Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Mar 11th 2011, 9:06 pm
#16
Back home in Kent....
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: Rainham, Kent was Ohio!
Posts: 20
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Hi, I lived in Northern California, Santa Rosa to be exact for 7.5 years then moved East to Salem, Ohio for 2.5 years. I finally came to the decision that I wanted to come home and landed back in England in November 2010. I have never regretted that decision at all.
I got 15 days a year holiday when I was in California and it wasn't enough so I really feel for you on that one, and yes, it rains an awful lot.
I am glad to be home in ole blightly and realized that my heart was always here. I am also loving the fact that I really did miss my family and the two holidays a year they took to come see me for the last 10 years wasn't enough.
Come home.....
I got 15 days a year holiday when I was in California and it wasn't enough so I really feel for you on that one, and yes, it rains an awful lot.
I am glad to be home in ole blightly and realized that my heart was always here. I am also loving the fact that I really did miss my family and the two holidays a year they took to come see me for the last 10 years wasn't enough.
Come home.....
Mar 11th 2011, 9:18 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 49
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Hi,
well i want to say that i have been here in cali for 10 years and I am working in academy and we have wonderful long holidays yes our contracts are nine months and we have the option of teaching in the summer if we want to with extra pay of course. In fact i have more time off here than when i was a lecturer in the UK. How bout that? I spend my summers travelling around or going back to london to see my family and friends this is great!!! I work from home at least one day a week too.
mekala
southern california
well i want to say that i have been here in cali for 10 years and I am working in academy and we have wonderful long holidays yes our contracts are nine months and we have the option of teaching in the summer if we want to with extra pay of course. In fact i have more time off here than when i was a lecturer in the UK. How bout that? I spend my summers travelling around or going back to london to see my family and friends this is great!!! I work from home at least one day a week too.
mekala
southern california
Mar 12th 2011, 12:41 am
#18
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 28
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Hi, I lived in Northern California, Santa Rosa to be exact for 7.5 years then moved East to Salem, Ohio for 2.5 years. I finally came to the decision that I wanted to come home and landed back in England in November 2010. I have never regretted that decision at all.
I got 15 days a year holiday when I was in California and it wasn't enough so I really feel for you on that one, and yes, it rains an awful lot.
I am glad to be home in ole blightly and realized that my heart was always here. I am also loving the fact that I really did miss my family and the two holidays a year they took to come see me for the last 10 years wasn't enough.
Come home.....
I got 15 days a year holiday when I was in California and it wasn't enough so I really feel for you on that one, and yes, it rains an awful lot.
I am glad to be home in ole blightly and realized that my heart was always here. I am also loving the fact that I really did miss my family and the two holidays a year they took to come see me for the last 10 years wasn't enough.
Come home.....
Mar 12th 2011, 1:52 am
#19
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2011
Location: Salt Spring Island, BC, Canada
Posts: 2,060
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
One of the biggest issues for me is that I miss my family back home and I have no quality of life here.
At first this is not a big deal as you are generally excited to be in a new country, but after time in really gets to me Healthcare: Why would you move from England where you get healthcare coverage even if you have no job to a country where you could be paying an average of $500.00 USD per month for health care. There are more reasons but this is the main reasons for leaving. I am worried about not re-adjusting to life back in the UK, but I fear I have no other choice now as I feel tired with America.
I try to integrate myself and have friends at work, but I never feel really part of their culture. I am not even sure if America has any defining culture. It's a mix bag. I do miss my culture.
The one thing I have gained by this whole experience is the appreciation of my own culture, history and more knowledge of Britain.
Now I just need to try and salvage the value of my house in a sale,figure how to get my dog and cat back to England and some cash on the hip.
Thankfully, I am working on a career exit strategy to earn more cash when I return back home.
At first this is not a big deal as you are generally excited to be in a new country, but after time in really gets to me Healthcare: Why would you move from England where you get healthcare coverage even if you have no job to a country where you could be paying an average of $500.00 USD per month for health care. There are more reasons but this is the main reasons for leaving. I am worried about not re-adjusting to life back in the UK, but I fear I have no other choice now as I feel tired with America.
