Got a job
 

Just had to say I submitted my MBA dissertation today (thank God!!!!), and my offer of employment was at my apartment on my return. I start October 14 and can't wait. Now, if I can just get OH and dog over, I'll be a completely happy bunny.

BTW: job is in Basingstoke. I've never lived around there so don't know much but will have to find somewhere to live shortly. If anyone has information on decent places to live that are relatively commutable to Basingstoke, please share. I'm happiest out in the country, so a village would be brilliant.

Re: Got a job
 

Wow, things are going wonderfully well for you. You must be so excited. Congratulations:thumbsup:

Re: Got a job
 

Thanks so much. I just feel as though the last year of being on my own, away from OH, etc., is finally starting to be worth it - it's lovely when a plan comes together. After 20 years of scheming to come back home, I finally feel as though I can do this. My BF - who has been trying to get me home for years - cried when i told her I had a job. It has been a hard year, and I've really missed my OH, but I finally see a light at the end of the tunnel, and I'm really hoping he'll be over here in the next six months.

Oh yes, and he's coming over for a week on Tuesday so we can go on holiday in Scotland. i'm just walking around with a big old grin over my face.

I really hope your plans come together next year!!

Re: Got a job
 

Thanks Tara, that's so nice of you, I'm sure that next year at this time I will be in Scotland:D

I am so jealous that you and your OH are going to Scotland. Please report back on your trip. How exciting for you and your OH, have a wonderful time:thumbsup:

You must have a great friendship with your BF. I bet she just loves having you there, and obviously is very happy for you that your plans have worked out so well:)

Re: Got a job
 

Congratulations Tara - it is fantastic that everything is falling into place for you now!

Re: Got a job
 

WEll done Tara:thumbsup:

Re: Got a job
 

Congratulations, Tara!

All I know about Basingstoke is that it has a roundabout. Or used to. Didn't it used to be the place to hitchhike to the West Country way back when? Probably where the motorway ended. Before you were born, I know.:lol:

Bev

Re: Got a job
 

Quite a bit bigger now, and that's for sure. It's a bit of a concrete jungle, so I'm definitely planning to live outside, hopefully somewhere quite rural. The job comes with a car allowance, so I'm going to take the big step of buying a car and then learning to drive over here (which scares the pants off me - Los Angeles was nothing like this; those roundabouts!!!). Still, it will give me more freedom to live further out and explore more.

Can't wait.

Re: Got a job
 

Thanks. It has been a long haul (not quite as long as yours, I know), but hopefully it will all be worth it. The job has a six months probation period, so I know it will be at least that long before the OH joins me as he'll want to make sure the job is permanent, but at least it's a step further in the right direction.

Re: Got a job
 

Well done on the job - we used to live a bit further up the M3 towards Camberley - so I only know a few places in between (by the way, Camberley/Frimley areas would also be an easy commute) - but you could look at some of the villages north west of Farnham, and Fleet, Church Crookham, Hartley Wintney. Unfortunately, they might be viewed as pricey areas, and potentially the nearer you move to Basingstoke, the more reasonable the house prices (generally newer) - but hey, you're moving in the right direction if you are looking to buy - so I can recommend those areas to you anyway. Good luck.

Re: Got a job
 

Thanks very much for this. I keep hearing about Camberley so will definitely be looking up there as well. Since we do want to buy next year, I'm going to try and keep my rental costs as low as possible, so I'm going to compromise a bit now so we can buy nicer later. I've got a couple of viewings set up in Chineham, which is near work, and also Lychpit, which is a few miles away. The places look ok, as you say newer, and are close to work. I'm going to hold off on a car for a bit as well (got to get that school loan paid off), and use my car allowance for buses/trains, so the closer I am the better.

Once I'm down there, my OH and I can use the next six months to scout around and see where we really want to live.

Re: Got a job
 

Odiham is a lovely village nearby, or you could try Oakley or Cliddesden or Hartley Wintney - depends how far you can commute.

If you absolutely HAVE to live in Basingstoke - Kempshott is about the best.

Re: Got a job
 

I spent a couple of years working near Camberely. I loved the place, it was too expensive for me to live there then, but I used to like coming up there at the weekends too just to visit.

I have to admit it's been at least four or five years since I've been there, but I always liked it.

Traffic on the A30, I think that's it, gets pretty bad around rush hour, but otherwise it's quite nice. The M3 motorway is real close and you can go cross country to get through to the M4, coming out near Reading.

Gawd, I'm homesick now.

Re: Got a job
 

Gosh, I'm sorry. Didn't mean to do that.

Thanks to both you and Mrs. Best for suggestions. I'm writing them all down. This is going to be the quickest move ever. I've only got three weeks to get out of my current apartment, and I'm away all next week. Somehow it'll happen. It always does.

Dave: what is happening with your plans?

Re: Got a job
 

Look at it this way Tara, if your making me think of home, you must be getting things in order to make me feel envious!!

Really Camberely if as I remember it's a really nice place. Far too expensive for me then, but maybe if you can time it right with the house prices..

With the wife and I, we're not sure on the situation yet. We do know we'll be back in England at some point but it's all about the timing. I've been in my current job for all the time I've been in the US and though the works not great, I live close to home and it's fairly secure. Moving to the UK would take away that security, so we want to time it right.

I've just found out that the company I work for has a group in the UK that works in the same field that I'm in and so I'm trying to find out more about them, what they do and what the future holds for them. That would be the nicest way of going back.

We're almost living April to April at the moment and have decided that each April we'll think whether we should go back that year or not, and if not put the thoughts out of our heads till the following year. That's what the head says, the heart says get on the plane tomorrow and don't look back. It's more of a pull for me as my wife hasn't lived in England, though has family there, but she's a darling and said that she'll do whatever makes me happy.

We've just got our GC and leaving would mean giving them up and with all the struggles we had to get them, that would be hard to do. However, waiting the five years till we got citizenship, seems like a lifetime away.

Don't want to hijack this thread, so will get back to the original topic.

Camberely and the surrounding areas, used to have wonderful little paths and country lanes, but also big stores and shopping centers around. Some of the roads were a little tight, but aren't they all in the UK?

Good luck and keep us updated!