Things you'll miss from the UK, and how you'll compensate?

[Hannah B 16]

This is a great thread, thanks for mentioning the British Emporium in Dallas, TX. I just happen to be going there for work at the end of this week and shall definitely be making a stop there, and Ikea (i'm half Swedish).

I have been living in Arkansas 16 months now. I have to say that overall I prefer living here than in England. The weather is so good and I can spend so much time outdoors hiking, swimming, biking, I feel much healthier because of it. I also got really lucky and found a great job the day my employment authorization arrived in the mail and they are like family to me which has helped a lot.

I really miss Sky news here. The quality of the news is pretty bad so I keep up to date with whats going on in the world on the sky news website. I will try that live streaming thing for sure.

I'm lucky that my family come and visit about every 3 months. They usually bring orange squash, M & S tea, M & S chocolate biscuits, neurofen plus (its the only thing that works on headaches for me) so I make out a list for each visit.

There are some specialty stores that carry British products around here. I also go to Aldi regularly and get decent chocolate and cheese from there for much cheaper than the specialty stores. Its a shame they don't have marks and spencers here though. It was such a great place to get prepared food that you just pop in the oven after a long day at work. I find myself cooking from scratch a lot now because I gained about 15 pounds the first year eating out so much!

[Collie 122]

This is a great thread, thanks for mentioning the British Emporium in Dallas, TX. I just happen to be going there for work at the end of this week and shall definitely be making a stop there, and Ikea (i'm half Swedish).

I have been living in Arkansas 16 months now. I have to say that overall I prefer living here than in England. The weather is so good and I can spend so much time outdoors hiking, swimming, biking, I feel much healthier because of it. I also got really lucky and found a great job the day my employment authorization arrived in the mail and they are like family to me which has helped a lot.

I really miss Sky news here. The quality of the news is pretty bad so I keep up to date with whats going on in the world on the sky news website. I will try that live streaming thing for sure.

I'm lucky that my family come and visit about every 3 months. They usually bring orange squash, M & S tea, M & S chocolate biscuits, neurofen plus (its the only thing that works on headaches for me) so I make out a list for each visit.

There are some specialty stores that carry British products around here. I also go to Aldi regularly and get decent chocolate and cheese from there for much cheaper than the specialty stores. Its a shame they don't have marks and spencers here though. It was such a great place to get prepared food that you just pop in the oven after a long day at work. I find myself cooking from scratch a lot now because I gained about 15 pounds the first year eating out so much!

The British Emporium is actually in Grapevine, Texas It is good for buying those things that you really just can't live without, but be aware that it is very pricey. They are extremely proud of their products! As a side note, watch the expiration dates on some of the shelved products too (speaking from experience, out of date monster munch are really gross )

[Hypnos 6,576]

I always wanted to go to that place but never did; it's a couple of hours drive.

[urbangirluk 73]

The British Emporium is actually in Grapevine, Texas It is good for buying those things that you really just can't live without, but be aware that it is very pricey. They are extremely proud of their products! As a side note, watch the expiration dates on some of the shelved products too (speaking from experience, out of date monster munch are really gross )

Collie, whereabouts in Fort Worth are you? That's where I'm gonna be, when I eventually get there Initially will be living in Haltom City.

[Collie 122]

Collie, whereabouts in Fort Worth are you? That's where I'm gonna be, when I eventually get there Initially will be living in Haltom City.

Hey I live in Azle and my office is in White Settlement, so from Haltom City, we are only 15 mins apart Fort Worth is awesome - You will love it here. Feel free to email (knbasye@gmail.com) me or facebook (Kat Nicholl-Basye) me if you would like a friend when you get here. I know how tough it is initially not knowing anybody

[urbangirluk 73]

Hey I live in Azle and my office is in White Settlement, so from Haltom City, we are only 15 mins apart Fort Worth is awesome - You will love it here. Feel free to email (knbasye@gmail.com) me or facebook (Kat Nicholl-Basye) me if you would like a friend when you get here. I know how tough it is initially not knowing anybody

Awesome!!! Thanks for that, will add you on Facebook (I'm Melanie Benson)

[Shawn&Jodie 14]

If you have an HEB Plus near you (in Texas) they normally have a good little section with British foods. As other has suggested we have invested in a bread maker as Jodie hates the bread here. If your ever in Austin there is a great little cafe called The Full English that nails it.

[Kiwinyc 62]

This is a great thread, thanks for mentioning the British Emporium in Dallas, TX. I just happen to be going there for work at the end of this week and shall definitely be making a stop there, and Ikea (i'm half Swedish).

I have been living in Arkansas 16 months now. I have to say that overall I prefer living here than in England. The weather is so good and I can spend so much time outdoors hiking, swimming, biking, I feel much healthier because of it. I also got really lucky and found a great job the day my employment authorization arrived in the mail and they are like family to me which has helped a lot.

I really miss Sky news here. The quality of the news is pretty bad so I keep up to date with whats going on in the world on the sky news website. I will try that live streaming thing for sure.

I'm lucky that my family come and visit about every 3 months. They usually bring orange squash, M & S tea, M & S chocolate biscuits, neurofen plus (its the only thing that works on headaches for me) so I make out a list for each visit.

