Split: London

OK, this is nothing I haven't gotten used to living up in York, but why oh why does it seem that you are only in England if you are in London?   Are you unaware of the fact that the ENTIRE COUNTRY does not revolve around that one city? I was going to fill out the poll, but the very first question indicated that if my life didn't revolve around London it really didn't matter -- guess I should have taken the hint from the subject. I also think this near-total London-centrism is one reason I have so rarely consulted the site, though I find it fairly helpful and amusing when I do.

From the wilds of Yorkshire, making regular trips to ... GASP! ... Newcastle, and various villages, towns, and cities in Northumberland (check a map),
Traci

Actually, Traci, if you look a bit closer before passing judgement, you'll see that the question was speculating that the *farther* from London you live, the happier you are.  That was point...not that only Londoners can be happy here.  

Yes...but the theory goes, "The further away from London you live, the happier you are." I wondered if that was true. (The other questions are more of experience, background and how one deals with change, which I think are MORE contributing factors to happiness and settling in.)

I don't know where I heard the location theory, maybe even something I dreamed up, but, well, actually, for us living here in the UK, London does seem to be an epicenter...certainly for get-togethers and meeting points. Not to denigrate any other location. City life and quality of surroundings may have been a good thing to add.

Anyway, Ashley, not to harp on your comment (I'm sure others wondered the same too)...thanks for making it and giving me a chance to explain further. Making London as the epicenter is actually the purpose of the questions. The other questions just fill in some gaps.

As you can see Traci, LisaE had already answered this point.  It is after all just a fun poll that she had put together in her own time-nothing to get that upset about in my opinion.  

yes, I had read this. It's just that even the explanation is still very exclusionary. I suppose I should have seen that it was really only a poll for people who moved to 'London' and/or who really thought that the farther from London the happier or sadder or whatever it was (not that I'd ever heard such a thing).

yes, I had read this. It's just that even the explanation is still very exclusionary. I suppose I should have seen that it was really only a poll for people who moved to 'London' and/or who really thought that the farther from London the happier or sadder or whatever it was (not that I'd ever heard such a thing).

First off, Traci, welcome to the site.

Secondly, I think that LisaE was attempting to approach this from a scientific manner and was not attempting to be exclusionary.  She therefore has formed a hypothesis and has been using the poll to collect data.  As someone who has just completed a PhD, I'm a bit surprised that you didn't really pick up on this idea.

In the past it has seemed that those who have come to UK Yankee who were most unhappy with living in England were those who lived in more remote areas where they were essentially the token American.  I think LisaE's poll is simply trying to prove if that's true or not.  

As others have stated, the London reference was put in for a specific reason, to see how distance from London tied into the "happiness factor".  If you want to talk about areas outside of London, then by all means, post.  I'm sure others will contribute to your threads as well.
wench

Well I for one can say, without a doubt that I am happier for not living in London.  No offence to anyone living there, it is my personal choice.  I couldn't live in Glasgow, so there is no way I'd have made it in London.  That said I gladly took the quiz and took no offence at it whatsoever.  It actually made me feel good that perhaps I was lucky for not living so near London and it was making me a happier person for it (though the quiz seems to be putting that theory to rest ).  I actually took the poll as a compliment to those of us living further away, rather than an insult.

I *do* live in London and I know I'd definitely be happier elsewhere in the UK...so I'm with you GG.  

London does not = happiness from what I can see.  There aren't too many that do like living here or wouldn't prefer life in the outskirts.  City life isn't easy!

Personally I'd like to live farther away from London (I want some space darnit!), but still in commuting distance (need my Japanese food, ta).  
wench

...That said I gladly took the quiz and took no offence at it whatsoever.  It actually made me feel good that perhaps I was lucky for not living so near London and it was making me a happier person for it ... I actually took the poll as a compliment to those of us living further away, rather than an insult.

I feel exactly the same way, GG.  That quiz made me GLAD I live on the coast.

I couldn't imagine living in the City whilst still raising the kids.  Maybe if we were childless...but we're not.

I think we live in a wonderful area.  We're close enough for London to be a day but not ALL day trip, and we're far enough to feel a bit *protected* from City life.

(in defense of London living)
I live in North London with my 9 year old and 5 month old.  Other than the HUGE ENORMOUS EXPENSE of living here- ie rent/groceries/batteries/Indian take out etc being SO DARN EXPENSIVE-- I love it!!

We are just three streets over from a huge green park with miles of bike/hiking trails to choose from and all the conker collecting you need minutes away!

My son goes to a small, safe Junior school thats just down at the end of our block- a 2 minute walk.

We are 45 minutes from Covent Garden, Natural History Museum, Regent's Park, the Tate, Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, 2 billion Charity Shops, etc etc etc etc-- there are countless festicals/fairs/markets-- its really endless the things we can do here.

London aint so bad!!!  and no matter where I was in the UK I'd miss having coffee with my mom all the same and I still wouldn't be able to wash and dry anything in less than 3 hours- if living in the country would change those things- I'd be there!!

London is my favorite city in the world. And I keep saying that if I was 20 years younger, I'd love to live there. Or...perhaps it's the fact that I don't that makes each trip there an adventure.

If I had to do it all again, I'd do New York City from 21-25 and then London from 25-29. After that? Who knows? But for now, I like where I'm at.  

I haven't compiled any answers yet, but reading through, I'm coming to a conclusion that it's not making a bean of difference where one lives in the UK, as to how we're all adapting to a "new life". I think it's more to do with attitude to begin with...whole philosphy of life.

So if someone was miserable here, how can one change one's attitude? Perhaps we're destined to be either happy or miserable?

So if someone was miserable here, how can one change one's attitude? Perhaps we're destined to be either happy or miserable?

This is about to take this off the topic, I guess, but here I go:-

I don't think we're pre-destined for anything.  I think in life we're given a proverbial plate of doo-dads and the Universe says, "Here ya go....now do something with it."  Our lives are that which we make of them with what we are given.  People can come from the same place with the same opportunities and yet end up with very different lives.  It's all in what you make of it.

"But...!" I can hear someone yell...."I grew up with parents who beat me, and I married a man who was an alcoholic and I was mugged several times....etc. etc." and people will come up with a whole list of circumstances and situations that they feel have shaped their lives and thus define them.  

"But...!" I would have to throw right back....do those situations define you or do you define them?  What did you take away from the experience?  What did you learn?  How are you going to allow it to shape your views and your perceptions and how you live your life?  Are you going to give up, give over, give in and say, "I can't, it's not worth it." or are you going to say, "This is what I've learned from that and this is how I'm going to let it shape my life." i.e., it's all in what you make of it.

People can change but first and foremost they have to WANT to change.  Change takes introspection, soul searching, looking at one's self and admitting and accepting even the unpleasant stuff.  I believe one has to be happy in one's self first and foremost.  The rest is just geography.  One can move all over the world, but your problems will still follow you.  I learned this from experience.  Heal yourself, love yourself and the rest will fall into place.  

Just my thoughts.

AMEN!!!