Why did we choose....?

[Slithytoves 0]

I've been curious about this for a while and haven't found a same or similar thread in the archives.

When each of us met our SO, we had to at some point make the decision who was going to move where. I think it would be interesting to see which reasons we VJers may have in common.

In my case, John and I aren't particularly well off, and we feel that there are more job opportunities here in the US, the cost of living is somewhat lower, and home ownership is easier to achieve. This might sound a little bit silly, but we also felt that based on our respective personalities, he would adjust to the dramatic change better than I would.

Why did you and your loved one choose living in America over life in the UK?

Alice

[Welshcookie 17]

Well my husband is in the military so I go where he goes But he is seriously thinking about retiring here in the UK and working the same job but on contract as he will be better paid, but we both want to go back to the US eventually, we couldn't survive here on his retirement pay alone and we already have property in the US...oh, and there is the weather of course....

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

At the moment the main reason we are here and not there is my job

[Joey559 1]

It was a hard decision. But I'd stayed in England with Paul for six months and despite bouts of homesickness we were happy so we always know we can head back to the UK. But Paul hadn't lived over here at all and the two were pretty much even, neither one was better, and our reasoning was if we never tried it then we'd never know. So now we're going to see how happy we are here.

We know we can be happy in the UK but we wanted to give the US a try. PLUS if we started there then changed our minds we'd have to go through this tangled process anyway. Whereas we got this out of the way so in 3, 10, 20 years if we decide to move to the UK the process is much simpler.

Oh, and Paul really wants a Mustang and we can't argue with the dirt cheap housing prices here compared to the UK. I don't' know if I can live without a basement after 27 years. Where would all my stuff go???

Hope that makes sense!

[no name 1]

It was a hard decision. But I'd stayed in England with Paul for six months and despite bouts of homesickness we were happy so we always know we can head back to the UK. But Paul hadn't lived over here at all and the two were pretty much even, neither one was better, and our reasoning was if we never tried it then we'd never know. So now we're going to see how happy we are here.

We know we can be happy in the UK but we wanted to give the US a try. PLUS if we started there then changed our minds we'd have to go through this tangled process anyway. Whereas we got this out of the way so in 3, 10, 20 years if we decide to move to the UK the process is much simpler.

Oh, and Paul really wants a Mustang and we can't argue with the dirt cheap housing prices here compared to the UK. I don't' know if I can live without a basement after 27 years. Where would all my stuff go???

Hope that makes sense!

Yep, what you said! But I gladly woulda stayed in the UK. He desperately wants to give his career a try here!

[TracyTN 237]

Our decision was similar to yours, Alice. I already own a home here and to sell it and try to buy something there would have us in a 1 bedroom flat (if we were lucky).

And while I do think I could cope with life in the UK just fine, the US seems to fit into my fiance's 'sensibilities' very well (if that makes sense).

But I still think it was mostly the economic factors.

[ChasUK 0]

Our decision was similar to yours, Alice. I already own a home here and to sell it and try to buy something there would have us in a 1 bedroom flat (if we were lucky).

And while I do think I could cope with life in the UK just fine, the US seems to fit into my fiance's 'sensibilities' very well (if that makes sense).

But I still think it was mostly the economic factors.

...and England has become a money grabbing, uncontrollable yob cultured, unpleasant place to live unless you have a certain amount of disposable income to overcome the everyday griefs......

... I mean, yeah mostly economic factors.

[TracyTN 237]

Baby!

[Bunnyqr 0]

I have been to Greece 3 times now. My fourth time is coming up in 2 weeks. I have met his family and lived with him for one month. We decided to have my fiance do the move and try it here in the U.S., meet my family and learn about my culture. We made a promise that when he gets here to give it a year, if he absolutely hates it, then we will move back to Greece together.

It wasn't a difficult decision to make. Just an honest conversation and knowing that we both want to be together that no matter where it is, we are together.

[luv2teach77 41]

There were a number of reasons that dictated that I would be the one making the move.

1) Debs has a daughter from her first marriage and there was NO way she would either leave Bekah in the US while she moved to the US or uproot them both and move to the UK.

2) While I had a well paid job in the UK it was far from my dream career and had very few possibilities for career progression etc. Debs has been teaching at the same school for 7 years and is well established. I was pretty sure that'd be able to get another IT related jobso it made no sense for Debs to leave a solid career when I could use the move to start mine.

3) Money in the UK just doesnt go as far as it does here in the US and we were / are 100% convinced that our shared goals will be much more achievable here in the US.

To be honest, Debs moving to the UK was never really an option we gave much thought to. So far, a week shy of 18 months since I made the move we have no regrets. Everything has gone pretty much as planned and is moving in the right direction.

Mark

[Welshcookie 17]

...and England has become a money grabbing, uncontrollable yob cultured, unpleasant place to live unless you have a certain amount of disposable income to overcome the everyday griefs......

... I mean, yeah mostly economic factors.

.....I hear you!!

[KaiserD 12]

Lots of people have complained why can't Sly move here.

I didn't think so many people would be going for the same reasons though:

When we made the choice we were 19, I had just finished college and Sly was in his first year of Uni in the states. Grants were gone and fees were passed and I realised if I wanted to be with him it would be a long long wait to pay off me fees.

So we agreed I would work for 2 years to pay for the wedding while he finishes college and works on getting a good job to get us set up.

The main reason is housing. It would be years here before we could afford a home of our own. Then there is general cost of living and stuff.

I didn't want to split his family up, though I truly abore the idea of leaving my mother behind because we are so close

Also, the care my mother has recieved in hospitals in UK has disgusted me, I am prepared to pay a decent amount when I move to get some proper CLEAN care. I feel the NHS is on the verge of breakdown imo

[danae 0]

...and England has become a money grabbing, uncontrollable yob cultured, unpleasant place to live unless you have a certain amount of disposable income to overcome the everyday griefs......

... I mean, yeah mostly economic factors.

yup the chavs drove me out!

[rebeccajo 14]

Well, I've got a boy who's 18. He just entered his senior year in high school. Had he been little, I wouldn't have thought twice about moving him to the UK. Much easier for wee ones to adjust than surly teenagers on the brink of university!

Wes has virtually no family left there. Only a brother.

The climate here is better for his asthma. He's getting better health care here as well.

And he still thinks there's a brilliant career out there somewhere....

Actually, for us to have moved to Northern Ireland would have been a good economic decision. The cost of living there is not nearly as high as the mainland. Wes rented a house that we could have bought from the Housing Executive for a literal song - he and his family had rented it 30 years. And we could have gone 'car-less' over there.

Right now, I guess I like knowing that if life in the US never smiles on us, we DO have the option of returning to the UK. Domestic couples sometimes think of moving, but rarely internationally!

Edited September 7, 2006 by rebeccajo

[Englishsammy 17]

Well, we met when I was on an exchange with university here, so this was our home together if that makes sense. Also I graduated in May and Roshon doesn't graduate till May 07 so it was just logical for us to be here! I love it here though and you'd have a hard job getting me back!! He always says if we have any problems he's have no problems moving to England, but he'd get really down as the weather sucks! He's been spoilt by that Cali sunshine!!

lauraxmarie - the chav comment made me laugh - i just wrote an email to one of my friends today about how i wasn't missin the chav's!!!!

Sam