Taking your Brit to the US

I was watching a information program on TV last night and it was on "Speed"
A cop pulls over a Land Rover for his driving patterns. He gave him a ticket. The driver asked the cop what part of England he was from (accent) he said "southeast London but that was long time ago" he didn't want to converse further on it. The ticketed driver tried to tell the cop that he was from Coventry or some place but the cop was a disconnect and he walked away. The driver looked like he was of Asian heritage. (Is that how we say Pakistani/Indian)(sorry Dennis) but I thought it was cold that the cop wouldn't rap with him a little. Maybe a part of it was that the film crew were there.
Another cop pulled over a 26 yo girl who was a British visitor. She ran 2 stop signs. The cop said "don't you have stop signs in England?" She thought that was rude. She could have said the stop signs in England are for people who are taking their driving test.

I moved here for other reasons, but my Scottish partner would be more likely to leave me than move to the US with me (Not that I would ever ask it of him!) He appreciated the novelty value of some things in Cincinnati the couple of times he's been, but was very relieved to get back home... and he's not even particularly fond of Scotland. If, however, I asked him to move to Finland or France, he'd probably start packing straight away.

Have done it.  It's my second time living in the UK since we were married, but we've spent the bulk of our married life in the US (6 years out of 10).  I asked him this once.  He said he felt it was easier for him to adjust to the US than it was for me to adjust to the UK the first time round.  He's a quiet, softspoken type, and he found it much easier to make friends and get settled into a community since Americans tend, on the whole, to be friendlier than the people in Lincolnshire (his words, not mine).  And he said he found American politics more interesting, and little things like more extensive options when eating out pleasing.  He found the US warmer than I found the UK on first acquaintance.  He loved it in the US so much that he naturalized and became a dual citizen.  We didn't come back because we were unhappy in the US, more because he missed family, we'd been gone for a while, and also because this is where we wanted to do our PhDs.  That's not to say I don't like it here, just that the "reserve" found in many English people can make for a rougher settling in period if you're not a raging extrovert. 

I'm the Brit and I think I'm more open to moving to the US than DH is.  I don't mind the driving everywhere because I drive everywhere here.  The sunshine and the ocean (it'd be CA for us) would be enough to keep me going.  I loved the US when I was visiting him and the area that he lived in was so laid-back and easy going, I definately didn't get the live to work vibe from the area or any of his friends (they were more live to surf types). 

It would be a great adventure for me, even to do it for a couple of years.  Sure, I'd miss family and friends (although they would definately visit) and the odd food stuff, but I'd get over that.

The way we view is that we've both got this unique opportunity to each have duel citizenship and we should take it.  That way when it came to 'settling' then we would have much more choice.   

Sure, I'd miss family and friends (although they would definately visit) and the odd food stuff, but I'd get over that.

Two words...World Market, we took MIL there on a recent visit and she was able to find those little English things that she had been missing for a week. But alas, all I heard was how they had no Weetabix. Oh well.

As for us, we're looking into making the jump in about 18 months, once my British Citizenship has gone through (if they don't change the rules on me), that way if things don't work out in the US we can always go back to the UK.

He'd miss pork pies the most, I think. 

LOL.... so would my DH.  We also joked about how much HP sauce we would have to squeeze into the suitcase if he were moving to the USA (for some reason, it was impossible to find in Dallas, I looked everywhere for it, even Central Market!) He would miss the bacon rashers here, too.  He loves his bacon butties with broon sauce!!!

Besides the food, which would be a bit of an easier adjustment, he would have a hard time in the city.  He doesn't like UK cities, let alone US ones.  He loved camping in Arkansas and could really see himself living out in the country somewhere, and he loves the bigger houses and apartments, too.  He would miss the sea terribly, though, so I think we would have to take that into consideration and try to move somewhere warm, but near the ocean, and not too crowded.   That's easy to do in the states, isn't it?    Overall, I don't think it would work out.  Not to mention, it might be hard to find somewhere that is nice and warm most all of the year, but not too hot.  I think he would have a heat stroke if he had to live in the southern states during the summer, but the northern states would be just as cold as it is here, or even colder. New England might be a good choice, but as someone else has said, that would be nearly as expensive as living here, if not moreso.  Finally, he has a two year old son that I would never leave, let alone ask him to leave behind, and if we moved there, we would hardly get to see him.  So it isn't an option for us.  Maybe in our twilight years we could consider living there somewhere, but location would be a lot to consider.

My husband would be okay with it for a few years...long enough to get dual citizenship for him, basically.  I know he'd miss a lot of the foods here in the UK, though.  I'm theoretically open to moving back for a few years, but I wouldn't do it unless finances/jobs aligned before we moved, so it's looking fairly unlikely.

We are both agreed though that if we moved to the US at some time in the future, it would not be permanent.  The UK is home for both of us now, and we'll always want to come home.

Is that how we say Pakistani/Indian

Yes, that is fine.

Vicky

all I heard was how they had no Weetabix. Oh well.

My Grandparents complained about the same thing whenever they came back from England!  We finally found at grocery stores called Marsh and Meijer that had a "British" section that sold weetabix. We no longer have to hear the complaints.

Wegman's sells Weetabix if you are near one.

Not to hijack this thread, but I still haven't tried Weetabix.  Something so desirable should be sampled by me!     I was happy to see they have Grape Nuts in the UK... love those for some reason.... 

Not to hijack this thread, but I still haven't tried Weetabix.  Something so desirable should be sampled by me!     I was happy to see they have Grape Nuts in the UK... love those for some reason.... 

Neither have I...I've been trying to explain to DH what Grape Nuts were for ages and then the other day at Morrisons they had some. Still didn't get them though. No interest in trying Weetabix as MIL likes them too much and it is just my way of thumbing my nose at her in my own little way.

I'm with you on grape nuts! I love them. But I load it down with sugar, so its not so healthy the way I like it   

I like shredded wheat, but not Wheetabix, maybe it was because I was expecting shredded wheat? 

Moving to the US with hubby probably won't ever happen.  He'd really like to live in a more rural place at some point, and we'd both like to move to Ireland.  He's travelled to the US and Canada about 10 years ago for 6 months and had a great time, but I don't think he'd ever want to live in the US on a permanent basis.