hello,
I just found this website yesterday and I've been looking around it since...
Since this is the place to introduce myself, I'd like to first say hello to everybody and to tell you all what a great website this is. What baffles me is that I didn't find it sooner! I might have looked several years ago, but with two small children, timescales and concentration can get blurry!
Anyway, my name is Kellie. I'm an American and I've lived in a small Warwickshire village for eight years. My husband is a Brit and we have two boys, ages 6 and 2 (almost 3). Tony and I met when he was working in Chicago. We got married and moved here shortly afterwards, when his company transferred him back here...
Now, eight years and two children later, we are returning to Chicago. We're currently in the process of filing the I-130; it looks likely that we'll have our interview sometime in August, and our house is under offer.
Seeing how wonderful this site is, I'm really mad that I didn't find it sooner. It would have been great to share my experiences with other Americans who understand the challenges of living abroad. I've basically been living in an "English" world for eight years, except for when I go or call home.
In the meantime, I'd be more than happy to share my experiences with anybody. During eight years, I've been through lots: having children, a husband going into business, losing loved ones back home, car accidents, making wonderful friends, selling house and more.
So now that we're heading back, it's with mixed emotion: I hold no illusions that anyplace is perfect, here or the US. I will miss friends and family here, but look forward to seeing old friends and family back home.
Anybody who wants to chat, etc. may feel free to contact me.
Again, hats off to everybody who has set up and organized this site!
Kellie
