched the Weather Report on the telly they were talking about more snow.........while we never got more than a stray flurry here in SE Wales. .............but earlier this spring....even I, sun hater that I am was longing for a few sunny days. ...........luckily they finally arrived.
About the cost of things........it's my opinion that Panda was correct about items being twice as expensive here as in the States..........and gas (petrol) even more expensive. The prices seem the same....but it takes two dollars to equal a pound .........and I don't recall paying $2 for a coke in any convenience stores in Atlanta.........or $6 for a quarter pounder with cheese at McDonalds and that's what the prices convert to over here. £1 for a coke and £3 for a cheeseburger.......at least that's a rough estimate given the current rate of exchange. And gas here is about $8.50 a US gallon.
I run a retail shop so I am pretty current on the prices and I am well informed regarding the prices.
Now.........to get off the negative side of things. Here's some wonderful positives. You can usually walk to your village and buy fresh fruit and veg......although ASDA (aka Walmart) is doing their damndest to kill the High Streets over here just like they did the Main Streets in the US........another store named Tesco helps them out with this project. I am not a fan.......oh sure they are convenient and have cheap beer, wine and spirits (not cheaper than the US, but cheaper than off liscenses)........and their meat is crap. ....but the positive side is you still have local butchers here........and their meat is lovely and local. Also bakeries are still in the villages. With lovely fresh baked bread, pies, pasties, cakes, eclairs.............put it this way.........be glad gas is expensive here because you will need to walk more to walk off those calories.
The Chip Shops are also wonderful ..........with nice crisp cod and chips to die for. ..........the bad thing is that I think that the Chinese takeaways are not as good as the States. Now hubby who is British would probably disagree........but my American tastebuds prefer American Chinese to the British Chinese. ...............BUT.............the best is the British Indian Curry places. Oh they are lovely.............and there is nothing like them in the States.
Other good things.......the politics.............no more George Bush.
The sense of community is still alive here..........at least in the villages where I live. Charity over here is not a tax deductable amount you give. If people see a need..........they'll hold a raffle and a show at a local pub and the cause will be a local one that you can actually see where your donations are helping.
Crime.............yes it's here............but relevant to where I'm from, the rates of violence is much, , much lower here than the States. You don't have to worry about being robbed at gunpoint over here.........or being car-jacked. Burgleries can break out in some areas...........but no more so than the States and car thefts are much, much lower.
Schools..........I know some people here complain aboiut some bad schools in some areas of the UK.............but for the most part.........any child here in the UK will get a better education at the worst school in the Uk when compared to many US schools. ....that's my opinion based on just chatting with people in general. UK citizens seem much more informed than Americans on most issues, history, science, laws, etc.....you definately will get better conversation here.
TV............we have satellite so we can pretty much watch anything.........including US Nightly newscasts from the States. I love the British Soaps....which are in the eveneings over here.....we have history, science, news, DIY channels just like in the States...........and just like in the States............sometimes everything that's on all 200 or 300 channels sucks.
Soccer is football over here. Rugby is big too. American Football can be had on the Pay Sports channels.............then there's Cricket........I apologize to all the British Expats here in advance..............but cricket bores me to tears......but fairplay........so does baseball and golf
I could go on and on about the positives over here. Just as I could about the positives in the States. To sum it all up.........it's just different. The attitude to approach living over here is not about the bad things or the things you miss...........but to concentrate on the things you like and enjoy. To try new and different things. To talk to and make friends with new people.
May 21st 2008, 10:47 pm
#109
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 93
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Thanks Scout for your support, advice and a great post
May 21st 2008, 11:08 pm
#110
Bendy Bully
Joined: Feb 2005
Location: It's the wrong answer, and there's a light on.
Posts: 281
Re: American wanting to move to UK
May 22nd 2008, 3:28 am
#111
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Kamloops from London via New York
Posts: 456
Re: American wanting to move to UK
I've just moved to the States (NYC) and things seem more expensive here, with the exception of petrol. Also you can't just take the exchange rate and convert it, because the cost of living is related to income not the exchange rate. Having said that my husband has come across with his English salary fixed at a good rate (although the deductions for health insurance for the family are scary) and we are still finding things expensive. For example we are paying $2500 rent in the far suburbs of Queens for a two bedroom flat, whilst my four bedroom house in London (also suburbia) is renting for £1200. Food is also a lot more expensive (and I have a serious Waitrose habit) - I'm paying $3-4 for a decent loaf of bread. Almost $4 for a small stick that would cost maybe 80p in England. Eating out on the othe hand is cheaper. Now I know that prices will vary across both countries, but I really can't see that the States is 2-3 cheaper unless you are paying with pounds.
