How did you feel about moving?

Just a general question on how people felt about moving from one country to the other to be with their SO, leaving behind any family/friends/attatchments to relocate?  I'm in the process of moving to the UK within the next year, and I generally get so confused.  I have mixed feelings of excitement, and then fear about missing my family/home.  What about you, when you moved, your partner moved, or if you're going to move soon, too?

My wife and I are moving to Exeter in about six months, assuming all the financial stuff works out. (I've been admitted to grad school there, and I'm waiting to see how the student loans and all that settle out. Theoretically, my tuition is covered, and we just need to come up with moving and living expenses.)

We're alternately really excited about the prospect of moving overseas and completely paralyzed with indecision. We don't really have any close ties here except for our parents, but we only see them once or twice a year anyway, and they can always come visit us fora change. We're a little worried about culture shock and being homesick, but I'm sure we'll adjust.

The main things worrying us right now are getting together enough money to actually go and do this, and the logistics of the move itself. It's going to be a big project.  (Well, I'm also terrified by the prospect of the small mountain of student loans I'll be accumulating, but it's only money, right?)

"The main things worrying us right now are getting together enough money to actually go and do this, and the logistics of the move itself. It's going to be a big project.   (Well, I'm also terrified by the prospect of the small mountain of student loans I'll be accumulating, but it's only money, right?)"

I am dealing with something along the same lines.  With me it is for a job.  Sure, my company helps...but we are still fairly small and growing so the help is limited.  It comes down to me, since I want to do this so much, to come up with the rest of the moving/relocation cost.  I am already considering setting back the move date 6 months just to make sure I am comfortable with money.  Plus I will be able to gain more corporate training before coming to the London office.  *sigh*  hard isn't it?? 

As far as leaving...I am going to be leaving a 19 (well 20 by then) year old son behind.  Talk about guilt!!!!  I know he is old enough and responsible enough to handle it but still I will miss him...however it did help that he told me "mom, you can always come home...doesn't matter where home is..as long as you are welcome"  God I love that kid!!!

It was hard definitely to leave friends and family, but my relationship was worth it.  Plus, it's a great opportunity to see the world.  The US will always be my home no matter where we live and I always love going back to it!

I was desperate to get away from my controlling, demanding, judgemental, tough-love sort of family... i wanted to get as far away as possible.  I don't miss them, and i dont think they miss me all that much ... but i believe that our family relationship has improved by putting some distance between us. 

Truthfully, I hardly gave it a second thought.  I certainly was never worried or nervous.  I just did it.  But then I had lived in Japan for a year at eighteen, and had been away at either college or camp for years before moving more than six hours away from my family.  And I am pretty impulsive. 

I marvel at all the thought and preparation people put into the move, I could never have done that.

I'm kind of nervous.

I was supposed to move over this summer, but my boyfriend and I decided that it made more sense financially for him to come over here for a year and both of us move to England next summer. He's a dual citizen so it's easy for him. I kind of wish that I didn't have so much time because it does let me build more apprehension. I'm generally impulsive and don't do well with planning anyway.

Most of my fears at this point are financial, especially with the huge fee increases, I'm afraid what it will be like in a few years since my goal is citizenship. I'm also a little worried about cultural differences, but I'm more worried about accidentally committing a social faux pas but I know I will learn those things and generally, the people whose opinions I care about are understanding about the differences.

I know I'm moving for a man who is worth it. I'm excited about the opportunities for travel and the experience of living in another country, which I've always wanted to do. I'm grateful that my boyfriend has spent a lot of time in America and his mom lived here for seven years, so they both already know a lot of the differences and help explain things to me.

Emotionally, I am kind of all over the place! The decision was made in the past week to move up my uni graduation to the end of summer term (in September.) I wasn't expecting to permanently move until March/April of next year. Its been a bit of a shock in the past week realizing that. On one hand, I am SO excited and happy to finally see the end in sight. However, I am also very close to my family, and leaving them is going to be very hard. I have decided that no matter what happens, money will be put aside for several visits back to CA a year. Luckily we are in a financial place where we can do this, because if I knew I wouldn't be seeing them for possibly years at a time, it would be much worse.

