Adjusting to Life in US after Living in England

Hello everybody,

There's so much on this sight about adjusting to life when moving to England.

So I thought it might be useful for people who are or are thinking of repatriating, to get some insight to what to expect when moving back to the US.

While I'm excited about going home and seeing old friends/family and having more financial security, I also know that after being in England so long, we're now leaving behind our life here.

Any information, stories, insight and advice would be most welcome!

Thanks!

Kellie

It's probably not the most practical source of info, but Bill Bryson's Notes from a Big Country (or something like that) is about his move back to the US.  It's pretty funny and will give you some idea of how he and his English wife and kids adjusted to the move.

Great topic Kellie - I will add to this when I get more time (at work now!)

I've had to do the whole "moving home" thing in the past, and it is hard in a lot of ways.  For me, I come from a small town with a large family and don't know anyone who has really been away from home to begin with, let alone overseas.

I found it to be quite hard to get used to the speach patterns again, and I found myself getting confussed over where certain things/words came from.  Just as your first while in the UK was spent noticing the differences between the two nations, you will do the same comparisons when back in the States.

All of the great and wonderful things you missed so desperatley while in the UK will be eye-openers when you return to the States...you will realize that things were not as great as you thought they were.  You will become irritated when people make fun of you for your newly acquired accent and/or word usage.  If you are like me, you will cry your eyes out wondering how long it will be before you can once again return the the UK.

My whole outlook on life changed while living in Scotland, and that affected my return to the States.  I was quite misserable quite often until my return to Edinburgh.  It was not ALL bad though.  There were certain things that made my return happy.  My car was waiting for me...desperate for me to drive her all over the state.  My first day home I walked into the local coffee shop and 10-15 people gave me hugs, welcomed me home and asked a ga-zillion questions (part of that is coming from a town of less than 1000 people though).  It was great to see my family again and to catch up on the local gossip.

By the time my year at home was over, I was sad to be leaving back to Scotland again.  You do get used to being home.  It takes time and it can be hard, but as long as you have friends and family who can understand and be patient with your adjustment, it will work out fine. 

Oooo...excellent topic! 

I was in London for almost a year-and-a-half with my Brit hubby and have now been back in the US for 7 months. I had missed San Diego so much...my friends, family, car, Mexican food, you name it. I felt like I did my best to make a go of it in London. It just wasn't "home". 

So due to that and because we came back to visit every six months, it wasn't that much of an adjustment for me coming back. I had kept in close touch with friends and family, so it was really pretty much picking up where I left off.

Now it has of coursed SUCKED not having my honey here all that time, but that's a whole other story (everyone keep your fingers crossed for this Friday's final visa interview  )!

HOWEVER, having said that...

When Laurie was here visiting last week, he and I found a British shop in Santa Monica and I got so excited about Jaffa Cakes, Picnic bars and Marmite! We paid ridiculous prices for a can of Heinz Beans just so he could make me beans on toast when we got home...which I had never had in my life before living in the UK...and now I LOVE it! 

I also miss Wagamama's, the incredible variety of vegetarian food everywhere, and the way I used to giggle everytime we drove by the Tower of London or Buckingham Palace...it was just so..."oh, look another castle in the way of my driving to work." 

My employees tease me when they hear me accidentally swear under my breath "in British"    ("bloody freakin' hell" is a favorite!). I find myself saying things like, "In London, I used to..." fill in the blank.

I mean, where is all that coming from? Cracks me up everytime I notice another little way the UK affected me! 

But I'm glad it did and that I can still have fond memories. I am VERY happy to be home, but it's nice to know I can always go back and visit!

Thanks for sharing your experiences.

I think that overall, I'll probably be ok.  Afterall, we're go back to Chicago, which is my home, rather than another part of the country.

Still, we've been here so long, 8 years, and there is a lot I'll miss.  As you all know, living abroad is such a unique experience and it becomes a part of your life.  I know that I'll view things with a different eye...  but just how different!

I think the biggest adjustment for Kevin has been the increase in hours that he has to work, which leaves him with very little leisure time compared to what he had in the UK. He also finds that no one has time for a chat. People are heads down at his job and rarely take any type of a break. Another difficult thing for him has been the climate – it has been fairly hot (103 yesterday).
I miss the village life and shopping on the high street. Yes I love Target and Costco, but I adored going shopping in Taunton. It was so much smaller, intimate and had far less hustle and bustle and just plane cool IMO! I miss the accent.
I miss my friends that we would spend time with. Sure we speak on the phone, but it isn’t the same as spending countless hours strolling along the hills. And that leads me to another thing I desperately miss, which is the beautiful countryside.
I miss Sunday roast. Because things are so hectic during the week, we spend the weekend running around that I don’t take the time to cook like I used to. I miss Eastenders and other shows that I learned to love. And finally, I miss Natraj, which has the BEST Indian food, ambiance and hospitality I have EVER had!

It is good to be back in the States though. I have my family and good old familiarity and all of the other things that we repats repat for!