Sick of being looked at like I'm crazy for moving to England!

Well as far as Gainesville, you did have to say goodbye to The Burrito Bros....and La Familia....and Leo's....Guthrie's.....

Haha true

I get this ALL the time, and it drives me crazy. People always say "I want to move to America" and I tell them "You think you want to move to America." I go on to tell them about what my quality of life would be like if I moved back to the US with MS, a pre-existing condition, paying thousands a month for my injections which are free here and delivered to my doorstep... I make a pretty good case of it. People are usually shocked at my depiction.

There are certainly good and bad points about anywhere you live, and I miss a lot of things about Pittsburgh, but for me the good here definitely outweighs the bad!

I get this ALL the time, and it drives me crazy. People always say "I want to move to America" and I tell them "You think you want to move to America." I go on to tell them about what my quality of life would be like if I moved back to the US with MS, a pre-existing condition, paying thousands a month for my injections which are free here and delivered to my doorstep... I make a pretty good case of it. People are usually shocked at my depiction.

There are certainly good and bad points about anywhere you live, and I miss a lot of things about Pittsburgh, but for me the good here definitely outweighs the bad!

This is how it is for me. People are shocked about when I tell them about costs (yet they still insist its so cheap!  ) But for where we would have to live (Most likely Silicon Valley or NYC due to partners work) it would be VERY expensive. Like you, its the healthcare that usually sells people on why I wouldnt go back.

My quality of life here is about 100x better than it was in the States. It would take a hell of a lot to make me go back there now.

I got this all the time too.  I don't think it really has anything to do with where you came from or where you moved to.  It's just the whole 'I hate the place I live in because...well...doesn't everyone?' grass-is-always-greener syndrome.  I've had people literally say flat out "You're crazy to move here" like I dropped myself in the middle of an insane asylum with mad murders on the loose.

Usually the older people (I don't mean that in age specifically but also the ones who have grown to appreciate what's around them instead of always looking at the negative side of things) will say something like, "Oh that's lovely" but most people just think it's insane.  The younger people say things like, "But there's nothing to do here"...erm...try growing up in a town where the "funnest" thing to do was sit in a corn field spotlighting deer.   

It was annoying but I learned to overlook it.  At first I used to defend their own country to them and say things like, "But there's so much history here.  You can walk a mile down the road and see a church that is 800-years-old or go 6 miles the other way and see ancient castles ruins.  Healthcare is free.  Travel is cheap." or whatever...eventually I just learned to smile and nod.

It's just...how can you be positive about the place you live if nobody else is?! I need some encouragement and some positive outlooks. How do you react to people who react negatively to your move?

You just have to remind yourself the reasons you came here. It seems like people aren't exactly positive about Middlesbrough, just because in their minds, it's not as "exotic" as Florida.  If you were from a state nobody had heard of or been to, you might not get the same response.  I tell people I'm from Philly (it's easier than saying South Jersey or North Carolina). Some people say "Oh, like Philadelphia Cheese" or make mentions of Will Smith/Rocky, while others ask if it's on the west coast...

It seems that most often when a Brit has been to the US, it's to visit Florida or New York or something.  They've been taught that these are incredible places, and can't fathom why anyone would ever leave...They probably don't intend to be negative about your move, but because they're only seeing one side it (ie, moving from "exotic" to "mundane"), they can't relate.

I'm with everyone on the history, travel, healthcare, etc. aspects of moving here. These things are enough to make it exciting and exotic for me.

I get it alot, too. At first I didn't mind, other than the tone of voice which implied I was just a bit nuts. Now it wears a bit thin after a year and a half. When they mention 'better weather', I point out the oppressive heat and humidity of the midwest, colder winters than we have here, tornadoes, etc. Then I tell them about snakes, mosquitoes, poisonous spiders.. etc. It isn't that I hate Indiana and wanted out of there, it is I moved here for love, as has been mentioned before in this thread. The next thing they ask is why I didn't insist he moved there. I didn't insist he moved there, but he chose to move there for nearly five years after we were married. Then we chose to move here.

I've also pointed out the history aspect, medical aspect etc. They don't think much of it because they have always had it... which helps when I explain how living in the U.S. isn't a big deal for me because I'd done it all my life.

