I love living in the US - however un-MN that may be. I wouldn’t move back to the UK. I came here to be with my husband (he’s an American born and raised here). So, I had a “family” here already in terms of in-laws but I was all alone in my British-ness, which was hard. My husband really helped me to settle by explaining things, introducing me to how things are done, etc but he will never be able to understand the stress of not being able to get Branston pickle in your weekly shop, for example!
Are you coming on a family-based visa (son/daughter of US citizen)? If so, you’ve had around 15 years to prepare for this during the visa processing and wait for your PD to be current. And I assume you have spent a lot of time with your parents here so you know it’s not all guns and medical bankruptcy here, unlike the average MN view of life here. So I’m not sure what you’re scared of or how those of us that live here already can help. Have you spoken to your folks of your fears? They know you better than any of us ever will.
In my case my only “fear” was whether I was making the right decision to spend the rest of my life with a man who I’d never spent more than 3 weeks with during 4 years of long-distance dating and marriage. It sounds like that doesn’t even apply to your situation.
Have you got work already lined up for when you arrive? I had already secured a job before I came and that helped me settle. I had to get right into the routine of work immediately, rather than spending the first weeks/months as if I was on holiday.
Like others, I prefer the lifestyle here. I feel people have a more positive outlook. One thing I really cannot stand in the UK (and it’s very prevalent on MN) is the competitive misery everyone seems to be obsessed with. Everyone seems to want to be poorer, more disabled, more disadvantaged than anyone else and wears their misery like a badge of honor. All they can talk about is how awful their lives are, and how hopeless everything is. I find people are much happier and healthier here. People enjoy enjoying themselves. Another thing is that I would not have been able to cope with all the “rooolz” in the UK during COVID, especially having lived in this freedom for so long. People “reporting” people for buying certain things, leaving the house more than once, or hugging their granny…they would have had to put me in prison before I stood for all that. That would absolutely never have happened in this state. Or probably not in any state here, come to think of it.
I enjoy the sense of space here, the pride people have in their home state/city, the sense of community, the lack of judgement for your lifestyle choices and people understanding what it means to be free.
A big mistake would be to constantly compare everything to the UK. It’s not the UK. It’s different. Embrace the difference.
The cost of living is higher but the standard of living is much higher too.
I’m very happy here. I now have US citizenship and plan to be here for the rest of my life. Sure, I still miss fish and chips and the sight of thatched cottages. I miss my parents and siblings and a cozy pub. That’s why I go back every other year to dose myself up on those things. But this is home now.