Originally Posted by ImHere

I was welling up writing it....

One of the greatest things about Britain (IMHO) is the freedom to walk over the countryside almost anywhere. The ancient laws of public rights of way that landowners cannot refute.....

I hate that you have to pay to access public beaches here. Everywhere you go its "Rules, Rules, Rules". And I thought the US of A was the home of freedom and liberty.

Someone once said: "Remember, where ever you may go, you are English and this means, in the lottery of life, you have drawn a winning ticket."

Very true words.

Originally Posted by ImHere

*Sigh*

All those pictures......

I can empathise with every one on this thread...we've only been in the states for 3 months and the homesickness comes in waves. One day Im fine and lovin' it here the next I spend the entire day just wanting to go back home.

One thing moving here has done is put the "downsides" of life in Blighty back into persepective. We spent a long time just wanting to get out of Britain. Everyday was spent complaining about how bad everything was...we'd become caught up in all the media BS about how bad Britain is. Now we can see it for what it really is. A load of baloney! Sure Britain has its darkside as does everywhere - but now we can also see the good things Britain has to offer.

I used to post on another forum for brits coming to Florida, and I despaired at the "Stars in your Eyes" attitude of Brits still in Britain wanting to emigrate to the states - in particular Florida. We had those same stars in your eyes attitudes until we got here and woke up to a few realities.

Of course, we shall make a life here (hopefully) and plug on. But I cant see the pangs of missing Britian ever really going. Not completely.

I miss the usual odd food products and bits of everyday life but most of all I miss the pace of life in Britain. The slowness if you want it. Going up into the moors and just chilling out. The easygoing pace. The feeling that it (what ever "it" is) doesnt need to be done today, right now. I also miss the fact that the police were friendly and would smile and say hello (most of em). Here I feel like a criminal everytime a copper looks at me. Perhaps its just the "Alieness" of it and it will subside. Although speaking to Americans here they feel the same, so perhaps not. Infact, on an American Expats forum one of the members said how shocked they were when a British bobby smiled and said hello in passing...in 30 odd years in the States that never happened to them!

I miss walking - oh how i miss walking! Drive up ATMs? Gimme a break! I make a point of parking as far from the damn ATM as I can and walking to it...at least its better than nothing.

I miss driving down winding country lanes, with trees forming an arch overhead and a little brook running alongside, then stopping to wander over to say hello to some horses by a gate, feed them a handful of grass and just take in the country sights and smells.

I miss a countryside that doesnt try to kill you or eat you alive just by stepping out of your car.

I havent - as yet - missed the weather. Its been pleasantly warm all winter here. Perhaps I will, in a couple of years, yearn for a real Winter. Or Spring. Or Autumn.

Home, they say, is where your heart is. Right now my heart is shooting back and forth across several thousand miles of ocean.

Originally Posted by callë

ImHere,
you really touched us all. I have always been proud to be British. But you did make me well up about it again. Where in Fla. are you? I am in Jax. but I'm going home this October. Believe me even the climate will get to you. With spring coming and the warmth and sun I could think, What am I doing'? But I've been here long enough to know that spring here quickly turns into hot.hot humid summer. Great if you are going to the beach but that gets boring after awhile and to do anything else it's just too hot. You find you live indoors in the air con. Just to walk my dogs in the summer, I have to wait till late in the evening and still its so humid. Oh and mozzies will absolutely drive you insane!
anyway, thanks for a nice post. how I yearn for a lovely long walk in the countryside.

Originally Posted by Englishmum

I can relate to what you're saying Lisa....before we came to the States we lived in Singapore for a few years. It's 85 miles north of the Equator. Every day of the year it would be dark from 7pm and light again at 7am. No 'Dawn' or Twilight as we know it....almost like a light being switched on or off. Every day of the year it is steamy there - the only relief being in the twice yearly monsoon seasons; the clouds would usually appear at around noon and at about 4pm there would be a tremendous thunderstorm with lightning bolts going off all around and incredible huge raindrops. 20 mins later it's over and then the steam would rise from the streets and pavements and the temps would rapidly rise again (although the coldest it ever gets there is 75f)!

