Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

I have no particular love of living in America, though I am enjoying the nice big house and the better weather at the moment. I can quite agree with the sentiments about missing the humour, pubs and (for me) Tesco's.

My main concern about moving back home though, after living in Sweden for 3 years and here for 1 year so far, is that I don't feel like I fit anymore when I go home. I actually feel more British living in a foreign country than I do when I go home now. Things there have changed and so have I but we have been moving in different directions, so sometimes I feel like a stranger in my own country. I no longer have the same perspective that I did before I moved away and now I wonder if I could ever settle back there and be contented. Does anyone know what I mean?

Emm.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

I think I do but I've just spent a month in England and loved being there. I loved soaking up all the culture and countryside....whereas I think of the USA as being 'the land of the bland'...LOL! I think I could settle in England again but would absolutely, definitely be taking advantage of all those cheapo flights to Prague, Venice, Rome etc. (Ryanair are still regularly offering flights for 1 pound and it was either Thomsonfly or MyTravelite having flight offers for just 4 pence a couple of weeks ago!).

In my first few weeks of being an expat I got talking to an Englishwoman on our condo whom had just moved down from Hong Kong, where she had lived for about ten years. She said to me that once you have been an expat for 7 years, you can't go back (home). Oddly enough, a few months after that her spouse was transferred to Taiwan...and got the sack three weeks later and they returned to Blighty! :rolleyes:

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

I spoke to someone a while back from Liverpool, who has lived in California since 1964, he still has his scouse accent, and not the slightest trace of an American accent. He told me that despite the fact that all his family are American, he'd move back to England in a heartbeat if it was possible, and he has the time of his life whenever he does get to visit Blighty. 40 years and he still gets homesick, so there's not much chance of my homesickness going away any time soon :D

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

Time to move back if you really feel that way.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

I think about moving back quite a lot. Been here 2 years, and don't really see the magic. Totally agree on the materialistic side - got a big, cheap house - great - means more cleaning and more space to collect junk. Got a big cheap car - guzzles gas, (but thats OK cos its cheap, and who gives an environmental toss?) - but I spend so much more time/miles in it than in the UK.. Maybe its just a Texas thing thats bugging me - I'd like to try somewhere else in the US, but we came here because of family (my wifes side) and at this stage would see moving any further than sensible driving distance away a retrograde step. Mine family are in the UK, and the older generation are about a decade ahead of the US side, so I really feel a strong pull to go there before its too late.

Englishmums comments about the 'corporate' expats (for want of a better word) are interesting. I had pretty much the same experience when I worked for an MNC - the expats in Singapore were always looking for a way to extend their posting whereas the expats in the US were generally happy to move on to somewhere else. For the corporate expat in the US it seems there really is greener grass elsewhere! We took a considerable drop in quality of life when we moved from Sing to the US, although our living space doubled in size and we moved from a 1.6 Honda civic vs a 2.5 Honda Pilot! I clearly haven't eyt bought into the US "bigger=better" mode.....

How've I drifted onto US ?Sing vs Us/Uk - sorry. ramble. Why not check out the Moving back to the UK forum - may get some alternative views from some that have done it.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

[QUOTE=YorkieabroadEnglishmums comments about the 'corporate' expats (for want of a better word) are interesting. I had pretty much the same experience when I worked for an MNC - the expats in Singapore were always looking for a way to extend their posting whereas the expats in the US were generally happy to move on to somewhere else. For the corporate expat in the US it seems there really is greener grass elsewhere! We took a considerable drop in quality of life when we moved from Sing to the US, although our living space doubled in size and we moved from a 1.6 Honda civic vs a 2.5 Honda Pilot! I clearly haven't eyt bought into the US "bigger=better" mode.....
.[/QUOTE]


Ha ha, let me count the ways why a corporate posting is better in Asia and the Middle East than the US:

Most Asian/ME countries don't let expats buy property...so the company picks up the tab for all housing rental costs. (For example we lived in a huge and beautiful brand new apartment; the use of two swimming pools, gym, tennis court, clubhouse and children's playgrounds on the condo with 24 hour security). Some expats (mostly with American companies) had all their utility bills paid too.

