callé

I was just going to keep quiet... but since Duncs opened up 'the other side', I guess I'll give my opinion. You should have a balanced view anyway. I have been here since my parents came over many years ago. I am not happy here. I am going back to England and I cant wait. I know it will not be what I remember, and I know the weather can be miserable. I also know that I will take a plunge financially due to exchange rate. But thats not what I'm going home for. It is a different world here and you can be quite happy if the particular things you are looking for are here. You have to accept the culture here and way of life. The weather and a bigger home and other such things are nice extras if you like the life here. But if you dont and you prefer the British culture, then all those extras cannot make you happy. The novelty of sunshine, bigger homes, and being in 'America' does wear off. Then you'll know if you want to stay here or go home. Good luck. It's good to be aware of things good and bad, But your own heart has to be the one to decide at the end of the day. So if you have the oppportunity you should give it a try. It doesnt have to be permanent.
OK enough rambling ... sorry!

anotherlimey

I think I'll be staying, although you will hear me moan about some things.

But I have a much better standard of living than I did in the UK, plus I found the wonder that is..... iHop, pancakes all round.

-tom

RoB1833

I think a lot of it will depend on where you're living and the standard of living you have in that place.

I recently moved from North Carolina where I struggled to find any kind of meaningful work and was pretty unhappy there.

I have since moved to Massachusetts, am living just outside Boston in an interesting area which looks more like home and definitely has a feel of the UK as far as having everything close by, pedestrianised town centres, etc. The money is better and so our standard of living should improve. At the moment I'm happier here, will I stay that way? Time will tell........

Lothianlad

Midnight in Edinburgh : 9/10 Nov 04 : +4.1C (39.4F in old dosh)
Wind: NNW Force 2 Pressure: 1013mb
Relative Humidity: 88%
Forecast: Freshening North Westerly winds Force 4/5
Occasional rain showers especially in west and north (snow on Cairngorms above 300m)
Maximum temp Wed 10 Nov: +8C Min: +3C
Colder by weekend with Northerly winds but dry and sunny in eastern areas of Scotland. Max temp: +5C Min: -2C

Just in case you thought of popping over for a bannock or two with a wee dram!

sibsie

Totally. There are a lot of misconceptions that the US is all massive houses and great weather. Here we're having record low temps and it's freezing. Way colder than anything I ever experienced in London and it's only November! We've got a good six months of this before I can dust off my t-shirts.

House prices vary hugely. In my area $400k will get you a very modest 2-3 bed house. For a 4 bed already fixed up place you're looking at upwards of $500k and you'd be lucky to find something for that. Add in high utility bills and property taxes and you're really no better off than in England.

The upside of living in the East Coast is that it's just a short commuter plane ride to somewhere warmer, so vacation time and budget allowing it's possible to escape the miserable cold. I'm planning at least three getaways this winter which really are the only thing keeping me going.

Bitching about the weather aside, there are aspects of life here I like but I definately wouldn't have made the move had it not been for my American husband.

Pimpbot

I love it here. Been here 16 months and haven't felt homesick or missed anything about Britain at all, other than the obvious friends and family, and thats not because I didn't like living there at all. I was very happy. And its not the material things like a bigger house or the cost of a pair of jeans or whatever. Yes I do drive a brand new car, but its only Focus and I did trade in a one bedroom apartment for a bigger house, but I rent now where as I did own. I also make less money than I did in the U.K. and have far less responsability(sp) than my previous job. I've just tried to take full advantage of my new surroundings instead of sitting back and complaining about how different or wrong this country is.

You could have 20 people tell you why not to move here and 20 people telling you why you should. In the long run, it doesn't really matter if you yourself are not fully prepared and commited to making the most of your new life here instead of complaining about not being able to read the Sun or drinking PG Tips or the first piece of Americana that doesn't quite fill you with joy.

Ash UK/US

Well said!

Ash

Ash UK/US

Yeap...make sure Edy's is one of the first things on your shopping list.

Ash

Ash UK/US

I moved here 2 years ago (married to a yank) anyhow I always said I would go back to the UK if anything should happen to my husband (or our marriage). I have been back to the UK 3 times now and with each visit I have felt it is less likely I will move back.

Ash

CalgaryAMC

I live in a fantastic part of the US.

The first great thing about it is that everyone is hysterically stupid. This is not an "Americans are dumb" tirade -- I know enough of them to know that stereotype is nonsense. But the thing about where I live is that it's true! I treat everyone like I would treat a four year old; and they appreciate that.

The second great thing about where I live is that it has a wonderfully diverse third-world flavour. Imagine Lagos, but with 0% financing! It's the same charming chaos you grew to love on that gap year "finding yourself," except with Lincoln Navigators and 20" rims.

Speaking of rims, the third great thing about where I live is that the biggest store in town is "House of rims." All the cars on the Cadillac dealer's lot already have pimpin' rims fitted; no need for the expense of a custom job, and you get the rims included at 0% financing...unless, of course, you are one of the 99.9999999% that don't qualify for the advertised 0% financing, but that's no problem, they can hook you up with a sub-prime 31% loan in a heartbeat.

Yeah, life is good.

jumping doris

No. My husband is a prosthetist and I gather they are in short supply over there.

jumping doris

I hope you get back to the UK and it is all you expect. I hope the USA is all I expect
I live in the NW of England, by the beach except it is so dirty you would never put a toe in the water but it is very beautiful and I will miss it. I can see the sea from my windows. I won't miss the yob culture here in my town. Every morning when I take my youngest to school we step over piles of vomit and worse. The council rarely clean the streets and the dustmen make more mess than they clear. All the bus shelters are regularly vandalised and we cannot travel on the local trains at night for fear of being mugged. My husband hasn't had a pay rise for 3 years and the cost of living is huge.
My sister in law lives in the south with less problems but a much higher cost of living. And the government........don't get me started I expect to have similar issues over there, but my husband will have a better job with better prospects (we hope). My eldest daughter will be 16 years old when we come so I hope she settles.She is looking forward to it so fingers crossed.

jumping doris

Originally we hoped to go somewhere hot and my husbands new company have vacancies all over the US. We were tempted by the weather in Alabama and Florida until the hurricanes struck!!!! But the company have been very helpful and said that we could find life in the deep south difficult to adjust to and they felt we would settle better in Pennsylvania. We will be going to Pittsburgh. I havn't been yet but husband has and loved it. It helps that the people he will work with have been really kind and their wives have emailed and offered all sorts of hospitality and help.They have arranged for us to meet other British people who will be able to explain some of the ropes . And the weather.... I was a bit put off by the prospect of snow but my children can't wait and at least we should get proper seasons which I love.

mikehope

I live in PA near pittsburgh, and I love it here, house prices do vary somewhat, here a house 2-3 beds would be about $120,000, they will cost more towards the coast I beleive.
There are some area's we go and I still shake my head in dis-beleif at the way people are, i.e. in some area's out in the country they dont undertsand a word i say because im a foreigner! (or so one of them told me) I was only asking for a bottle of water at the time, eventually my wife asked for the water and the server looked at me and said "oh you mean waader"!
In the main I am happy here and I cant see me moving back to England.

As a matter of interest what part of PA are you moving to?

NC Penguin

Jumping Doris mentioned the exact location in her post above!



NC Penguin