Not that we are regretting it mind you, just that we had thought it would be cheaper, and have found that it certainly isn't.
Not that we are regretting it mind you, just that we had thought it would be cheaper, and have found that it certainly isn't.
May 22nd 2008, 12:28 pm
#113
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Wales, UK
Posts: 1,216
Re: American wanting to move to UK
- I'm paying $3-4 for a decent loaf of bread. Almost $4 for a small stick that would cost maybe 80p in England. Eating out on the othe hand is cheaper. Now I know that prices will vary across both countries, but I really can't see that the States is 2-3 cheaper unless you are paying with pounds.
Not that we are regretting it mind you, just that we had thought it would be cheaper, and have found that it certainly isn't.
Not that we are regretting it mind you, just that we had thought it would be cheaper, and have found that it certainly isn't.
May 22nd 2008, 6:43 pm
#114
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Nov 2007
Location: Kamloops from London via New York
Posts: 456
Re: American wanting to move to UK
That's what I thought too! Unfortunately American plain sliced bread to me is not very nice (too sweet). Actually I don't get bog standard English bread either, but I still don't pay comparatively so much. I'm thinking I need to buy a new breadmaker to be honest, although I'll have to check out the price of decent flour.
We started out in NJ, which I did like (on Englishmum's recommendation) but liked a school here in Queens so much that we went for City life (also dh didn't like the commute - NJ trains just don't go often enough for him, and he got very fed up with being late home).
I'm not really complaining, just surprised, I guess, and wanting to give a different perspective on the US is cheap aspect. In my experience it seems pretty comparable.
We started out in NJ, which I did like (on Englishmum's recommendation) but liked a school here in Queens so much that we went for City life (also dh didn't like the commute - NJ trains just don't go often enough for him, and he got very fed up with being late home).
I'm not really complaining, just surprised, I guess, and wanting to give a different perspective on the US is cheap aspect. In my experience it seems pretty comparable.
May 22nd 2008, 6:57 pm
#115
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 39
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Hi there:
I live in Silicon Valley, CA - here we pay at least $1.99 for a standard loaf of bread. If you want all-grain or something that actually is nice to eat, you have to pay about $3.89 - so I'm not sure the earlier comment was so off the mark. I personally find food items such as bread, milk and eggs far more expensive here than in the UK - and my mum agrees. She visits a couple of times a year, and lives in Kent. Eating out is cheaper, but milk, bread and eggs are much more expensive here. Meat on the otherhand is cheaper here and generally better quality than in the UK. So, I suppose it all adds up to the same.
I live in Silicon Valley, CA - here we pay at least $1.99 for a standard loaf of bread. If you want all-grain or something that actually is nice to eat, you have to pay about $3.89 - so I'm not sure the earlier comment was so off the mark. I personally find food items such as bread, milk and eggs far more expensive here than in the UK - and my mum agrees. She visits a couple of times a year, and lives in Kent. Eating out is cheaper, but milk, bread and eggs are much more expensive here. Meat on the otherhand is cheaper here and generally better quality than in the UK. So, I suppose it all adds up to the same.
May 22nd 2008, 9:53 pm
#116
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 93
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Plus Scout said the same things about the weather and cost of living that I did, yet somehow mine were lies and insults? I understand that I'm not speaking for all of Britain, but rather my local area. Where I am, it seems like the sun is never out, and when it is, I'm always looking out for clouds and trying to judge how long the sun will shine so I can take my son to the park.
In fact, I've always wanted to see Wales and Southern England and joke with my wife all the time that I wish she'd lived down there when I moved in. I'm sure that region would be much more suiting to me. It's hard to imagine how a different weather system can mess with you before you expose yourself to it, but it has done with me.
If you want me to list positives too, then I will:
The sun was out today actually and my family and I took a drive around the area running errands and it was noticable how different the landscape looks with a little sun kisisng it. We drove up to East Bierly, which is an extremely charming area and I could definitely live there if I wasn't so used to having 3000 hours of sunshine a year.
