Suexpat

Clear Lake is not really for Expats, where will your husband work as that will make a huge difference as to where you live?

scrubbedexpat097

Why is Clear Lake not for Expats?

There has never been a big community of expats where we live and we have survived.
Clear Lake has plenty of good amenities and is still close to the main city of Houston.

Suexpat

I know from experience it is not for expats. There are much better areas that are far more friendly. Well thats my opinion.

scrubbedexpat097

Fair enough, but it all boils down to what you want.

Clear Lake is a fairly nice area to live, there are a lot worse suburbs of Houston. And not all expats want to be around other Brits all the time...that's my opinion.

Pulaski

Agreed, I personally wouldn't choose at expat ghetto, though others might prefer that. It's all horses for courses.

hoffage123

They eat horses over there? Neigh ...

"Been spending all my life livin' in an expat paradise"

I think it is important to get involved in the wider community as much as possible - it will help you feel more settled and integrated in your new life; my missus did this when she moved over to the UK initially and 7 years on has a wide network of friends here.

I plan to do the same when I move over to the US

Lbjen

If the job is in Clear Lake then it's better to live there than spend half the day in traffic.

If this is a temporary relocation and you really have no intention of staying here then it's fine to limit your social life to expats. If you think you might stay here its not the best course of action.

Speedwell

Hey Yanks are not so bad after all, take it from me lol You work with us... you married us... it's a big country, you might even find a friend or two eh?

Pulaski

I agree but one of the big unspoken divides on BE is between those of us who "married our way in" and the "pure expat couples" where one spouse relocate for work reasons and brought their family with them. I know it isn't quite that clear cut, but I think you get my point.

Anyhow, paraphrasing words of my mother, some of them are quite nice, it's almost like they're not American at all! (Which is what she said after first meeting the now-Mrs P! )

Bink

Ahem! Then there's the third category that came over with work, stayed and met an American here!

Pulaski

There are, it's true, a number of similar but different middle ground possibilities. HH arrived earlier in the year on an L1 but then married a local (who I believe he already knew), I married a local but only came here a couple of years later for work opportunities.

durham_lad

Welcome Sunderland Lass.

Reading your intro post reminded me of the time we moved to the Houston area in 1987 with 2 kids, aged 6 and 4. I was working in Clear Lake and there were plenty of expats living there, although we chose to live in Friendswood, about 5 miles from Clear Lake.

I can't expand on the great answers you have already received to your questions. I can tell you that we were very warmly met by the locals. I'm sure you are going to do just great.

On our look-see visit in October, 1987 we contacted a realtor who drove us around lots of houses for rent, and she was very knowledgeable about schools, toddler groups etc.

scrubbedexpat097

Mr Weeze

There's also those who are actually 'murcan too....

Yorkieabroad

Culture shock may not be as bad as some had it...moving from one city with a football team that can't win, to another city with a football team that can't win....gotta be good for that instant "at home" feeling