How long did it take you to feel at home in the US?

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

I've been here two weeks now and it's wonderful waking up next to my lovely wife every morning and knowing there are no more awful airport goodbyes. But how long did it take you to actually feel at home in the US? I feel very much the alien at the moment, every time I here the phrase "all set" (God that annoys me lol) or plug my technology into one of those odd little plugs with only two holes and no on/off switch!

[MiJim 0]

I'd say that's individual. I felt home shortly after moving here. Try to see the positive things. Good luck! :-)

[jeffkadrliktorr 99]

I've been living here for 6 months now, and in some ways I feel very at home, I have a job, friends, family, and can drive/get around by myself. But in other ways I really don't. Even though english is my first language, my accent/terminology confuses people sometimes, and it does make me feel a bit alien. Plus I have a way of living/attitude that is normal in New Zealand which is a bit different to the way most Americans live

I really love it here though, and have really embraced all the differences (it took a while to stop watching the toilet flush etc..)

Edited July 18, 2014 by jeffdtorr

[a+j 77]

Still working on it. Definitely better than one year ago, though. Give yourself time. Good luck

Edited July 18, 2014 by a+j

[RioGrande 3]

I have been here for a year now and I STILL do not feel home .

[rhirhi 35]

I felt at home straight away, although the situation back in the UK was pretty dire in the final few months so finally coming over here was almost like I was escaping. It really felt like I was coming home rather than moving away from home.

I completely understand the whole feeling alien thing though. I've noticed I'm a lot more shy and hesitant to go out walking around on my own just because of little things like getting goggled at when placing an order because of my accent or figuring out crosswalks, which everyone else seems to understand and walk across even when the walking man isn't there. I'm left stood on the curb waiting and waiting just to be safe

PS- "all set" bugs me too!

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

or plug my technology into one of those odd little plugs with only two holes and no on/off switch!

How funny because I always found those fist sized plugs on the end of a hair dryer or curling iron quite annoying, as well as my husbands obsession with turning the outlets off. Why isn't the toaster working? Oh yeah, got to flip on the outlet. (Surely you have 3 hole outlets. All of ours are)

I asked my husband to answer your question and he said it was just gradual. You get used to things and they don't seem odd anymore. Exception: Drive-thru windows. He still hates those because they never understand what he is saying and he has to keep repeating. We bought an Amazon Fire TV box yesterday with the voice remote. It didn't understand him. I think he was just doing it wrong, but it was kinda hilarious when he said, "Great! This doesn't understand me either."

I can tell he is adjusted in many ways like tonight when we were ordering Subway sandwiches. There was already at least fifteen slices of jalapeño peppers on his sandwich and he asked for a handful more. I said that was a lot of peppers for an Englishman. He said, I'm a Texan.

You'll get there Otter but it probably won't hit you in the face like "Today is the day I feel at home."

PS: I don't think "all set" is common here where we live.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Nich-Nick

[Big Papa Zone 93]

I felt at home the second I stepped off the plane an onto the tarmac at MSP in March of 2009. Uncle Sam is my home, period. And when I return (after having spent a year or so back in England once the citizenship thing is done) then I will refer to it as "coming home." Truly.

[nobbie 105]

Been here since last Oct and have definately not settled. I cant get past the guns, the violence, the lunatic health system and the antiquated banking system. I can't stand how so many things are "awesome" they might be good or even very good but awesome, give me a break.

awe·some [aw-suhm] Show IPA

adjective

1.

inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, or fear; causing or inducing awe: anawesome sight.

[Glyn and Kathy 288]

Too funny! I used to drive hubby crazy asking "all set". Now he says it all the time and I just chuckle. It is different for everyone I think. When I moved to the UK the first time (yes I did it twice) I never felt at home, I always felt like an outsider. The second time around I felt immediately like I had come home as I had missed so much of my life there.

