For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Sep 23rd 2009, 8:11 am
#61
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 7
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Apologies should have read DUNROVING!!
Sep 23rd 2009, 9:58 am
#62
poole ,dorset . love it
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,281
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
I've been trying to get back to the States for over 2 years. In order to do so, I'll probably take a £40k hit on my house here (i.e., all of the capital I have put into it), a drop in salary of at least 20% and a drop in rank, and it will probably cost me easily £10k-£20k to physically make the move, set up a new house, etc. Unfortunately, I am not a corporate expat type, so don't get all expenses paid. 
It drives me absolutely nuts that by moving back to the UK I have really screwed myself financially (never mind the personal cost) - and that consequently, returning to the US will consolidate this financial loss.
The point I'm making though is that I'm willing to take the financial hit because I have such a strong desire to get back there where I feel like I belong. I try damned hard not to mull over the financial cost of getting what I want, because this is a form of self-torture that is just not productive or helpful to me.
It drives me absolutely nuts that by moving back to the UK I have really screwed myself financially (never mind the personal cost) - and that consequently, returning to the US will consolidate this financial loss.
The point I'm making though is that I'm willing to take the financial hit because I have such a strong desire to get back there where I feel like I belong. I try damned hard not to mull over the financial cost of getting what I want, because this is a form of self-torture that is just not productive or helpful to me.
I too have wrestled for years on wether to return the uk and i am just in the final legs of doing it .
Obviously issues such as ,feeling of belonging ,familiarity of the uk itself ,sense of history ,not so bland architecture ,a perceived view there is more to do with ones spare time ,are all issues i have considered .
What i find interesting is obviously your not basing your decision on money as you are going to lose money returning to the states so as you have stated its a feeling of belonging ,this intrigues me as i can imagine the states to be very similar in many respects to australia in set up , ie shopping malls and rather bland suburbs with nothing much else to do except cut your lawn and go to the beach , this is not just my impression as i had this verified as an opinion from an american friend of mine who was staying here in perth .
So you as a brit ,what has changed have you realised that shopping malls etc etc in the states and a lack of depth in culture are more important to you than what you really are ,or is it a purely professional decision maybe due to fact your profession is better there in the states .
I understand the profession bit as im far better off here in australia but as the years roll by it has dawned on me that that is all i have ,so are you basing it on work ,if you are i do believe that is a mistake ,i think an over all view is a far better way of looking at things.
Maybe a move to the south coast of england would be better , scotland is lovely but weather wise is pretty dire .
Just my tuppence worth ,and not meant as an attack in any way but would certainly be interested in your reply .
Sep 23rd 2009, 10:07 am
#63
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Think you can get Jobseekers allowance if your savings are under 16k but you are returning to a job anyway so not an issue. There's also a top ceiling on National Insurance regardless of how much you earn.
Have you looked at Millfield for music scholarships, it's near Exeter - I was at Uni in the 1980s with someone from a state school who got a sixth form music scholarship there.
Sep 23rd 2009, 10:18 am
#64
poole ,dorset . love it
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 1,281
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Exactly and unlike in NZ (don't know about Oz) you get a tax free allowance of approx six thousand pounds pa in UK - you don't pay tax on every dollar earned.
Think you can get Jobseekers allowance if your savings are under 16k but you are returning to a job anyway so not an issue. There's also a top ceiling on National Insurance regardless of how much you earn.
Have you looked at Millfield for music scholarships, it's near Exeter - I was at Uni in the 1980s with someone from a state school who got a sixth form music scholarship there.
Think you can get Jobseekers allowance if your savings are under 16k but you are returning to a job anyway so not an issue. There's also a top ceiling on National Insurance regardless of how much you earn.
Have you looked at Millfield for music scholarships, it's near Exeter - I was at Uni in the 1980s with someone from a state school who got a sixth form music scholarship there.
Sep 23rd 2009, 10:35 am
#65
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: My happy place
Posts: 3,043
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Have you looked at Millfield for music scholarships, it's near Exeter - I was at Uni in the 1980s with someone from a state school who got a sixth form music scholarship there.