School fees and bus transportation paid for at local International Schools or boarding school in the home country. This is worth a lot!

Company car provided (cars in Singapore the most expensive in the world due to extortionate taxation....in 1995 our Toyota Corona (Carina) cost almost 60,000 GBP due to the high COE - certificate of entitlement. Cars are usually scrapped after 10 years!

Country Club membership provided.

Medical fees covered.

Annual air fare to go back to the home country on 'home leave' (or the allowance can be used to go anywhere else if desired). We had economy fares, other expats often get business class air travel home. Also provision for emergency flights home in case of serious illness/death of a close relative.

Very inexpensive household help to live in or out....some companies eg. Rolls-Royce even pick up the tab for a live in maid in a tropical/desert climate.

Fantastic (and cheap) travel opportunities to neighbouring countries. In the North America there are far fewer options for experiencing other cultures.


***************************

We don't get most of those allowances in the US (still get annual airfares home but that halves after 5 years and one is localised after 6 years). We don't have a large disposible income any more! :eek: My husband is off to Tokyo in early September, then going to London for a couple of weeks.....just as the academic year begins here so I can't accompany him. grrrrr.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

Agree on the travel opportunities, but on the other, seems our companies differ.. we got all of that in Singapore, except the company car (you lucky beggars - not many got that - most of the guys we knew had 0% company car loans). We had a Honda civic that cost UKPDS50k, and sold for UKPDS18k at 7 year old! Almost enough to buy a brand new Honda Pilot in the US! But the expats in the US (with my former company) get all that as well, apart from the maid.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

hi all. no, the homesicknes never ends. i have been here for FORTY FOUR years!!! but stay in contact with all my rellies in UK. twice married 4 kids, so going back only seemed like a dream. now my American hubby and all 4 kids will give it a go. I have a nice home and good job, and I know what I get from selling my home, after paying off debts, will be precious little converted to british pounds. but believe me as you get older, you soon realise there is so much more to life. it will be next fall, but I cant wait!

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

Wow...44 years! Did you move to the States when you were very young eg. with your parents?

How did you persuade your American family to take the plunge and agree to live in the UK? Where are you heading back to? Do read up (by typing it into any search engine) on 'reverse culture shock' where expats returning home feel disorientated for a while... :eek:

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

hi englishmum. yes. I turned 5 on the way over. i was only allowed to bring one thing. my teddy bear. I still have him. looks pretty ragged now. :D
Ive been talking about it endlessly for several years now. we even started papers for emigrating to Australia. sort of middle of the road culturally. But I keep saying, I'll be even further from England and what if I never get to see my rellies ever again? my husband is actually younger,39. so I have convinced him (finally) that we could go to UK for 2 years so the youngest 2 can finish school and I would be able to see my beloved homeland again and spend time with my family. (especially my cuz, Kim.) we e-mail constantly. and then we could still try for Oz.My kids are excited about it but my husband is scared to death. he thinks all of England is old gray cramped houses, rain and dreary and nothing more. yes I know some of that to be true, BUT theres a lot more to it than that. I'm so excited, I'll cry buckets when I get my first glimpse flying in. who knows, maybe he'll even like it there? :)

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

oh, forgot to add, I was born in Plymouth but most of my family are in Stoke. My cousin buys houses, then rents them out. so I least I have a connection to help find a place to live. where are you? do you know much about the Staffordshire area?

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

I must be a freak - I don't miss the UK at all! I'm happy to make my home wherever I am, so long as I am with my DH, I am happy. DH on the other hand is missing the UK (and he's the American) and he's now talking about us moving to Canada as he feels that he will be more at home there!

Josie

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

Has he spent any serious time in Canada or is this just a hunch? As a brit in canada it seems kind of similar to the States, but with more state healthcare provision, less violence and maybe (only a maybe) a bit more social concience than the US. But then I've not lived in the US, just been exposed to constant US media barage N of the border.

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

Nope, I don't either. Moving to the US was the second best thing that ever happened to me, ..... after getting married! :)

Re: Should I move back to Britain?
 

A while back I "jokingly" suggested we consider moving back to the UK.
The wife responded by reading the riot act and saying "if you wanna go fine, but you'll go on your f***ing own".

I honestly was only kidding.