GOALFIRE

I would agree with this. I would say I feel safer in the US than I did back in the UK. Even living in the Chicago area that gets a lot of bad press (and rightly so) about the violence in parts of the city here is suburbia its a different world. Now I would say my experiences in the UK were as a younger person up to the age of 30 so going to pubs and clubs where violence may be more prevalent. Though I'll return as a middle aged man quite happy to be in bed by 9pm so won't be the same lifestyle!

I would say from a personal property standpoint I feel far safer by some magnitude here in the US. We leave our door unlocked, we leave our windows open in the summer, sleep with them open, I never worry about the car being stolen or people breaking in to the house, never. That was not the case when Iived in the UK and on my trips back home it does not seem to have changed since I left.

As you say it is all dependent on where you live and one thing the US does do well is keep the two worlds apart.

christmasoompa

I do all of that in the UK and more. But I don't live in a town/city, perhaps that's the difference. If you want a quieter lifestyle where you can leave your back door unlocked, your keys in your car, and neighbours popping in for a coffee, then look more rurally when you do move back.

Pulaski

Yes, all that too! I just didn't want to post a huge monolog. ..... But would further add, there is a reason why pickup trucks are not popular in the UK like they are in the US.

callé

Hi. I haven't been on here in years! just out of curiosity i decided to have a look. All i'll say is it all depends very highly on the area you locate to. I came back in 2005 and have not looked back. I'm in a small town in Cheshire. Alsager. I love it !!
I feel very safe here. I have never had a parking ticket My children were teenagers when we came back. Now I am a grandmother and my children are happy and wouldn't dream of going back to America. My american husband is also well settled and would not return to America. Do your homework, check into locations, and things will fall into place. The cities have problems, but the countryside is still beautiful and very safe. I know I made the right decision.

Ukoneday

Thank you for taking the tile to share this. So lovely to read. How did you manage to get your children into a good school as teens? We’re they not behind? How old were they?

callé

My teens were 15 and 16. I went into the school, alsager high, and just spoke with the head. Luckily I brought all my kid's records and they attended good schools in the US. They took them in and they did great. My son in particular, 15, slotted straight in. He went on to Bangor university in Wales. Did great. They are both working now. ☺️

park99

OP:
I feel you.
When I say good-bye to my kids in the morning, I had the same worries like you.

Follow your heart. Do what makes you think it's right for your and your family. UK has violent crimes but it's nowhere near the situation in the U.S.

austin_d_powers

To keep it simple, there is a three word saying in the real estate business. But in this case there is a six word saying that applies to everyone moving back.
Location, location, location, Money, Money, Money.
If you have money you have more chance at being happy with your move.
UK houses are the smallest in Europe, USA houses are large, the point is Money, Money, Money.
Vacations, the point is Money, Money, Money.
Private schools, the point is Money, Money, Money.
Good jobs, the point is Money, Money, Money.
It doesn't matter if you are leaving the UK for a foreign land or returning to the UK, the point is Money, Money, Money will determine if you can be happy with the move.

mrken30

There is a lot of truth in this. But with the same amount of money, life experience and quality can vary a lot. Depending on the level of money, the difference between quality of life can vary a little or a lot.

Jerseygirl

what absolute rubbish.

When we moved to the US, we had a large house, swimming pool, 4 cars, daughter at private school, house in the UK and I was as miserable as sin for years.

austin_d_powers

Let me clear things up.
Some people can have money and be miserable as sin.
Most people who don't have money will be miserable as sin.
Then you have those with some money (most people) that can go either way depending on personality and how they choose to spend that money (debt, stress, etc).
As a general rule money and realism (just how rose tinted are those glasses) determine how people cope in the real world.
In posts like this one most people without money will tell you they don't have money, for everyone else you guess based on what they say in the post.
Most people like to say nice things and ignore reality, but a bit of reality is better than a lot of people saying nice things. Unless you are rich and miserable, in which case people saying nice things to you might help.
At the end of the day, I guess success will depend on the people involved and if they can get along with each other and live with the decisions they make together.

Ukoneday

Do you write speeches for the UK government? .... clear as mud. What are you trying to say?

Jerseygirl

^^^ 2 words...word salad. ^^^

Pulaski

Sometime less is more. If you'd said this ^ you would have been a lot clearer, but as JG said, your post is word salad. ... To which I would add, it might have been easier to read if you had seasoned the salad with more punctuation.

My version of (what I think is) the essence of what you're saying, is that being poor is miserable, and having unrealistic expectations of your earning power and/or what you can buy with your income, is nearly as bad as being poor.

Jerseygirl

As my old aunt used to say...’at least you can be ill/unhappy in comfort.”

IMO it is being happy with ‘your lot’. Neither of our parents had much money...but my in-laws (who were married for almost 70 yrs) were very happy.