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Second week in US, homesick starts!

Second week in US, homesick starts!

Old Jul 28th 2017, 5:46 pm
  #61  
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by jellybean_17
Thanks, the husband wouldn't have to commute too much so he doesn't mind being around those areas. The high prices concern me, as much as i'd like to think our income could rise significantly in the near future, it could also go the opposite way! Stupidly i've just been comparing what we could have back home (UK) for the same money and based on that I think we've lost the plot Are other areas like mountain house/stockton or north of there ok? Or are we starting to hit what might be problem areas? They are much lower in price than Livermore seems to be.
Personally, I wouldn't touch Stockton with a barge pole. https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj4.../#47133970296e

Mountain House is a very new community. Not much wrong with it, I guess, other than its proximity to Tracy. Even though it's only a few miles from Tracy, it feels as though it's way out in the sticks - there's a lot of open and agricultural land around, and it's pretty dry and dusty in the summer. The Stockton/Tracy area is quite a way away from SF and no longer in the Bay Area, really - it's central valley, with the summer temperatures that go with that. It's currently 10.45am, and it's 71 degrees where I am and 88 degrees in Stockton. Not my cup of tea, but you may feel differently.
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Old Jul 28th 2017, 11:20 pm
  #62  
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

I wish people would stop calling it The Bay Area every self respecting resident knows its Frisco...
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 1:40 am
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Wintersong
Personally, I wouldn't touch Stockton with a barge pole. https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj4.../#47133970296e

Mountain House is a very new community. Not much wrong with it, I guess, other than its proximity to Tracy. Even though it's only a few miles from Tracy, it feels as though it's way out in the sticks - there's a lot of open and agricultural land around, and it's pretty dry and dusty in the summer. The Stockton/Tracy area is quite a way away from SF and no longer in the Bay Area, really - it's central valley, with the summer temperatures that go with that. It's currently 10.45am, and it's 71 degrees where I am and 88 degrees in Stockton. Not my cup of tea, but you may feel differently.
Currently in Florida so the temps are ok and i'm hoping for dry over humid Finding somewhere decent to live seems to be a minefield! We were told our current area is very safe yet in the short time we've lived here its had plenty of crime going off It frustrates me so much when I look at the rents for places compared to what and where I could live back home for that money too! I know its not good to compare but still!
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 5:05 am
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

im going to challenge the status quo here and say do NOT try and wathc only UK TV, ie recreate the life you had back home.

Just go cold turkey. Find things you like here and start to acclimatize. Yes a lot of shows are crappy BUT they are common ground you can talk to people about whenever you have a conversation. Its introduces you to common language, concepts names and culture that is different.

We have never watch UK TV in the 10 years we are here. To be honest i dont watch a lot of TV anymore - but what i do watch is fine and gives me plenty to talk about at work or in the kids school or see merchandise in the grocery store.

when we arrived here in 2007 my kids were 11 months old and 3 1/2 years old. I did lots of exploring of shops - as it was important to know what shop sold what items and what kind of price they were - so when i needed stuff later i knew where to go. we also explored kids museaums and playparks and pools and the malls etc.
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 5:42 am
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by jellybean_17
Currently in Florida so the temps are ok and i'm hoping for dry over humid Finding somewhere decent to live seems to be a minefield! We were told our current area is very safe yet in the short time we've lived here its had plenty of crime going off It frustrates me so much when I look at the rents for places compared to what and where I could live back home for that money too! I know its not good to compare but still!
It'll be positively refreshing for you, then

Have you looked at Brentwood?
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 4:12 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by MsElui
im going to challenge the status quo here and say do NOT try and wathc only UK TV, ie recreate the life you had back home. ....
You are not alone.
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 4:24 pm
  #67  
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by MsElui
im going to challenge the status quo here and say do NOT try and wathc only UK TV, ie recreate the life you had back home.

Just go cold turkey. Find things you like here and start to acclimatize. Yes a lot of shows are crappy BUT they are common ground you can talk to people about whenever you have a conversation. Its introduces you to common language, concepts names and culture that is different.

