Help us decided, and also how did people react to you when you moved?

[tigertigertigga]

I just need a bit of information about settling in and how other people originally saw you when you first moved.

DH and I are currently planning to move, after his workplace shut down (we're in Glasgow, but previously moved from County Kerry in Ireland) but with openings for the same job in other countries, and he's talked with the company and he can transfer. Discussing with my work (aeronautical design, I'm an aeronautical engineer) transfers are available (thankfully we both work in international companies, so transfers are possibilities), and realistically, although I earn the higher wage, we need his wage too.

So we're moving. Currently, we live with DS (17, but going to a university- in England btw- next year), DD2 (11, but 12 soon) and DD3 (8, but 9 in a week). DD1 is currently at university in the Netherlands (she plans to live there).

Due to the different jobs, there's only about fifteen countries which we can feasibly move to, and within them, only a few places, however that's still a large choice. Most of them are English speaking, but some aren't, and some of them are in Europe.

Out of the fifteen, we've chosen eight which we think we can move to. The other seven are- China (Beijing, Shanghai), Egypt (Cairo only), Brazil (Rio only, although I could also go to the capital, DH can't with his work), Dubai, France (Paris, although DH could go to Lille or Toulouse as well, Paris is the only one we could both transfer to), Finland (Helsinki, although I could also transfer to Rovaniemi, Dh can't) and Spain (Madrid, Barcelona- only places we could both transfer to).

The countries we are considering-
Australia (Perth, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, although DH could transfer to Adelaide, I can't)

NZ (Auckland, Christchurch, only ones)

Canada (Vancouver,
Ottawa,
Toronto,
Edmonton,
Although DH can go to Calgary, we were thinking about areas around it, anything up to an hour and a half drive even from them, so doing some googling, Manotick, I think Surrey for Vancouver, but heard it can be really bad in rush hour, or did my research go wrong?)

USA (NYC,
California (Burbank, Ontario, LA, only palces we can both transfer to),
Alaska (I specialise in temperate flights, so a lot of transferable places will be either very warm or cold, or have odd weather, in Alaska there's Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau I think),
Seattle,
New York (NYC, Rochester),
Hawaii (Honolulu, Lanai, Kahului),
Nebraska (Omaha),
Ohio (Cleveland),
Wisconsin (Milwaukee),
Maine (Portland),
Colorado (Denver),
Florida (Jacksonville, Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers). A lot of options!

Sweden (Gothenburg, Stockholm, Malmo)

Germany (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Mainz)

Singapore

Denmark (Copenhagen only)

We had the alternative of moving to London (I was born in London, I love it a lot, but we think that moving abroad might give us better options etc;) Bristol or Cardiff, in England, and Belfast in Northern Ireland (Glasgow is the only Scottish division where we can both work, although in eighteen months there will be the option of Edinburgh, and in twenty six months, apparently there will be Aberdeen- we don't know why they're closing down the Glasgow section). Ideally we could wait, but we need both wages to support us really.

If we move, it will be in roughly seven to eight months.Help! Currently, we're thinking about

Australia (Perth, Brisbane)
New Zealand (not sure about cities)
Canada (Ottawa, Toronto, Vancouver?)
USA (NYC, Alaska, Seattle, Wisconsin, Hawaii! Although Hawaii and Alaska are probably fantasies....)
Sweden (Stockholm)
Germany (Munich)
Denmark (Copenhagen)

So not Singapore (although welcome to be convinced!) and cutting down on places.

We also want to know how you settled down and how your neighbours reacted to you. When we moved from Ireland to Glasgow, it was easy settling down, I mean, same language, in an area where a good few people will have moved.

But what about other areas, especially non-English speaking countries?

Are people welcoming, stand offish, used to foreigners in a multicultural area, not multicultural, good with foreigners, helpful, and are language barriers a real problem? I know these are big generalisations, but I'm sure there must be some differences between countries. Is moving to Australia, Canada, NZ and the USA a big culture shock, as much as the others will be?

I know some German (adopted by German born parents, but it didn't rub off so much that I'm fluent), and DD1 has been helping with Dutch things. DH is Norwegian/Irish, is Norwegian slightly close to Swedish or Danish? I honestly have no idea.

Thanks if you managed to read all of this!

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Maine does seem like the middle of nowhere to me, the whole population of the state is about the same as the city I live in. Our metro has about 2 1/2 times the number of people in the whole state. Prior to living here I lived in the South of England where there are a lot of people and a lot of things to do and not huge amounts of open country.

If the U.S. interests you at all try the city-data forums for that place.

Here is a thread about living in Maine for instance. www.city-data.com/forum/maine/1562858-what-maine-like-2.html

[anonymosity]

you are right and i realize I am thinking of Portland Oregon!

[SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker]

Portland Oregon is so pretty at night!