Living in America 2011

[MmeBucket]

We were a few messages away from being closed on the other one. Hope everyone finds me here.

[jabberwocky]

My new (oldish) blackberry is here! It's the same model I had at first and seems to be working perfectly. I've transferred all my data, the camara works great and now if it syncs with my car I will be a happy woman :)

[berri]

Grockle thanks so much for all that info, very much appreciated :)

Flights all booked now for our visit, so getting excited & nervous...

Just one silly question (many more to follow)....will everything I own with a plug not work in the USA? I'm thinking it'll be a nightmare to replace everything from the blender to my hair straighters!!

[redflipflops]

nicobean Is life easier for large families in the US? really can't answer that. So much depends on area and individual circumstances/expectations. How much help/support you get from friends & family in each country etc...

Agree with Earlybird that extra curricular stuff is expensive here (but am in CA) and Pre School is a large cost you don't have in the UK. But so much depends on your preferences/circumstances.

berri yes you need to get new electrical stuff. We do have a few transformers but only worth it if something was expensive or not easy to replace (we had just bought a new music system in the UK which we run on a transformer). Most things it's easier to just buy again (and is cheap in Walmart).

[kickassangel]

what she said!
(about electrical & chicago stuff)

btw i LOVE chicago - nearly as good as NY, which is nearly as good as london, imo.

i have a friend who lived there, do you want me to ask about schools? where you live dictates the school, so choose that, then the house.

nico - look at the cost of housing where you may be going. i'm in the mid west, so housing is cheap & it seems that everyone has 4 or 5 kids. the east coast is much higher pop & cost, so check up on that. don't forget you often have to pay towards medical, AND college costs, if you're thinking long term. have to say that i love my big american house - it's just so easy to live with enough space.

[berri]

Oh noooo - DH just spent £300 on a food processor, he will not be pleased!! And my Babyliss Big Hair! You can blame the ladies on the Style & Beauty threads for that purchase :o

Nice to hear that you love Chicago kickassangel - to be honest I've heard nothing but nice reports of the place since I've been telling people we're moving, which is very reassuring to say the least!

[giddybiddy]

Oh, please may I join this thread now it has re-started?? I got lost on the other one....... We're moving in the summer, DH to New York and us to CT, Greenwich area. Don't know if any mumsnetters around there?? I know I am going to have lots of questions abut essentials from the UK to ship and am glad that electrical thing came up as it had crossed my mind too.

[giddybiddy]

Sorry just read my post which sounds like we are separately moving!! DH job is in New York, at this point we do plan to live together in CT.......Mind you after the stress of the move who knows!!

[Grockle]

Ooo, I used to live in CT too. But New Haven so I know nuffink about Greenwich. Might pop over to Chicago for a couple of days in the summer.

[brimfull]

Hi guys can I hijack and get your views on hairdryers here
thanks

[kickassangel]

berri - our food processor has been running on a converter. we bought one big one that cost $100, that runs a lot of power, and a few small ones. things like hair dryers etc we bought new.

computers generally just need an adapter plug

tv & dvd need to be bought here. washing machines usually come with the house.

so it cost us a few hundred $$$ to start with, and now we're just updating as we go.

[nicobean]

Earlybird I'd forgotten about the kids and their sports in the US. Last time I was over, my SIL expected us all to want to drive 40mins and stand in the cold to admire her DC's prowess at soccer. (I fibbed, said DD2 wasn't well and went to the mall instead!)

I've never understood American parents and their attitude to this..is it all about getting a sports scholarship or something deeper about the competitive American psyche?

Driving is something I'm worried about. This time I WILL have to bite the bullet and make myself drive in the US. My spatial awareness is appalling and I'm sure I'll end up going the wrong way at junctions.

[berri]

Oh god I have a massive fear of driving in the US too - my stomach flips when I think about it. I'm completely crap at parking for instance, and the thought of doing it in anything bigger than my little car, and when the steering wheel is on the other side, sends me into worry overdrive!!

