Living in America 2014

[rootypig]

Shiny new thread. After an epic visa fuck up we are starting out (again!) in LA in a few weeks. I am English, DH is American (from southern California), DD is 21mo. I am going back to work after several unintentional years out and terrified. No clue what I want to do, which doesn't help.

Come chat about all things American!

Ha ha dickiedoodah! I didn't think I'd find anyone on here who envied me living in Oklahoma! I'm very of all the New Yorkers.

Does Mississippi at least have the old-school southern charm thing going on? A friend of mine who's military DH recently got transferred to Alabama comforts herself the fact that at least Alabama has a sense of history - some interesting old buildings and the like - whereas nothing in OKC is more than 100 years old.

Umm, to clarify, that's ENVIOUS of NYers not sick of them!

I am jealous of the New Yorkers' autumn. THIS HEAT! Why why why why why. ATB, string and gracie, we have a small pool in our apartment complex if you want to come and have a cool down playdate.

dickie That sucks! I will never forget going to that part of the world on a business trip. I worked for an investment bank and we were looking at an investment in the energy sector. My boss and I stayed in a motel and had carrot sticks for dinner because there wasn't a restaurant open. It sucked ass. The next day after breakfast my boss broke down and gave someone $20 so he could use their phone (coz our cell phones didn't work) to have his private plane pick us up. After that he always threatened us with a trip down there if we didn't perform.

The weather here in NYC is ok but it sucks that we are still in our temporary apartment. I am DONE with living in 500 sqft. I have never enjoyed DH being out on a business trip so much! I get the sofa bed to myself.

Mrsfrumble, there are some cool old southern houses in the town where we are. Unfortunately I can't really go in any of them due to the allergies that reared their ugly head as soon as I arrived in this state. Turns out I'm allergic to cockroaches and mold, two things that inhabit most old houses down here. Luckily we're in a newish house so my allergies are under control at the moment. I sometimes venture to Alabama just to press my nose up against a Whole Foods window and dribble down it.

Yes Supermum, I imagine that threat worked a treat once you had seen what the south had to offer. Down here, it really is like another world. Completely different pace of life. I can not wait to experience another part of the US when we move. I keep telling myself it can only get better after this.

Hi dickie. I live in South Texas and struggle to imagine anywhere worse so you have my sympathy! I suppose it's not that bad reeeeeaaaally but it has been a trying few days!

On the immigration front, I've been told that all I need is an I94 which I can download from the homeland security website and then I'll get my SSN. Sounds too easy to possibly be true but I'll try it out next week once I've recovered from this week's visit to the Social Security office.
Rooty, I forgot to say before, you should totally rewrite the immigration stuff so it is logical and makes sense. It's a job that'll keep you busy for a while!

It is fracking hot in SoCal, although apparently there are flash flood warnings in Antelope Valley for this weekend. And the ocean has started dropping 15ft+ waves on the beach again. Need. Respite.

Friends been here for 10days which was fine but a bit stressful as I'm a people pleaser and ended up driving them around constantly as they were here meeting managers and agents as well as staying with me. One was fine but the other just kept being late for everything and it seriously wore me down. Mum arrives in a month, I am in serious need of some personal space!

Guests are the giant unseen horror of emigration. Seriously, when else do you spend two weeks at a time with friends or family. I am going to make eleventh billion dollars and have a guest house. You can come and hide in it if you like

Meantime come and jump in our pool! (I hasten to add this is a communal pool, I do not have a pool in my back garden, or even a back garden, more's the pity)

*eleventy - this is a number, autocorrect

I feel for you LA and Southerners (and OKC - is that south or Midwest ) as the weather has taken a lovely autumnal turn here. Not looking too forward to winter (hated all the cold and snow of last winter...hoping it's a more normal 'freezing but without tonnes of snow' winter).

It's interesting hearing where folks are living. I am 100% sure I couldn't handle the South. I'm a lefty atheist and, while I love visiting parts of the US (and hope to visit every state!) I very much want my kids to grow up in the north east (handily it's where the in-laws are anyway). Having said that, we've family and friends (mostly Brooklyn expats) who moved to Nashville and love it...and of course everyone raves about Austen.

I lived in New Mexico for a couple of years as a teen and adore it. I could imagine moving there and living in a remote location...all that big sky! I also really like Denver.

Want2be you must be sick of your temp place! Where's your permanent apartment going to be? Are you going NYC or sticking with Hoboken/NJ? And did you sell your place out here? I've some preschool pals who live on your street (we also looked at places on there when house hunting last year). The housing market still seems quite hot here (though I'm mostly, intentionally, oblivious after last year's moving stresses!).

Cider mill - yum! Looking forward to going apple picking soon. I'm in North Jersey, just outside NYC. I'd be too wimpy and Irish for a Michigan winter I reckon! Hats off to the mid westerners - you can handle the cold! It's like my friends from upstate NY with their hardcore lake effect snow! Honestly, last year I was homesick for seeing green (everything was snow covered for so long...went back to ireland for 2 weeks in Feb/Mar and was so happy to see grass! And daffodils!).

