alistinker

Hi

My name is Sharon and I am married to Wayne. We have 2 kids Alis and Thomas age 3 and 6 years.

We moved to Appleton in Wisconsin in August last year as hubby got a cross border transfer with Kimberly Clark who he works for.

I am starting to get a bit homesick. Can't seem to find anyone with my sick sense of humour. Everyone is either in religious classes or scrapbook classes, (don't get me wrong.....i'm not against religion but i just don't feel you have to go to church every single day to be a good person!! )

Have bought our own home, managed to pass driving test so pretty proud of myself so far.

Managed to survive the winter ....got cabin fever and thought I was going mad Managed to crash my car up in Eagle River where we went for the New Year. Brakes failed in -25 conditions and plouged into the back of hubbys truck:scared: No one was hurt!!!

So I am desperate for english company or contacts. Surely there are more of us here in sleepy Wisconsin......please god let there be!!!!

We are here for at least 7 years.......... So please get in contact and help me gain my sanity back.

Heres hoping!!

Sharonxx

britchick95

Hi Sharon, I live not too far from Green Bay. Been here since I was 17, am now 23. Married for 3 years this June. Miss bacon something rotten!!!!

Lion in Winter

Well, not in Wisconsin now but I once spent three months in Neenah right after moving from London. Now that was a case of culture shock. Nightlife - bars with men drinking Pabst and Old Style and women either frothy pink drinks of some kind of syrup which was being passed off as wine. (Incidentally, have you seen them drink beer and tomato juice mixed, esp. in the morning? They do you know.) Polka music. Pool (which I learned to play in self-defense). Bratwurst. Bowling alleys. High school basketball. Ah yes, I remember it well. Don't get me wrong, the people were all uniformly nice and were very welcoming to me, in spite of thinking that I came from another planet, but it was pretty damn hard to adapt. If you're going to be there for 7 years, carry right on being yourself, sense of humour and all, and those who understand it or grow to like it will start to come out of the woodwork.

bromleygirl

Hi ya!

I'm just across the border in Minnesota. Why are you here for at least 7 years - that seems like a really long time to commit to living in Wisconsin.

Be prepared! Everyone in the upper mid-west it seems goes to church etc and the women are involved in crafts of some kind but especially scrap booking.

It's true - everyone here is very nice so nice that it becomes really boring after a while. What do your children think of Wisconsin and their new life here?

If you want you can PM me.

Manc

That's just over t'lake from us in Michigan. On a clear day I listen to the Rockin Apple radio station.
welcome to America
You obviously didn't have a head on collision, I think that's the criteria for failing.
****** nippy innit?
Cheeseheads getting to you love?
Lucky you to get parole after 7. I'm a lifer.

HappyHammer

Hi Sharon -
I'm a Brit in Chicago. Married 2 kids 1 and 4.
Been in USA since '96.
Agree all the way on Church comments. This is just a legacy carried over from founding fathers. Hypocrisy is rife. Even the Declaration Of Independance. Every man shall be free, yet Jefferson as he signed it had slaves working on his plantations, but don't you just love it here compared to England. No rubbish, no yob culture, and you can take returns back to the shops and they don't batter an eyelid.
Get some DVD's -esp- classic humour (with a 'u'), like Porridge - Steptoe, and more up to date like Alan Partridge. That keeps my sanity !!!
I'm sorry but I was watching Monty Python/Black Adder years ago. It's very good and yes I do still laugh, but hey BBC America time to move on !!
Don't know where Appleton WI is but if you're really desperate to meet a Brit with kids with an English accent, we're perhaps only a 6 hour drive away :0
Hope someone is closer, to regain some culture.
I always feel a couple of weeks back in Blighty also does the trick
Cheers !!

mcjimbo

Sharon,

I will be there soon, moving to Milwaukee this June on a K1 fiance visa! I think maybe different parts of Wisconsin are different, i've found Milwaukee in my past 4 visits to be a fun, open and great place to live. They have so many festivals, some good bars and restaurants.

Not to mention all the watersports available on Lake Michigan in the summer, and theme parks Six Flags, and the Wisconsin Dells. Also in the winter there's skiing so i'm pretty happy with moving there.

American humour is a little different to British, but i'm sure I can convert them a little, and get them to understand how irony can be funny!

James

JannydaBritmum

I there Sharron and HappyHammer
I live in the Chicago NW burbs near Brookfield Zoo
Mum to one Paddy hubby and two lovley little girls of 12 and 9
been here this time 'round' since 91 --but was here quite a bit before ---but settled here in 91 ...............
Originally was a Brit Nanny
Still a stay at home Mum --but hope to get working soon before my brain cells completley die ....................
HappyHammer were are you in Chicago?
I lived in Chicago when I was single [boy fun days.............]
Met the hubby there lived there for 8 years till we brought our house here ,our girls were born in Chicago --so I have a lot of 'History' there....................................[!!!!]
Don't get the chance to meet other Brits that offen so would love to meet others !!!!!!
I'm Plymouth born and West Country raised ........
Hav'nt been back since 91 --poss next year ....................
Would love to have a chin wag !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Janice
Britmum

