Anxiety......

Hey,
As some of you may know I'm new to the board, I have lived in England before briefly but never took advantage of such a great resource, I want this move to be different.
I am leaving in less than a week and feel anxiety attacks coming, part of it has to do with the repeat bombings (attempted), the other with moving to a Foreign country and not knowing when/if I will ever move back to the U.S.  Just a re-cap for some of you, I am married to a Swiss man who has a job in England,we have 1 small child etc.  I've read some posts and it seems like a LOT of Americans are so happy in UK they don't ever want to return, not even visit (for some), I hope I don't offend anyone when I say this, but I don't want to feel like that.  I love the U.S and I truly think it's a great country (not perfect, but great).  On the other hand I have lived in Switzerland and England and visited many other European countries for weeks at a time, and I can say England is the ONLY place outside of the U.S I could live long term.  I don't know why I have this anxety, I think the bombings are stressing me, I was in London when the NYC attacks happened and now I was in the U.S when the London attacks happened.  We will be living in Slough where there is a large Muslim community and I don't know if that's a good or bad thing, in a way I feel like we are not at risk for terrorist attacks in that area, but nervous about who our neighbors are.  It is a strange thing to have such pre-concieved notions about people you've never met because my husband and I are both biracial and we are sometimes mistaken for middle eastern etc.  My husband told me the other day he had his rucksack with him while out at a coffee shop and he noticed people staring at him nervously, we both had to laugh about it, but realized, Wow, what kind of world do we live in with so much danger, violence, threat etc.  Ugh, I know you're all probably wondering what my point is, I really don't know, just wanted to vent a bit.  I am excited about moving to England (in less than a week!?!) just nervous about uncertainty for the future.  I don't like watching news anymore, but it is all over the internet so can't really avoid it.  My husbands a news junkie and talks about it a lot.
How is everyone feeling with all this stress going on?  Especially if you live in/near London.  I don't think Terror should alter anyones life or routines but do you look at riding the subway, buses the same way or is there hesitation?
My friend says I am over-reacting, it may be the stress of moving that has me freaking out, but I also think that since I've become a mother, I look at the world so much differently, I was a much more care-free person before.
Anyways, done running my mouth.
Your input is greatly appreciated!

Hi,

Isn't there a list somewhere that states people's most dramatic moments are childbirth , buying a house , getting married, etc??? It's quite normal to be slightly anxious. Everyone experiences it , I know I did. There have been bombings in London before ...I remember being at Kings Cross back the '98 and there was an IRA bomb scare. London is generally quite safe if you've got a good head on your shoulders (or just luck with me though cuz I ain't got one  )

You've got not only yourself to worry about settling in but also take care of a little one...so no doubt you're slightly nervous. I would say baby steps ...where are you going? if you have a toddler and you're moving to London maybe look up Surestart to see if it's in your area...they offer free advice on different toddler group (also free) you'll get to chat with other mums in your area which perhaps may ease the settling in process. You also have us here as well ...I'm a good family friendly tour guide


cheers!!

Now, and through the 2012 Olympics, would certainly seem like a good time for anyone who might be mistaken as being from the Middle East to stop carrying a rucksack.  Does that inconvenience mean the terrorists have won?  I suppose so.

Take care.

Jim

It's easy to say that we shouldn't let the terror affect our lives, but the fact is that it already has. It doesn't mean the terrorists have won, but just that we're all human with normal human concerns and worries. There's absolutely nothing wrong with what you're going through, Sisa. Moving anywhere is an unnerving experience, even without the events of the past couple of weeks. I think, though, that once you're over here, you're going to be so busy with settling in that maybe you won't have as much time to dwell on these issues. At least I hope so! And remember that you can always come here for support and a few laughs!

Hugs!

I'm in London and my bf is Asian (Indian).  Do we have our worries?  Yup.  He is worried tha tsomeone will beat him up for having darker skin.  Has he gotten any flack as of yet?  No.  Does he allow it to change how he goes about his day?  Not really.  I was 3 miles from the Pentagon when 9/11 happened.  There were the same sort of feelings at that point.  But more often than not, you're not thinking about it.  I think we're all just a bit more vigilent than we were...which is not a bad thing.

I'm one of those people who love living in London and England, but I'd also move back to the States if the circumstances moved me in that direction (and be perfectly happy).  I think I'll end up in London for life due to bf...and I'm okay with that too. 

Anxiety for such a move is normal, even without the terrorist attacks.  I was freaking out a bit before I moved over here.  But it's been a great experience.  I've done things that I enjoy, met some cool people (incl a few on this board) and just have loved London.

Best of luck to you on your move.  I hope it works out!

Ahh, Slough!

As long as we have Slough, Birmingham will never be the worst place to live!

THANKS so much Ladies,
I am feeling better this morning after some sleep but I think I just needed a reality check.
James- I'm not sure what you meant by that?!? lol!  Slough isn't THAT bad, we lived in Burnham before a stones throw away from Slough, but I was in Slough almost daily for shopping, walking etc and it is a VERY muslim community but lots of nice friendly people, cultural bazaars etc.  I wouldn't want to live there too much longer, my husband was unprepared for us to come back so soon to England so we have to stay there for at least another 8 months before we move to a more suited environment.
Onetiger- great post, I  have actually moved in and out of Switzerland and England before the past 5/6 years but now I have a child and the world is so much more different, I don't remember feeling this un-nerved before.  Maybe a little bit but I settled right in after a week or so.
Urgh... Back to packing, and keeping my daughter from UN-packing everything?!?!
Thanks guys!