Hubby was miserable here the first time he moved over (yep..he has done it twice too). After 6 months, he had a bit of a breakdown and said he wanted to go home. We got through it and he agreed to give it more time and he slowly adjusted. He found things here that he enjoyed more than he did in the UK. He loves to fish and that is so much easier to do here and so many different places to do it and he completely loves camping in the woods of NH. When we did eventually have to go back to the UK (His dad was very ill) he was homesick for NH and couldn't wait to come back. He completely thinks of NH as home now and says he doesn't ever want to move back to the UK.

Give it time...make sure you make the house or apartment that you're living in feel like "yours" Although its hard, try hard not to compare things. One thing hubby learned that comparing things makes it worse. There are ALWAYS going to be things in the UK that are just better, just like there will always be things here that are better than there. Look for the good things, find things you enjoy here...and definitely give it time! You'll get there!

[lala1 21]

I've been here since 2012 & I don't think I will ever truly feel at home or call America "home" . I've gotten better at accepting and enjoying some things for what they are here, rather than comparing it to what i'm used to. I always tell people who ask me how I like it that I find the quantity of life, and abundance of resources better than my home country .. but the quality .. I find no real quality to American living.

[rhirhi 35]

I've been here two weeks now and it's wonderful waking up next to my lovely wife every morning and knowing there are no more awful airport goodbyes. But how long did it take you to actually feel at home in the US? I feel very much the alien at the moment, every time I here the phrase "all set" (God that annoys me lol) or plug my technology into one of those odd little plugs with only two holes and no on/off switch!

Hotter, remind me whereabouts you are in MA again? I know a few places in Boston where you can get lots of British food, drinks etc. Might make things a little easier...my stash of Cadburys helps every time I feel a little lost or fed up with it all!

[Vanitas 310]

Personally, it took me a month or so to adjust but then I've always settled down quite quickly into new places/situations. I do get gawked at sometimes here in RI when ordering food and the like (and I don't mean a subtle gawk, I mean a widening-of-the-eyes-and-mouth-agape kind). For me part of settling in quickly was down to finding new friends in my hobbies over here.

That being said, it's not all sunshine and roses. It annoys the living hell out of me that my wife's family treat her as if she's an outcast and that nothing she does is right. She deserves better than that kind of treatment.

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Hotter, remind me whereabouts you are in MA again? I know a few places in Boston where you can get lots of British food, drinks etc. Might make things a little easier...my stash of Cadburys helps every time I feel a little lost or fed up with it all!

I'm in Boston

I've been to Cardullo's in Harvard Square and I've heard about (but yet to visit) Kiki's in Brighton. I found a British themed pub where the food was about as far from British as you can imagine but it had British beers on tap. Are there other food places?!

I was feeling ####### last week (my money got lost somewhere in the transfer from the UK!!) and ate a whole 200g bar of Cadbury's that my former colleagues gave me to cheer myself up! lol

[rhirhi 35]

I'm in Boston

I've been to Cardullo's in Harvard Square and I've heard about (but yet to visit) Kiki's in Brighton. I found a British themed pub where the food was about as far from British as you can imagine but it had British beers on tap. Are there other food places?!

I was feeling ####### last week (my money got lost somewhere in the transfer from the UK!!) and ate a whole 200g bar of Cadbury's that my former colleagues gave me to cheer myself up! lol

Kiki's is good! I'm very tempted by the big jug of Ribena they have there that was the main place I was going to suggest trying as they have a larger selection than anywhere else I've seen (flour, tinned steamed pudding, custard etc as well as the usual teabags and chocolate that other places carry) and the prices aren't as horrendous as they can be elsewhere. Hubby used to work in The Butcher's Block opposite, but it's shut down. It was owned by Irish owners so they had lots of recognisable treats. He now works in their other store in Dorchester which has a decent selection but it's a bit of a schlep, especially if you already know where Kiki's is it's called The Butcher Shop Market if you're ever out that way.

Do you mean Elephant and Castle? I've been told to go there but haven't yet made the trip. Cornwall's in Kenmore has also been mentioned but it looked cheesy when I walked past, so didn't go in.

I came out here with a stash of those big Dairy Milk bars. Needless to say, they are all gone my super lovely husband replaces it with Cadburys bought at his job every so often though!

What happened to your money? Didja get it back?

Edited July 18, 2014 by rhirhi