I try to integrate myself and have friends at work, but I never feel really part of their culture. I am not even sure if America has any defining culture. It's a mix bag. I do miss my culture.
The one thing I have gained by this whole experience is the appreciation of my own culture, history and more knowledge of Britain.
Now I just need to try and salvage the value of my house in a sale,figure how to get my dog and cat back to England and some cash on the hip.
Thankfully, I am working on a career exit strategy to earn more cash when I return back home.
Yes, you are indeed preaching to the converted here but you make some very good points that hit home for me.
I have lived in both the US and Canada working in IT and have recently made the decision to move back to the UK. Now that I have made the decision, I can't understand why I didn't go back sooner, though I did have children here.
It is as you say, having been away from the UK, we are in the fortunate position to appreciate those things back home that we didn't appreciate when we were there and are better off than those who think that America is the land of milk and honey. We have seen both sides of the coin and can make our choice.
"Quality of Life" is exctly what I think I have been missing. I too feel that there is always that part of me that never really integrates. There are so many things that I miss about England, I now can't wait to get back.
Goodluck with your choice.
Mar 12th 2011, 1:58 am
#20
Finally Home!
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,610
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Hi,
well i want to say that i have been here in cali for 10 years and I am working in academy and we have wonderful long holidays yes our contracts are nine months and we have the option of teaching in the summer if we want to with extra pay of course. In fact i have more time off here than when i was a lecturer in the UK. How bout that? I spend my summers travelling around or going back to london to see my family and friends this is great!!! I work from home at least one day a week too.
mekala
southern california
well i want to say that i have been here in cali for 10 years and I am working in academy and we have wonderful long holidays yes our contracts are nine months and we have the option of teaching in the summer if we want to with extra pay of course. In fact i have more time off here than when i was a lecturer in the UK. How bout that? I spend my summers travelling around or going back to london to see my family and friends this is great!!! I work from home at least one day a week too.
mekala
southern california
Mar 12th 2011, 2:31 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 172
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
A bit unfair I feel! Surely on an open message board you are allowed to offer an alternative side of experience? It doesn't have to be relevant to the OP(although it is anyway) and it certainly does not have to be of help. This whole message board is full of posts that are unhelpful to the OP, in fact how does your own message help?
I don't really see what this is related to. How is this supposed to help the OP? It's nice that you are happy, but this seems really insensitive when 99.9% of people in this country have nothing like the life you are describing. Sometimes, its best to keep our good fortune to ourselves
Mar 12th 2011, 4:28 am
#22
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2007
Location: San Diego, Ca
Posts: 48
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Gawd....you paint a bleak picture! I will be moving to San Diego in Autumn. Am I going to hate it? I've been there lot's of times now and it seems like a beautiful place, but I know one can be taken in. Going on holiday is never like actually living there. I'm fortunate yet unfortunate at the same time as I do not have any loving family waiting for me back in the Uk. So, I will not be pining for anybody inparticular. I'm hoping it will make the move easier
SD is a beautiful place if you have the time to enjoy it. Being based in SD you are kind of stuck in a corner here. There is no where to travel to easily unless you fancy sitting in traffic to visit LA for the day. Oh, oops sorry again
Do you know anyone here? You may love this place more than me, I'm just not a beach, sun worshipper and really, really miss my time off - call me lazy ha-ha. BUT you must experience it for yourself and make your own mind up. To a degree, ignore my comments, don't take them to heart. Come here with an open mind and you be the decider on whether you like it or not. You can always go home 
Mar 12th 2011, 4:32 am
#23
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
I don't really see what this is related to. How is this supposed to help the OP? It's nice that you are happy, but this seems really insensitive when 99.9% of people in this country have nothing like the life you are describing. Sometimes, its best to keep our good fortune to ourselves
9-month contracts? The suspense would be a bit of a worry for most people.
Mar 12th 2011, 4:41 am
#24
SUPER MODERATOR
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 88,023
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
That's normal for private school teachers...I don't know about other schools. My friend is a teacher in the school my daughter attended...her contract lasts for the school year...then it's either renewed or not.
