Hi all :-) I made it to the States on the 23rd July :-) Had a few hours delay with the plane but I was happy that when I arrived in Atlanta the POE officer was soooo nice (unusual from previous experience) he sorted everything out in about 5 minutes so no secondary which was great!
Ive already started interviewing for jobs, SS card sorted, bank account open, just need to build some credit.
The house is amazing, the weather is not as bad as I thought it is hot and im glad everywhere is air conditioned but its nice to have hot weather! Plus we have a pool so result.

The bugs not so nice we have seen a couple snakes we have seen lots of giant beatle type things they look like cockroaches yuck! I have found some on their backs dead. A few lizards, the birds are HUGE seen some Turkey Vulchers! Had to google what they even was.

Food is so cheap here, everyone is super friendly x

Just thought id check in x

Kelly

Hi Kelly

Glad you've landed and enjoying your first couple weeks here in NC!

You're beating me on the snakes count. I've yet to see one - thank goodness!

Food? Cheap? You must be used to shopping at expensive stores in England.

All the best.

Seeing a snake is a good sign! They may well be eating some or all of your scary big bugs. Snakes on a property help keep all kinds of pests in check.

Are you talking about eating out or eating in? We find many of the cafes & inexpensive restaurants seem cheaper than back home, but grocery store purchases can be startlingly pricier--necessitating some comparison shopping & coupon/loyalty card faff to stay in budget....

Probably June bugs.

Ian

We used to get those around the outside lights when we lived in the UK.

I had one of them hit our kitchen window last week... just about gave me a heart attack! I could see it coming, but couldn't really make out what it was until it was about 6"-8" away from the window and I was like a deer-in-the-headlights! I couldn't move... and I actually ducked when it hit. Dang, that was loud! The dog barked... once... once only! Like in a Stephen King film!

Ian

Glad you are enjoying it and it's very reassuring to hear. We are moving to Charlotte in the autumn and I've been concerned about how we will cope with the summer heat (and the snakes and bugs!) Whereabouts are you?

Actually now I think about it the ones in the U.K. were May bugs. About 1 1/2" long and 1" wide.

Hi Kelly,

I am glad to hear that you made it through, eventually, and are settling in OK.

It sounds like you get more snakes than we do - we see very few, despite living in a rural and wooded area. I don't think I have seen one so far this year. Do you know what sort of snakes you have seen?

It's been a few years since I saw a June bug, mostly we get smaller creeping one's, like ants, and I have been plagued by wasps this year, but thankfully only stung once.

Ah yes I mean like eating out is cheap, grocery stores yeah some stuff is crazy priced! Some bits are cheaper. I drink fizzy water in England and normally buy 2 litre bottles for like 30p well ill be switching to cold plain h20 here 😁😁 But other groceries are very expensive.

Bugs and snakes. They are everywhere in the US. I've only seen one small snake here in Mississippi in the 13 months I've lived here. I've been told to leave them be as they are beneficial in the check and balance of nature. We had a very wet late spring and early summer down here in Mississippi and the bug population has increased heavily. We've had wasps this spring and later carpenter bees but they seem to have been eradicated nicely by chemical intervention. Bugs and snakes are a part of nature. You leave them alone and they will do what nature intended and won't bother you.

Glad you are pleased with NC. It and SC are lovely states.

I've acclimated to the summer heat down here. The heat isn't the bad part. It is the humidity. Some days it is like going out the front door and hitting a brick wall the humidity is so high. Other days, like this week, it can be in the high 90's and it is lovely to sit out in the shade with a cool drink. Just as you can't live in the north without a good heating system, you can't live in the south without adequate air conditioning.

We had snakes in NJ. Often found the skins they had shed in the garden. They also got into the pool...but couldn't get out. One got trapped under the sliding patio door. Ant, wasps, carpenter bees and cave crickets were a real problem.

We get bottled water from a wholesale club (Costco, Sam's Club, BJ's, other wholesale clubs are available, etc). Works out really cheap when you can find a coupon too.

Welcome Stateside, Kelly!

Buy a Soda Stream for fizzy water. I filter all tap water before drinking.

My unit was going to Camp Shelby MS a few years ago and someone dug out an old newspaper article from the 1950's showing a big guy holding a giant 151 pound rattlesnake that had just been killed on the base. I kept a copy but have no way to post.