any happy americans living in the UK?

exactly!  i never thought about it either.  It was 20 years ago, there was no internet, no email, no huggy-feely warm-fuzzy supportive forums to 'vent' on.  You just lived your life, learnt your lessons, and got on with things.  End of. 

Yeah, I don't always think forums are the best idea when you're trying to adjust. They sometimes get catty and mean, and it's too easy to get so caught up in them you forget to actually live your life and try to adjust on your own accord. I'll probably be on here alot less frequently once I start my course, and I know it will definitely be good for me.

I wasn't implying it's not okay to be happy. But it's okay to not be happy all the time too. (I'm just saying that because in the past I've been made to feel like there was something wrong with me for not being totally happy when I was going through rough patches.)

Don't you worry a thing about any of that. Some people come here and it's home instantly (such as Expat and Peedal), some people take a bit longer to find home (such as myself). I took a year to get over all my homesickness and my doubts and finally just realised that I'm good where I'm at but that doesn't mean that life is any easier now. When Jon and I made the decision to stay her permenantly in March, my family freaked out and my mother disowned me. She's only just yesterday finally written me an email that wasn't fully of nasty names.

So when you're having a bad moment don't feel that you're a freak. You're not.
 

ahh...yes know all too well about the disowning because I made the choice to move ...but mine was because I was leaving Virginia and not following in the family business... I took a while before my dad started corresponding.

Yeah we all have our moments people deal with them in different ways..I think my moments were more to do with the transition that you go through when growing older radther than where I was living. I started researching about living in UK for nearly 2-3yrs before I came over and even with the estimates and careful planning they threw a few curve balls...

I'm basically happy here.  The only thing that keeps me from being completely happy is being so far from my family.  If they were here, I'd never think of leaving.  Until I'm settled here with a family of my own, the US will always be "home".

I wasn't implying it's not okay to be happy. But it's okay to not be happy all the time too. (I'm just saying that because in the past I've been made to feel like there was something wrong with me for not being totally happy when I was going through rough patches.)

Aw, Honeybee, I understand that too  

I've noticed some posts that have the "love it or leave it attitude" when someone vents. And I do not agree- I think it is perfectly okay to vent! Note my posts about customer service...

It's good to vent ...it's therapeutic and necessary...just as long as folks don't lose sight of the good points or fail to look at things objectively.


I think that's one of things that I don't agree with ...when someone happens to glimpse at something and then that becomes a representation for the whole. I'm not in favour of a "love or leave it" p.o.v. that gets displayed if someone vents but I also I'm not a fan of if you're happy with your adoptive home then there must be some denial going on.

Different folks , different strokes.

I'd say find things to rejoice about living anywhere really .....but then again I'm an optimistic nutter...

.....but then again I'm an optimistic nutter...

You got the nutter part right. 

watch it now or I'll send a virus to your tamagatchi...

...but I also I'm not a fan of if you're happy with your adoptive home then there must be some denial going on.

Bingo.

It's good to vent ...it's therapeutic and necessary...just as long as folks don't lose sight of the good points or fail to look at things objectively.


I think that's one of things that I don't agree with ...when someone happens to glimpse at something and then that becomes a representation for the whole. I'm not in favour of a "love or leave it" p.o.v. that gets displayed if someone vents but I also I'm not a fan of if you're happy with your adoptive home then there must be some denial going on.

Different folks , different strokes.

I'd say find things to rejoice about living anywhere really .....but then again I'm an optimistic nutter...

You've got perfectly right, Alicia

Can I join your optimistic nutter club?

I think if you spend some time on the site, read people's posts...most of us at some point have had a grumble about this and a warm fuzzy about that, it's all part & parcel.  And that's life -- in the US or the UK.

I love it here. No problems, no regrets. Do I wear rose-tinted glasses? Quite possibly -- but for excellent reasons. After 2+ years, I still love everything about living here. I wouldn't move back for anything.

I wasn't implying it's not okay to be happy. But it's okay to not be happy all the time too.

Absolutely. But it's not OK to be unhappy all the time. If that's your case, then you've made a mistake in moving here and need to make some changes. The UK is not for everyone, and life's too short to spend being miserable.

you guys--none of whom i've ever actually spoken to--give me such confidence about the choice i've made. 

Absolutely. But it's not OK to be unhappy all the time. If that's your case, then you've made a mistake in moving here and need to make some changes. The UK is not for everyone, and life's too short to spend being miserable.

It's also perfectly okay to have ups and downs with coming to terms with your decision to move to the UK. Don't deny that.  You already have family here, remember.

It's also perfectly okay to have ups and downs with coming to terms with your decision to move to the UK. Don't deny that.  You already have family here, remember.

I think Belindaloo already agreed with you on that point, Honeybee.