Why did you choose the US?

[Converse34 1]

There is a really interesting discussion going on in the Canadian Forum about why and how couples decided to move to the US. I think the same kind of applies to UK/US couples. Although different, and the UK is not as similar to the US as Canada, what were the reasons for picking one over the other?

For me, the USC, I lived in the UK for 6 years mostly as a student. Even graduating with a MSc, I found it difficult to get well paying work. I applied for a couple of jobs back in the US and just decided to see what would happen. I had 2 job offers in 2 days and made twice the money in the UK. We decided it would be best for me to take it and Conrad would follow shortly after he had sorted himself out. But I wouldn't mind working back in the UK or elsewhere (assuming the money was right).

What was the thought process for everyone else?

[cheeky^Wolf 0]

We had never even discussed living in the UK, to me it wasn't an option. Strangely enough, while we were over there last week, Dave said maybe we should consider it. My response was, you can consider it if you want, count me out!

Dave has a good job here with great benefits. We have no mortgage and more than a big enough house for the 2 of us (at the moment).

I guess for us the comparisons would be property prices, social life (we're not big drinkers and amongst my friends back home, all social events seem to evolve around the pub!), and general cost of living.

Also Dave has always lived in this area and his family are all around here. Mine are spread out across the south of England, so I was already used to not seeing them regularly.

Helen

[msu17 0]

Numerous reasons:

1. I want to do medical school and its more difficult for me to get into one in the UK vs the US

2. He can get a job fairly easily here, I can't get one very easily there.

3. Cost of living. Especially this part of the country. We can get SO much more house for our money, I can't believe how much homes are in the UK

4. I have a lot more family and they won't travel whereas his family will come over for a visit

5. He's sick of the UK and wants something different. We're thinking of immigrating somewhere else in like 20 years when we get bored of the US

[Mags 112]

My hubby has strong emotional ties to his home, I had none to mine. Cost of living is cheaper, I made a fair old profit from selling my home in the UK, crime rate is lower, nicer environment in general. No competition really.

Edit: Forgot to add that my hubby's house is also fully paid for, so no mortgage or rent to pay.

Edited June 2, 2007 by mags

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I first came to the UK nearly 12 years ago, still very much a child and full of the romance of childhood dreams. I intended to stay for six months; that six months has become 12 years! It's the classic story we all know on VJ so well -- American girl meets foreign boy, they fall in love, can't bear to think of parting and so overcome all the odds and get married and live happily ever after in America. The end.

However, "the end" wasn't in America for me. My former husband and I had begun AOS in the States when he got a job offer he couldn't (we thought) refuse. So back we went to the UK, and I gave up a LOT to do that -- family, a wide circle of friends, and multiple offers of full rides in MFA programmes across America. I went to, well, pretty much nothing except my husband and his nut-job family. It was hard, much harder than I could have ever imagined. I spent the first five years of my life here in soul-sucking jobs that were way below my ability. I found it extremely hard to make friendships with British women and felt so isolated that I ended up becoming completely dependent on my husband -- for money, companionship and sanity.

Law school saved me, gave me a bit of independence, some new friends, a chance to use my mind again, but I found getting a training contract on completing my course nigh on impossible -- I was thirty, and American, and I knew that my chances of getting a place at one of the big City law firms was nigh on impossible as I wasn't young or malleable enough. When my ex told me that our marriage was over, I thought, "####. I have just wasted all my 20's and nearly 10 years of my life in a foreign country where I have been consistently held back, both personally and professionally, by dint of my nationality. Where there is actually a phrase, 'too clever by half'. Where I have been threatened with physical attack merely for being American. Awesome!"

And yet, I did not think of leaving until I met Bruce. I couldn't imagine leaving my job, which I truly love. I was too scared to go back -- I had never been an adult in America, didn't (and don't!) know how to do anything someone my age would know, like how to get a driver's license, or get a mobile phone or insurance or any of the million mundane aspects of life. And in some way, going back would represent failure, that I somehow couldn't hack it. But when Bruce and I first visited the States together at the start of last year, something clicked for us there. We became more like ourselves -- more relaxed and easy, more confident and optimistic. Somehow, it seemed, America was part of us and we needed to be there.

Bruce has never liked the UK very much, even though he was born and raised in Yorkshire and Kent, and spent large chunks of his working life in theatres in Germany and Russia as a means to be away from there. When I saw my boy in America, and saw the optimism and fire in him that were so patently absent in London, I was determined to get us over there. One overly-drawn-out divorce and a wedding later, we are very nearly there. For him, it's the adventure of a new life and the opportunities America holds, with the woman he loves. For me, it's a homecoming and most certainly NOT a failure. It's a new chapter, a new life, a new love.

And I just can't wait.

[homesick_american 1]

*rubbing hands together gleefully*

Should I?

