Moving to Scotland, wanted to say "Hi"

Hello All, I just found this forum today from some expat friends on Facebook, what a great find! I have a zillion questions and will be posting straight away on the visa board because that's what sent me here.

 A little background on me.  My name is Mel, I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. My husband is Scottish, from near Edinburgh.  We met in 2003, had a long distance relationship for three years (with about 15 trips back and forth in between) and then in 2006 we applied for a Fiance' visa and he moved to the US with me.

It has always been my dream to live in the UK.  Always on the back burner for us, but we have two dogs that we wanted to make sure to get safely across.  We found a way and once we found that, we have been planning ever since (March 2014). 

The information digging around the goverment websites is daunting to say the least and unhelpful to say the worst.  I am grateful for folks like you who've already done it and can give advice.

I'm very, very excited about finally realizing my dream of moving to the UK.  Right now it all feels very overwhelming and scary but still so exciting. 


Thanks for letting me join!
Mel

Welcome!  Lots of us have done it.  I also moved my two kitties over.  Best decision ever to bring them.   

Thanks! I am super excited, but will be even more so once I get my ducks all in a row.  Hubby has an interview set up for April 23rd, so that's hurdle #1.  Fingers crossed he gets it!

Hi and welcome- what type of dogs do you have? We have two mischievous beagles.

Hi HG,

Yay! Beagles!  I have one Beagle, Seamus and Jack Russell Terrier, Alfie (mix but mostly all Jack).  We adore them, they are our babies! 

What color are your Beagles?

Hi HG,

Yay! Beagles!  I have one Beagle, Seamus and Jack Russell Terrier, Alfie (mix but mostly all Jack).  We adore them, they are our babies! 

What color are your Beagles?

We have two lemon beagles- we have had Numi since she was a puppy, she is now a bit over 10. We got Milo last year he is almost 6. They are lovely, and bring us many smiles! Milo has adopted Numi as his mum I think:) Technically Numi is my daughter's - she is 25 now and lives a couple of hours away though and Numi is still with us

awww lemon beagles, so precious.  My beagle boy is a tri-color.  He's 9 this year. 

Hello fellow Kentuckian!! My husband is from Louisville, I'm from Covington and we moved from Lexington to Newcastle last June. If you find Kentucky summers to be horrible, you're in for a treat. We just got back from a holiday back home (just in time for the massive rain and flooding) and my husband was melting.

Where in Scotland are you heading?

Hello fellow Kentuckian!! My husband is from Louisville, I'm from Covington and we moved from Lexington to Newcastle last June. If you find Kentucky summers to be horrible, you're in for a treat. We just got back from a holiday back home (just in time for the massive rain and flooding) and my husband was melting.

Where in Scotland are you heading?

Hi! Wow! So neither of you is a Brit citizen? How did you guys swing that one? I HATE the summers here and that is truly one of the biggest reasons  we are looking forward to the move.  It was already about 88 degrees one day this month and I was cussing like a sailor about it.  I can't wait for 65 degrees to be a warm summer day! I just found out on Thursday as my husband got his official job offer we will be moving to Dumfries/Castle Douglas.  We've sort of been in limbo just waiting to find out where we were going. How are you liking Newcastle?

Welcome to the forum,

I'm from Massachusetts.. born and bred.. lived there all my life until I moved here to Scotland in 1999. Worked my way up the immigration ladder years ago from work permit to ILR to citizenship and have had my dual citizenship for years now..

Welcome ahead of time to Scotland.. I'm in the Fife region between Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy..

Feel free to ask away

Kay

He got a job here. He's a postdoc, so most of the people he works with aren't British either. We really like Newcastle. It's so friendly! I've seen a lot of folks say they've had a hard time making friends here but that hasn't been the case for me. Not sure if it's because I have a toddler (mom's groups are great for meeting people) or because the Northeast is notoriously friendly, or both, but I feel very lucky. As a Southerner, it's nice to be able to smile at people on the street and not have them give you a weird look. I hope you have the same experience!

He got a job here. He's a postdoc, so most of the people he works with aren't British either. We really like Newcastle. It's so friendly! I've seen a lot of folks say they've had a hard time making friends here but that hasn't been the case for me. Not sure if it's because I have a toddler (mom's groups are great for meeting people) or because the Northeast is notoriously friendly, or both, but I feel very lucky. As a Southerner, it's nice to be able to smile at people on the street and not have them give you a weird look. I hope you have the same experience!

From what I've heard, Northerners and the Scottish seem to be more friendly than down here in the South East.  It's taken a few years but I am happy to have some real good friends now.  And I do think having a kid helps a LOT down here!

Welcome to the forum,

I'm from Massachusetts.. born and bred.. lived there all my life until I moved here to Scotland in 1999. Worked my way up the immigration ladder years ago from work permit to ILR to citizenship and have had my dual citizenship for years now..

Welcome ahead of time to Scotland.. I'm in the Fife region between Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy..

Feel free to ask away

Thanks! Dunfermline is where my husband taught before he moved over here to live with me.  He taught at Woodmill for 13 years. He wanted to go back to the Fife area but when a job offer happens like this one you gotta take it!  Now that we have a definitive location where we will be living I'm sure the questions will be coming thick and fast    Thanks for the offer!
Kay

He got a job here. He's a postdoc, so most of the people he works with aren't British either. We really like Newcastle. It's so friendly! I've seen a lot of folks say they've had a hard time making friends here but that hasn't been the case for me. Not sure if it's because I have a toddler (mom's groups are great for meeting people) or because the Northeast is notoriously friendly, or both, but I feel very lucky. As a Southerner, it's nice to be able to smile at people on the street and not have them give you a weird look. I hope you have the same experience!

Maybe my dogs will be the magic bullet for me as I don't have the two legged kind of kids I spent a lot of time in West Yorkshire in the 1999 and I found people to be lovely and very welcoming.  I was there for 5 weeks and of course I didn't make any life long friendships but people were very nice and genuine.  Of course I've been to Scotland quite a few times and spent up to three weeks at a time each visit and have had the same experience so I think Kdancer has it right.  I think it's regional.  Now, having said that the area we are going to is small so who knows.  I might get the old "you're not from around these parts" kinda attitude.  We will see.  I think I'll be ok though.  My husband (who might be a leeetle bit biased) tells me I'm more British than American in my behaviors (behaviours hehe)and constantly tells me they are all going to love me.  Ha! We will see.