Living In America ..You say Goodbye, I say Hello, ...

[kickassangel]

New Thread.

I'm sorry. I don't blame you for homeschooling is such a stupid sentence. I didn't mean it the way it sounds.

Did you change your name, smithy? Or am I not remembering it correctly?

Superbunny - are you back in the UK? what were your reasons for leaving America?

Am interested to know if people see themselves living in the US permanently or if planning on returning to UK in a few years?

We were unexpectedly transferred with DH job. Moving to CA was never something we thought much about - so was a shock! Not sure yet how long we will stay as depends on job (probably 3-5 years).

We have 3 kids (5, almost 4 and 9 months - similar to smithy!) and am already wondering how they will cope if we return to UK school system. My DD is in Kindergarten having been in Y1 in UK. The attitude here is very different and focus much less on literacy etc... am wondering if we return they'll be massively behind uk peer group?

Am shocked at Dooneygirls Kindergarten story!

We've only been here since New Yr. Finding it hard to meet people as small town! How long did it take people to feel settled? What do you miss most?

dh never wants to live in the UK again, and after being there this Feb, i remembered just how dirty, wet, & crowded it is - 5 hours to travel 120 miles?

i love the wide open spaces & how cheap housing is where we live. i think we've lucked out, though. we're near Ann Arbor - a left wing, open minded university town. lots going on. by living about 5 miles out we have a huge house for relatively little, great school system and the whole 'small town' thing. we have a way better standard of living on just dh's salary (not just materially, we have more time, more things to do) I also got introduced to a group called 'the girlfriends' - we meet every week for coffee (sometimes end up staying all day), go out twice a month, give great support (my car broke down - 1800 girlfriends got me home), etc.

BUT I still get homesick a lot. i used to work ft til we moved here & being home all day can be lonely, although i keep pretty busy

If we could, we'd get green cards, and i'd prob work pt, but part of the reason would be so that i can afford to go home every 6 months.

i've heard people who move within the UK say it takes about 2 years to feel settled, i would expect longer as there is some culture shock, no matter how much you've travelled here before moving over. dh & i both spent significant periods in the US & have been on lots of holidays here, but it can still feel v strange.

If it would just move east about 2000 miles, and i could work, it would be perfect!

Hello all - my children have had all of their formal schooling in the US. Don't worry! They catch up to their UK counterparts. Last year we thought we would be returning to England so my eldest sat entrance exams to two very selective private schools. She was offered places at both. We did no tutoring - went to WH Smith the day before and bought a couple of those maths books for her to look at. The US is like any country. There are great schools and terrible schools. I tutor remedial students at a school just 15 minutes from where I live and it is truly like being in a third world country in terms of facilities and support.

I do really love the space and the climate here in CA is pretty amazing. However housing here is very expensive - we pay a lot in rent and don't think we'll ever be able to buy.

One negative for me is cost of flying the whole family home. If it was more affordable think It would be good for general piece of mind! (knowing we could go whenever we wanted without huge cost implications).

Lilysmalls - that's good to know your experience of the school system. Agree it's a big country and these things vary a lot.

Redflipflops, I think I never felt settled in the US. I moved home for various reasons but my main reason for not wanting to stay is because it never felt like home. I missed my family, my friends, and the feeling of 'home' - the sounds, the smells etc. Living in the city, there was no cheap housing, no good schools and the supermarkets were extortionate and not very good.

Where were you driving, Kickass? In 5 hrs, I drive 300 miles, not 120.

I have been here what feels like forever and I still really miss all the things that SuperBunny mentions as well as the fact that I just do not "get" many of the cultural references (and they don't get mine either!) particularly music, television and some films. It can make conversation tricky when they are laughing uproariously over an old episode of Gilligans Island and I have no clue what they are talking about!

Lily, I was there for 6 1/2 yrs and still felt that way. But I had lots of other stuff going on that made me want to go home. I remember my last visit to the UK and I was so relieved to be there I KNEW I had to leave the US. Hope you are ok.

sb - bristol(ish) to south of london - in pissing wet rain & rush hour! i stopped for 40 mins to avoid the worst of the traffic. MIL knew there were severe weather warnings & roadworks/traffic jams, but wouldn't agree to going for lunch about 20 mins in the direction we were heading, then letting us leave at 2/2.30. Oh no, we had to stay til after 3, as it was 'her' day so she didn't want us going too soon.

Nice.

I have to admit, she would be the major reason we left the UK & dh never wishes to return.

In spite of the fact that US wins hands down on paper (housing, climate, education, etc etc), I still get homesick, and after a few days, I learn how to cope with the crowding in the UK (my parents live in the SE, where you have to queue for 15 mins to get into the garage to pay a fortune for petrol).

I can't imagine going back, even after 15 months. But i can't imagine staying here, either!

