Living in America... visitors welcome

[SuperBunny]

East Coast
MaNanny - Boston
Twinmommytobe - Boston
MuminCT - CT
Greatgooglymoogly - NY State
Yesthereare4ofthem - NY State
Brooklynmom - NYC
alarkaspree - NYC
MKG - New Jersey
Mummimamma - PA
Poetmum - PA
Twirl - MD

South
Earlybird - TN
jabberwocky - AR
Sunchowder - Florida
Marls001 - Bentonville, AR
Tinpot - NC
MadameDeathStare- AL

Midwest
SuperBunny- Chicago
Dodgykeeper - Dayton, OH
Chocchipcookie - Ohio
MonkeyLover
KickAssAngel - Ann Arbor, MI
MumofFivemeanschaos

Rockies
Alipiggie - Boulder, CO
Ribena

Northwest
AnnieLaurie - Seattle, WA
Dooneygirl - Oregon City, OR

California
SittingBull - nr San Francisco
Califrau - Milpitas
loopsngeorge - Brentwood, LA
Syd - Manhattan Beach, LA
SofiaAmes - LA
LATyke - Redondo Beach
CarmenSanDiego - San Diego

Texas
Texan - Dallas
Tiggyhop - Houston
Vixie78 - Houston
BananaPudding - Austin
Cosmicdust - East Texas

Canada
Hellish - Ottawa
Shouldlistenedtomymum - Hamilton
Nooka - BC
Jacksmama - Langley

Exotic Islands
Anorak - Bermuda
cp - Trinidad
Barefeete - BVI

Brazil
Albert

I hate 3 day weekends here. Might be different if my family were around but generally, I dislike holidays. Am just a bit of a misery, I suppose.

Gorgeous weather here - I have planted so much stuff in my garden and things are really growing already.

I want a 3 day weekend

I'm totally sick of working every Saturday...

Hello everyone, long time no hear LOL. actually I've had a dramatic week or two. Due to the crappy immigration/no finances situation it's looking likely I'll be heading back home in the next few weeks I am gutted but as I can't secure funding for my Masters, I can't stay. So if anyone knows of a fabulous family in need of a nanny please let me know

Bloody hell mananny, I'm so sorry.

People here are always looking for nannies. if you are prepared to move to Chicago I could definitely pass your info on. And I could ask if anyone knows anyone in Boston looking for a nanny? Lots of people have family/ friends there. If you email me some info, I'll do what I can.

Jabber, I would love to work on Saturdays. It's funny how, when you can't do something, you really want to yet when you have to, it isn't any fun.

I won't be able to stay here in the US SB as I will be out of status So I will have no choice but to go back to the UK.

Oh yes, of course. I wasn't thinking. So sorry, what a horrible situation.

StillOverHere - are you around?

I have 2 free tickets to the Harry Potter exhibit. Do I:

a) Take waste 1 on DS? I'm assuming a 3 yr old won't get it, won't appreciate it and will distract me {selfish]

b) Go alone so I can appreciate it properly

c) Take a friend who won't be as excited as me but might quite like it anyway

mananny are you able to touch down in the UK and then go back to The States in say, a few weeks or something or is it permanent?

I can go back anytime under the visa waiver, or I can reapply with proof of funding for another student visa (my sticking point now is I cannot get together enough funding for my Masters here so I cannot register at school next semester, so my student visa is effectively revoked as I haven't met one of it's conditions IYSWIM) Ironically I do qualify for a H1b on the basis of my Law degree but there are no jobs at the moment, the economy is pretty dire here.

I'm planning on working for a couple of years to save up the cash for the Masters then reapply and come back.

