Philk

Good to read about someon settling in so well

I'm from Bracknell, been in the US for 5 months now and not missing the commute into London or the run down town centre full of charity and mobile phone shops.
I do miss the quaint little villages and the history - but I'm just back from a long weekend in Denver which was an awesome place and made me realise how much of the US there is I want to try and see

In my late 40s, over here with my USC wife, we've made 1 friend so far but it is hard, I've started as a soccer ref to see if I can meet people that way. But liking having more free time, more money - and closer to the US side of my family so planning on having quite a few long weekends ( part of my job negotiation was 20 days off )

Thanks again to the OP, nice to hear stories like that as I start to think about putting down roots and where that might be

SanDiegogirl

Wow..... we might have been neighbours at one point as hubby and I are from Finchampstead - just down the road from Bracknell.

Glad to hear that you are settling in.

Philk

If the hubby played footy then I might have met him on a pitch somewhere !

San Diego is the location of choice for my wife, she loves the place and the climate. Sadly for her my job offer was for Grand Rapids, MI with all of its interesting seasons...

treasuredr

Hi snufkinette, Yes I've been incredibly lucky to be in almost the same type of role that I had in the UK. I came with a lengthy background working in Higher Ed and now enjoy working in an almost identical position here. As far as work for your husband, if you were considering this part of the world I imagine he could use his IT skills in several places, especially the colleges and universities. If you include Roanoke, where there are more malls/restaurants etc., then I would guess his chances would be quite good to find something. Like many people who have posted before have said, be prepared to take anything and then you can apply for other positions as they appear. The important thing is to get your first experience of working in the USA under your belt. I worked at a smaller university in a clerical job that was not really my ideal, but it was more than ok as a starter and enabled me to get a better paying and more senior role after a year. I also met some great people and enjoyed the experience.

Weather wise, we have great spring/summer/fall here in South West VA, and winters vary. The first year I was here 3ft of snow fell in one afternoon - wow! Last winter wasn't so bad. The thing that I like is the brightness of the days - we don't get the constant grey skies like the UK. I haven't found the humidity too bad here to be honest.

Let us know what you decide and if I can offer any further advice, I'd be happy to do so. Good luck with your decision making!

treasuredr

Hi there!
Small world isn't it! I can relate regarding the charity and mobile phone shops too!! I hope you find settling in a smooth and happy process and I'm sure you'll meet lots of new people with the soccer reffing. Its definitely a good life here, and although not perfect, it suits me at this stage of life. I too like having more free time - also I enjoy a quick 10 minute commute to and from work where people think the traffic is bad when there's more than 3 cars in front of you at a red light!! In my part of the world food is also cheaper and it's so nice to enjoy a sunday roast without thinking about remortgaging the house! Other things are more expensive, so like life in general it's always a balance. However, on the whole we enjoy a much higher standard of living than we could have done back home.

One of the things I just love, is not having to ever think about where to park the car. I know this is not true for everyone, but in my small town there are no traffic wardens, need for parking permits, expensive multi-story car parks or meters - fantastic!

Glad you're enjoying the thread - just thought it made a nice change. Take care.

treasuredr

Hey Philk, my very first manager has just relocated to Grand Rapids to work at Steelecase! What a coincidence.

Philk

Even more of a coincedence, Steelcase are one of the companies we work with - very small world