Hi, my wife and I returned to the US about a month ago after seven months living in London. We went there for a temporary assignment for my job. We had some trouble adjusting for the first month or two, but by the end we had really grown to love it. The ride on the Gatwick Express when we were leaving was incredibly sad. Who would have thought that a place like the Battersea Power Station would come to have sentimental value?
We have slotted back into our lives in Los Angeles very quickly. It has been very nice to see friends and family, and to be back in our house, which provides much more space and comfort than our flat in London. However, we both really miss London. We made a few friends, but not a huge number, so it's not quite that. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I think it's a combination of being able to walk so many places, see so many things, be in the center of everything, enjoy the history, character, culture, etc. We never tired of London and I don't think we ever would. Living in Los Angeles we really just go in a car from place to place and never get to see what's inbetween. It can be quite isolating. You may think I'm crazy, but we loved riding buses and the tube. (I've been a tube freak my whole life).
We were fortunate enough to be in a company flat that was only a 5-minute walk from my office near Victoria. I know it's not really realistic to think we could buy a place so centrally located. But our house in the US has appreciated quite a bit and we could buy a flat in a fairly central location, or a house somewhere farther out. A friend just bought in Dulwich and is encouraging us to look there. Of course that would mean riding the train to work, and I certainly heard enough complaints about commuting via train while I was in London!
My company's London office is looking for someone to fill the position I had when I was there. The boss always begged me to stay, but we said we had to come home. I would imagine it wouldn't be hard to arrange a transfer, although it could involve a pay cut and my long term career possibilities in the London office won't be quite as open as in LA. My wife didn't work while we were in London, and she has returned to a job she hates here in Los Angeles. I don't know how easy it would be for her to get a job in London, as the employer would have to sponser her for a work permit. That being said, she's an American lawyer, and there do seem to be lots of American lawyers in the City.
Most of the Americans on this board seem to have moved to the UK for love, because of a partner, etc. I'm wondering if there are any couples where both partners are American, and who both decided they wanted to move to the UK because that's where they would rather be. Are we just crazy?
We have both lived in Los Angeles our entire lives (with the exception of 3 years I spent in London as a small child). But it's not as though this was our first time seeing somewhere else. We have travelled more than anybody we know, and also travelled extensively on weekends while based in London. Before we moved there a friend told us "if there's anybody who would make the most of this opportunity, it's you two." Another person from LA got shipped out to London at the same time I did, and has had the opposite experience. She can't wait to get back to the US. I keep telling her how jealous I am that she's still there, and she thinks I'm nuts.
I'm really just looking for some advice, or someone to say that I really am crazy, or anything.
My London boss will be in LA next week, so if I do want to come back, that would be a good time to start discussions.
Mark
