Would you do it again?
Sep 19th 2006, 4:48 pm
#46
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by William Shaw
What is "the system"?
Sep 19th 2006, 4:51 pm
#47
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Posts: 8,271
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Angry White Pyjamas
Yes it is.
But you have different priorities and requirements at different times of your life. For us right now, out priority is getting our daughter a stable life, a good high school education and onto a decent Uni. After that our priorities will change and we'll be back into travel and explore mode I would imagine.
Sep 19th 2006, 4:53 pm
#48
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Posts: 8,271
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Bob
money, money, money, me, me, me, money and me....all keeping up with the jones, you'll find a lot of that in CT....and big hair
Sep 19th 2006, 4:55 pm
#49
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Posts: 6,196
Re: Would you do it again?
Had I not come here, I would never had met the wife and had my children. For that reason, yes, I'd do it again whatever the conditions.
If not for them, I would not do it again. I have missed out on too much in the 20 years I have been here and there is an void there. This forum helps though.
If not for them, I would not do it again. I have missed out on too much in the 20 years I have been here and there is an void there. This forum helps though.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:10 pm
#50
Banned
Joined: Oct 2004
Location: Santa Monica,CA from Birmingham, UK
Posts: 18,402
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Bob
money, money, money, me, me, me, money and me....all keeping up with the jones, you'll find a lot of that in CT....and big hair
Sep 19th 2006, 5:13 pm
#51
Junior Showtime
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Singapore
Posts: 3,759
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by lionheart
And kiss goodbye to Easter, Christmas ( well 1 whole day) and any vacation that interferes with work too much, just make sure you love what you do, because you will be doing a lot of it.
How true
Sep 19th 2006, 5:14 pm
#52
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by lionheart
And kiss goodbye to Easter, Christmas ( well 1 whole day) and any vacation that interferes with work too much, just make sure you love what you do, because you will be doing a lot of it.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:17 pm
#53
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Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,271
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Bob
and that's where I think I'm pretty lucky, and it has made it a lot better since getting this job.
Personally if I had a 4, 2 and 3 month old I'd be wanting to see more not less of them.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:19 pm
#54
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Would you do it again?
Would we do it again? This is a really difficult question...
+ DH has a much more stimulating job now than at his uni in the UK
+ he still gets as much vacation time as in the UK (which, as has been said several times, is a real problem for people out in the private sector)
+ the weather in California is fantastic and the scenery - not just here about in many places throughout the US - is fantastic
+ where we are, schools are great (but in many places they can be absolute crap), and my sons are able to attend top-notch colleges
+ nice house with pool, no traffic jams - basically the living is easy
+ work (when I have any) is interesting and stimulating
- Two of our teenage sons found it very difficult to settle, and one has now given up and gone back to England.
- Unable to work for the first 3 years, my business all but went down the pan, and it's an uphill struggle to get it going again (US business practices are very different from the UK!)
- No end of hassle with immigration; it took us more than 4 years to get our GCs and one of our sons is still waiting as he appears to have got lost somewhere in the system, which is so bloody inefficient and nonsensical it defies belief.
- Distance from family - when my mother had to move into a nursing home, things became very difficult, and I spent the next two years shuttling to and fro; I was not there when she died, which still haunts me. This is something most expats have to face sooner or later.
- Spending an absolute fortune on travelling to and from the UK, which leaves no $$$ or time for proper family vacations (you know, going somewhere different just for the fun of it)
- I miss my friends as I have never really been able to 'connect' with Americans; most have a very different mind-set, and they're all so very busy.
- US politics - I find that really hard to stomach...
- I'm an opera buff, and I miss that so much.
So, would we have done it again? I still don't know...
+ DH has a much more stimulating job now than at his uni in the UK
+ he still gets as much vacation time as in the UK (which, as has been said several times, is a real problem for people out in the private sector)
+ the weather in California is fantastic and the scenery - not just here about in many places throughout the US - is fantastic
+ where we are, schools are great (but in many places they can be absolute crap), and my sons are able to attend top-notch colleges
+ nice house with pool, no traffic jams - basically the living is easy
+ work (when I have any) is interesting and stimulating
- Two of our teenage sons found it very difficult to settle, and one has now given up and gone back to England.
- Unable to work for the first 3 years, my business all but went down the pan, and it's an uphill struggle to get it going again (US business practices are very different from the UK!)
- No end of hassle with immigration; it took us more than 4 years to get our GCs and one of our sons is still waiting as he appears to have got lost somewhere in the system, which is so bloody inefficient and nonsensical it defies belief.
- Distance from family - when my mother had to move into a nursing home, things became very difficult, and I spent the next two years shuttling to and fro; I was not there when she died, which still haunts me. This is something most expats have to face sooner or later.
- Spending an absolute fortune on travelling to and from the UK, which leaves no $$$ or time for proper family vacations (you know, going somewhere different just for the fun of it)
- I miss my friends as I have never really been able to 'connect' with Americans; most have a very different mind-set, and they're all so very busy.
- US politics - I find that really hard to stomach...
- I'm an opera buff, and I miss that so much.
So, would we have done it again? I still don't know...
