We have been offered a move to NYC from london with DH job. he works in tech in a fairly niche/desirable skillset and the rest of his team are based there, so it hasn't come as a surprise, but they are pretty keen for us to go over, and we have been given an "emergency" appt to get visas sorted out. on paper it looks great, we have scrutinised the health insurance which looks excellent (biggest thing for me!), there's a decent relocation grant, first couple months accommodation paid, and DH would have a small salary increase which i suspect is to reflect the cost of living in NYC. also, according to the relocation package i would have a visa enabling me to work over there - i work in corporate admin and have some decent transferable skills. we've both been in london since before we met and we feel we have "done" it, we'd be otherwise looking to move out of our area if not out of london completely. also, people keep telling us how lucky we are and how amazing NYC is!
however. covid is worsening over there, and a lot of things about the US bother me (politics, healthcare, racism, gun laws etc). NYC looks mega expensive even compared to london prices, particularly rent. also -- we finally have a decent house deposit saved to buy our first home, a lot of family live within 2 hours drive/train of us, and dd is happy at school with friends she's known since babyhood. i've been at my company for a few years and am comfortable with the work and pay plus i can now work from home as much as i want, and i'm also just slightly anxious about starting over in a new country as an adult. i studied in the US for a couple of months when i was younger and we have some friends and family in different places over there, but otherwise our only experience is holidays, and it just feels huge and daunting. DH is super excited but i'm the pragmatic one. also, i lived abroad on another continent as a kid and look back on it with fond memories, though we returned to the uk permanently when i was about 9 and i do remember it feeling a bit strange not knowing all the cultural references etc (this was pre netflix/internet!). i settled in, but i never really felt like i "fit in" until probably university, though that could have been entirely my fault!
would you do it? we would be looking at early spring next year, so not during the tough (covid) winter.
any thoughts from anyone who has lived in NYC/the US, any americans, british expats, anyone really!? i don't want to rain on DH parade at all but its getting "real" now and i honestly dont want to be over influenced by people i know, who just love NYC from having had a great holiday there!