Naaaaaaaaah.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

*rubbing hands together gleefully*

Should I?

Naaaaaaaaah.

Tee hee...I've been waiting for you to chime in! C'mon...you KNOW you want to!

[Ban Hammer 13,333]

*rubbing hands together gleefully*

Should I?

Naaaaaaaaah.

Tee hee...I've been waiting for you to chime in! C'mon...you KNOW you want to!

she's getting her exercise. she's exercising self restraint

[Rubycon 0]

Kinda funny this has come up right now, as a recent visit to my family has made me think about exactly these questions.

For me and my fiancee, I think we'd have made it work whichever country we ended up staying in. However in between the end of our time at university (where we met) and now, my fiancee returned to the US, found work and now earns a good salary, and I'm just completing teacher training which hasn't really worked out. Financially it makes sense as she makes more money than I do and will do next year despite becoming a "Newly Qualified Teacher". I'm now considering a career jump (into sound for TV/film) and Chicago seems like a good place to do it! If I tried this in the UK, I'd pretty much have to move to London, which I hate the idea of (not even considering the cost of living there).

I think my SO would have been agreeable to moving to the UK, but it just hasn't worked out that way.

And I think I liked what I saw of the US. Its going to be exciting/daunting/scary to start a new life there.

[Mags 112]

Just going to remind people that this thread is about WHY we wanted to move to the USA, NOT a "How much we hate the UK thread" and I think we'd all like to keep it this way.

Edited June 2, 2007 by mags

[Britchick 0]

There is a really interesting discussion going on in the Canadian Forum about why and how couples decided to move to the US. I think the same kind of applies to UK/US couples. Although different, and the UK is not as similar to the US as Canada, what were the reasons for picking one over the other?

For me, the USC, I lived in the UK for 6 years mostly as a student. Even graduating with a MSc, I found it difficult to get well paying work. I applied for a couple of jobs back in the US and just decided to see what would happen. I had 2 job offers in 2 days and made twice the money in the UK. We decided it would be best for me to take it and Conrad would follow shortly after he had sorted himself out. But I wouldn't mind working back in the UK or elsewhere (assuming the money was right).

What was the thought process for everyone else?

I had previously lived in the USA for about 10 yrs before moving back to the UK. We both felt that life in the USA brings a lower cost of living and a higher standard of living. Both my parents are deceased so I had no major emotional ties....only my teenager estranged daughter....who is now thinking of moving here with us My husband did not particularly want to leave the USA and my children are dual citizens so it made sense for us to live here...........although we have never ruled out the thought of living in the UK at some point. Having lived in the USA before I knew what I would miss about the UK and the change in culture...knowing it just doesnt make it easier but the lower cost of living sure helps soften it

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

The only real reason I came back to the US was a job offer I could not refuse and the fact that my career would benefit from a few years in LA. Cost of living where I live isn't that my cheaper really, and my OH actually makes more money doing what he does and has better prospects back in London. We miss friends back there, our social life, long vacations and Europe generally.

But I'm glad we are back here for now. Before moving back, I hadn't been in the US in more than 10 years and I've enjoyed it a lot.

We will probably move on in a few years though.

[Lansbury 19]

We lived in the UK for 10 years as I had that left in my job before I could retire on a good pension.

We moved to the US because my pension is multiplied by the exchange rate where as my wife's pension would decrease coming the other way.

Housing is cheaper in the US. We sold our London house paid off the mortgage and got one in the US over twice as big for the cash left over.

Cost of living is better and Oregon is definitely better than SE England. You can get in your car to drive somewhere and know it will be hassle free unlike England where you can bet the traffic will snarl up and make any journey a misery.

There is supposedly no age discrimination in jobs in the US and at my age I thought finding a job would be easier here than in the UK. Got that one wrong haven't been able to get a job at all.

We have a 2 year old grandson in the US who we didn't see much of.

But the most compelling reason was my wife told me we were going to live in the USA when I retired.

[flutter95 4]

For us really, the Uk was never a real option. We sometimes talk about living there - but not for any long term basis.

My husband has now graduated from college but he hadn't at the time, and that was a major pull. Also, cost of living is alot lower here and could afford to own a home alot easier, plus my husbands dream job couldn't work out so well in the UK.

I do miss the UK, but I love living here, and always have wanted to live here. I was never worried about leaving my family as they are scattered about and was used to not seeing them.

[no name 1]

We miss friends back there, our social life, long vacations and Europe generally.

We will probably move on in a few years though.

bravo! I miss Europe & cheap travel & all those amazing countries too.

Hubby wanted to try his hand at architecture in LA for awhile, so here we are. I have no problem with England & miss it terribly. My mom & brother are a 7 hour flight from London & a 5 hour flight from LA. No biggie to be either place.

We'd like to move back to England in a few years.