Anyone love UK before any spouses or partners came along?

Just curious as many seem to find lots of UK ways and things difficult and even shocking and I was wondering if some would not have ever moved there if it weren't for spouse/partner.

I moved here because I loved it before I ever met my now-husband. I did a summer internship as a prelude to doing a PhD, and loved it so much that I knew my move would be permanent when I came to do the PhD. I happened to meet the hot boy would become my husband within a month of starting, but I neither came nor stayed because of him.

I had been to the UK loads of times before I ever met my now husband.  I loved it and dreamed of living either here or in Ireland someday.  Lucky me met and fell in love and married a British guy years later so my dream came true in more ways than one!

I'm loving these!

Well for me it was a pure love of the country and its people.Didn't know a sole here before i moved other than some online freinds. No love interest etc... My gran was born here in Scotland and instilled the love of the heritage in us. I took it the farthest. lol
I had visited differant areas of Scotland on holidays..
Then decided i wanted to try living and working in the country of my grans birth.. I came over on a work permit initially way back in 1999.. worked my way up the immigration ladder through ILR and then naturalisation. SO now i've got the best of both worlds im a dual merrican/scot.. got both passports to prove it lol.. well okay merrican and british passports rofl .. Thats my story in a nutshell ..

I was indifferent to the UK on all the visits prior to actually moving here for work. I always thought it was a great transit hub for the world, thus my six short visits before moving here.

I suppose it was my job and cool travel opportunities which has really kept me here.

I had never left the country until I went to Australia on a working visa and met my husband there.  So I didn't really know anything about the UK or had been there before I met my husband.

My story is very much like Kaylesh's, I'm even from Massachusetts orginally  

My grandfather was from Edinburgh, moved to America for the 'better air' after his Dad was gassed in the Great War.

I amazingly, luckily enough got a job- had spent a total of 1.5 days or something not far off that in Scotland, which was just for my job interview only, but had never been before my interview.  I knew not a soul, but still decided to move to the other side of the world all by lonesome!  

I got here, fell in love with Scotland and just knew I was in an amazing place!

I'm still on my work permit, just about 4 years later, desperately hoping I can make it to the ILR next year, before the gov't decides to drastically change the rules!

I don't have a British partner, but I do love it here.

My story is very much like Kaylesh's, I'm even from Massachusetts orginally  

My grandfather was from Edinburgh, moved to America for the 'better air' after his Dad was gassed in the Great War.

I amazingly, luckily enough got a job- had spent a total of 1.5 days or something not far off that in Scotland, which was just for my job interview only, but had never been before my interview.  I knew not a soul, but still decided to move to the other side of the world all by lonesome!  

I got here, fell in love with Scotland and just knew I was in an amazing place!

I'm still on my work permit, just about 4 years later, desperately hoping I can make it to the ILR next year, before the gov't decides to drastically change the rules!

We Massholes gotta stick together     I'll keep ya in my thoughts and hope you get your ILR afore they change the rules.. Fingers crossed

I'm one of those!

I visited for a girls' trip with two friends, not even wanting to go to London (we were supposed to go to Ireland, but plans changed when there were three of us going). The moment I was here, I loved it...and kept coming back -- by myself -- every six months or so, to enjoy a week or two vacay and the culture and the fun (ok, and the cute boys).

When I moved, it was supposed to be a three year 'experiment', but I wound up finding my now-husband on the first night I'd arrived to live.

Fateful, one might say...and exactly the best thing I ever could've done for myself (and my dog, who came with me on the move)!

These are very interesting and are great for me to read. My love of Britain began at age 8-9. I just wish that I could have moved there ages ago but no point in looking anywhere but forward! I have a LOAD of living to do! There are many reasons I love the UK but it is the people who seal the deal. They are not patronising towards me and not only treat me as a full human being but also as a woman. Incredible.

I used to spend summers here as a child as my Mother is British, shed bring my sister and Dad with us as well, though Dad only stayed two weeks. We'd fly out on the last day of school and wouldnt return for almost 2 weeks before US school began. Some of my best memories are in Caravans at the seaside and being miserable in Wales. LOL. Butlins and the like, were part of my holiday experiences. Sitting outside pubs for flat warm coke, because children werent allowed in as well.

At the time, my mother thought it be my sister moving here and not looking back. I was her all American girl. Heck, she didnt think Id ever leave NY let alone live abroad. My sister moved over, a year after I did, and barely lasted 9 months here. Shes now in Seattle. Ill be hitting my 7 year mark in April. I had a mild obsession with British Synth pop from the 80s and was in love with Brit Pop (especially Pulp), but no desire to move there. Though now Im in Sheffield, where all my fave bands from the mentioned eras are from..

Would I have moved over if it hadnt been for my BF? No, I wouldnt, but I am glad I did. Love living here.