Sep 23rd 2009, 12:01 pm
#66
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Finally back home in Scotland
Posts: 1,031
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Izzie:
As someone who is hours away from leaving Canada and who will not have sold her house before she goes, who has sold most of her jewellery, furniture and anything else that we could scrounge up. This was a difficult decision to make, difficult in the fact that, Canada is what know, my husband has to stay until I get things settled and/or he sells the house, that I would be leaving with only enough money to see me through 4 to 6 months of living expences, and even then living very frugally and that we are leaving kids and grandkids.
Not difficult in that I needed, wanted and dreamed for many years to go home, it is that simple. Now, I am lucky I have a husband who reconizes this and is willing to make the move with no hesitation. But we are making huge sacrifices to get there, we also realize that things will be different and we are happy with that. Sacrificies usually have to be made, and I don't know if you are willing to make those sacrificies to go home. All the reason you gave are great ones, now are you willing to give up what you have now and might not have there to get back to that place, that is what you must ask yourself. Good Luck in whatever you decide.
As someone who is hours away from leaving Canada and who will not have sold her house before she goes, who has sold most of her jewellery, furniture and anything else that we could scrounge up. This was a difficult decision to make, difficult in the fact that, Canada is what know, my husband has to stay until I get things settled and/or he sells the house, that I would be leaving with only enough money to see me through 4 to 6 months of living expences, and even then living very frugally and that we are leaving kids and grandkids.
Not difficult in that I needed, wanted and dreamed for many years to go home, it is that simple. Now, I am lucky I have a husband who reconizes this and is willing to make the move with no hesitation. But we are making huge sacrifices to get there, we also realize that things will be different and we are happy with that. Sacrificies usually have to be made, and I don't know if you are willing to make those sacrificies to go home. All the reason you gave are great ones, now are you willing to give up what you have now and might not have there to get back to that place, that is what you must ask yourself. Good Luck in whatever you decide.
Sep 23rd 2009, 3:33 pm
#67
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: San Francisco
Posts: 12,865
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
What comes through to me in some of her posts is an odd sense of entitlement, that somehow because she is a British citizen, she's entitled to England on her financial terms. The real world doesn't work like that, of course, and the reality is that, as many have pointed out, she's got some difficult tradeoffs to make.
Sep 23rd 2009, 3:39 pm
#68
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 367
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Izzie:
As someone who is hours away from leaving Canada and who will not have sold her house before she goes, who has sold most of her jewellery, furniture and anything else that we could scrounge up. This was a difficult decision to make, difficult in the fact that, Canada is what know, my husband has to stay until I get things settled and/or he sells the house, that I would be leaving with only enough money to see me through 4 to 6 months of living expences, and even then living very frugally and that we are leaving kids and grandkids.
Not difficult in that I needed, wanted and dreamed for many years to go home, it is that simple. Now, I am lucky I have a husband who reconizes this and is willing to make the move with no hesitation. But we are making huge sacrifices to get there, we also realize that things will be different and we are happy with that. Sacrificies usually have to be made, and I don't know if you are willing to make those sacrificies to go home. All the reason you gave are great ones, now are you willing to give up what you have now and might not have there to get back to that place, that is what you must ask yourself. Good Luck in whatever you decide.
As someone who is hours away from leaving Canada and who will not have sold her house before she goes, who has sold most of her jewellery, furniture and anything else that we could scrounge up. This was a difficult decision to make, difficult in the fact that, Canada is what know, my husband has to stay until I get things settled and/or he sells the house, that I would be leaving with only enough money to see me through 4 to 6 months of living expences, and even then living very frugally and that we are leaving kids and grandkids.
Not difficult in that I needed, wanted and dreamed for many years to go home, it is that simple. Now, I am lucky I have a husband who reconizes this and is willing to make the move with no hesitation. But we are making huge sacrifices to get there, we also realize that things will be different and we are happy with that. Sacrificies usually have to be made, and I don't know if you are willing to make those sacrificies to go home. All the reason you gave are great ones, now are you willing to give up what you have now and might not have there to get back to that place, that is what you must ask yourself. Good Luck in whatever you decide.
Hoping your move goes a bit more smoothly!
