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You haven't said what your trade or profession is, Moveable. This is critical. It determines wether you can get a visa or not. This goes not just for the US but for almost anywhere outside of the EU.
It's not an issue. I could walk into Europe because my passport allows it. For the US, it'd be an investor visa. It's social/family life I'm thinking about. English is the language of international business, so work would never be a problem. But as far as social life goes - I'd hate to live in one of those expat huddles, living on the periphery of things.
I was just curious to hear about people experiences of trying to move deeper into Europe, or whether it's easier to try the US.
Lets reverse the situation, with people from a Spanish speaking country living in a place where English is the local language.
Some years ago I was acquainted with a couple from Argentina, who were students at the University of Iowa. While they generally spoke English sufficiently well to communicate, I noticed that the wife in particular struggled with English. I noticed that most of their circle of friends were students from Latin American countries.
I never actually asked them, but I have to wonder how isolated they felt.
That's the image I see. I could move the the states and I know I could probably laugh every day. In Europe, I'm not so sure how long that would take. But it looks so damn nice in the Riviera.
Moving away from the UK to improve quality of life is always going to be a risk.
There's something positive to say for anyone being proactive to improve their life, but the most common choices of Spain & France rarely seem to work out and may actually be a backwards step.(?)
I like the idea of moving abroad but the reality is that you'll always be behind the locals when it comes to living, and might end up having a social circle that just resembles a 'UK on tour' ensemble.
Whereas the for the US, it seems like a legitimate upgrade. Language is no trouble and from what I've heard (obviously no first hand experience of this yet) the people in the states are generally welcoming to Brits.
Is this legit in comparing EU to US expat experiences?
Anyone tried both?
What about Australia, Canada, NZ, and Nordic countries? Unfortunately the US really isn't that great when it comes to social mobility.
Moving away from the UK to improve quality of life is always going to be a risk.
There's something positive to say for anyone being proactive to improve their life, but the most common choices of Spain & France rarely seem to work out and may actually be a backwards step.(?)
I like the idea of moving abroad but the reality is that you'll always be behind the locals when it comes to living, and might end up having a social circle that just resembles a 'UK on tour' ensemble.
Whereas the for the US, it seems like a legitimate upgrade. Language is no trouble and from what I've heard (obviously no first hand experience of this yet) the people in the states are generally welcoming to Brits.
Is this legit in comparing EU to US expat experiences?
Anyone tried both?
Like everything else in the US, it depends on where you go. If you go to Minneapolis, you might do reasonably well as it has the best cost of living in the country. Jackson Mississippi might as well be third world compared to the UK. San Francisco is astronomically expensive so that might be a downgrade. In places like Tennessee, Kentucky, Washington and Oregon, you may have the option of getting a decent job in a larger city and, if you don't mind a commute, buying a house on a lake with some land for a price a tiny condo would cost in a large city.
The U.S.A. has a legal system based on British Common Law, so that is another similarity.
We still use the old British system of measurements. Signs post the speed limit in miles per hour, not kilometers per hour.
Weather? The USA is a country on a continental scale; different regions have different climates.
I lived in San Francisco some years ago (definitely an interesting place to visit), and have seen other parts of California. California has impressive scenery. However, if you should move to a large coastal city you must consider the cost of living. San Francisco, for example, is very expensive.
I live in Seattle. The cost of living is high, and is becoming higher. The traffic is terrible. Many ugly new buildings are being thrown together around the city. Some people regard winter here-grey, chilly, damp-as depressing. On the other hand, the climate here tends to be moderate. The natural scenery here is beautiful-this is a region where mountains meet the sea.
Regarding geography, the USA is inconveniently located for travel to most of the world. A good place to start from if you want to visit Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean.
Last edited by Tim Randal Walker; 05-21-2016 at 02:06 PM..
Moving away from the UK to improve quality of life is always going to be a risk.
There's something positive to say for anyone being proactive to improve their life, but the most common choices of Spain & France rarely seem to work out and may actually be a backwards step.(?)
I like the idea of moving abroad but the reality is that you'll always be behind the locals when it comes to living, and might end up having a social circle that just resembles a 'UK on tour' ensemble.
Whereas the for the US, it seems like a legitimate upgrade. Language is no trouble and from what I've heard (obviously no first hand experience of this yet) the people in the states are generally welcoming to Brits.
Is this legit in comparing EU to US expat experiences?
Anyone tried both?
Having worked for a British company for several years I would say that Brits can make a good life for themselves in the US, especially in certain roles where their natural acumen comes to bear - like Marketing, Technical Writing, sometimes management. You will be accepted here and find a path but you may not find the life as stimulating as in the UK (esp London). In addition, you would have to live with our different attitudes towards holiday time (2-3 weeks max) and job security (none).
I have been having problems establishing links with my computer.
I did locate a thread in which British ex-pats described their impressions of the USA. Go to United Kingdom, 10, "Does the UK have more in common/connections with the US or the rest of Europe?".
The British should think of the USA as a country foreign to them. And much farther away from Britain than France or Spain.
Last edited by Tim Randal Walker; 05-21-2016 at 03:01 PM..
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