anotherlimey

Too f****** right I'd do it again... I used to bemoan everything American but now I'm just jumping right in and making this place my home and it's great... might think twice when I have kids though.

Angry White Pyjamas

There are 3 lifestyles that make the American way of life good:

- Young and rich
- Young with no family
- Retired and rich

For everyone else its a constant struggle to stay financially soluble, and have some vague semblance of a family life which is constantly being eroded by appalling working requirements. I honestly do feel that slave labour is alive and kicking in America...just now its racially unbiased and affects 90% of the population.

The main problem is the whole financially stable issue can turn on its head in an iota. For the sake of an accident or a change in requirements at your employers your whole comfortable way of life can vanish in a second. And there is no safety net. Something like 750,000 people per year go bankrupt in the US due to medical issues. And around half of those had good insurance cover.

Thydney

We have health problems with our young children and we spend most of our 'surplus' income on medical bills/prescriptions and thats with insurance. If anything catastrophic happens we'd be up shit creek without a paddle in no time.

jumping doris

It's OK here but on balance I wish we hadn't come.
My two teenagers like it and so does my OH. My youngest and I prefer the UK.
I agree with lack of social life. We have made some good friends but everyone is so busy.
Schools...we are very lucky here. Where I live our schools are excellent but we pay huge property taxes that are slowly crippling us.
No holidays...OH had 6 weeks in the UK ,here only 2 but we did know that before we came and thought we would cope. It sucks in reality. His company don't like him having all the 2 weeks at once and if he did he'd have nothing left anyway.
I think it's expensive here. Our food bill for 5 is about $350 and I try and keep it down by cooking everything myself. I don't think the quality of food is as good as dear old Tesco and Asda.
Don't even mention the utility bills. Heating bill massive in winter,a/c expensive in summer, water is literally money down the drain.
Health. We have very good insurance through the company but we have still shelled out a shed load of cash in copays and stuff. I hate having to think twice before going to the doctors.

Also holidays are expensive even if we had the time to go.

My visa H4 doesn't allow me to work and our green cards are years away. I ran my own small business in the UK and I am bored here. I know I could volunteer but I did lots of that years ago and now I want to work.

We left the UK a year ago today and I wish we hadn't bothered.
Oh dear thats all a bit gloomy.
If it appeals to you ..do it as you will always wonder what would have happened if you had.

Angry White Pyjamas

We have been here almost 2 years to the day. We go home in 36 days.

jumping doris

Good luck. Are you going back to the same place?

dan_alford

I also think there is a difference if your OH is American. If so you have family here who you can go and visit and who will help you out. If you are all British I can see where it would get daunting.

Ray

Life is what you make it no matter where you are ......

jumping doris

Yes ...you are right.
We have had some things go wrong lately and we are not settled enough here yet to just shrug them off.
We can't go back to our old lives because they don't exist anymore
"you cannot step into the same river twice etc etc"
Onwards and upwards.

Angry White Pyjamas

Same town yes. Until our daughter leaves school then its off on the next leg of our world tour.

Lord Lionheart

Been here 20 years.
For me the US is Social Darwinisn/Capitalism at it's best/worst, depending where you are at any given moment in your life and career.
Great if you are young, single and or wealthy, not great at all if you are sick, poor (or just have a regular job) or old as has been pointed out by other posters.
During my time here I've gone from starting out new to stable jobs to not knowing where this months rent money was coming from to travelling the world making six figures, and a few places in between.
It takes a certain risk taking mind set to be an immigrant but then your experience and risk will vary greatly depending on your situation
e.g I came here with a suitcase and about $3000 to my name, if you are coming on a job transfer or marrying a US citizen who is already set up I'm sure the transition would be much more secure and stable.
Would I do it again?, yes but I think 10 years would have been enough for the experience and perhaps should have headed elsewhere after that period of time as it's getting a bit stale now.
Life should be an adventure take the opportunity when it comes .
Biggest culture shock?? - The me first, consumer US society, ridiculous work ethic, generally insular nature of the 'USA is the greatest' mentality and pursuit of a dollar at any cost.

Angry White Pyjamas

Yes it is.

britvic

Family oh yes about an 11 hour drive away not that we need them, other half only Child would say that to you before I would

Bob

A lot depends on why your moving..it's tougher if your moving for family reasons than if your moving for a job because of family etc.

A lot also depends on what line of work your in, and where abouts you move to...CT ain't a bad state, but winters are harsh, commutes can suck, and generally it ain't as cheap to live here as the movies portray.

Depending on how you get here, holiday time can be difficult because you don't have much of it, so you can't always go back to the UK when you want, there's bugger all maternity or other leave really, and because of the rat race and long commutes, it can be quite difficult to make a good circle of friends rather than work colleagues...and family back in blighty, well it's more tougher if your close to family or have older parents.

I'd say, given the chance, it's well worth doing, you'll certainly appreciate the UK far more than you would otherwise, and it's something different to have on the resume....you just have to stick it out for a few years to see if you really like the lifestyle, because a lot of the funk could just be the state/county/town your living it, so a move else where can change a lot, and if you still don't like it, then that's a good deal, nothing wrong with not liking it and heading home.

But be prepared for it being expensive for the first couple years until you sort out your credit history, car insurance, credit cards, getting a mobile phone, utilities, it ain't cheap or easy to sort out straight off, but that's what this place is for, well mostly to bitch about it

p.s the winters, though cold, tbh, 25F, -40F...it all feels the same once your snot has frozen, very unsettling the first winter

Bob

There pretty good in CT though...but if you don't like basketball you'll be in for some fun, there crazy over UConn womens and mens basketball...