After a couple of years of the lack of seasons we were really bored with it - every day was so alike, the weather in Feb was similar to the weather in May, September or December (barring the brief rainstorms in the afternoon during the monsoon seasons). We longed for cold weather and even took the kids to California to going skiing one Christmas!

Now of course, we're in New Jersey (which is fairly close to New England and Canada is about a 9 hour drive north). I really hate the long, long and bitterly cold winters here...Spring doesn't seem to arrive until May (that's when the daffodils come out - so late!) and only lasts for about 2 weeks then it's straight into a hot, humid Summer - yet it gets dark at 8.30pm in Midsummer, which was a huge shock to me, I thought it would be similar to the long British Summer days. We've also had a couple of very wet Summers too here. I do, however, like the Autumn colours in this part of the world.

Today I was shovelling snow - for the third time in 8 days. I've had enough of it and just want to hibernate indoors. I don't know why people complain so much about the British weather, I never thought it was so bad and the winters are certainly milder there.

Originally Posted by UKintheUSA

Sounds like all of you must be living in big cities or in ALL THE WRONG PLACES in the USA. We live in Northern New Hampshire and it is absolutely LOVELY, Scenic, Safe, Beautiful, The local Grocers will order in food that we request fom Britian, etc. My husband is from Wales and the only thing he says he HONESTLY misses is the Chocolate and the Chip Stands. I keep telling him he should open one up! Sorry you are all homesick. I would be homesick if I lived there if only for the fact of not having the three ACRES of land and living in the country and the HUGE bathrooms we are fortunate to have. I had a tough time back there visiting..........the first thing I did was come home a take a long hot shower in our bathroom that the two of us can be in at one time!

Originally Posted by ImHere

Thank you, all of you.

I am always and always will be proud to be British.

Currently we live in Palm Beach County....hot, humid, and very expensive. We are here due to work (even though we have GC's). We will be moving next year, whether its in the USA or not.

Are you going home permanently Calle?

To Emmals..Im sure you can guess who I was on the other forum , and yes we were starry eyed. If i'd had the insight others have from living and working here I would have still come, but probably better armed with knowledge. I certainly wouldnt have just slagged them off, telling them they are wrong how can the "Paradise" possibly have nasty things in it, as happened to me. Its not so easy to keep upping sticks, especially when you have school age children, so we have to try to make this work.

But anyway, each to their own and people have to learn for themselves.

Originally Posted by shauninoz

1. The BBC - you just dont get *quality* like that here at all
2. Banks that dont rip you off left, right and centre
3. Traffic Lights that dont take a billion years to change from green to red. Crossing the roads here can be V frustrating.
4. Living in a country where you are free to cross the road if you want to without incurring a A$100 fine
5. Living in a dynamic country. The economy here is so uncompetitive and people dont seem to care that they are ripped off everywhere they go.
6. Good public transport
7. The Labour Government. No fun living under a far-right administration here.
8. Lower income taxes
9. The Britsh sense of humility and self deprecating sense of humour
10. the history
11. London
12. being close to Europe and able to take city breaks in any country in the continent.
13. Clothes - affordable and fashionable in the UK. Overpriced and not fashionable here.

Originally Posted by ImHere

Hello and welcome.

Im guessing your in Oz and not liking it much?

Originally Posted by seacreature

For what it's worth, here's my list....

Things I don't miss!!

Chavs, rainy winters & huge spiders.

Originally Posted by ImHere

*Sigh*
One thing moving here has done is put the "downsides" of life in Blighty back into persepective. We spent a long time just wanting to get out of Britain. Everyday was spent complaining about how bad everything was...we'd become caught up in all the media BS about how bad Britain is. Now we can see it for what it really is. A load of baloney! Sure Britain has its darkside as does everywhere - but now we can also see the good things Britain has to offer.

.

Originally Posted by Guelder Rose

I- whereas here I get to deal with Black Widow spiders! :scared: