Move from UK to Dallas - possibly (Plano, Frisco: fit in, home)

[AmericanUK]

My British DH is coming home from a promising interview in Dallas for a job that would take us to live there possibly in the next couple of months. i am American (originally from PA) and have lived in Northern England now for over 2yrs. We have no kids, but plan to start a family in the next year or 2.

We would love any information or advice anyone can provide. I have had several not so good opinions from my expat website here in the UK. Americans that now live here that had either lived in Texas or were born there did not have the nicest things to say about it. The main one being just how religious it is there and that anyone that might be close to liberal will not fit in. I am not hugely poitical, but I am definitely not repbulican. I am also Christian, but I don't attend church regularly and don't make religion a major focus of my everyday life. My British husband is worried about the work culture differences in the US as he is used to making fun of people in the office and them doing the same back to him - all in jest and good fun, never to offend anyone.

I have seen a few people post on here having lived in Europe or from Europe and would love to know what they think I will need to prepare for to re-adjust to life in the US again. Thanks!

[Lakewooder]

As long as you are not living in an area where everyone feels the need to conform, you will have no problem.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by AmericanUK

My British DH is coming home from a promising interview in Dallas for a job that would take us to live there possibly in the next couple of months. i am American (originally from PA) and have lived in Northern England now for over 2yrs. We have no kids, but plan to start a family in the next year or 2.

We would love any information or advice anyone can provide. I have had several not so good opinions from my expat website here in the UK. Americans that now live here that had either lived in Texas or were born there did not have the nicest things to say about it. The main one being just how religious it is there and that anyone that might be close to liberal will not fit in. I am not hugely poitical, but I am definitely not repbulican. I am also Christian, but I don't attend church regularly and don't make religion a major focus of my everyday life. My British husband is worried about the work culture differences in the US as he is used to making fun of people in the office and them doing the same back to him - all in jest and good fun, never to offend anyone.

I have seen a few people post on here having lived in Europe or from Europe and would love to know what they think I will need to prepare for to re-adjust to life in the US again. Thanks!

I lived abroad for many years (mostly in northern England) and have only recently returned home myself. The difference between us is that I'm from Dallas originally, so coming back here wasn't a huge deal.

People are not really tight-assed at the office here, but he needs to take it slow and figure out what's acceptable. Some British-style jesting would probably not be acceptable here until you got to know your colleagues well, and some of them will never accept it. I found the British-style jesting at work to be monumentally irritating.

People overstate both the political conservatism and religiousness in north Texas. I am neither conservative nor religious and I feel perfectly at ease here. You do have to be careful with jokes about religion because there ARE people here who take it very seriously but you get some of those in the UK too. As for politics...north Texas has plenty of Democrats. They're not the majority, but you won't be a pariah here.

If you've only been away for 2 years I doubt it has changed much. I was away for many years so I had some pretty deep culture shock to deal with at first. I suppose how deeply you will be affected depends on how frequently you visited. I visited the USA only twice the whole time I was abroad, so I'm still adjusting many months later. I'll find myself wandering through the supermarket, mouth agape at all these brands that I'd forgotten existed and looking absentmindedly for the refrigerated ready meals (don't have 'em here).

Have you ever been to Dallas at all?

P.S. you can get HP Sauce almost anywhere here. I regularly indulge in bacon butties, Yorkshire puddings, and Lancashire hotpots. I just have to make it all myself.

[galore]

Originally Posted by AmericanUK

The main one being just how religious it is there and that anyone that might be close to liberal will not fit in. I am not hugely poitical, but I am definitely not repbulican. I am also Christian, but I don't attend church regularly and don't make religion a major focus of my everyday life.

Vitually every native that I know in Dallas is involved in some church. It is a very significant part of the culture here. Doesn't matter if conservative or liberal. Actually my circle of friends is majority (very) liberal and religious. This was very awkward at first, given that nobody I knew in my home country attended church (mostly attended by very old people and tourists and the odd weird teenager).

I don't go to church (except to architecturally significant ones on vacation; It simply isn't part of how I was brought up and I don't have the desire to adopt this part of Dallas culture) and enjoy that many venues, parks, golf, tennis courts etc. aren't crowded on Sunday before noon.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by galore

Vitually every native that I know in Dallas is involved in some church. It is a very significant part of the culture here. Doesn't matter if conservative or liberal. Actually my circle of friends is majority (very) liberal and religious. This was very awkward at first, given that nobody I knew in my home country attended church (mostly attended by very old people and tourists and the odd weird teenager).

How bizarre. I don't know a single person in Dallas, native or otherwise, who attends church services regularly. I can count on one hand the number of people I know who even consider themselves "religious".

I suppose a lot of it depends on where you live and who your friends are.

[galore]

Maybe it's an age thing? The people I mostly socialize with are 35 to 55.

[Debsi]

I have lots of friends that don't go to church. And lots that do. Saturday is a waaaaaaaaaaaaay better day to try to go out to breakfast though.

[nativeDallasite]

Originally Posted by galore

Maybe it's an age thing? The people I mostly socialize with are 35 to 55.

Perhaps; my friends are in their 30s. Do you live in Plano or Frisco or something? I see far more Jesus fish when I'm up in that part of the metromess.

[lpepping]

I concur most of my friends and associates do not regularly attend church either. But yes they are young(20s for the most part) and mostly single. So I guess it really does matter who your friends and associates are.

[cdelena]

With over 40 years of employment in DFW I saw an issue regarding religion only once.

I would be more concerned with the climate change.