swingin scot

I was just wondering how many of you contemplate moving back across the pond? I've been here almost 9 years now and for the past 2 or so years I've been getting VERY homesick and am seriously thinking of moving back to Scotland (or at least somewhere else in the UK). All of my family is still over there so I know that makes a big difference and I'm well aware of the "grass is always greener" thing Any opinions or advice or similar stories would help.

Thanks.

Dan725

Well, I guess it depends on the quality of your life in the States vs quality of life back home. I guess 9 years is a long time, so I can't compare there. Me personally, I've been in the US for about a year and a half, and I cringe every time I have to go back to UK, to be honest!! Trade a decent 4 bed house with 2 car garage and pool for a tiny little 2 bed semi for the same money? No thanks!! Like you, I do miss family and friends but thats the price you pay, besides its not too much of a problem - with the exchange rates dollar vs pound at the minute, you should persuade them all to come over for cheap holidays!

So from my point of (rosy) point of view I'd say don't go, but then I don't know your circumstances fully. Best of luck!!

swingin scot

THanks. I felt the same way up until a few years ago. The thought of ever moving back to the UK just sounded terrible ... I actually never thought I'd want to go back, amazing how things change. I live in LA so no 4 bed house with 2 car garage for me hehe. Where do you live? I have thought about possibly checking out somehwere back East first before I decide. Another big issue for me is schooling ... even though I don't have kids yet I think I'd like them to be educated in Britain. My experience over here is limited to a very specific area and it may be different elsewhere in the states, but here in LA I'm very unimpressed by the school situation.

ElsieTheMaid

I'm with you Dan. The quality of life is so much better over here for me also. I don't cringe when I go back - I love to be the tourist back home, but the idea of actually moving back there makes me feel queasy!

Dan725

I'm in Tampa, Fl - in fact there is a downside, my whole house could have turned into my swimming pool if that hurricane hadn't veered off at last minute :scared: !!

I've been to LA a couple of times, I have to say I wasn't impressed much. Most people seem really up themselves, lots ruder than most New Yorkers in my opinion. Not to mention the expense of everything. If I was you I'd be tempted to consider moving elsewhere first before home. Can't really help with schooling at this moment, doesn't apply...yet!

tinaflorida

I agree with this... my life has improved so much since moving to Tampa five years ago that I couldn't imagine ever going back to live in England. I do manage to get back to visit regularly and I also agree that it's nice to go back as a tourist, but Tampa is now my home and I plan on staying put here... despite the hurricane threats!

I suppose for me it's different since I really haven't felt at home anywhere in England since leaving Bournemouth to go to uni in 1990. I just moved around so much that I was always having to make new friends, which in some places I found very difficult.

sibsie

I haven't been back to England since I left over two years ago. I think that because I haven't been back, I'm now viewing it with nostalgia and getting a tad homesick. I'm going to pop back some time this year and I'm sure that'll cure any thoughts of heading home.

I'm on the East Coast about 40 miles from Boston. I like the area a lot. Boston is a great little town and it's got a lot to offer. Cheap housing isn't one of those offers though!

Dan725

I'm also with you on this one Tina - I left home first to go to Uni 13 years ago, then joined the Army - before I ended up in the USA, I hadn't lived in the UK for 7 years anyway, I kind of grew detached from the place

syllk

I knew a nice guy over here whose wife became very homesick, and so they finally decided to move back to Wales. Once back over there, she then started to feel homesick for California...he was not overly impressed. His kids didn't really help with things when they took to complaining about the noticeable lack of a pool...

I've been lucky to have been involved in a project that involved travel to the UK. It felt great to be back in England at first, but then there were little things that I had completely forgotten about that really started to annoy me, such as being kicked out of pubs at 11pm.

Triumphrob

Yes!
I am thinking of doing the same thing. Ill be very happy to trade the (financial and materialisitic) better standard of living for a better way of life. People are more important than a swimming pool (I got one, it gets old), I miss the humor ,pubs and even Sainsburys. I dislike the artificial "Have a nice day" culture.
However, at 46 and unknown carrer wise over there, I am giving it some serious thought before making the move. I made up a list of fors and againsts in 2 colums and add to them as I think of them, trying to be as honest as possible.
Regards
Rob

Englishmum

Ha ha Triumphrob, I know what you mean about the pool, we don't have one here up in the North East, but we lived in Singapore so there was a pool available 24/7 and 365 days of the year and after a while we rarely used it. (Do you have a Triumph motorbike or car by the way?).

We will probably leave the US in 2007 when we have exhausted our 7 years max on the visas and our son has completed High School here...but if we can get another expat posting elsewhere then we would probably go for it. We have been talking to other expats over the weekend (a few Aussie couples) and not one of them is planning to stay in the US when they come up to retirement age. We know so many expats who have had corporate postings here and few of them choose to stay on and bother getting Green Cards. Our Scottish friends who lived in Needham near Boston returned to the Fife/Edinburgh area last year, bought a farmhouse and send their children to excellent private schools - yet found the private schools in the US to be far costlier than in the UK. (I did too, which is why our son goes to the local public school...private schools in our area cost a minimum of $20k for the youngest children!).

My husband is in his mid-40s and has a final salary UK pension, so he would get something like 67% of his notional salary upon retirement. If he transfers to the US arm of the company his UK pension will be frozen at current rates which won't be worth much in about 20 years time, plus having to start a 401k here from scratch!

We find living in the New York metro area can work out to be just as expensive as living in Greater London (where we still have a small house) so unless one lives in a cheaper housing area such as Florida I don't think that our quality of life is any better here than we had in the UK.....and of course I do miss my family members in Blighty who can't afford to visit us over here.

In an ideal world my husband would like to leave the US for a year, then come in again on an L1-A, but somehow I don't think that's going to happen!

daytona

Agree totally with Triumphrob about the 'Materialistic' thing. Bricks,land and adult toys v Culture/History/Real people/Life etc etc. Tried living in both Florida and Carolina now and as someone said about Australia recently..it's 'Self Induced Euthanasia'. Sadly most of the Brits I have met over here fall into the 'I got a big car and house etc, could'nt have that in (whatever part in Britain they were from)?..sad buggers! Hope to move back early next year.

dunroving

Sorry to get off topic, but what visa are you/hubby on here - H1B? If so, how do you get 7 years - I thought 6 was the max with the H1?

Englishmum

L1-A intracompany transfer. My husband is in senior management. I think L1-B visa holders can only stay for a max of 6 years.

dunroving

Thanks! Was thinking for a minute there I might have a loophole for one more year (H1B). Ah well...