Originally Posted by Pulaski

I have had a number of conversations over the years when I have explained the difference between England, Great Britain, and the United Kingdom.

Originally Posted by dlake02

Be VERY careful on University and think ahead - we moved back after 4 1/2 unhappy years with a son going into Year 9. At the same time, I started a Postgraduate degree and was shocked to find that for the duration of the degree, I will be classified as a non-UK/non-EU student as we have not been in the UK/EU continuously for the past 3 years. My fees have gone from £1500/year to £12,500. And there has been a (Tory) suggestion that all "foreigners" should need a 5-year qualifying period. Gulp.

So, my son will be OK, but only just. And no-one told us that - found out by accident.

We were in the Bay Area which I hated with a passion. First 2 years, I tried to make the best of it, but the work atmosphere, the lack of any social life, the awful media and unfair/useless/expensive healthcare plus the fact that even the "progressives" I came across were slightly right of Maggie compared to me and I felt totally isolated and living to a different set of values.

I left feeling very cross, very upset, felt conned by the American marketing machine and that I had wasted nearly 5 years of my life. I'm starting to calm down - I have a good job and the right (not being on an L1) to look for another one; my wife is an individual again rather than tied to my "status;" being a Labour party and proud Trade Union member and an atheist are no longer dirty secrets !

For me, it didn't get easier. I tried to make it easier, but I just found I was grating and arguing with everything and everyone. Eventually, I realised that conformisim is much more important in the US than it is at least in the area I live in (London/Brighton).

I hope it works out however you want it to work out.

Originally Posted by kimilseung

I'd say seven or eight years in before I started to feel at home here, in the sense that I felt I was as much of a stake-holder here as any natural born American.
I've had the usual, Welsh, Scot, Irish, Aussie, all to be expected, but I have also had some odd ones. One person has a Czech friend, he assumed I must be Czech too. I have also been refereed to as "that Russian guy"

Originally Posted by elspethUK

Roughly two months ago we relocated from Leeds to suburban Michigan, USA for dh's work. He is happy at his job here, and it is a good position, but me and my daughter are not nearly as happy. P is almost 15. She was open to moving but now that she is here asks daily to go back home.

She is a second year/sophomore in high school here. When she started all the girls in her class thought she was Australian (we get that a lot, must be a northern accent thing). When they found out she is English they all asked her whether or not she knows Cara Delevigne or the Queen. She says she feels like a zoo animal and there is nothing to do for fun here. Most of the teenagers here go to the mall or sport for fun. She spends hours on the phone with her friends in Leeds and I'm worried that this is what's stopping her from opening up to making friends at school. Younger daughter on the other hand made up a bunch of nonsense about being related to Kate Middleton and living in a castle, which I found out later and she has since dropped her story. She has adjusted much better and can now imitate a perfect American accent, although apparently everyone at school is jealous of her accent.

As for me, I miss home much more than expected. I imagine if we were somewhere like San Francisco or New York the transition might be easier but so many of the things we love about home is not available here. It's only a 2-3 year position and if it were just me, I would wait it out but I'm concerned about older daughter, I've never seen her this unhappy. I am considering going home at this point, which dh is open to but really enjoys his job

First of all do people mistake your accents for Australian all the time? (Is it just a northerner thing? because I think Australian accents sound more American than English) How long did it take you to adjust and find friends? How long did it take your teenagers to adjust?

Originally Posted by mrken30

I have an Indian friend who people immediately started speaking spanish to as they thought he was Mexican. That must have been frustrating when people don't even speak English to you.

Originally Posted by Boiler

Somebody called me European today, was not sure what to do, thought she should have known better?

Originally Posted by Pulaski

I hope you explained that Britain is separate from Europe?

Originally Posted by Boiler

I have asked for counselling. ....

Originally Posted by Boiler

To pay for the counselling?