Sep 23rd 2009, 3:56 pm
#69
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2009
Location: Finally back home in Scotland
Posts: 1,031
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Thanks for the wishes, luckily we are not taking any furniture and what we do have we will send in bits and pieces. I have a place to stay until I decide to rent a place close to work. I hope that things get better for you, good luck.
Good luck with your move. I moved back 3 months ago with a really careful budget, leaving my partner behind in the US. Despite the frugality, my budget has been blown by unexpected expenses (and an incompetent removal company) and a delay being able to start work because of the mind numbingly slow CRB process.
Hoping your move goes a bit more smoothly!
Hoping your move goes a bit more smoothly!
Sep 23rd 2009, 7:36 pm
#70
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: US
Posts: 151
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
I've been trying to get back to the States for over 2 years. In order to do so, I'll probably take a £40k hit on my house here (i.e., all of the capital I have put into it), a drop in salary of at least 20% and a drop in rank, and it will probably cost me easily £10k-£20k to physically make the move, set up a new house, etc. Unfortunately, I am not a corporate expat type, so don't get all expenses paid.
It drives me absolutely nuts that by moving back to the UK I have really screwed myself financially (never mind the personal cost) - and that consequently, returning to the US will consolidate this financial loss.
The point I'm making though is that I'm willing to take the financial hit because I have such a strong desire to get back there where I feel like I belong. I try damned hard not to mull over the financial cost of getting what I want, because this is a form of self-torture that is just not productive or helpful to me.
It drives me absolutely nuts that by moving back to the UK I have really screwed myself financially (never mind the personal cost) - and that consequently, returning to the US will consolidate this financial loss.
The point I'm making though is that I'm willing to take the financial hit because I have such a strong desire to get back there where I feel like I belong. I try damned hard not to mull over the financial cost of getting what I want, because this is a form of self-torture that is just not productive or helpful to me.
Oh and btw I will be returning to precisely naught.
Last edited by slidingbyee; Sep 23rd 2009 at 7:36 pm. Reason: icantspell
Sep 23rd 2009, 8:37 pm
#71
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,006
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
I didn't see your post as an attack at all ... to answer some of your questions :
I can see the positive and negative of the US (and UK), as per a post I submitted just before I left the US, and which was subsequently listed as an article on BE (I didn't even realise until several months later): http://britishexpats.com/articles/mo...d/not-all-bad/
Probably my major reasons for favouring the US are:
a) professional fulfillment is infinitely higher. I do have a life outside of work, but not married, no kids, and much of my enjoyment in life (and the legacy I hope I'll leave behind) is due to the impact I hope I make in the lives of college students. I've posted elsewhere on my deep reservations about higher education in the UK, and won't repeat them here. In a nutshell, I'd look forward every day to going into work in the States. Here, I dread most days. There are some fine institutions and departments in the UK, but IMO, inspirational teaching in UK universities is being steadily crushed by an obsession with research (and especially research funding), an obsession with "quality control" (bureaucratic box-ticking), and "student centred education" (dumbing down so no-one fails).
b) cost of living and especially cost of housing. In 10 years of working hard and saving hard in the US (I live a pretty frugal life), I was almost mortgage-free. Most of that capital has disappeared since I came back here. So despite taking a huge hit by going back (almost back to square one), I see myself having much more of an opportunity to get out of the mortgage burden I'm currently under.
c) weather, lifestyle, and popular culture. Sure, there isn't "much to do" in large parts of the US if you're into opera, live concerts, theatre, etc., but as above, I live a pretty frugal life and enjoy simple pleasures llike gardening and riding my bike. Consequently, weather is a biggie.
d) it's hard to describe, but my personal life history leaves me with a love-hate relationship with the UK. Sure, "what I am" is largely due to a UK upbringing, if you mean my sense of humour, educational background, etc. But I see that the UK has given me very little and taken a lot. In contrast, most of my adult life has been spent in the US, and almost everything of value that I have gained in life has been from my experiences in the US.
What else? Well, I don't shop, so malls or any kinds of shopping hold no attraction. I'm not a Tesco addict. Neither is "a lack of depth in culture" as you put it, attractive. Indeed, I have seen more culture in the wildies of Tennessee than I have ever seen in some of the pits that are called communities in the UK. I think the welfare state/NHS are the UK's biggest credit and also their biggest curse.
