Are you insane moving to the UK?

Did anyone receive total dumbfounded expressions and zero support when moving to the UK?  I imagine people in the US understand moving to the UK for conventional reasons (married a Brit, going to university, employer-sanctioned transfer).  I am just pulling up and moving (Tier 1). 

I have stopped telling anyone.    When I tell people, they look at me as if I had just said that I enlisted in the Peruvian army or I am going to be a Buddhist monk in Thailand.  I guess when it comes to the time, I will put in my two weeks and just say "Leaving to the UK...bye."  Haven't told my parents yet...that will be something. 

Did anyone receive total dumbfounded expressions and zero support when moving to the UK? 
....

Nope.  The only surprised reactions I got were from people who said they could never make the move because they'd miss Mexican food too much.  Mind you, they really meant Tex-Mex, but you get the idea.

Now, if they had also thought about the fact there is no Chick-fil-A here, that would really have caused a strong reaction!    (Nearly 9 years away, and I'm still missing it like crazy!)

You must be talking to the wrong people, Pushkin    My family were all really excited, they want me to put them up when they come to visit.  Friends too.  

Keep in mind, though, that a lot of people just aren't very adventurous.  They'd rather stay where they're comfortable and know what they're doing than take the huge risk of moving to a foreign country.  I expect it's more the idea of moving outside the US that's causing the dumbfounded expressions, not specifically going to the UK.  I saw a lot of that when I announced I was going to Japan.  Ignore 'em.  

I get that reaction from people here!

LOL.

I get that reaction from people here!

LOL.

Me too.

Did anyone receive total dumbfounded expressions and zero support when moving to the UK?  I imagine people in the US understand moving to the UK for conventional reasons (married a Brit, going to university, employer-sanctioned transfer).  I am just pulling up and moving (Tier 1). 

I have stopped telling anyone.    When I tell people, they look at me as if I had just said that I enlisted in the Peruvian army or I am going to be a Buddhist monk in Thailand.  I guess when it comes to the time, I will put in my two weeks and just say "Leaving to the UK...bye."  Haven't told my parents yet...that will be something. 

I really didn't tell many people until about a month before I moved, and my mother's British!!  She was not a happy camper, but she adjusted to the idea.  So, no I didn't get a lot of support, lots of people thought I was crazy to up sticks and enroll in university in a foreign country at my age (I was 48 at the time). 

After nearly 4 years in the UK, I may have my first visitors from the US this summer, in the form of one of my brothers, his wife and two daughters...I'm beyond excited about it!

Most of my friends back in the US are young and adventurous or young at heart and either adventurous or would like to be.

So mostly everyone was really excited for me.  I always had of great love of both England and Ireland so people who knew me well also were really happy that I'd be able to live out a dream.

I came over by myself on a work permit, and yes, there were people who were very unsupportive. They tended to be rah rah "America is the best at everything" type of acquaintances though, so I was not surprised. My good friends and family were much better about it.

Come to think of it I do think it was my Mom who asked me, "Won't you miss America?"  but she was still excited and supportive.

My husbands family treated him like he was moving to Mogadishu.  Best question was when someone asked him if we have fish in Scotland.   

Nope, I get more of a reaction from British people when I tell them where I am from...they say, you gave up NYC for this? I say, Yup, I love it here! This is my home!

Some of your responses are hilarious!    I think I have been getting an unsupportive reaction because I work for a military hospital system as a contractor.  It is, as Courtney put it, a "rah rah" kind of place.  Quite a few people I work with have lived in the UK (RAF Mildenhall, RAF Lakenheath, etc.).  Most have very fond memories but they went because they were sent in an organized, military fashion.  Therefore, they have a hard time understanding the "uproot and go" mentality. 

On the other hand, my wife and I are friends with a couple who recently moved back from England because they were sick of it (even took a pay cut to return).  They immediately bought a big house, a pickup and other America perks when they got here.  At first the wife was negative about us wanting to go to England.  As we keep pestering her for advice, she has begun to wax nostalgic and seems to miss England in many aspects.

Yep, my family was all supportive.  A friend of mine (who I worked with) queried if 'do they speak English over there?'

Over here, people think I ought to have my head examined for moving, since I moved to northern England from Tampa Bay, FL and they all think I'm completely daft for that.

My husband did not get a negative reaction..but a family friends mother expressed concerns for his safety because no-one here carries guns, not even the police! 

Purr-leeze!

I'm not there yet, but a lot of people don't understand. I'll be going over on a Tier 1, hopefully no later than summer 2011.

My family is somewhat supportive, but I can tell they think I'm crazy. I just don't talk about it a lot with them. My mom in particular feels abandoned, as she is afraid I'm going to get married and have kids there, and she will never see them. I tell her that I don't know how long I am going to be there for, but that I will never ever be satisfied with myself if I don't do this. I could get there, be like, "This isn't what I want anymore," and turn back around after six months, or I could be there for years. But I will never know unless I do.

My family is similar to the family in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," although I am a third-generation American. Everybody is always in your business, but it's a good thing. I know those ties will sustain me, no matter where I am in the world. Like Nia Vardalos's character, I want to make my family proud of me while doing what makes me happy.

I admit, it doesn't make financial sense, because the cost of living in my state (Florida) is extremely cheap, I have a significant amount of student loans, I have one income, and I make a fair amount of money for someone just starting out in my profession (I'm a teacher). But being on a Tier 1 can open up new possibilities, as I don't have to only take a teaching job, and that's part of moving overseas, the possibilities alongside the challenges.