Pros and cons from your move from US back to UK
Oct 4th 2020, 12:43 pm
#46
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Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 1
Re: Pros and cons from your move from US back to UK
`Hi all,
I'm sure this has been done to death but in a bid to not spending any more hours trawling through the forms i thought i'd ask for those of you that lived in the US and went back home to England to give me your pros and cons.
My story is, I lived in England my whole life (with temporary moves to Canada and Israel). Got married to an American i met in Israel and moved to USA. We have been here 9 years and 6 of those in beautiful Colorado (south metro area). We have a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old who attend an amazing k-12 charter school. We live in the most affluent beautifully clean and well kept town. My parents moved down the road from us 3 years ago from the UK. It's been wonderful. I don't say this to boast, i say it to give context into my pull to go back home.
The school shootings are terrifying. It's something i have not been ok with. Every time i drop my kids off at school i leave feeling so sad and almost prepping myself that they may not ever come home to me. It sounds over dramatic but i have reason. In the last 2 years there was a STEM school shooting i'm sure you will have heard of, that was 2 miles from my house, opposite my youngest's pre school and my older boy was enrolled in that school until the day before the shooting happened when he got into our 1st choice. PHEW! There was another one planned at the high school down the road from us that was foiled by chance. Then there's the memories of Columbine
Like i said, we live in a safe beautiful part of the state, there's no safety from mental health issues and guns.
It's just getting too frequent for my liking and i hate that the kids have to 'hide from a bear and suck on a lollipop to stay quiet' during drills.
In 10 years, friendships are shallow but pleasant.
My parents will move to the UK if i leave. They may even go if the administration take away obamacare as their retirement didn't plan for US healthcare but instead for the NHS.
I have US and UK citizenship and we could technically always come back, but we have investments to think about and uprooting the kids is something i wouldn't like to do again if i can help it.
I'm most worried that i have rose tinted memories of England.
I lived mostly in Northamptonshire in the countryside. Something i didn't love as a kid but would love now!
My husband is worried about the weather being depressing but i counter that with easy short trips to spain, france, crete etc.
Living in Colorado is like living in your holiday destination which sounds ideal but what that does is make you not want to explore much else, and when you do you can't wait to come back to colorado. Again, sounds ideal but it means never having that super exciting trip or vacation, not fully feeling like you are unplugging from 'home' (colorado). It's hard to explain.
I believe we would move to Oxford, Maidenhead area if we move. Berkshire area. I would want to enroll the kids in a charter/grammer school if i can.
So please, give me your pros and cons. Please, if you can share also what state you lived in and what county you are in now in the UK.
Please be kind. Apologies, i'm writing this at speed as the kids demand my attention so i'm not at my most articulate!
Many thanks!
I'm sure this has been done to death but in a bid to not spending any more hours trawling through the forms i thought i'd ask for those of you that lived in the US and went back home to England to give me your pros and cons.
My story is, I lived in England my whole life (with temporary moves to Canada and Israel). Got married to an American i met in Israel and moved to USA. We have been here 9 years and 6 of those in beautiful Colorado (south metro area). We have a 4 yr old and a 6 yr old who attend an amazing k-12 charter school. We live in the most affluent beautifully clean and well kept town. My parents moved down the road from us 3 years ago from the UK. It's been wonderful. I don't say this to boast, i say it to give context into my pull to go back home.
The school shootings are terrifying. It's something i have not been ok with. Every time i drop my kids off at school i leave feeling so sad and almost prepping myself that they may not ever come home to me. It sounds over dramatic but i have reason. In the last 2 years there was a STEM school shooting i'm sure you will have heard of, that was 2 miles from my house, opposite my youngest's pre school and my older boy was enrolled in that school until the day before the shooting happened when he got into our 1st choice. PHEW! There was another one planned at the high school down the road from us that was foiled by chance. Then there's the memories of Columbine
Like i said, we live in a safe beautiful part of the state, there's no safety from mental health issues and guns.It's just getting too frequent for my liking and i hate that the kids have to 'hide from a bear and suck on a lollipop to stay quiet' during drills.
In 10 years, friendships are shallow but pleasant.
My parents will move to the UK if i leave. They may even go if the administration take away obamacare as their retirement didn't plan for US healthcare but instead for the NHS.
I have US and UK citizenship and we could technically always come back, but we have investments to think about and uprooting the kids is something i wouldn't like to do again if i can help it.
I'm most worried that i have rose tinted memories of England.
I lived mostly in Northamptonshire in the countryside. Something i didn't love as a kid but would love now!
My husband is worried about the weather being depressing but i counter that with easy short trips to spain, france, crete etc.
Living in Colorado is like living in your holiday destination which sounds ideal but what that does is make you not want to explore much else, and when you do you can't wait to come back to colorado. Again, sounds ideal but it means never having that super exciting trip or vacation, not fully feeling like you are unplugging from 'home' (colorado). It's hard to explain.
I believe we would move to Oxford, Maidenhead area if we move. Berkshire area. I would want to enroll the kids in a charter/grammer school if i can.
So please, give me your pros and cons. Please, if you can share also what state you lived in and what county you are in now in the UK.
Please be kind. Apologies, i'm writing this at speed as the kids demand my attention so i'm not at my most articulate!
Many thanks!
Your situation soundes very familiar. I lived in Castle Pines in Colorado for many years. It is a beautiful place to live and the views are breathtaking. Last year we moved to Wokingham Berkshire and do not regret making the move. There are pros/cons on both sides of the pond and everyones situation will be different. I was happy with the schools in Colorado - Timber Trails/Rocky Heights (apart from the shooting scares) but UK schools have been better for my children. While Colorado is a great place to live you can feel a little isolated due to its location. In the UK (pre-covid) I am able to exposure my kids to many cultures within the UK and more specfically by taking trips to to Europe.