Last edited by Elvira; Sep 19th 2006 at 5:21 pm.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:21 pm
#55
BE Site Lead
Joined: Aug 2004
Location: MA, USA
Posts: 92,170
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Angry White Pyjamas
No kids you see.
Personally if I had a 4, 2 and 3 month old I'd be wanting to see more not less of them.
Personally if I had a 4, 2 and 3 month old I'd be wanting to see more not less of them.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:22 pm
#56
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,271
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Elvira
Would we do it again? This is a really difficult question...
+ DH has a much more stimulating job now than at his uni in the UK
+ he still gets as much vacation time as in the UK (which, as has been said several times, is a real problem for people out in the private sector)
+ the weather in California is fantastic and the scenery - not just here about in many places throughout the US - is fantastic
+ where we are, schools are great (but in many places they can be absolute crap), and my sons are able to attend top-notch colleges
+ nice house with pool, no traffic jams - basically the living is easy
+ work (when I have any) is interesting and stimulating
- Two of our teenage sons found it very difficult to settle, and one has now given up and gone back to England.
- Unable to work for the first 3 years, my business all but went down the pan, and it's an uphill struggle to get it going again (US business practices are very different from the UK!)
- No end of hassle with immigration; it took us more than 4 years to get our GCs and one of our sons is still waiting as he appears to have got lost somewhere in the system, which is so bloody inefficient and nonsensical it defies belief.
- Distance from family - when my mother had to move into a nursing home, things became very difficult, and I spent the next two years shuttling to and fro; I was not there when she died, which still haunts me. This is something most expats have to face sooner or later.
- Spending an absolute fortune on travelling to and from the UK, which leaves no $$$ or time for proper family vacations (you know, going somewhere different just for the fun of it)
- I miss my friends as I have never really been able to 'connect' with Americans; most have a very different mind-set, and they're all so very busy.
- US politics - I find that really hard to stomach...
- I'm an opera buff, and I miss that so much.
So, would we have done it again? I still don't know...
+ DH has a much more stimulating job now than at his uni in the UK
+ he still gets as much vacation time as in the UK (which, as has been said several times, is a real problem for people out in the private sector)
+ the weather in California is fantastic and the scenery - not just here about in many places throughout the US - is fantastic
+ where we are, schools are great (but in many places they can be absolute crap), and my sons are able to attend top-notch colleges
+ nice house with pool, no traffic jams - basically the living is easy
+ work (when I have any) is interesting and stimulating
- Two of our teenage sons found it very difficult to settle, and one has now given up and gone back to England.
- Unable to work for the first 3 years, my business all but went down the pan, and it's an uphill struggle to get it going again (US business practices are very different from the UK!)
- No end of hassle with immigration; it took us more than 4 years to get our GCs and one of our sons is still waiting as he appears to have got lost somewhere in the system, which is so bloody inefficient and nonsensical it defies belief.
- Distance from family - when my mother had to move into a nursing home, things became very difficult, and I spent the next two years shuttling to and fro; I was not there when she died, which still haunts me. This is something most expats have to face sooner or later.
- Spending an absolute fortune on travelling to and from the UK, which leaves no $$$ or time for proper family vacations (you know, going somewhere different just for the fun of it)
- I miss my friends as I have never really been able to 'connect' with Americans; most have a very different mind-set, and they're all so very busy.
- US politics - I find that really hard to stomach...
- I'm an opera buff, and I miss that so much.
So, would we have done it again? I still don't know...
Materially wealthy, socially poor.
Sep 19th 2006, 5:24 pm
#57
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 68,280
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Bob
true....kids....who needs 'em
moaning cos I went out for a packet of cigs 18 years before
and forgot to go back ...
Sep 19th 2006, 5:27 pm
#58
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Angry White Pyjamas
I can sum this up in one sentence:
Materially wealthy, socially poor.
Materially wealthy, socially poor.
Actually, I'm not sure we are all that much better off than we were in the UK. By the time you look at all the deductions and healthcare costs (not to mention college
) - it all adds up to quite a bundle. Not to mention that I now only make a fraction of what I did in the UK. Though hopefully that will change in due course But we are spending insane amounts on travel back to the UK... :scared:
Sep 19th 2006, 5:32 pm
#59
Account Closed
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 8,271
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Elvira
Actually, I'm not sure we are all that much better off than we were in the UK. By the time you look at all the deductions and healthcare costs (not to mention college ) - it all adds up to quite a bundle. Not to mention that I now only make a fraction of what I did in the UK. Though hopefully that will change in due course But we are spending insane amounts on travel back to the UK... :scared:
) - it all adds up to quite a bundle. Not to mention that I now only make a fraction of what I did in the UK. Though hopefully that will change in due course But we are spending insane amounts on travel back to the UK... :scared:
Sep 19th 2006, 5:35 pm
#60
Homebody
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: HOME
Posts: 23,181
Re: Would you do it again?
Originally Posted by Angry White Pyjamas
By materially I meant big house, pool and sunshine....just what every starry eyed viewer of a House in the Sun dreams of.
Same size house. Sunshine - yep, I grant you that. Having a pool doesn't make up for the lack of opera though...
