Zez

Oh hotscott I completely agree. However we love out life ere, I'm finally in a job I love, hoping to further train in a year or so, have a great house, great school for the kids. In our case life here is good so more to lose by putting it all on hold for a couple of years. His prospects are probably better job wise if we stay, but if we could end up with an arguably better quality I life by emigrating then we'd be foolish not to seriously consider it.

Hotscot

Understood. At least you're considering all the options. Good luck and I hope you come here. SF is a wonderful location. V. expensive though...very.

Zez

We almost fainted looking at rental prices! One things for sure we'll be asking for a decent salary hike!

Nutmegger

What age are your children? Young ones usually settle well, older ones can have problems. What do you believe might give you a better quality of life in the US?

Zez

5 and 7. I'm not at all certain it would! I'm just of the mind that this kind of opportunity probably only comes up ones or twice in a lifetime and we'd be foolish not to consider it. Lets face it a better climate and therefore more outdoorsy life is attractive but otherwise I honestly have no idea. I've never even been to the us.

Sally Redux

Yes - alarm bells.

You already have a good life - please do your homework about this move and don't just assume everything is better in the US.

Zez

Hubby has been multiple times and again next month so I trust him if he says its worth considering but if we get further down the line then I'd be visiting before a final decision is made.

Can you elaborate on what you feel the major differences are, or is that a "how long is a piece of string" question?

We have a great life here at the mo, but I'm somewhat cynical about what kinds of future our kids might have ...

Zez

Ps not assuming for a second tht everything is better. Our default position is stay unless we can be convinced otherwise. Just don't want to fail to consider all our options and have regrets in the future. In our case the bonus is that we aren't seeking to "jump out" of of the uk... Just investigating whether a life over there would entice us to "jump in"

Sally Redux

...why?

Do you have concrete facts or the vague air of gloom one gets from reading the Daily Mail?

Attending university is expensive and getting a job is just as hard for young people people here and they have to try to get health insurance through employment. This worries me as mine approach this stage. Drug and gun culture is worse.

Not trying to be totally negative but better to weigh it up now.

When you visit, don't go on a holiday to San Francisco, go to the area where you might be living, visit the schools if possible.

Zez

Sally, visiting areas to live in would be the plan. I suppose a vaguely daily mail sense if I'm honest and I certainly couldn't articulate it. UNO is gettin to be prohibitively expensive here too I think. Gun culture does worry me.

It's just so hard to make an informed choice. I don't think it's possible to know all you really need to know unless you live somewhere!

I guess all we can do is gather info for the next few months and weigh it up as best we can. Thanks for your words of caution, I really do appreciate it

Zez

Pops not actually a DM reader!

Jerseygirl

I've moved the off topic posts into this thread.

Zez

Thank you mod!

Nutmegger

In your initial post, you mentioned your parents. As you will see as you trawl this forum, there are many, many threads regarding the nightmare that is health insurance in the US -- it is this that makes it prohibitive for older people to move here, even if they are able to be sponsored by a child, as they can't obtain coverage and the UK social services "safety net" doesn't exist. In addition, if you do decide you want to move over, you should ensure that you and the children will receive good coverage via your husband's employer.

Zez

Yep have already figured that them ever comin would be impossible insurance wise. Makes me appreciate the nhs, for all its faults!