I'm trying to learn to just smile and say something noncommittal instead of feeling like I have to justify my move here. I've always been a positive person, but it does get a bit wearing to feel I have to justify my actions to people I don't even know, just because they are negative about it.

When I get that (I moved from Florida to Manchester with my British born wife) I simply tell them how, even with 'good' insurance, the medical bills from my wife's battle with breast cancer nearly bankrupted us, how we paid upwards of $300USd/month for electricity and how many of the things that Brit's take for granted, Americans can't get or pay through the nose for it.

it's a "grass is greener" thing.

When I lived in the US, I knew a lot of people who were amazed I'd ever want to leave England (most of whom had never been to England).

Now I live in the UK again, I know a lot of people who are amazed I'd ever want to leave the US (most of whom have never been to the US).

I get that as well from people around here and I agree with what so many others have said on this thread! (i.e. the grass is always greener, etc.) The last person who asked me I told them "funny enough, my American friends thought I would be crazy if I DIDN'T move to England!" I think though that a lot of it can be chalked up to education of the different areas. Just like American's have a certain assumption of how England and it's people are, British have their own assumptions about America and Americans and their way of life, etc.

I'm not sure there's any way around it without having to go into some discussion, but when it all comes down to the root of the matter, just know that you do have many amazing reasons for being here that are your own and you are not alone in your endeavors! There are lots of UKY supporters that empathize and agree in their own ways! Hang in there and surround yourself with people who are positive and support you!

((BIG HUGS!!))

It's the first time I've felt the need to post on this forum, because your post struck a chord.  Myself (UKC) and boyfriend (USC) have just come back from a visit to the UK where we told my family and friends were are planning to move from Boston to the UK in early 2012.  We were met by incredulity from some, even some family members.  It is a little disheartening, especially since it has not been a straightforward or obvious decision for us.  But heads started nodding when we explained our reasons, and although their initial reaction wasn't exactly encouraging, I'm not going to let that change my mind.

I'm going to generalize here, but British people do not have the same patriotism and love for their country as Americans, and the negativity can be frustrating.  It seems to come in all flavors: taxes, wealth, health care and weather.  Ever since I can remember, people have said things like "this country is going downhill".  I wonder if it's something to do with the media always portraying aspects of the country in a bad light.

British people see Florida as a holiday destination, so in a way it's natural for them to think you would want to live there - after all it's somewhere they would pay money to go.  However, you have to remember that for many Brits, a holiday destination is all about hot weather and beaches, it's almost like it's been instilled in them from birth that hot is best.  I remember that when I was growing up I wondered if something was wrong with me because I didn't love hot weather as much as everyone else.  Sure, I like it if I'm on holiday and on the beach, but not so much when I'm cycling to work! 

Anyway, as long as you can get past the questioning, it really doesn't matter what their opinion is.  You and your husband have obviously gone through all the pros and cons, and you're the ones who actually have experienced them and know what they are!

And by the way, if you hop over to the Brit Expat forum, you'll several people who thought that Florida or Spain were the best places to live, but once they got out there realized that it wasn't quite what they expected...

'I'm going to generalize here, but British people do not have the same patriotism and love for their country as Americans, and the negativity can be frustrating'

I agree that we can be terribly negative but that's just a national trait - it doesn't mean that we don't have the same patriotism and love for Britain that the Americans have for the US.  I guess the negativism is partly media driven but it filters through life in all sorts of ways and is not really about being negative; it's about not wanting to boast - something we feel uncomfortable with for some reason - which comes across as being negative. I do hope that makes sense to someone out there 

It always seemed to me when I lived in the UK that the media were fond of showing "shock-horror" items about the US. Then when I visited the US the TV there would have some news item derogatory to the UK. Sort of like -- you lot should be grateful you don't live in a violent, backward, uncivilized, crazy [fill in the blank] place like this.

Here in York, our local paper has the most ridiculous, sensationalist headines.  For example, if a traffic light was broken the headline would say something like

YORK DEATH STREET!

Headlines like this are displayed in front of all the newspaper shops and I think that if I were a tourist and saw these everywhere, I would never want to come back.

He he, that reminds me of CNN, everything small piece of news is sensationalized.  On normal days it's the "CNN Extreme Weather Center", and if there's a noreaster on the way, "CNN Hurricane Center".