Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

You're probably right....

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

Do you want to move to the UK mostly because of a desire to leave the usa, or are you in need of an adventure at this point in your life?

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

Read the Daily Mail online, that will show you another "culture"

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

And then ignore everything you've read, because the DM has a reputation for being very right wing and exaggerating everything and is full of rubbish. ;):lol:

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

:rolleyes:

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I would say you must visit. This is because since I`ve been in the US I`ve seen how Britain is portrayed from the outside. I think the portrayal is out of date, no, worse than that, a complete fiction, and probably unrecognisable to most British people.
Britain and Ireland IMHO are over romanticised. The pageantry, history and castles and all that are a very small part of British life, but from this side of the pond it`s about all you are shown.Sometimes I feel like I must come from Brigadoon!
It`s fair to say that there will be significant culture shock especially because we speak a common language, but what will niggle is the day to day differences and inconveniences of being an "outsider". I know what I`m talking about having been in the US for five years.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

Daily Mail report news as well, the riots last year, the police who was blinded then killed himself,, the phone hacking scandal, etc etc It does not hurt to know all aspects of life here. Its not all cobbled streets as some think.
Reading this site as I do daily, so many people want to leave, even those who are working, have a home. They think life will be better somewhere else, get there and its the same, you have to work, go to school live.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I see the latest threat is militant secularists.

What a load of utter cobblers that rag is.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I think shock is just right. My wife's experience was like that. And mine was not disimilar when we tried CA.

Disorientated, frustrated, perplexed. Whatever the adjective it is often beyond the 'fish out of water' feeling of general travel.

Good luck with whatever you try to do. But I'm another vote for at least paying a visit. While the UK might not cover the geographical scale of the US it does have a wide variation from region to region.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I would give somewhere like Oxford, Cambridge, Canterbury, Edinburgh or Bath a look. They are all quite educated places and will have that typically english feel I figure you are trying to find. To top those places top UK in highest average IQ. I'm sure the universities give them a bump.

Bath and Oxford definately have a look at!!

You will be seen as an outsider though. My experience of travelling through Canada is that most people are interested to hear where you are from but every now and again someone makes a comment that is pretty offensive and I'm occasionally an ambassador for britain, eg "Union station just has gates that let anyone through, I know in London" *points at me* "they have dedicated exits and entrances".

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

For climate, you could move to many places in the States that have better.

Picturesque Britain does exist, and if you're self-employed you certainly could live in a village etc etc, or in a small market town with medieval features intact. You'd stand out, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't be welcome.

Apart from driving on the left -- and often down narrow, and/or streets -- it's the social customs and communications that might throw you. They're simply different and it takes a while to learn, like a new language.

It does sound crazy to just move, especially if money's so tight you can't afford to visit for a month or so, but crazy sometimes works.

Bev

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

Not the cheapest places to live though....but if the budget is there and interested in Oxford, got a mate that's just put up his house up for sale a couple days ago in Chipping Norton...but he's setting up viewings for this weekend and said already had 7 people arrange a viewing and one offer on the table sight unseen :lol:

I'd say places around Cornwall have to be checked out as well as Yorkshire and the whole lakes and forests as they're just such a different lifestyle to the south.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I dunno. I read the UK Yankee forum and it seems that many Americans who move to the UK seem to adapt pretty well. They usually don't move for economic reasons and educate themselves on the perils and pitfalls beforehand. While tourists might have a romanticised notion of Britain and Ireland, I don't believe this is the case when applied to US expats living in Britain. I think British expats often have a much harder time adaption to the US because they don't realise how longer working hours, less opportunities to socialise and the political system will affect them personally. Those are not issues you can really research much as it depends on you personally. In my case, it's been too much of a hurdle to overcome.

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

The more you say, the better I feel about my idea of moving over there. I don't think I have an idealized view of Britain. I read the online newpapers and consider myself fairly well informed and don't think everything there is perfect, but I can tell you that there is a list a mile long of reasons why I don't like it here and I would like it there.

Better weather, no blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, wildfires, insane heat and humidity
More easily accessible cultural activities that appeal to me
NHS
More beautiful towns
A wonderful attitude towards and love of dogs
Safer
More civil people
No mosquitoes carrying West Nile Virus
No coyotes wandering even in cities attacking small pets in their yards
Generally proper use of the English language
Love of gardens common wherever you go

Am I wrong?

Re: American would love advice re:moving to England
 

I don't know how much you know, but everywhere is the US has some weather problems. I would be jumping from the frying pan into the fire relocating in the US. That's me. Other people find they can stand the threat of earthquakes or high heat and humidity and alligators and huge insects, or loooonnng winters, etc.

And I can afford to visit, but it is costly to fly back and forth and to board my dog, who would not be happy. If I could just go straight there it would save a lot in time and money and stress, IMO.