Like I said before, the TV here is great. You can't beat advert-less channels, and you can see almost every American TV show made as well as British programmes that you won't ever see in America. Dinnerladies, Father Ted, and The Vicar are a few of the precious gems that I've discovered since moving here. Skysports is also showing a ton of NFL coverage now too which is brilliant. I also love cricket and snooker (go Shaun Murphy!) and I'll be really sad to not be able to watch them in the US (although I will be able to watch the crucible champs every year with some good online proxies).
You cannot get good fish and chips in California, it's impossible. But here, there's one on every corner and they're great. We also have an awesome little Italian burger place in walking distance which you don't get where I'm from. I'm going to miss that.
The history and culture are unbeatable. I love history, especially royal history, and every stone and mundane detail in this country is chocked full of history. It's a real trip when someone tells you some otherwise unremarkable piece of debris is original 15th century Yorkshire stone, and that the house you live in used to house an official from the Church of England in the 18th century who had the nearby smaller houses built to house quarry workers as they worked the cliffside 100 yards away. It's just mind boggling and amazing to think about. The city of York and York Minster are my favourite places in Britain so far. Such beauty and magnificence, and I'm not even religious.
As Scout said, there are a lot of things to love about Britain and a lot of things you might dislike (at least in the area I live in), just as there is anywhere. Ask me about my hometown that I adore and will die in, and I'll list you just as many negatives about that as positives too. It's just so happens, that after 25 years of living there, nothing else will feel like home and be as perfect for me.
I never meant to call Britain inferior or have it be taken as such a sweeping generalisation. I apologize again for it coming out like that and hope any hard feelings can be dropped for the future. If you still harbour bad feelings for me, please PM me, and we'll talk. I'm sure you'll change your mind once you know me better and have a one on one conversation with me outside the context of an anonymous message board.
May 22nd 2008, 10:26 pm
#117
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,020
Re: American wanting to move to UK
I never meant to call Britain inferior or have it be taken as such a sweeping generalisation. I apologize again for it coming out like that and hope any hard feelings can be dropped for the future. If you still harbour bad feelings for me, please PM me, and we'll talk. I'm sure you'll change your mind once you know me better and have a one on one conversation with me outside the context of an anonymous message board.
Like you said things said are often taken out of context on an anonymous message board...and this was becoming an American vs Brits thread.
So come on folks group hugs all round.
May 23rd 2008, 2:44 am
#118
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2007
Location: Arizona
Posts: 59
Re: American wanting to move to UK
You really need to find a hobby bud beside abusing me.
Plus Scout said the same things about the weather and cost of living that I did, yet somehow mine were lies and insults? I understand that I'm not speaking for all of Britain, but rather my local area. Where I am, it seems like the sun is never out, and when it is, I'm always looking out for clouds and trying to judge how long the sun will shine so I can take my son to the park.
In fact, I've always wanted to see Wales and Southern England and joke with my wife all the time that I wish she'd lived down there when I moved in. I'm sure that region would be much more suiting to me. It's hard to imagine how a different weather system can mess with you before you expose yourself to it, but it has done with me.
If you want me to list positives too, then I will:
The sun was out today actually and my family and I took a drive around the area running errands and it was noticable how different the landscape looks with a little sun kisisng it. We drove up to East Bierly, which is an extremely charming area and I could definitely live there if I wasn't so used to having 3000 hours of sunshine a year.
Like I said before, the TV here is great. You can't beat advert-less channels, and you can see almost every American TV show made as well as British programmes that you won't ever see in America. Dinnerladies, Father Ted, and The Vicar are a few of the precious gems that I've discovered since moving here. Skysports is also showing a ton of NFL coverage now too which is brilliant. I also love cricket and snooker (go Shaun Murphy!) and I'll be really sad to not be able to watch them in the US (although I will be able to watch the crucible champs every year with some good online proxies).
You cannot get good fish and chips in California, it's impossible. But here, there's one on every corner and they're great. We also have an awesome little Italian burger place in walking distance which you don't get where I'm from. I'm going to miss that.
The history and culture are unbeatable. I love history, especially royal history, and every stone and mundane detail in this country is chocked full of history. It's a real trip when someone tells you some otherwise unremarkable piece of debris is original 15th century Yorkshire stone, and that the house you live in used to house an official from the Church of England in the 18th century who had the nearby smaller houses built to house quarry workers as they worked the cliffside 100 yards away. It's just mind boggling and amazing to think about. The city of York and York Minster are my favourite places in Britain so far. Such beauty and magnificence, and I'm not even religious.