I don't think I will miss much about Orange County terribly - of course there are things I will miss (based on previous experiences of living in London, but only for 6 months at a time each.) But the things I will miss - restaurants, Disneyland, the beach - are things I can experience on my visits.

Right now, you have caught me answering on a "happy to move to the UK" day. But some days, those times when someone is ill or we have a happy day all as a family, I feel really sad about leaving. But I am leaving to start my own family, and that I couldn't be happier about.

For me, moving was almost like getting married (I guess that's the closest comparison for me) because although I was excited there was some last minute jitters, but it definitely was worth it!

I'm okay with moving, mostly because I've done it before (our family made a permanent international move when I was a kid.)  I also went to college 1200 miles away from home, so I'm used to being far away from my family and only seeing them once or twice a year.  I'm a fiercely independent person, which is a trait that lends itself well to migrating to another country.  And I will have spent a lot of time in England before any 'permanent' move happens, so I've already dealt with the initial culture shock and homesickness.  In short, it's not a big deal.

However, that's just me. I know that if my fiance were to move to the US he'd have a hard time adjusting- he's lived in the same area practically his whole life surrounded by a large extended family.  He has a lot more ties to the UK than I do to the US, so it would be a huge deal for him to pick up and leave all  that.

I am a bit nervous, as well.  I think most of my jitters come from the unknown...I am a planner and like to have total control of a situation.  I am not spontaneous, so this is a huge step for me.  Even though I am not spontaneous, once I make a decision I stick to it, so UK here I come.  I will most likely be moving in about a years time. I am just now starting the process of getting a work permit and visa. 

I have also been away from my family when getting my undergraduate and then again when getting my graduate degree and I handled it fine.  My biggest concern for being away from my family now is for my daughter.  She is 20 months and just adores her nonna and nonno, so it makes me sad to take her away from them.  Her cousin is the same age as her and the plan was for them to grow up together, so that makes it hard too.  I just hope that she remembers them, once we are in the UK. 

I am fortunate that I will be able to travel to the US regularly to visit, so that makes the move a bit easier.  I also have family in Italy, so I can easily visit them...moreso than now.  OH and have a an amazing DB in the UK definitely makes it easier... 

I was very excited, but sad to leave my family.

I'm excited too, but sad to be leaving my parents behind. I don't get it, because I haven't lived at home for seven years now (been 150, 300, and 3500 miles from home in that time period), but the fact that there's the time difference and all that does weird me out sometimes. That said, I found during my previous stint in the UK that a lot of the techniques that you use for romantic relationships also work well with familial ones. I'm really close to my parents, so we'd have scheduled times that I'd call home, email a lot, chat online, the works. I'll miss my friends too, but they're scattered all over now anyway.

In two words:  terrified and excited.  OK -- that's three, sorry.  I just married my Welsh boyfriend three weeks ago (here in the OC) but he returned home July 1st.  My dog and I leave for Wales two weeks from this Tuesday.  I've lived 1200 miles away from my family for 20 years, so leaving them isn't that tough.  But I am leaving my 18 year old daughter behind (lives with dad -- sometimes teenaged girls really need their dads at this age) so I am experiencing some big emotions.  Even though our relationship has been strained in the last 5 years, she has been really supportive lately, so I feel less guilt about leaving.  My biggest anxiety outside of that is leaving my dear friends who have been my family all these years.

I just had my "moving out of the country" sales this weekend and I am sitting in a nearly empty apartment, on the floor, typing away and hoping my wine doesn't fall over since its balanced on the carpet.  I am overwhelmed by my to do list, but my advice is to keep organized with your papers and create a timeline so you can track when things need to happen and everything should fall into place.

A love like ours is a rare thing and I truly believe that picking up and moving to the UK will be worth it.  Including leaving In-n-Out and the terrible sun.  Hang in there -- an opportunity to live in another country is a gift.

I thought I was only coming over here to study abroad for 9 months... which turned into staying for the summer.. which then turned into getting married and staying here permanently.  SO, when i moved to come here for Uni i was just EXCITED! And then everything else fell into place slowly and now I couldent be happier with the way things worked out!