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Why did you decide to live in America?

Why did you decide to live in America?

Old Mar 16th 2007, 2:56 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by danfan
An earthquake zone is the only place I wouldn't want brick. Other than that.... errr can't think of anywhere else. We went through a hurricane in VA in 2003, only a cat 2 & the damage to the stick houses was unbelievable. We were in a brick appartment at the time, thank god. Why build out of cardboard in hurricane zones? And all the above ground wiring? Our appartment was standing but our power was out for 12 days.

Ok good stuff -
I like the meatloaf, perogies & biscuits and gravy.
It's not as hard to find a parking space because car parks are so huge & you don't have to park 3 miles from the post office & walk with a load of boxes.
Ciggies and gas are really cheap, although the cars guzzle about 5 times more so that cancels out.
People are generally nicer (in PA anyway, not in southern VA) although a little weird.


Miss my 6 weeks paid vacation & sick leave though.
oh & what's with restaurants making you use the same cutlery for your main course as your starter? I always ask for a fresh set & they look at me like I'm OCD or something.
And can't get used to public loos with the big gap in the door so everyone can see you take your pants down. LOL - although generally they are not as rank as public loos in England!


What's that all about the loo's with the gaps???? Also the doors are very high off the ground.
There's a favourite restaurant of ours that in the ladies loos the doors are so high from the ground that one time me and my son went in and I nearly wet myself laughing when he declares "Mummy I can see three pairs of ladies pants"!!! They were all round the occupants ankles.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:12 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
I moved here for my husband, easier for me to relocate with my job than him. It's not been easy though, the marriage and the move and I'm considering moving back to the UK.
Sorry it isn't going well for you.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:31 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

If I hadn't moved over here Tracy, I would have spent time wondering "what if". Things aren't horrible, I'm just not settled and it's wearing down at me and OH. This will be my 5th year. He feels like there's nothing he can do to make me happy and he does try. It's not like things are awful, we have a lot of good days, it's just every day it seems like I have doubts about being here. Not a good feeling. To make things more difficult, he isn't prepared to move to the UK with me, if push came to shove.

Thanks though, I appreciate your words.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:35 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

I know Lynne, I've been there partly - if you never take a chance you never know. Moving away from friends and family can be so hard. I'm sure adding different culture is even more difficult. I hope it gets better for you soon.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:40 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
If I hadn't moved over here Tracy, I would have spent time wondering "what if". Things aren't horrible, I'm just not settled and it's wearing down at me and OH. This will be my 5th year. He feels like there's nothing he can do to make me happy and he does try. It's not like things are awful, we have a lot of good days, it's just every day it seems like I have doubts about being here. Not a good feeling. To make things more difficult, he isn't prepared to move to the UK with me, if push came to shove.

Thanks though, I appreciate your words.
That's a terribly hard choice to have to make. I hope you won't have to. Sorry, these posts seem to have sort of crossed.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:41 pm
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Smile Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Roland Hulme
Could be a lot of reasons - marriage, job or whatever...

But why the USA and not Britain?

For me, there are a lot of reasons. My (American) wife is just amazing and her eccentric American ways are one of the reasons why I love her.

I just adore New York. It's the most amazing city in the world (and that comes from a guy who lived in Paris for 4 years.)

Americans have always been kinder, more curious and less judgemental than British people I've known. With my posh accent, ginger hair and glasses, I got a LOT of shit for MANY years in England. Never experienced ANY prejudice in America.

The Martini cocktail. A reason in itself.

The countryside. New Jersey's traditionally a dump, but once you get out of the city, it's BEAUTIFUL. Forests and rolling hills. Beautiful wooden houses. It's simply stunning - the Garden State.

The opportunities to make a living there are much more exciting than in England. And for what you can get dollar-for-dollar, you've got a higher quality of life in America. In Winchester, a two bedroomed terraced house is £200,000. For $200,000 you can buy a three bed detached house with a garden in more rural parts of New Jersey - and still be an hour from the city.

Nathans hot dogs, Sam Adams beer, Lays potato chips, buffalo wings, angels on horseback, Martini cocktails, Californian Zinfandel.

The 'Knight Rider' car I dreamed of as a kid sells 2nd hand for about $1,500 here.

You can get a drink after 11pm. And steak at 4am.

You're less likely to be mugged in the centre of New York city than in the City Centre of Portsmouth.

Jade Goody is not on television.

The list goes on...

Why did YOU come to America? Was it marriage? Work? Why did you choose the USA instead of sticking at home? What is it you love about America?
Marriage to an American Citizen. I did'nt want us to live in the UK, I wanted to move to Florida. Having very few close family members in the UK made my decision pretty easy, and my wife can still see her daughter and other family members on a regular basis. Actually her family have pretty much become mine now.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:43 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
If I hadn't moved over here Tracy, I would have spent time wondering "what if". Things aren't horrible, I'm just not settled and it's wearing down at me and OH. This will be my 5th year. He feels like there's nothing he can do to make me happy and he does try. It's not like things are awful, we have a lot of good days, it's just every day it seems like I have doubts about being here. Not a good feeling. To make things more difficult, he isn't prepared to move to the UK with me, if push came to shove.

Thanks though, I appreciate your words.
Thats bloody sad to love you means he should do anything to make you happy, it's your life and dont forget it, I wish you all the best
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:44 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
If I hadn't moved over here Tracy, I would have spent time wondering "what if". Things aren't horrible, I'm just not settled and it's wearing down at me and OH. This will be my 5th year. He feels like there's nothing he can do to make me happy and he does try. It's not like things are awful, we have a lot of good days, it's just every day it seems like I have doubts about being here. Not a good feeling. To make things more difficult, he isn't prepared to move to the UK with me, if push came to shove.