What's really infuriating is that I have been trying to do everything The Right Way, and I see so many illegals around who really don't give a monkeys and stay here and work. But I can't justify doing that as it's, well, just plain wrong. And it would jeopardise my future hope to live and work here.

mananny, can i just ask why you're so keen to live in the states? it seems that a lot of us here have arrived almost by accident/circumstance, but for you it's a deliberate choice?

just wondering what appeals to you so much? i love it here, but would never have planned to end up here, and if it became really hard due to visas etc, would just go back to the uk

mananny

Mananny, what a shame. I know 2 law students who graduate this summer. Both had jobs lined up but one's firm dissolved and the other has had her position deferred for a year. Not good times at all.

Seeing illegal immigrants working and having a pretty much normal life is very frustrating when you are trying desperately to do things the right way - I really symathise.

Kickass, I have worked as a nanny for over a decade and travelled and worked in some amazing places, and this is the first time I ever really liked a place enough to put any effort into settling here. I started uni here, put all my savings etc into it, got a car and an apartment, and 3.5yrs down the road this is my home. Unfortunately immigration isn't quite so considerate of heartwarming stories such as mine. So it all boiled down to no money = no school = no visa. My lawyer just told me once I officially withdraw (which I have to do by June 30th) I have a 15 day grace period to leave the country.

My nanny family barely held it together when I told them. They don't want me to leave. But really there's not much to be done, except get a husband or win the lottery. And neither looks likely in the next 8 weeks! I am sad, but I would rather leave and do things properly that way I can come back and visit, I have a wedding here in August that I HAVE to go to!

SuperBunny - just seen your message! The HP exhibition was basically lots and lots of memorabillia from the films. It is in that tent that is stuck on the side of the museum at the moment. You go into a room and the sorting hat is there - the guide does a brief intro and selects a few people to be "sorted". Then the doors open and you are herded past the train, through some fog and into the main exhibit. There is a recreation of Hagrid's Hut, Harry's bed, the potting shed from herbology etc. One small section is quite intense where you will find the dementors, some scary costumes etc. One or two little ones were crying and covering ears. Finally you enter the great hall which is set out for a feast - this was our favourite section as they have all of the sweets from the sweet shop on display. I am not sure about taking your DS. I am guessing he is not yet an avid fan so I would probably opt to go alone. Most of the children seemed slightly underwhelmed as it was not terribly interactive. It was totally focused on the movies, no JK Rowling memorabillia (in fact no mention of her) or reference to the books.
Hope this helps!

Mananny, I have a million questions that I want to ask but I am not going to because when I have been in dire straits with immigration, people asked me tons of questions & I just ended up feeling pissed off that they seemed to think I hadn't explored every angle. And yes, everyone suggested I marry a US citizen to get a visa

Thanks for the info Still, I will definitely not take DS. I may take a friend who might tolerate my oooing and aaahing, otherwise I shall go alone. Twice.

LOL SB I have explored every angle and the best option for me if I ever want to come back here is go in July, and not accrue any unlawful presence. Sucks but that's how it is. I don't want to piss off the INS/USCIS/DHS or whatever the hell they call themselves now. And I simply don't have the money to throw at a lawyer to sort it for me, not that they could really do much. Wish I could report about 15 people before I go though!!!!!

I'm so sorry to hear that, mananny.

Oh mananny, I just don't know what to say. I'm so sorry.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, but really I'm ok. I am terribly sad to go, but it's not forever. My goals remain the same, I just have to change the route.

What's worse to me is the fact my wee munchkins will not really understand where I have gone. They already miss me and ask to call me, and I am 40 minutes away and see them one day a week. I'm hoping just because I am back across the pond that we can talk regularly and maintain a decent connection. I've been there their entire lives and will miss them so much. The older I get, the soppier I get, and the more I feel a child's heart is sacred. Vomit if you like, but I adore my charges and hate that my leaving will inevitably upset them.

do they 'plea baragin' in immigration? if you report 15 people, they let you stay 15 months?
(i doubt it)

I imagine leaving the children will be very hard for you all A webcam is a wonderful thing though.

I wish they did kickass, I wish they did.

Karma is a wonderful thing though. I'm owed a nice fat Euromillions win sometime later this year. Seriously.