I could ramble on, but to put it in a nutshell, it's all about my personal relationship with each country. My adult life in the UK has brought me little but grief. The US, on the other hand, has give back to me many times more than I put into it.
I can see the positive and negative of the US (and UK), as per a post I submitted just before I left the US, and which was subsequently listed as an article on BE (I didn't even realise until several months later): http://britishexpats.com/articles/mo...d/not-all-bad/
Probably my major reasons for favouring the US are:
a) professional fulfillment is infinitely higher. I do have a life outside of work, but not married, no kids, and much of my enjoyment in life (and the legacy I hope I'll leave behind) is due to the impact I hope I make in the lives of college students. I've posted elsewhere on my deep reservations about higher education in the UK, and won't repeat them here. In a nutshell, I'd look forward every day to going into work in the States. Here, I dread most days. There are some fine institutions and departments in the UK, but IMO, inspirational teaching in UK universities is being steadily crushed by an obsession with research (and especially research funding), an obsession with "quality control" (bureaucratic box-ticking), and "student centred education" (dumbing down so no-one fails).
b) cost of living and especially cost of housing. In 10 years of working hard and saving hard in the US (I live a pretty frugal life), I was almost mortgage-free. Most of that capital has disappeared since I came back here. So despite taking a huge hit by going back (almost back to square one), I see myself having much more of an opportunity to get out of the mortgage burden I'm currently under.
c) weather, lifestyle, and popular culture. Sure, there isn't "much to do" in large parts of the US if you're into opera, live concerts, theatre, etc., but as above, I live a pretty frugal life and enjoy simple pleasures llike gardening and riding my bike. Consequently, weather is a biggie.
d) it's hard to describe, but my personal life history leaves me with a love-hate relationship with the UK. Sure, "what I am" is largely due to a UK upbringing, if you mean my sense of humour, educational background, etc. But I see that the UK has given me very little and taken a lot. In contrast, most of my adult life has been spent in the US, and almost everything of value that I have gained in life has been from my experiences in the US.
What else? Well, I don't shop, so malls or any kinds of shopping hold no attraction. I'm not a Tesco addict. Neither is "a lack of depth in culture" as you put it, attractive. Indeed, I have seen more culture in the wildies of Tennessee than I have ever seen in some of the pits that are called communities in the UK. I think the welfare state/NHS are the UK's biggest credit and also their biggest curse.
I could ramble on, but to put it in a nutshell, it's all about my personal relationship with each country. My adult life in the UK has brought me little but grief. The US, on the other hand, has give back to me many times more than I put into it.
hi dunroving , very interesting post .i remember well your posts in regrds to leaving the states and you seemed pretty sure its what you wanted .
I too have wrestled for years on wether to return the uk and i am just in the final legs of doing it .
Obviously issues such as ,feeling of belonging ,familiarity of the uk itself ,sense of history ,not so bland architecture ,a perceived view there is more to do with ones spare time ,are all issues i have considered .
What i find interesting is obviously your not basing your decision on money as you are going to lose money returning to the states so as you have stated its a feeling of belonging ,this intrigues me as i can imagine the states to be very similar in many respects to australia in set up , ie shopping malls and rather bland suburbs with nothing much else to do except cut your lawn and go to the beach , this is not just my impression as i had this verified as an opinion from an american friend of mine who was staying here in perth .
So you as a brit ,what has changed have you realised that shopping malls etc etc in the states and a lack of depth in culture are more important to you than what you really are ,or is it a purely professional decision maybe due to fact your profession is better there in the states .
I understand the profession bit as im far better off here in australia but as the years roll by it has dawned on me that that is all i have ,so are you basing it on work ,if you are i do believe that is a mistake ,i think an over all view is a far better way of looking at things.
Maybe a move to the south coast of england would be better , scotland is lovely but weather wise is pretty dire .
Just my tuppence worth ,and not meant as an attack in any way but would certainly be interested in your reply .
I too have wrestled for years on wether to return the uk and i am just in the final legs of doing it .
Obviously issues such as ,feeling of belonging ,familiarity of the uk itself ,sense of history ,not so bland architecture ,a perceived view there is more to do with ones spare time ,are all issues i have considered .