Thanks though, I appreciate your words.
I'm so sorry to here about your situation. I hope you both manage to work something out.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:53 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

I know Britvic, we had a talk about this the other night. My view is if you love someone enough then you will jump off the cliff with them. His is that he is getting too old to take a gamble and start all over again in a new country. He turns 40 this year and has a very specialised job working with the military in missile defense. He wouldn't get a job in the UK anywhere close to what his job pays, or doing what he is doing now, which he loves. Plus, he wants to retire by the time he is 55. There are other cultural things he doesn't like about the UK, including the gun laws, which he'd hate anyway. I do see his point of view, I understand it completely. Don't like it, but understand it.

The marriage isn't the strongest it could be which I think is adding to my sense of doubt.

Yeah. I think I need a Cadbury's Creme Egg .
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 3:55 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Leeds_Lass, I'm so sorry to hear of your woes.

Hubby was born in the US, but we were both living in France when we met. The US won out over the UK as I was a lot less homesick, and the job market was better in the US. And that's all there was to it. Don't know if it was the right decision, and it's a moot point now. Have been an expat for 15 years now...
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 4:09 pm
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Smile Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

One of the reasons I started this post was because my missus and I are on the cusp of moving over to America - FINALLY.

When we got married, she lived in New York and the plan was to move right on over there. But the NCIS took THREE AND A HALF years with our paperwork, so she came over to live with me (about six months in.)

We've spent three years here in England and she's taken to it like a duck to water, has friends, a better job and loves the peace and pace of life. Now she's actually faced with the inevitable - us moving back - she's pissed off about it.

Plus my parents hate the idea of moving away (which is ironic, since at my age they'd buggered off to Africa and don't even live in the same country now.)

Basically all these people are telling me not to go and I know that if I don't, I will regret it for the rest of my life. It's something I want SO badly. So hearing of the good things makes me remember what I love about the place.

But what you guys have written that really sums it up is how you'd have regretted it if you didn't give it a shot. I know that's exactly how I'd feel.

As a great American once wrote: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 4:24 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
I know Britvic, we had a talk about this the other night. My view is if you love someone enough then you will jump off the cliff with them. His is that he is getting too old to take a gamble and start all over again in a new country. He turns 40 this year and has a very specialised job working with the military in missile defense. He wouldn't get a job in the UK anywhere close to what his job pays, or doing what he is doing now, which he loves. Plus, he wants to retire by the time he is 55. There are other cultural things he doesn't like about the UK, including the gun laws, which he'd hate anyway. I do see his point of view, I understand it completely. Don't like it, but understand it.

The marriage isn't the strongest it could be which I think is adding to my sense of doubt.

Yeah. I think I need a Cadbury's Creme Egg .
I cant say this any other way, there's no point just walking on egg shell's, but he sounds like a Selfish Man, and I hope for your sake you have the courage to sort some thing out, please dont take offense
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 4:25 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Paul S
where the girls go wild
should such for the phlebs go wild, a right mick take for caesar 4
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 4:44 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

No offense taken Britvic, I think that of him too sometimes.

Roland, sorry to hijack your original thread. I would go for sure, just bear in mind that vacationing in the US and actually living here are two totally different beasts. A lot of feeling settled depends on what kind of person you are and where you move to. For example, I'm a townie and I moved to rural Tennessee, slap bang in the bible belt. Moving to NYC sounds exciting. If your relationship is solid and if you have expectations that moving to the US might not work out, then do it. What I'm trying to say is expect the worst and it'll work out. I know that sounds crappy but come over with an open mind is all.

I have red hair too and have to admit, I love the attention I get over here because of it. Back home there really is too much discrimination against us ginners!

Last edited by Leeds_Lass; Mar 16th 2007 at 4:46 pm.
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Old Mar 16th 2007, 4:52 pm
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Default Re: Why did you decide to live in America?

Originally Posted by Leeds_Lass
No offense taken Britvic, I think that of him too sometimes.

Roland, sorry to hijack your original thread. I would go for sure, just bear in mind that vacationing in the US and actually living here are two totally different beasts. A lot of feeling settled depends on what kind of person you are and where you move to. For example, I'm a townie and I moved to rural Tennessee, slap bang in the bible belt. Moving to NYC sounds exciting. If your relationship is solid and if you have expectations that moving to the US might not work out, then do it. What I'm trying to say is expect the worst and it'll work out. I know that sounds crappy but come over with an open mind is all.

I have red hair too and have to admit, I love the attention I get over here because of it. Back home there really is too much discrimination against us ginners!
Thanks for the kind words, Leeds Lass!

I actually spent two years on Long Island, so I do know what's it's like to live stateside - and I love it. I moved away from England when I was 21 and never looked back - first to the Chanel Islands, then five years in France, best part of two years flitting back and forth between Long Island for work. I just loved America. From day one, it was like 'coming home.'

My wife and I have agreed that if it doesn't work out, we'll come back. I have no illusions - just the desire to go there and make a stab of it.

Anyway. Back on topic - I love fireflies.

Used to have them in New York, flitting about between the trees. Beautiful.

And racoons - as long as you don't get too close to the little f**kers. Or leave your rubbish bin open.
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