augigi

I've only been here coming up to 6 months (god, that went fast!). I have mixed feelings. I definitely only have a handful of "real friends" that I hang out with. I find it can be hard to transfer workmates into outside friends, but a few have. I miss having friends I went to school with, people I went to uni with, people that I've known forever to chat to. On the other hand, everyone I meet, almost without exception, says "I love your accent!" and wants to talk to me about australia, so that makes me proud of my country.

Then again, work rocks and I love it. I've learned so much already, and have a lot of opportunities coming up. I am doing another masters degree starting in a couple of weeks.

I'm fatter from american-sized meals!

The_English_Bride

Hi TruBrit!

I am in West Virginia at the moment. Parts of the state are beautiful - we actually had our honeymoon in state - but this is a small college town and i'm not a student anymore, so not much going on for me.

ugacrew

You had me at West Virginia. Hopefully ties to the state aren't strong enough that you can move. WV is not particularly my favorite state. It depresses the heck out of me when I drive through it at times. I always thought of it as a state to drive through to get to somewhere better.

cindyabs

Probably a good place to get back to nature, etc, because it is pretty and I wouldn't say no to a weekend at the Greenbrier, , but indeed sounds like it is time to move on.

ugacrew

Three years in WV and I'd reach my saturation point. However It's all about the job, family, and money that keep you at a certain place. Hopefully travel is in her future

The_English_Bride

It's not a bad state, it's just not really my ideal place to live. I lived most of my life on the outskirts of London (just a 30 minute train journey to all my favourite places in the city). Then I lived 3 years in the city of Cambridge, England, where there was always a lot going on. So, as you can imagine, being here is very different!

My husband has family in WV, but he's not against moving. In fact, he feels ready to leave as soon as he graduates now too! Only problem is, we might end up staying in WV, just a different part - Morgantown. From what I've heard and seen, it seems a lot like here!

The_English_Bride

It's not really like that where I live, but I agree that WV in general is a great place for getting back to nature. We spent our honeymoon in the Canaan Valley - had a lovely cabin! The Greenbrier isn't that far from here - never been though.

Neathborn

Been here 18 years now; spent 11 years in Texas (San Antonio/San Marcos), just over 2 years south of the Twin Cities, Minnesota and now over 4 years in southeast Virginia.

TruBrit

that's me! i have been asked many times by the locals 'didn't i feel isolated living on an island' when actually i feel more isolated here.

some karma on it's way!

SarahInTX

It'll be 30 years next month -- though I'll be back in the UK by then.

My life in the US has always been hard slog, usually struggling to make ends meet.

I got a Master's degree, for what it's worth, and that probably wouldn't have happened if I'd stayed in the UK.

I don't hate it here, but I feel that the UK is home, not here.

The_English_Bride

I actually get the opposite question here. People always ask me how I ended up in little old West Virginia after living in a place like England close to London. If it hadn't been for the partnership my Uni back home had with the Uni here I probably would never have thought about coming to West Virginia. I'd have gone somewhere else in the States. People here seem to understand and automatically assume that being here must be difficult for me.

Lorna at Vicenza

18 years in Italy ..... ok - it's not the USA but it is still very different to the UK - driving on the right for example, food, culture, schooling but that ìs fairly easy to overcome - the language was a lot harder and the fact that i ended up in a tiny village at the bottom of the mountains with a mentality light years away from ours.

I have settled yet managed to maintain my personality and not become the kind of mamma that brings up the famous "mummy's boy" (oh - yes they still exist).
I find I now miss English things more than the lifestyle. Of course i miss family and friends too but I have it so much easier than you guys and very much appreciate the fact that I can be back in 2 hours. What I can't live without though is a good stock of t-bags !!!!!!!!!!!! I've never been a coffee person and whether it is Starbucks or real italian espresso or capuccino .... I hate it !

Skint

10 years.

I like most of everything here except the shitty rip-off untrustworthy healthcare system and the lack of public transportation alternatives here in the Mid-West

The country's made me bit of a bloater but who's to say the UK wouldn't have done the same?

It's telling that I still have a hard time describing the USA as my "home". However, I have exactly the same problem w/regards to England. So, even after a decade, a large element of mental "limbo" remains.