uk2ny

hi.

I am looking forward to life in New York City. It is excitong and scary at the same time. 100 things are on my mind,
My family is one thing that i would miss..but when you have your own life in UK we all get busy with our lives..maybe meet up after several months. Your family would always be your family.
Blood is blood.

did anyone regret moving to USA? Is it really a big difference from UK?
Is it really a American dream? How does one feel when reality hits you?
Are american people really different?

I am getting married to the most wonderful man who is well off.
So i am not worried on money side.

I want to find out to all British who have moved back to UK..WHY DID THEY MAKE THE MOVE?

I think this forum is great and love reading it.

cathy22w

Hey there,

I just came back after living in the USA for 6 years.

It is a big difference to the UK - I found people are so much more urgent and pushy with everything there. I put it down to far too much caffeine! You don't get a lot of vacation - I had to wait for 3 months for any at all, then only got 5 days the first year. I only ever ended up with 15 days.

Is what an American dream? If you have the 'million dollar family' living in your detached suburban house with a double garage and a pool and a couple of cars, that's pretty much it. There is an awful lot of 'keeping up with the Jones's', and I found that put a lot of pressure on me as a parent and the expectations of me.

America is great - I would move back if I am able to at some point. You can find pretty much anything you want, at any time of the day. The land of the free? Not really sure that applies so much. I found the people quite insular - it was difficult to really make friends I could socialise with. Having said that, I did make friends, but it took a while. If anything used to get to me, it was the 'I want it, and I want it now' mentality.

As for family - yep, blood is blood. It took me 4 years to really feel settled. Holidays were the hardest time for homesickness. Christmas the worst. Especially if you have elderly family, and not knowing if you would ever see them again. I thought I'd be able to go back at least once a year. No chance.. it didn't work that way.

I moved back because my company didn't file the paperwork for my green card in time, so that was a shame. Enjoying being back to an extent, although settling back in has been difficult, and I find myself yearning for the life that became so familiar in the USA. Tomorrow I start my new job, and so hopefully things will settle.

All the best to you... hope it all works out.

uk2ny

Hi

Thanks for that. I have seen many people have mixed reaction about returning to UK.

Did you move to USA with your family members?

osgood

Well,first post here and living in usa since 1985,came over on a tourist visa and stayed.....no regret's but have visited london,ireland regularly over the year's....Your "accent is awesome" is something no one ever said to me living in england....These day's because the Dollar is in the toilet versus pound, euro,i vacation in costa rica,colombia..dollar o.k. there....New york is a fast exciting place and well worth the experience...

Jerseygirl

IMO the younger you move the better you settle...less baggage to leave behind.

Xebedee

Yes, there are more differences than similarities
It can be & it'll feel scary
Yes they are quite different in many ways

There are as many answers as types of people who come over and their different situations, so its all down to the individual.

America has much to offer, but I think its important to match up what you want and value with the likelyhood of getting it "in another flavour".

Good luck and be carefull.

dunroving

Also, if you are younger, you don't necessarily see it as permanent (so "settle" means "settle in", or "feel at home", rather than "settle down").

When you are older, there's an increasing sense of "is this for the long haul?", whereas when you are younger, the possibility of moving on/not staying long-term is less of an issue. This last move has been hardest for me because I was looking at it as long-term/final, and the realisation it probably isn't long-term (please shoot me if it is) has been more difficult to deal with.

uk2ny

Moving to USA is something one in a lifetime chance, i know i can say that it is a good experience, but what i would have been comfortable with was having my partner British, so we can relate, god did i had to go and fall in love with American, i do keep saying everything would be fine and enjoy the moment.
I am 30 years old and i can my life ahead, but now that it is a reality, you just seem to think 100 things.
What if? What would happen?

I also want to know, if i come a USC, can i sponser my sister for USC?
Thats way i know i have some family with me and won't be that bad at the same time it can open doors for my sister, she is only 21.

I would like to thank everyone on this board and i can clearly say this is going to be my favourite place on the net for a very long time.

dunroving

I think the answer is Yes, but you're best posting that question on the Visas forum on the USA section - and read the Wiki:
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Pulask...ork_in_the_USA

Jerseygirl

Yes you can but it will take a long time. When you're married to a USC you can apply for citizenship after 3 years. When you're a USC you can petition your sister...from what I've read at the moment it is taking approx 12 years. By the time you're a USC that timeline may have changed.

Cherylbe

I do but only because I am now getting a diovorce and have children so I am dealing with moving and getting the juge to let me leave here even though my soon to be Ex has agreed but the juge will have the last word will know for sure Dec 3rd)
Other than that it wasn't bad I meet a lot of great friends here and wouldn't trade what I have lived,done here. Just a mess when thing go south.

Englishmum

You don't know how lucky you are Cherylbe, with your ex allowing the kids to leave the US to move to the UK.

I know quite a few women (not just expats, American women too) who can't leave the State they're living in because the ex objects to the kids moving out of State and the Courts agree with the ex.

Actually that's one thing the O/P should take into consideration if she decides to have a family with her American guy....if she has children and the relationship ends, is she willing to stay in the US until the youngest reaches the age of 18?

JAJ

Or the possibility (to sponsor siblings) may no longer exist.

greatscot

Not regret, but I don't like it here. I've been in the midwest for 11 years moved here to marry, from Scotland. First and foremost, it's missing real "heart" - for a number of reasons. I too find the people insular and self interested. They dont let you make friends easily. And they pretty much care about #1. I hate this notion of the american dream, as in you've only achieved something with a big house and 2 cars - its very materialistic. And its not just a sweeping generalisation - they mostly are like that!! Holiday time STINKS too - I've worked a variety of jobs and dont be surprised if an employer expects you to be delighted with 2 weeks. Seriously. And healthcare - even WITH insurance, you're STILL paying a portion. Also hate the obnoxiousness of entitlement attached to many American behaviours. Very grating. And you can't get an actual person on the telephone when you have to call anyone like the phone company or your bank, its all automated CRAP. Also hate the "right wing" "Left wing" bs whatever happened to the brotherhood of MAN and also the extremist "me good" "you bad" ideas peddled by the american right, or the bible bashers its poisonous.

I'd never have kids here - first of all you'd have to mortgage your first born off to pay the hospital bills and they'd end up going to school with sycophantic cheerleeders called Amber and Tiffany before expecting you to send them round Europe on YOUR credit card, then they'd go to a sub standard college and get course credits for doing yoga or tai chi or something like that.

ALso the Americans do NOT know how to make a good cup of tea, that numpty Lipton should have been shot, I'm sure dishwater tastes better. You can't give anyone a good slap for getting in your face even if they deserve it or you will have the arse sued of you. And they can't drive. The general populace throws themselves round the roads like a bunch of 5 year olds at a go cart park. No turn signals, no lane discipline, and waiting 30 minutes to hog a parking space when they could have been in the shop and back twice over. Makes me want to scream.

Christ. I can't wait to go home. I loathe it here. Stay in Britain, seriously.

Mummy in the foothills

I like you, you don't mince words.