Re: Making the big decision....
 

Don't forget - one of the reasons that the summers are so good in Chicago is because the winters are so bad - people really make the most of the good weather here when it comes.

Re: Making the big decision....
 

Hi,

I am in a similar situation as you. We are in a rural part of France and are finding it very quiet, we don't feel we belong, we are finding the language hard and because of the language there is little work available to us.

We have decided to move back to England, the house is on the market and we plan to leave in July.

BUT, lots of people are saying that we should try another part of France, perhaps further south where the people speak english and it isn't so cut off and rural. I can see that it is a good idea but we also have children and if we go south and find that it hasn't solved our problems then the children will have been faced with a move for nothing and then will have to move again back to England. :confused:

Re: Making the big decision....
 

Hi Bramblebush,
Yes, the language difficulty must be a very big factor for you. And I know what you mean about moving chldren multiple times. My kids are 10 and 11 and I just feel that our next move has to be the last at least until they complete high school or secondary school. When they are in College perhaps we will travel again, as both OH and I love to travel. But they eed the security of a permanent place, they want to get a puppy etc.
I do have in-laws living in Montpelier, they love it there, just had their third child last year. But they are both fluent French speakers, which makes a BIG difference. God luck to you in whatever decision you make, UK or further south!

I am not sure why some people are saying Atlanta will be wprse than Chicago? One of the pp? My Brother lived in Atlanta for 10 years and liked it a lot. I have been there several times and I agree it is quite soulless and a bit of an urban sprawl, but is it really that awful? Am I missing something here? Chicago is a lovely city and downtown is vibrant but we are about 40 miles out side in the 'burbs. The bad school districts are downtown so you tend to have to come to the 'burbs for good public schools. So, the way I look at it, I may as well be in a suburb of any city really. My neighbors here are not very friendly, the friends we have made are thru our kids, my 2 best friends are Moms of my childrens friends. So coupled with the horrible long winters here (which even most Chicagoans dislike) I honestly cannot see how Atlanta could be any worse? But hey, tell me if I am wrong!

Yes, I agree Dublin looks terribly dirty and unkempt in comparison to most US locations. But you know it is what it is. And I guess to us it's home...

Anyway thanks everyone for your input

Susie.

Re: Making the big decision....
 

It may well be worse to make a decision, follow it through, and then it dawns on you that you've made a big mistake.

It seems to me that your only reason for wanting to leave is the fact that the winter is too cold. But summer in Britain and Ireland can be a real disappointment ... by all accounts, the last two have been terrible.

Are you sure you're not putting too much at risk?

If you're abandoning what is broadly a good life in Chicago, if your husband is unhappy (even if he tries to be brave about it), if your boys are unhappy (they may be, especially if they have problems at school or miss their lives in the U.S.), then there really is a good chance that 6 months or a year later you may want to return to the U.S.

At the minimum that would be hugely expensive (especially if job in Chicago is gone), at worst impossible if your green cards are gone.

Do a search for the posts by "dunroving" - his situation appears to be similar to yours, except he did make the move back.