Dooneygirl, yes have name changed and came on here before we moved so you probably do remember me.
I am having problems finding things to do with the kids, anything you suggest?

i am hoping this homesickness is just a phase! But from the sounds of it it is going to last a while. All the things superbunny said she missed i miss too. The main thing for me is feeling like i had a lot more freedom in the UK!!! In terms of what to do, where to go, who to go with. Where to go for help/advice. I suppose i'm feeling insecure. Also not knowing when i will see anyone again scares me, especially my elderly relatives.
But we have only been here for 8 months so have to give it time, at least get my citizenship after we have spent all the time and money to get here then we will all be dual and we can choose where to live without worrying about visas etc.

Yeah, give it time, Smithy. Sorry you are feeling sad though. Is the rest of the family happy?

I am beginning to think about visiting the US in the summer for FOUR weeks . What on earth am I going to do for 4 weeks?

I really miss the British Media/BBC etc... At least we can get internet Radio. Shame can't use iPlayer! TV here is dire and News Channels don't seem good - not impartial & limited world view.

I also really miss family and friends. Feel a big cultural gulf between me and most American's I've met!

Think my level of happiness is always in a state of flux so wherever we lived there would be good phases and bad phases...

Sorry to turn thread into homesickness discussion!

I suggest moving out of Sandy. Sorry, not very helpful, am I? You're just so far OUT there.

The Bunny, I think you should do a tour of American Mumsnetters. Just go around and visit us all for a few days.

RedFlipFlops there is a way of using the BBC iplayer. You set up a computer in your house that is linked to your television as an outside the USA ip address. This then allows you to use the BBC iplayer and all the commercial ones (C4 etc). It is not legal but there was a thread here about it with the information about a company in Sweden that provides this service - there is a monthly subscription which isn't very much. I know someone who uses this service and it is fabulous .
Are you using Skype with family and friends?
Life will get easier! Honestly!

Morning everyone. Happy Mothers Day

SittingBull, just emailed you

Hey everyone, just checking in. Life has been crazy, tax season driving me to distraction. I will hopefully float back to the surface sometime after May 1st...

Good morning, all.

I should be packing us all up, but can't get to sleep and our cases are in the room where DS is asleep, anyhow.

Am off to see my family in Houston on Wednesday. Just a month short of 9 years since I've set foot in America.

Weirdorama.

My husband and children have never been, so it's a big deal to them.

Have asked my folks to please drop me and DH at Whole Foods on Wednesday evening for an hour or two, just to look round the aisles.

Going to spend Easter at my sister's in Kemah, TX.

She's a teacher and has taken a couple of days extra off for us to stay with them.

Keep forgetting how they can't just swan off for a fortnight at a time.

Haven't packed yet. Part of me doesn't know what to pack anymore. Not got any clothes, really, to suit 26 degrees.

Hope it isn't big time Conservative. Wistful thinking, probably.

I'm whittering, I guess. But dead nervous after a childhood friend who's been living in LA for the better part of 20 years said, 'Oh, EIS, you're so . . . foreign.'

Well, always have been.

Hello people....haven't posted here before. Want a bit of advice from you lot in the States. I lived there for 5 years when I was a kid (Washington D.C.) and am still in touch with a few friends.
We're arranging a trip out there late May/June/July- me, DH and four year old DS.
We've got friends inviting us to stay in D.C. and In New York and Portland, Oregan, but I don't want to overstay my welcome so if anyone has ideas of reasonably priced accomodation in any of those places please let me know; also ideas of good stuff to do with kids in those places. Also I really want to stay in San Fran and also go to Big Sur, so again ideas of accomodation and stuff to do with kids would be much appreciated.
I can't wait!!!!

dooneygirl should be able to tell you about Portland

Am pretty excited about the trip; hope my post made sense.....have only been back twice in the last 25 years! These friends were my best buddies when I was age 10 till 15. So cool that they are so welcoming when i finally return.
Have just skimmed this thread and noticed a few of you are in Oregan so probably know lots about what to do with kids and accomodation etc. We'll stay at my friends in Portlad then at the beach in Manzinita (sp?), but any other suggestions very wlcome. Also suggestions as to how to get there from San Fran- plane? train? drive and stay places along the way?

Also info on travel insurance for going there....

Oh Thanks Jabber, yeah i hope Dooney comes along..

Oh and also....is there some kind of online site where you can figure out the driving times, directions and distances between one place and another in the States? I use AA Autoroute in the U.K. and just fill in my starting point and my end destination and get a lovely list of directions, distance, and driving time. Need the same for the States but haven't found one online yet.

Hi peasoup! Jabber pointed me in your direction.

Mapquest.com gives you all 3 of your d's.

How old are your kids?

I'm off to DS' baseball practice, but will be back on tomorrow.