nyclady

I'm a Londoner but have lived in New York for 25 years. I have decided to go back to London since my Mother isn't getting any younger (neither am I) and my brother now has a little girl and rumour has it another little one is on the way. The first part of the journey is now set for Jan 12th. I'll be taking the cats who have an ever expanding file of paperwork to accompany them. I split the moving process up due to the OVERWHELMING logistics and I return in March to wrap up business stuff and the apt. When I left London it was for love (an Englishman ...he got married soon after .... not to me! but that's another looooooong story) and all I took was a couple of suitcases. What an adventure. These days I have responsibilities.... credit card bills/ bank accounts/ business stuff (I'm self-employed)/ two cats/ furniture/ a rent stabilized apartment full of accumulated stuff (loathe to give up but subletting is not an option at this point) ad infinitum. I have procrastinated for a very long time now and am exhausted just from thinking about having to start all over again but my home-sickness (I guess that's what you sould call it ) has never really abated. That feeling might merely turn into depression but there is only one way to find out. My Mother is thrilled (but I wonder for how long that will last?!) and I am sad to be leaving such a wonderful city. There is nothing like a New York Diner, that sky-line, those affordable movie theatres and Sechuan take-out !. And all my friends as well... thank goodness for e-mail and inexpensive phone calls.Of course I plan to visit but it will never be the same and from what I know from people in a similar field as me I'll be lucky to be able to afford the flight. At the same time I'm excited about FINALLY taking the risk.
I see from these forums that others go through stuff like this all the time so I don't feel so much like a misfit.
Hope this post isn't too long and thanks for reading it.
Happy New Year to all :scared:
In the light of what is happening due to the destruction of the floods around the Indian Ocean my dilemmas are nothing. My thoughts and prayers are with those coping with the unimaginable nightmare.

callé

Oh I'm so envious. There is an awful lot of work involved isn't there. My parents brought me here when they emigrated. I procastinated a very long time as well and now that I've decided to go back, I'm dragging my American husband and children and two dogs. Wow! lots of paper work! Not to mention house selling, furniture and timing. Then I guess all the other work starting over when we get to the other side. There is an enormous amount of emotion through it all. Please let us know how you get on and how you adjust. I'm sure your Mum is very happy about your decision.

eurotramp

Hi,

I feel for you. At least you know where to go......we moved the last 12 years 7 times between Germany, England, Holland and Belgium and that was not the last time. Once everything is on its place again you cant even remember anymore how bad it was.

JAJ

If you only have a green card then you need to know that once you move back to the UK you are at high risk of losing it, and hence you would not be able to return to the US later on.

The only reliable way to keep open your option to return to the US later on is to become a naturalised US citizen before you leave. This does carry an obligation to continue filing US tax returns when overseas, but is not a problem for most US expats. You'd keep British citizenship.

Jeremy

callé

Hi Eurotramp
I cant imagine moving that much!! One move is so much bother. of course it is a big move across the pond and I have accumalated so much stuff! One of the big jobs is just deciding whats going and what is to be thrown out or sold or given away.
So have you decided where you are going to settle? In one way it must be very hard to move so much, but just think of all you have seen of different people and cultures! At least you are well traveled. I'm afraid I fell into the trap that most people over here fall into. Never going anywhwere. Thats one of reasons I am so excited about going back. It will be a good opportunity to visit Europe and my children will get to know their British culture and have a chance to travel as well.

eurotramp

Hi Callee,

of course that's a big move. How old are your children?
I hope you gone have a big yard sale, remember...houses in Britain are have the size to the one in the US Do you think you will miss the good weather?
Do you know what...I wish just to find a nice place to settle and to feel at home.
I my position you never really have friends und you rarely see family and it would be nice to speak just to people in the shops and pubs. See, we live in the French part of Belgium and I don't speak French....I do speak German, Dutch and English...but this is no good here.