And when i say autumnal, it's a high of 25 today (Irish heat wave alert!) but, crucially, not humid so actually pleasant instead.

Is OKC south or midwest? I'm not sure. We have Midwestern weather (harsh summers and winters, tornados) and topography (dead flat) but a definite southern cultural influence; barbecue (I'm a fan), iced tea (I'm not) and Baptists (scary). Oklahoma also shares the south's dismal stats on health and education. Oh, and there's the twangy accent y'all!

OKC itself is a liberal enclave - in the recent elections for State House the Republicans didn't even run in our district - and we have our share of independent coffee shops, bike shops and artisan bakeries staffed by hipsters - but rural Oklahoma is a different matter...

We do fantasize about DH's practice sending us to Denver or Chicago or San Francisco, and I wouldn't want to stay here for good but it's fine for now. At least Dallas isn't too far if we want amazing museums on decent shops.

Want2beSupermum 500 square feet? You must be climbing the walls!

rooty you free tomorrow?! Will PM you

Today is lovely, temps have dropped a little, DC both in school, guests have gone and I'm having a Green Energy Superfood Smoothie for lunch. How LA

want2be you must be going stir crazy!!

I really want to visit the South, I really want to generally take more advantage of living here to see more of the States - desperate to visit Boston and Austin and Portland to name just a few. In fact I've found a tattoo artist in Portland who I'm depetate to get inked by. Good excuse as any to pop up there for a few days

I'm glad it's cooled down today! I have turned the aircon off at last, I hate it.

We have had lots of house guests this summer and it's tough!

I think the roads are due to earthquakes. Have any LA ers felt one yet? We had one a few months ago that frightened the life out of me. Do you all have your earthquake kits?

Watching the Scottish results coming in on sky news via Apple TV. It's looking like a no.

Air con still on in houston but only just. It's been about 30C herer (sorry, can't do F yet) but we have the tail end of the hurricane that devastated Cabo in Mexico so it rained for 24 hours. We had 3 inches of rain in 3 hours at one point and flash flood warnings in effect everywhere.

Hoping it's dry Sunday as dd1 has a softball match (how Amercian do I sound now, eh?).

MrsCRabbit If you have an L2, you need your L1 to be there in person to get your SS#, plus all your visa documentation.

And then it's done there and then. Sorry, I posted yes too soon!

That sounds blissful! yes today was great - the stifling heat just disappeared in a trice. The advantage of a dry climate?

I had pasta for lunch and er pasta for dinner. I think I need to be more LA

Defo free tomorrow, would love to hear all about tattoos actually. DH loves Portland and Oregon generally. I'd love to see more of the pacific northwest but since I'm here for the rest of my life I guess I have time

gah posted too soon (always doing that)

gracie no, need to sort earthquake kit, will give DH a poke. One of his profs saved himself in the huge 1989 earthquake by getting under a table in a cafe - others around him who didn't, died. Haven't felt one yet, is it wrong to be sort of perversely excited about a very small one? Thanks for the reminder to sort our arses out.

God butterflies 24 hours of rain sounds like utter bliss. I don't know how LA is surviving, I really don't. It never, ever, rains. Everyone's saying el nino....fingers crossed.

Air con is back on here too. I got so excited thinking fall was here at it's been back up to 32 degrees for the past couple of days. We're due to get hit by the storm over the weekend too.

I'm supposed to be cooking dinner but I can't tear myself away from the live updates on the referendum on the Guardian website...

On the subject of SSN - make sure you take your marriage certificate with you. Have friends on L2 visas that didn't and they had to go back again.

The rain in Houston has finally stopped! It was so lovely at the weekend to go out in jeans, long sleeved t and Converse - I really hope the cooler weather is on its way!

We've booked a trip up to Washington D.C in December - anyone got any tips? Will be there for 5 nights and have a toddler to entertain. He's most excited about the aeroplanes at the National Air and Space Museum, DH are most excited about restaurants!

It's quite strange watching the referendum results come in and not be in the UK for such a major national event.

Right, coconut curry underway and the wine is open!

I was relieved that being away from the UK meant escaping the incessant media coverage of the referendum, but then a dad in the park asked me my opinion on it yesterday and I felt guilty that I wasn't more clued up! Hence the avid result-watching. At least we won't have to stay up all night like some of my British relatives are doing.

We had a big folder with ALL our documents in (probably including GCSE certificates) that we carried around for our first few weeks here just in case. If in doubt about what to take to the SS office, my advice would be to take everything!

I'm following with my brother who's up in Glasgow. Time diff v much in my favour . Giant yes in Dundee but I still think will be a no overall.

Also watching the referendum results come in. Been in a bad mood all day and I think it was because I felt irrationally angry that not one person mentioned this monumental event to me. I think I need more of a life!

No chance of it cooling down here. It's currently 30 degrees with a feels like temperature of 34 degrees. We've booked a long weekend in New York at the end of October, primarily because my parents are going to be there but also so I can wear jeans and long sleeves!