Moving from the USA to Europe? Anyone done it? (job, school, moved back)

[pitt_transplant]

I have moved around the u.s. quite a bit and it pretty much has always been ok if you follow the starter formula of:

- 3-6 months of living expenses saved
- go minimalistic (public transpo)
- check up on LL to see if they are a slumlord
- get a job asap or have one ready (no vaca for month and then hustle)
- in the past it helped to have someone you know there but it really does not seem to be needed with google maps bus line postings etc
- doc and dentist visit to make sure everything is working as it should so there is not a big costly health surprise when you can't afford it. (fillings, lump checks etc)

I always wanted to move to Scotland or somewhere in England. Any advice or personal stories?


I saw my friend I started a creative writing paper with at our school. She is living in S.Africa now so I have been recently inspired. I love it when people you used to know do something amazing or different than the norm.
No way would I be in africa, but its really cool that she did something just a little different.

[azoria]

You will need a residence visa, and unless you are independently wealthy, you will also need a work permit in the UK.

UK Border Agency | Home Page

[GypsySoul22]

I lived in England for a year. My son was about a year old, my husband was a UK citizen.

It was a cool experience but lived with a relative, not on our own. Being an Anglophile it was a dream come true for me.

I overdosed on all the ruins and history (being a History buff it was amazing!). Seeing old cathedrals and churches...

As the wife of a citizen, I got free medical. So did my son. (good thing, he had a double ear infection as soon as we arrived).

On the negative side, I had to get rid of a lot of my possession and most of my extensive book collection. It was quite painful.

Living there, well, it was a healthier life (people actually WALK places and it's encouraged). The food was quite good (despite the stupid stereotypes of bad British food). The supermarket had far better produce than I have ever had in the USA. People were okay. Some did have an attitude toward Americans. Older people were very, very kind (they remembered the war...)

One thing, it was a bit scary sometime if I thought about 'being in a foreign country.' But this was before 9/11.

My husband decided he preferred life in the USA so we moved back and he became a citizen. It's been 10 years but I will never forget that experience. If it had been post 9/11 I doubt we would have ever gone there.

[claireb74]

I am English, I can try and answer any questions you may have

[ComputerUser000]

I would love to work overseas some day, and Europe being one of the many places Id like to go.. but as an American in an industry (media) with a glut of people.. it's doubly hard