There are some specialty stores that carry British products around here. I also go to Aldi regularly and get decent chocolate and cheese from there for much cheaper than the specialty stores. Its a shame they don't have marks and spencers here though. It was such a great place to get prepared food that you just pop in the oven after a long day at work. I find myself cooking from scratch a lot now because I gained about 15 pounds the first year eating out so much!

Nurofen is actually ibuprofen which is readily available here and called by brandname Advil or Motrin. The drugstore chains (Walgreens etc) and Target have own-brand versions that are cheaper.

Also, Tylenol is the same as paracetomol (panadol) and the same own-brand variations apply.

[rhirhi 35]

Has anyone found a good UK-style brand of yoghurt? The ones I've been trying have been really thick and sort of slimy...I miss my muller corners so much

[Novembro 1,763]

Has anyone found a good UK-style brand of yoghurt? The ones I've been trying have been really thick and sort of slimy...I miss my muller corners so much

Are you talking about these things? Because you should be able to get them in every large grocery.

[rhirhi 35]

Yes! That's weird, my store only has the Greek corners.

[vicks5721 18]

I will miss crumpets, british cheese, yorkshire puddings, cornish pasties and cornish ice cream, chocolate like crunchie, galaxy etc, british tea though my fiance said america do have twinnings yay!! I will miss shops and such being within walking distance, public transport as I will move to a small town/village in America, then I will miss the bread even and the sweets!! lol

[chrismorrison 96]

This is probably a question that can't be answered (because there is no answer or because everyone is different, and no two answers are alike), but is there anything the USC can do to make the transition easier or more comforting for their foreign fiance?

[-Shana- 152]

This is probably a question that can't be answered (because there is no answer or because everyone is different, and no two answers are alike), but is there anything the USC can do to make the transition easier or more comforting for their foreign fiance?

I moved to Japan in 2012, a country I had never been to before, it was a huge shock and I didn't cope very well to begin with. So here's what I would suggest:

- Give them a tour of the area. Show them around and explain to them what's what. Things like supermarkets, bars, parks etc. If you've got certain memories of the places, share them. If the place means something to you it will mean something to them. Throwing someone in the deep end with no explanation is the worst thing, it helps to be a bit of a tour guide for a while.

- Do touristy/fun things. One of the biggest regrets when moving to Japan was not being a tourist long enough. I found a job in 2 weeks of landing and never really got to see the touristy things until I had settled in. I think it would have helped my transition a bit more if I would have been a bit of a tourist to begin with, to fall in love with the place, then settled in to live. Obviously not everyone can afford to do this, but I would recommend it. Even if you've been to the place before or think it's a bit lame, they might appreciate getting to know the history/culture behind the place you live.

- Suggest places to eat! One thing America is known for is the FOOD! It's big and it's delicious. Take them to your favourite places, get them to try new things (if they're comfortable) and introduce them to the local cuisine.

- Offer for them to "nest" into your home. I'm a huge fan of nesting into my new homes, I spend hours on my first day unpacking, finding a place for everything, putting up pictures/posters and dotting around ornaments that are sentimental to me. Allow your fiance to do this, to move the pieces of their home that they left behind and put it into their new home. Waking up and not recognising anything around you isn't a good feeling, it can make you feel like you're just there temporarily. Suggest locations to put certain belongings, mix them up into your own things, don't just let them have their own corner!

- Be patient and understanding. Sometimes it can be overwhelming when you've just uprooted your life, left all you've ever known, your friends you've spent years bonding with, your parents who you will miss...it can make someone a bit cranky and moody. Just be patient. Don't force the person to love it there straight away. Just be helpful, know when to keep your distance and know when to step in and arrange something fun to do.

- Include some homey traditions into your routine - allow them to make their favourite meals for example, even if you think it's weird! Don't try and get rid of their foreignness just because they're in 'MURICUH now.

- I think one thing I will do when I move to America is pursue making my own friends. If they completely rely on you for friendships then they can feel like they don't have any independence. Introduce them to your friends, of course! It's a great place to start and find connections. But encourage them to go out and find clubs or social groups and let them go on their own if they want. I'm going to be using www.meetup.com for this.

That's about all I can think of for now! Hope it helps.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

This is probably a question that can't be answered (because there is no answer or because everyone is different, and no two answers are alike), but is there anything the USC can do to make the transition easier or more comforting for their foreign fiance?

Two things I did:

Explained how things worked here as it came up in conversation like getting the car inspected or new license plates. Income tax. He also felt lost on where to get things because he was a fix-it kind of a guy so understanding where to locally buy paint, nails, auto parts, electronic supplies, etc helped. He described feeling like a "fish out of water" not instantly knowing those things.

Money- I wanted him to feel like what's mine is yours. I would get $200 cash out of the ATM and lay it on the counter. Then I would say, "I got us some cash today. Take whatever you need." Or would say, "how are you doing on cash? I'm out and going by the bank. Do you need some as well?" And sometimes I would be out and would ask him for a twenty. I didn't want him to feel like I was giving him an allowance or he had to ask me for money. Also added him to the bank account and several credit cards immediately. Even though the money was all mine at first, I didn't want him to feel that way.