As Scout said, there are a lot of things to love about Britain and a lot of things you might dislike (at least in the area I live in), just as there is anywhere. Ask me about my hometown that I adore and will die in, and I'll list you just as many negatives about that as positives too. It's just so happens, that after 25 years of living there, nothing else will feel like home and be as perfect for me.
I never meant to call Britain inferior or have it be taken as such a sweeping generalisation. I apologize again for it coming out like that and hope any hard feelings can be dropped for the future. If you still harbour bad feelings for me, please PM me, and we'll talk. I'm sure you'll change your mind once you know me better and have a one on one conversation with me outside the context of an anonymous message board.
Plus Scout said the same things about the weather and cost of living that I did, yet somehow mine were lies and insults? I understand that I'm not speaking for all of Britain, but rather my local area. Where I am, it seems like the sun is never out, and when it is, I'm always looking out for clouds and trying to judge how long the sun will shine so I can take my son to the park.
In fact, I've always wanted to see Wales and Southern England and joke with my wife all the time that I wish she'd lived down there when I moved in. I'm sure that region would be much more suiting to me. It's hard to imagine how a different weather system can mess with you before you expose yourself to it, but it has done with me.
If you want me to list positives too, then I will:
The sun was out today actually and my family and I took a drive around the area running errands and it was noticable how different the landscape looks with a little sun kisisng it. We drove up to East Bierly, which is an extremely charming area and I could definitely live there if I wasn't so used to having 3000 hours of sunshine a year.
Like I said before, the TV here is great. You can't beat advert-less channels, and you can see almost every American TV show made as well as British programmes that you won't ever see in America. Dinnerladies, Father Ted, and The Vicar are a few of the precious gems that I've discovered since moving here. Skysports is also showing a ton of NFL coverage now too which is brilliant. I also love cricket and snooker (go Shaun Murphy!) and I'll be really sad to not be able to watch them in the US (although I will be able to watch the crucible champs every year with some good online proxies).
You cannot get good fish and chips in California, it's impossible. But here, there's one on every corner and they're great. We also have an awesome little Italian burger place in walking distance which you don't get where I'm from. I'm going to miss that.
The history and culture are unbeatable. I love history, especially royal history, and every stone and mundane detail in this country is chocked full of history. It's a real trip when someone tells you some otherwise unremarkable piece of debris is original 15th century Yorkshire stone, and that the house you live in used to house an official from the Church of England in the 18th century who had the nearby smaller houses built to house quarry workers as they worked the cliffside 100 yards away. It's just mind boggling and amazing to think about. The city of York and York Minster are my favourite places in Britain so far. Such beauty and magnificence, and I'm not even religious.
As Scout said, there are a lot of things to love about Britain and a lot of things you might dislike (at least in the area I live in), just as there is anywhere. Ask me about my hometown that I adore and will die in, and I'll list you just as many negatives about that as positives too. It's just so happens, that after 25 years of living there, nothing else will feel like home and be as perfect for me.
I never meant to call Britain inferior or have it be taken as such a sweeping generalisation. I apologize again for it coming out like that and hope any hard feelings can be dropped for the future. If you still harbour bad feelings for me, please PM me, and we'll talk. I'm sure you'll change your mind once you know me better and have a one on one conversation with me outside the context of an anonymous message board.
Thank you all for the insight into the UK. I am more than willing to take a chance and move there eventually if the opportunity is right. I don't expect it to be like America and really I don't want it to be. I can't wait
May 23rd 2008, 2:53 am
#119
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,020
Re: American wanting to move to UK
Fair enough Panda...wish you and your family the best in California. We all have to find that place where we "fit" wherever that may be. I know Arizona is not that place for me at all (though I know it will always be my home state..it just isn't what I desire as an adult). I feel perhaps that the US is not even the place for me right now (not that I hate it) and my husband and I want to explore a totally different place that from the sounds of it and from what my husband has experienced there...may be a better fit for us. My parents and now in-laws are the only relatives I have here in this state and they are considering moving as it is...so I realize that my ties here are not as strong as others may be.
Thank you all for the insight into the UK. I am more than willing to take a chance and move there eventually if the opportunity is right. I don't expect it to be like America and really I don't want it to be. I can't wait
Thank you all for the insight into the UK. I am more than willing to take a chance and move there eventually if the opportunity is right. I don't expect it to be like America and really I don't want it to be. I can't wait
May 23rd 2008, 3:39 am
#120
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 8,497
Re: American wanting to move to UK