What i find interesting is obviously your not basing your decision on money as you are going to lose money returning to the states so as you have stated its a feeling of belonging ,this intrigues me as i can imagine the states to be very similar in many respects to australia in set up , ie shopping malls and rather bland suburbs with nothing much else to do except cut your lawn and go to the beach , this is not just my impression as i had this verified as an opinion from an american friend of mine who was staying here in perth .
So you as a brit ,what has changed have you realised that shopping malls etc etc in the states and a lack of depth in culture are more important to you than what you really are ,or is it a purely professional decision maybe due to fact your profession is better there in the states .
I understand the profession bit as im far better off here in australia but as the years roll by it has dawned on me that that is all i have ,so are you basing it on work ,if you are i do believe that is a mistake ,i think an over all view is a far better way of looking at things.
Maybe a move to the south coast of england would be better , scotland is lovely but weather wise is pretty dire .
Just my tuppence worth ,and not meant as an attack in any way but would certainly be interested in your reply .
Last edited by dunroving; Sep 23rd 2009 at 8:40 pm.
Sep 23rd 2009, 9:18 pm
#72
Weirdo Latin Dude
Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Hotter than hell
Posts: 2,545
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
I didn't see your post as an attack at all ... to answer some of your questions :
I can see the positive and negative of the US (and UK), as per a post I submitted just before I left the US, and which was subsequently listed as an article on BE (I didn't even realise until several months later): http://britishexpats.com/articles/mo...d/not-all-bad/
Probably my major reasons for favouring the US are:
a) professional fulfillment is infinitely higher. I do have a life outside of work, but not married, no kids, and much of my enjoyment in life (and the legacy I hope I'll leave behind) is due to the impact I hope I make in the lives of college students. I've posted elsewhere on my deep reservations about higher education in the UK, and won't repeat them here. In a nutshell, I'd look forward every day to going into work in the States. Here, I dread most days. There are some fine institutions and departments in the UK, but IMO, inspirational teaching in UK universities is being steadily crushed by an obsession with research (and especially research funding), an obsession with "quality control" (bureaucratic box-ticking), and "student centred education" (dumbing down so no-one fails).
b) cost of living and especially cost of housing. In 10 years of working hard and saving hard in the US (I live a pretty frugal life), I was almost mortgage-free. Most of that capital has disappeared since I came back here. So despite taking a huge hit by going back (almost back to square one), I see myself having much more of an opportunity to get out of the mortgage burden I'm currently under.
c) weather, lifestyle, and popular culture. Sure, there isn't "much to do" in large parts of the US if you're into opera, live concerts, theatre, etc., but as above, I live a pretty frugal life and enjoy simple pleasures llike gardening and riding my bike. Consequently, weather is a biggie.
d) it's hard to describe, but my personal life history leaves me with a love-hate relationship with the UK. Sure, "what I am" is largely due to a UK upbringing, if you mean my sense of humour, educational background, etc. But I see that the UK has given me very little and taken a lot. In contrast, most of my adult life has been spent in the US, and almost everything of value that I have gained in life has been from my experiences in the US.
What else? Well, I don't shop, so malls or any kinds of shopping hold no attraction. I'm not a Tesco addict. Neither is "a lack of depth in culture" as you put it, attractive. Indeed, I have seen more culture in the wildies of Tennessee than I have ever seen in some of the pits that are called communities in the UK. I think the welfare state/NHS are the UK's biggest credit and also their biggest curse.
I could ramble on, but to put it in a nutshell, it's all about my personal relationship with each country. My adult life in the UK has brought me little but grief. The US, on the other hand, has give back to me many times more than I put into it.
