Originally Posted by Mallory

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

Originally Posted by Sally Redux

Sort of, but higher education is under the cosh here.

Originally Posted by Tr1boy

Unless there are more than one Millfields, it's in Street, Somt.

Originally Posted by Jules Europe

I didn`t know you were a lecturer!!! Also what is starship legend trophy?

Originally Posted by luvwelly

When you live in NZ, Street is near Exeter trust me ! It's also a boarding school.

Originally Posted by Elvira

No shit...

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=8102113

:curse::curse::curse:

Originally Posted by ezzie

I want to go back because I love culture, history, village life, engaging in a bit of banter with complete strangers, morris dancing, bellringing, mad old ladies in hats, canal walks, drivers who wave, watching sheepdogs expertly guiding the sheep up the mountain, Badger Beer, moorland, quirky English customs, exploring rocky coastlines, snug pubs, the view from the top of the Malverns, standing under a dolmon wondering what life was like in the Stone Age, staying in youth hostels half-way up a mountain, badgers, hedgerows, visiting dusty tithe barns, markets and frosty meadows as well as warm days spent picnicking next to a river feeding the swans..

Originally Posted by ezzie

Here in Sydney I have a big house with a pool overlooking some lovely bushviews. We have good jobs and dh brings in a good wage. My three kids are happy, at good schools and have THE loveliest of friends. We live in a safe area - the youth are delightful, no litter or grafitti. The neighbours wave to us and will have drinks evenings each week in the street. Life is very easy, but every weekend I'm looking for something to do without success. I still don't feel that 'click' like when I talk to a Pom.

Originally Posted by sonlymewalter

I've seen your posts for months now, to-ing and fro-ing. Whilst I understand your dilemma this demonstrates there is no right or wrong answer ezzie in other words, there is no definitive solution, it's all about what's best for the family overall and clearly there are going to be some big sacrifices, especially about your standard of living. You need to face this as your greatest obstacle and decide if it's worth it then move on. Deliberating for months knowing full well this is your issues isn't going to make the problem go away. I reckon you are going to have to bite the bullet mate.

It's about what you're prepared to sacrifice rather than what you're likely to gain.

Originally Posted by dunroving

to answer some of your questions :

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.

Originally Posted by Sally Redux

Useless twats :curse::curse::curse:

Could work in my favour though

Originally Posted by Elvira

So do you have a cunning plan...

Originally Posted by Sally Redux

Stick a tail on it or whatever that Blackadder quote is

Originally Posted by Tr1boy

Wasn't it pencils up the nose and underwear on the head?

Originally Posted by dunroving

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.

Originally Posted by Sally Redux

My husband works at UCLA.

Staship Legend is in the arcade on here - fancy your chances, punk?

Originally Posted by Jules Europe

This is an antiquated 80`s game! Which means its hard. As for how you managed to get that high score You must`ve have been on there, for months on end practicing to finally get a score that high.