Pimpbot

Because I fell in love with an American.

Jabba1

I see. Well, I hope things will pan out for you in the US.

Pulaski

Rightly or wrongly the US is seen as a country where the cost of many things is significantly less than in the UK, and taxes are significantly lower. In my experience this is the case, although (at the current exchange rate) my income has dropped a good bit since I left the UK two years ago, what I can purchase with my net income has increased significantly.

Conversely the UK is a high tax, high cost country where a large percentage of ones income is confiscated by the state to fund a social welfare system that is inefficient and largely only available to those who earn too little, if anything, to contribute to its upkeep.

IMHO Most people in the UK who yearn for life in the US are hard workers who want the freedom to enjoy more of the fruits of their labors.

Yorkieabroad

I don't think it is just the US that is seen that way (although it certainly is by some). It happens with a lot of countries that are seen as being 'desirable' to move to, be it Spain, Australia, wherever. I don't know how these countries achieve the 'desirable' tag, but I guess it comes down to 'exposure', whether TV, holidays, friends, hearsay, whatever. But you also see it 'internally' for example with folk in the UK thinking moving to London will solve all their problems (again, it may work for some, but probably not for most). It really is a case of the grass is always greener. Its only when you get there that you find the lawn needs cutting twice as often and is full of fire ants!

Jabba1

All the more reason I need to visit the UK. I'd love to here what Brits who haven't yet been to the US actually think of it. I'd also like to see what type of reaction that I, as an American, will recieve as I tour the British Isles.

Yorkieabroad

Quite right. Just because you have a moan, it doesn't mean you shouldn't be here (or give anyone the right to tell you to go back!), any more than someone in the UK having a moan about it should get on their bike and move round the world. Nowhere is perfect, and if you are continually chasing perfection, you'd better be very fit. So most people need to let off steam in some way now and then. For a lot of folk, going down the local with a friend or 2 is the best place to have a bitch about whatever crap life is throwing at you - when you move countries, sometimes it takes a while to make close enough friendships to manage that.

Yorkieabroad

Ok, putting you on the spot now, and turning your own question back at you I guess (so tell me to bu**er off if you like) but as someone who has never been to the UK, a) what are you expecting, and b) what have you drawn on to form your impressions?

Taffyles

There are many many reasons why Brits move to the US- most seem to be marriage with an American partner.
Also, there is this myth in UK that "everything is bigger and better in America". Disneyworld has become a Brit (and European) playground- and the tourists come out see big houses with pools, big cars, cheap gas and cheap outlet malls and constant sunshine- they don't see the hidden taxes or costs and don't see the real picture.

There has also been a flood of TV programmes in Britain about people emigrating, e.g. "Places in the Sun", "Dreamchasers" but they only show the people who make it- they don't show the people who don't or the negative aspects to it all. You can see on this very site, a few advertisements for people who have sold up and moved abroad- but they only want the ones who have a positive experience....which is very one sided obviously. Of the many ex-pats we've seen come out to where we live in FL- I'd say a majority go back.

Some come out on a contract (like we did initially) for a British Company- others transfer through US companies in UK.
Brits are constantly hearing about the high wages in US- news reports frequently compare UK and US, wages, taxes etc..US is generally given a favourable image in the media.
The US is a wealthy country- and the way it projects itself around the world iis perceived that everyone is well off- most brits are astonished when you tell them that there is also great poverty in America- there was a report a couple of years ago that so many people (I think a higher number than the total population of Sweden) in America can't afford enough food to eat and are going hungry- some of my European friends on other net forums couldn't believe it.

meauxna

Do they believe their TVs? Yes, in more cases than I care to relate. I've been living 3 summers worth of tourist season in Greece in a predominantly Brit 'resort'. With the exception of New York, "all" of America is Florida (read Orlando) or California (read LA). People are amazed that the climate in the Pacific NW is virtually identical to the UK, and that the whole of the UK will in fact fit inside of Oregon (where?).

Clearly a gross generalization, but as an American, I was amazed. Of course, if you believe the UK papers, everyone in Greece is making funky monkey 24/7 on the beach.

PS: it's only 12/7...too hot the rest of the time

nxylas

That's because 75% of our newspapers are owned either by US and Canadian citizens (Rupert Murdoch and Conrad Black respectively) or pro-US Thatcherites (Lord Rothermere). The late Daily Mail editor Sir David English was, in the 1970's, instrumental in forming Margaret Thatcher's views on the USA as the free-market paradise who we should imitate by cutting taxes and privatising public services (in some respects, we have gone even further in that direction than the Americans, eg. privatising bus and rail services, which I believe are still publicly owned in the US).

nxylas

Well, before I met my fiancee, I didn't particularly "yearn" to live in the US, I was happy where I was. I suspect that Internet romances like mine are the most common reason for moving to the US, but then that could be because my perspective is distorted through hanging out on support groups etc. I wonder if any statistics are compiled on people's reasons for emigrating from the UK to the US.

doctor scrumpy

Personally I would rather live in the UK, I believe of the 2 Cheshire is vastly superior in many ways to the DC area.

But My lady wants to stay in the USA, and given she co-owns her own company that is her perogative. My reason for moving to the USA is that I want to be with her. I would rather live in a tent in a field with her, than in a palace without her. Fortunately she has a 4 bedroom 'tent' though lol

Pulaski

Fair point, but of those that do yearn to live in the US (whether they manage to emigrate or not) I think they are people who resent the high taxes and high cost of living in the UK.

Patrick

Which America to you actually live in! Income Tax here is 33% where as in the UK I was paying 24% on the first 28k I earned and 40% on the rest, seeing as I earnt 30k it didn't hurt me. The jobs I have been interviewed for already want to pay somewhere between 35-45k - nowhere near what I was earning in the UK. With Sales tax and property tax on cars and houses it is very comparable, stop kidding yourself. You still have to pay for health insurance and when my wife goes into hospital next month for an operation the insurance will only cover 80% so we still have to find $3000. On top of that she will lose all her holiday entitlement to cover her recovery.

Cost of living - apart from clothes (and how often do you buy those), cars (and how often do you buy those), white goods (and how often do you buy those)and gas everything else is either more expensive or the same as the UK. Food is more expensive, insurance (which you must have for everything) in fact apart from gas the day to day running of a house and living is either on par or more expensive. On the whole eating out is cheaper, if you go to the right restaurants but you can find cheap places to eat in the UK (Hungry horse).

Its OK to like living the US but for ****s sake lets keep it real. Some of you mother****ers make it out to be this eutopia, it is not, its a place to live - a nice place to live, but after all its just life.

I went to see Wendy yesterday who interviewed me 3 times for a position - the company lost the contract and the position disappeared. Half her team where made redundant, her husband was made redundant from another firm and I know of 3 other husbands in the computer/IT business looking for jobs. I am not bitter am just a realist, you on the other hand live in some la la land. I live here with my wife, where ever she is I will be and thats it, I don't resent anything about the UK, I resent bitter toss pots like you who for some reason can't accept you like america because it is america and have to have some hatred towards your home land.

Patrick

Pulaski

Gee, you think I'm bitter? Look at yourself!

I'm not bitter, I'm more than happy with life. In any case I got into this thread talking about why people in the UK believe that the US would be a great place to live, and I prefaced my first post with "Rightly or wrongly the US is seen as a country where the cost of many things is significantly less than in the UK". As has been already well established on several threads, you and I have different opinions on this matter.