We have never watch UK TV in the 10 years we are here. To be honest i dont watch a lot of TV anymore - but what i do watch is fine and gives me plenty to talk about at work or in the kids school or see merchandise in the grocery store.

when we arrived here in 2007 my kids were 11 months old and 3 1/2 years old. I did lots of exploring of shops - as it was important to know what shop sold what items and what kind of price they were - so when i needed stuff later i knew where to go. we also explored kids museaums and playparks and pools and the malls etc.
Perhaps so for new arrivals for those of us that have been here awhile.
I think it's more a question of watching some decent TV programs, than longing to return or homesickness. Channel 4 has some excellent foreign language shows on line.
In fact some of what's shown British TV has the reverse effect of longing to go back for me.
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Old Jul 29th 2017, 5:58 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Wintersong
It'll be positively refreshing for you, then

Have you looked at Brentwood?
No but thanks for the suggestion, I will get looking what is available there Even the dog is fed up of Florida lol He gets bit by every bug going as soon as he leaves the house!
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Old Aug 1st 2017, 2:54 am
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Wintersong
Personally, I wouldn't touch Stockton with a barge pole. https://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlj4.../#47133970296e

Mountain House is a very new community. Not much wrong with it, I guess, other than its proximity to Tracy. Even though it's only a few miles from Tracy, it feels as though it's way out in the sticks - there's a lot of open and agricultural land around, and it's pretty dry and dusty in the summer. The Stockton/Tracy area is quite a way away from SF and no longer in the Bay Area, really - it's central valley, with the summer temperatures that go with that. It's currently 10.45am, and it's 71 degrees where I am and 88 degrees in Stockton. Not my cup of tea, but you may feel differently.
I drove through Tracy on Saturday and it was well over 100F.
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Old Aug 1st 2017, 4:24 am
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

My wife just made Scotch eggs, much better than the ones in the UK. Maybe a bit of UK cuisine would help the home sickness. Also there seems to be a lot of Brits over here, maybe your OH has Brit friends at work that your could socialize with.

If you miss the English accent GoT makes good viewing, maybe not for the kids.
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 4:30 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Chippie79
...

We are considering a move to the US from the UK. I already feel very anxious about it and we are in the VERY early stages of it all. But I know the US well and have lived there before (pre children).

...
One piece of advice based on the OP's experience with a hotel; try to negotiate a furnished apartment, rather than a hotel. There are chains, such as Oakwood, that specialize in furnished apartments, which offer a much better alternative to hotels. I'm not talking about using Air BnB here ... I'm talking about getting into an apartment complex full of short-term business people. The downside is you will have to cook / arrange your own food, but with delivery services being so common these days that would not be a challenge. The furnished apartments are more 'home-like', and you'll meet tons of people in similar situations, as long as you are willing to go visit the pool or whatever.
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 5:50 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Steerpike
One piece of advice based on the OP's experience with a hotel; try to negotiate a furnished apartment, rather than a hotel. There are chains, such as Oakwood, that specialize in furnished apartments, .....
Just like hotels, they come in a range of quality and price. When I first moved to NC, before we bought a home and Mrs P followed, I stayed in one "at the lower end of the market". It was clean, but very basic, though it served me well enough for a couple of months, but with the benefit of hindsight I should probably have slept with a pistol under my pillow.
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 6:04 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Just like hotels, they come in a range of quality and price. When I first moved to NC, before we bought a home and Mrs P followed, I stayed in one "at the lower end of the market". It was clean, but very basic, though it served me well enough for a couple of months, but with the benefit of hindsight I should probably have slept with a pistol under my pillow.
Sometimes it easier to just put up a sign saying "Stay out, bed bug infestation. Enter at own risk". Not sure if the landlord would be happy about that though.
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 6:26 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Just like hotels, they come in a range of quality and price. When I first moved to NC, before we bought a home and Mrs P followed, I stayed in one "at the lower end of the market". It was clean, but very basic, though it served me well enough for a couple of months, but with the benefit of hindsight I should probably have slept with a pistol under my pillow.
I've had very good experience specifically with Oakwood, though I think they've changed names, been acquired, etc a few times since then. I had a not-so-good experience with Extended Stay America (which is NOT a furnished apartment, but does warrant mention in this context). I checked in once for what was supposed to be a 30 day stay, and ended up checking out immediately. The room itself had an oven, and clearly the cleaners had used massive doses of oven cleaner to the point where I felt I might be poisoned. Then I wandered the hallways and felt quite unsafe ... I got the feeling it was being used by the local police station for overflow from their jails, or something!
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Old Aug 2nd 2017, 6:30 pm
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Default Re: Second week in US, homesick starts!

Originally Posted by Steerpike
.... I got the feeling it was being used by the local police station for overflow from their jails, or something!
Sounds like the place I was staying ..... which might also have been an annex to the CBP deportation holding cells.
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