I was even thinking of having a couple of lessons when I get over there, but DH just calls me a wuss & says not to be stupid! He won't be saying that when I prang his shiny new 4x4...

[Grockle]

Oh, driving in Chicago is a NIGHTMARE! Worse than driving down the east coast. I don't know what possesses Chicagoans when they drive but they are utterly crazy and several times I have shut my eyes and feared for my life on the highway. Sorry, that probably won't make you feel any better... if it helps, I am now an expert at parallel parking. The good thing about street parking in the city is that people tend to go with the view that bumpers and just that - there to be bumped. So if you squeeze into a small space and happen to gently bump the car behind, it's ok. With that in mind, I didn't worry and managed to never bump another car!

[tadjennyp]

See I live in a small town and have forgotten how to parallel park!

I just bought a hairdryer here so I didn't have to faff around with plugs and adaptors. Perhaps if you asked a decent hairdresser what they would recommend?

[berri]

Argh don't tell me that Grockle :(

Maybe I'll need those lessons after all!

[Want2bSupermum]

Hello all - I just found this thread. Somehow I missed it. Not sure how but wonders never cease.

I have been living here in the US for 6 years now, in New Jersey. I came over with an investment bank and am now an accountant as well as being 6 months pregnant with #1.

berri - I will only drive an automatic and made DH buy a another car so I could drive home after he drinks. It sounds like I am being spoilt but I was petrified of driving down the wrong way or worse, looking the wrong way at a junction.

Don't bother bringing electrical items from the UK. When you get here buy everything on amazon so it is delivered. As I went through my electrical stuff in England I went on amazon.com?tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum-21 and found the same (or better) in the US and put it on my 'gift list'. The first thing I did when I picked up the keys to my new place was to order everything to be delivered.

The other to buy from amazon for delivery is a GPS or upload US maps on your current one. I live in New Jersey and finding ones way is a nightmare.

[redflipflops]

I was initially worried about driving here but actually it's fairly easy (am not in big city though). The cars are big but roads are wide and parking spaces absolutely massive. Also people drive quite slowly. You just need to get used to 4 way Stop junctions and turning R on a red! (I probably annoyed a few drivers in first month here).

[kickassangel]

i found driving quite easy - had never done it before & within 2 weeks was facing detroit interstate intersections in rush hour in the car we'd just bought that i'd never driven before!! that scared me quite a lot, but i managed, even though i didn't understand the accent on the gps & couldn't tell if she said left or right! (chicago was quite relaxing by comparison).

get lessons if you want, if only to give you confidence & help you relax.

[jabberwocky]

nico - I have often replied to dh's comment that "It's not a competition" with the retort "Everything's a competition" so...yes....psyche is definitely a part of it.

[LAbaby]

Hi everyone, anyone here based in CA?
I moved to LA in October, was shocked to find out I was 12 weeks pregnant in December and am now looking forward to my first baby. Have been muddling my way through pregnancy without any pregnant friends as am so new here, but have just signed up for 8 weeks of classes which should help. They are the bradley method, which I read up on and sounds a bit like the NCT my friends at home are doing - although maybe a bit more militant??
TBH I am looking for pregnant friends, first and foremost. I am not certainly putting any pressure on myself about having a 'natural' birth, but am interested to learn about it all the same!
Anyone know any other ways to meet pregnant people?

[jabberwocky]

There are several posters on here from CA iirc. When I was pg with ds2 I didn't have any RL friends who were pg but my ante-natal club thread was wonderful! There are many of us still posting 4 years on.

[redflipflops]

Hello LAbaby - I'm in CA but Santa Barbara county

meetup.com is a good site for new mums/baby groups and in some areas expat type groups.

Congrats on your pregnancy!

[Grockle]

Berri, the driving is easy, don't worry and, as far as cities go, Chicago is easy to drive around, even downtown. It's the other drivers you have to worry about that but as long as you know what you are doing, it's all ok. Honest

[berri]

Need to get me a new sat-nav...

Where are you now Grockle?

[Grockle]

I'm in Dorset now. Sunny, sunny Dorset