I can see the positive and negative of the US (and UK), as per a post I submitted just before I left the US, and which was subsequently listed as an article on BE (I didn't even realise until several months later): http://britishexpats.com/articles/mo...d/not-all-bad/
Probably my major reasons for favouring the US are:
a) professional fulfillment is infinitely higher. I do have a life outside of work, but not married, no kids, and much of my enjoyment in life (and the legacy I hope I'll leave behind) is due to the impact I hope I make in the lives of college students. I've posted elsewhere on my deep reservations about higher education in the UK, and won't repeat them here. In a nutshell, I'd look forward every day to going into work in the States. Here, I dread most days. There are some fine institutions and departments in the UK, but IMO, inspirational teaching in UK universities is being steadily crushed by an obsession with research (and especially research funding), an obsession with "quality control" (bureaucratic box-ticking), and "student centred education" (dumbing down so no-one fails).
b) cost of living and especially cost of housing. In 10 years of working hard and saving hard in the US (I live a pretty frugal life), I was almost mortgage-free. Most of that capital has disappeared since I came back here. So despite taking a huge hit by going back (almost back to square one), I see myself having much more of an opportunity to get out of the mortgage burden I'm currently under.
c) weather, lifestyle, and popular culture. Sure, there isn't "much to do" in large parts of the US if you're into opera, live concerts, theatre, etc., but as above, I live a pretty frugal life and enjoy simple pleasures llike gardening and riding my bike. Consequently, weather is a biggie.
d) it's hard to describe, but my personal life history leaves me with a love-hate relationship with the UK. Sure, "what I am" is largely due to a UK upbringing, if you mean my sense of humour, educational background, etc. But I see that the UK has given me very little and taken a lot. In contrast, most of my adult life has been spent in the US, and almost everything of value that I have gained in life has been from my experiences in the US.
What else? Well, I don't shop, so malls or any kinds of shopping hold no attraction. I'm not a Tesco addict. Neither is "a lack of depth in culture" as you put it, attractive. Indeed, I have seen more culture in the wildies of Tennessee than I have ever seen in some of the pits that are called communities in the UK. I think the welfare state/NHS are the UK's biggest credit and also their biggest curse.
I could ramble on, but to put it in a nutshell, it's all about my personal relationship with each country. My adult life in the UK has brought me little but grief. The US, on the other hand, has give back to me many times more than I put into it.
I think people are unfair when chastising the USA for its lack of culture, sure it hasn`t got an Aztec or Mayan culture like that of neighboring Mexico, but it does have a history on its eastern seaboard:War of Independence and Civil War and if you`re a music fan, it has a very rich diverse musical culture. I think its also great that you can literally choose your own climate there as well.
On a personal level, I`d love to live in the USA but my desires are based on just two trips there and never actually living there as you have done, so I couldn`t make an accurate appraisal of what it would be like to live there.
Given your profession and qualifications, I would have thought that would give you access to live just about anywhere that you wanted.
Sep 23rd 2009, 9:42 pm
#73
In the pink
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 3,324
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...
Reading this certainly suggests that your future distinctly rests in the USA and by not making that return trip, you`ll probably always regret it.
I think people are unfair when chastising the USA for its lack of culture, sure it hasn`t got an Aztec or Mayan culture like that of neighboring Mexico, but it does have a history on its eastern seaboard:War of Independence and Civil War and if you`re a music fan, it has a very rich diverse musical culture. I think its also great that you can literally choose your own climate there as well.
On a personal level, I`d love to live in the USA but my desires are based on just two trips there and never actually living there as you have done, so I couldn`t make an accurate appraisal of what it would be like to live there.
Given your profession and qualifications, I would have thought that would give you access to live just about anywhere that you wanted.
I think people are unfair when chastising the USA for its lack of culture, sure it hasn`t got an Aztec or Mayan culture like that of neighboring Mexico, but it does have a history on its eastern seaboard:War of Independence and Civil War and if you`re a music fan, it has a very rich diverse musical culture. I think its also great that you can literally choose your own climate there as well.
On a personal level, I`d love to live in the USA but my desires are based on just two trips there and never actually living there as you have done, so I couldn`t make an accurate appraisal of what it would be like to live there.
Given your profession and qualifications, I would have thought that would give you access to live just about anywhere that you wanted.
Yes, in the USA you can move around easily, and live the lifestyle that you prefer. You can choose a tropical climate, Mediterranean climate, desert climate, or mountain climate. You can live in small town or large city. What makes it easy to move is that there aren't any language problems when moving to a different region If you live in the UK, you cannot expect to get a teaching position in France for instance, if you don't speak French.
I saw this link not long ago, which is interesting.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...cans_move.html
Sep 23rd 2009, 10:01 pm
#75
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: For crying out loud....Tax, NI, pension contributions...