Mar 12th 2011, 4:42 am
#25
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Yes I know - I wouldn't count it a luxury myself. The confused smiley was about that part.
Mar 12th 2011, 12:26 pm
#26
Finally Home!
Joined: Mar 2010
Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,610
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
A bit unfair I feel! Surely on an open message board you are allowed to offer an alternative side of experience? It doesn't have to be relevant to the OP(although it is anyway) and it certainly does not have to be of help. This whole message board is full of posts that are unhelpful to the OP, in fact how does your own message help?
Maybe that 3rd post was a little unfair and if so, I'm sorry. I was just taken aback by the tone of "well I'm having a great time and getting lots of holidays," especially given the fact that the person who asked for help is stressing out because he doesn't get any.
But you're right. It's a free country and people can say whatever they want, however insensitive. I don't usually get snippy - that particular post just pushed my buttons I guess. My apologies.
Mar 12th 2011, 12:46 pm
#27
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,010
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
I was always on a 9- or 10-month contract in the US, but in reality I worked 12 months a year. The only dept. member who ever truly took the summer off was another Brit and it was always regarded quite dimly as not being proper. Seemed a rather odd attitude to me.
Mar 12th 2011, 3:32 pm
#28
Heading for Poppyland
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: North Norfolk and northern New York State
Posts: 14,546
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Not sure if the poster meant a 9-month renewable contract (i.e., temporary from year to year), or a 9-month permanent/tenured contract. The reference to summer school made me think it was the latter. The use of the term "academy" was a bit ambiguous, but I have heard academia/higher ed referred to as the academy ... maybe he/she is a college lecturer and therefore has high job security ...
I was always on a 9- or 10-month contract in the US, but in reality I worked 12 months a year. The only dept. member who ever truly took the summer off was another Brit and it was always regarded quite dimly as not being proper. Seemed a rather odd attitude to me.
I was always on a 9- or 10-month contract in the US, but in reality I worked 12 months a year. The only dept. member who ever truly took the summer off was another Brit and it was always regarded quite dimly as not being proper. Seemed a rather odd attitude to me.
Mar 12th 2011, 4:03 pm
#29
Ping-ponger
Joined: Jul 2002
Location: Dreich Alba
Posts: 12,010
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
I work in a college as a librarian. Technically we are faculty, but in many ways more like administrators. I've been in this job nearly 16 years, and we librarians have 12 month renewable contracts, but that is a bit of a fiction, the contract is automatically renewed. Since I'm planning to retire soon, I chose to go on an 11-month contract a couple of years ago, and have now moved to a 10 month contract. The way I'm working it (to my benefit & the college's) is that I now have 61 days vacation days each year, that is, approx 43 working days off for the two months and approx eighteen days vacation allowance. It is difficult to take that much time off, but in general it is working well. The best part of it is that health insurance is unaffected.
Sounds like you have it all figured out. Working in academia in the US is quite exceptional compared to most employment situations. I used to work like a dog, but liked the flexibility and worked hard because I wanted to, not because I had to. Taking only 5-10 days holiday a year because that's all you want is very different than taking 5-10 days because you have no choice, strange as that may sound.
Mar 12th 2011, 5:46 pm
#30
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Pretty sure we are moving back to England from the USA
Not sure if the poster meant a 9-month renewable contract (i.e., temporary from year to year), or a 9-month permanent/tenured contract. The reference to summer school made me think it was the latter. The use of the term "academy" was a bit ambiguous, but I have heard academia/higher ed referred to as the academy ... maybe he/she is a college lecturer and therefore has high job security ...
I was always on a 9- or 10-month contract in the US, but in reality I worked 12 months a year. The only dept. member who ever truly took the summer off was another Brit and it was always regarded quite dimly as not being proper. Seemed a rather odd attitude to me.
I was always on a 9- or 10-month contract in the US, but in reality I worked 12 months a year. The only dept. member who ever truly took the summer off was another Brit and it was always regarded quite dimly as not being proper. Seemed a rather odd attitude to me.