Don't worry...think about your first pint in the local

callé

Hi.
My children are 14 and 15. I have already had a yard sale with another one planned in the spring. It's a big job but I have to admit its kinda nice clearing old stuff out. You accumalate so much clutter and you dont really need half of it. It's refreshing... making a new start. Just a little bit scary to though!
I think I will miss the warm sunny days of spring and Autumn, but I wont miss the hot, humid days of summer. The hot days are nice for going to the beach but thats about it. On a regular day to day basis you stay in air conditioning most of the day and when you have to go out you sweat so much.
Where is your family living? do you think you will be settling down close to them? What about your husbands family?
Well I hope the new year will be good to all of us. The tsunami tradgedy really makes you think about whats important and how lucky we are to be alive and have that chance to see family.
Yes, that first pint in a local will be very nice indeed!!

eurotramp

Hi,

Hubby is from N Ireland and I'm German..so nobody living in England, but I would not like to live in N Ireland, friendly people but the weather is not for me. I need lots of sun.
I would like to go to the south of England if I could afford it , but we will stay here for a year or two...
When you move as often as we did, you never really build up so much stuff, because you think all the time about that next move.
I always get ride of a lot of stuff in thrift shops or car boot sales, but a lot of the time I buy more then I sell
Where about will you settle down?
Do you think you kids will like it?? I can imagine that kids at that age don't like to loose all there friends to move so far away.

callé

We are going to start out in the midlands as that is where much of my family are and my cousin has a job lined up for my husband. I would love to eventually be able to settle down in Plymouth as thats my birthplace and yes, the weather is nicer. We will just have to wait and see. So much is depending on the housing market. Not wanting to wish bad on anyone trying to sell but it would be great for us if the price of housing falls some more. I'm afraid thats the only hope we have of buying anywhere in Devon.
My children have been aware of the move for a while so I think they are prepared. We'll see....

eurotramp

"So much is depending on the housing market. Not wanting to wish bad on anyone trying to sell but it would be great for us if the price of housing falls some more. I'm afraid thats the only hope we have of buying anywhere in Devon."

Same here It is just not real anymore how much they asking for houses over there

Wish you all the best..and let us know how you getting on

nyclady

Thankyou to all those who have responded to my post and yes I do have dual citizenship ...after a pretty long process.
Calle (I know there is a way to put those dots over the e but cannot figure it out), of course your children will miss friends but in this time of e-mail and ims and those camera things in computors they will be able to talk to them all the time ...I'm sure it will be a challenge but probably one worth dealing with. I travelled a lot when I was a teenager and wouldn't change that opportunity for anything.
There are many things that will take a lot of getting used to for me in England. The grey skies are a big one. The other one is the more subtle things ...little things such as when you are introduced to someone do you shake hands as you do in NY?...I can never remember what I'm s'posed to do where and can sometimes feel a blundering fool over what may seemingly be insignificant but it can all add up. I s'pose it's partly due to the assumption that the same language is being spoken when in fact there are all sorts of hidden messages going on...all part of the culture shock for us to experience.

It has been very encouraging to read posts from peeps who have made the move in the past year and do not regret it.

All the very best to all for 2005

chazzy4

when you left london for ny and stayed ,how on earth did you do it? how did you support yourself there ?
sorry for going off the thread of things a little here but am very interested in your story as i am planning to relocate and the visa option just isnt working for me ,so just need a little help advice on how people do things like this ?
thanks for reading
chazzy

nyclady

Hi Chazzy,
I wouldn't wish what I went through on my worst enemy...I spent a VERY long time basically singing for my supper and gettting myself into some really dodgy situations where people took advantage of me... until finally I found someone willing to sponsor me.....this was in the early 80's...many things have changed now. I hope someone else out there can be of more help. I know that the Nursing Industries are recruiting people to come and work in the States...would that be an option for you? Or maybe teaching English as a Foreign Language?
What field are you in?

callé

Nyclady,
HI. I know what you mean about those little things. I have not posted any questions about them as it seems so trivial and there are so many to even think of. But I sometimes wonder about those things and I hope that I dont seem rude or just plain stupid or even maybe pushy in my own homeland!! I'll just have to be forgiven and hope it will all soon become second hand to me. Being one nationality and spending so much time in a different country can sometimes make you feel that you dont really belong anywhere. But it's my home in my heart and I hope all else will follow.
Please keep us updated. I wont be going home untill October as thats when my dogs can be flown. it really does help reading all the posts from others that have gone back. I pop on here most days, sometimes several times a day anxious to see if there are any new posts. How sad is that?
Oh.. and thanks for your input about my teenagers being able to adjust.

JAJ

Having dual citizenship is a real plus. It means that in the end you can return to the US if you find the UK is not for you (you do need to be prepared for a culture shock even if you are technically returning 'home').

It's amazing how many people only wonder about dual citizenship after they've left the other country and want to return a few years later on (when they find they can't).

Jeremy