HappyHammer

Hello Janice,
I live in Mount Prospect. In fact just bought a house.
I'm married to a Japanese girl whom I met in London during my crazy days working in the City. Worked for CitiBank - Bank of America - and met my future wife when I was at Barings Bank which sadly collapsed in '95.
Both kids born in US. Oldest here in Chicago in '99, the other (still a baby really) in Saint Louis in 02. (Two boys).
Have you got an American accent
I'm originally from Hertfordshire (Product of the 60's).
Married in '96 and same year offered work in USA.
Love Chicago (I work downtown - my local is Elephant & Castle on Adams - serve Fish N Chips !!)
45 minutes door to door (and no driving
My niece is going to Plymouth Art College. Familiy all live in Westbury in Wiltshire. It's a bit boring there compared to Chicago!! but it does have some special qualities, not least country pubs, and its close to Bath. Trowbridge is the nearest big town, but Bath is always where I go when I want to do some shopping - oh and not forgetting Oxford St and Regent St.
Like you we hope to go back next year.
Yes I love to natter all day about UK/Europe/Poitics/History but sometime the satirical synicism - sarchasm - and irony simply gets lost in translation - it's so true (two cultures sharing a common language).
Keep on chinwagging
Martin - (Happy Hammer) Throw back to my teenage years as a West Ham fan.

Lion in Winter

We're coming out of the woodwork all over the place here. We live in Evanston and also have a 4-year-old boy. Husband is Mexican so we are both ex-pats. My parents retired to Wiltshire and lived in a little village called Charlton near Shaftesbury. London born and bred myself. Miss real pubs desperately. They can put the buildings up here and can serve the food, and now even some of the beer, but the culture is different and therefore the atmosphere.

alistinker

really great to read all your replys!! Nice to know there are more of "us" out there.

Well me and hubby met while working for the RNLI in Poole, Dorset where we lived for almost 25 years. We then moved to Kent so he could work for Kimberly Clark then we moved to Appleton Wisconsin last year. The job he has is a permenant one. We are here on a L1A visa which has to be renewed in 3 years then it can be renewed every 2 years for up to 7 years which is why i said we were here for at least 7 years.

Hubby wants to start the process of applying for the green card next year but im not entirely sure just yet. I agree that its a better life here but im still so new and fresh to it all that i need a little time.

Hope to visit chicago sometime this year. Hoping to go the the 6 flags place with the kids...also want to do some serious shopping or maybe see a show.

Flippin warm here at the moment with some fantastic thunder storms...luckily no tornado warnings just yet.

Anyone been to Door County? We are heading there in a couple of weeks to Lake Sturgeon off Lake Michigan. Really need a change of scenery.

Anyway dont forget to visit our family website which is in my profile....loads of photos of our current home, winter, our family etc. Sign the guest book too!!

take care everyone and thanks for replying. Will mail some of you personally when i get a few moments.

sharonxxx

Maggs

Hi Sharon

We visited Door county Feb 2003 and stayed in Fish Creek. The hotel was called Thorp House Inn and it was absolutely beautiful. It was bloody freezing in Feb though!!! Got to walk on a frozen Lake Michigan! Discovered Door county wines which are very nice too. Found a store that sells it not far from where I live and I shall be enjoying some fine Door County wine this evening! Hope you enjoy Door County.

Maggie

alistinker

Another question for you...does anyone have their green card and if so how long did it take for the entire process, how much and did you have to go back to the UK for while.

What about renewal of visas....what is involved with that? We do have an attorney assigned to us when we need to do all this but was just curious about the process.

thanks again

sharon


could murder a walls pork sausage and a decent bacon butty!!! ummmmmmmmmmmmmm

Lion in Winter

Dunno about the green card thing. Are the Neenah Rockets still the big thing up there?

JannydaBritmum

Hi Sharon
I am poss the worse example of advice on getting the green card
as we did it totally asswise !
John the [Irish] hubby got his residency from the Lottery [talk about luck!!!!!!!!!!!]
He came out to a job met me about a year later
I was here working under the table [as a Nanny]
That is'nt asdvised but back in the 1980"s there were tons of Brit Nannies here ---
I was an overstay [yes not good again]
We planned to get hitched [and were just pregers with our oldest Joy -but did'nt know it]
I went back to England for a vacation [the last time I was there 13 years ago!!!!!!!!!!]
I came back [were Imigration asleep!!!!!!!!!]
And we got married 10 days later ............
Now !!!!
Since we had the baby and I was staying at home we did nothing about my status for quite a while as we thought I was'nt going to work and we could'nt afford to go back so we did'nt do squat
We in our niativity thought once we aply it would be easy street
WELL never think Imigration is easy street cos it ain't
When we did eventaully aply it took years as John the hubby was'nt a citizen
We got my green card in the mail ---just as we moved into our first 'real' home [a morgage and my papers like Xmas............]
We've now been married 12 years and I've had my papers just over 4 ,next year we may aply for cititzenship too
Sorry I'm not a classic story ................................
Another point [got lost on us this one]
Having American babies does NOT help your status case
Hope you get some good advice
Janice
Britmum [Jannydabritmum]

PS Also for folks interested in coming here --look into the lottery
hubby got it so it's not imposable .......................
The visa lottery that is