Hello from Denver

I'm from Massachusetts, but we moved to Denver in June for a change and it wasn't what we were looking for. So, my husband & I (and our 2 year old son) are about to make the move to London after 5 years in the US.

I sent off my spouse visa paperwork last week (which, according to UPS was signed for on Friday morning in Sheffield during the Beast from the East!), and now we wait. My husband and son are leaving for the UK in a matter of weeks, knowing that I might be here for some time on my own while the UKVI sort through what must be a very long list of applications. I'm thankful that my employer is understanding and accommodating during this really uncertain time so I'll continue to work until I get word. Sadly, my family is in Massachusetts so this will be an isolating and anxious period until we get good word back.

I work in higher education and I'm hoping to get back to teaching once we're settled. I'm no stranger to living abroad; I lived in Ireland from 2001-2012. But this is a new venture in a new country for me, and we are both excited and nervous as we embark on the journey.

Hoping to relate to others here in the process of getting over and in navigating the world of childcare and employment once I've landed.

Welcome! also a fellow MA-native here. Not been to Denver myself, but I can say that the south of England has felt quite similar to home so I felt pretty comfortable very quickly. Hopefully you'll find it the same!

As a parent with teenage or almost teenage kids, I can confirm that I don't worry about my kids getting shot at school.  I do worry a bit about generic terrorist attacks, but I'd guess that risk is roughly the same as any city in the US.

Another worry I don't have is health care.  Even if I loose my job, my family will still get decent health care.  To me, that's more concrete than a school shooter.
Welcome and enjoy your move.

Welcome! also a fellow MA-native here. Not been to Denver myself, but I can say that the south of England has felt quite similar to home so I felt pretty comfortable very quickly. Hopefully you'll find it the same!

Thank you! Where are you from? I was born in Boston, raised on the South Shore/Cape (graduated from Plymouth South), and recently lived in Watertown & Waltham before moving west.

As a parent with teenage or almost teenage kids, I can confirm that I don't worry about my kids getting shot at school.  I do worry a bit about generic terrorist attacks, but I'd guess that risk is roughly the same as any city in the US.

Another worry I don't have is health care.  Even if I loose my job, my family will still get decent health care.  To me, that's more concrete than a school shooter.
Welcome and enjoy your move.

Thanks for sharing your concerns & lack thereof! I know that nowhere is perfect, but between avoiding violence & crippling debt for healthcare, the UK is a good match for our needs!

Thank you! Where are you from? I was born in Boston, raised on the South Shore/Cape (graduated from Plymouth South), and recently lived in Watertown & Waltham before moving west.

North shore (15 min drive from Boston) with fond memories of summers spend on the cape in my grandparents cape house in Barnstable (watching the Hyannis Mets - but apparently they aren't called that anymore! LOL).

North shore (15 min drive from Boston) with fond memories of summers spend on the cape in my grandparents cape house in Barnstable (watching the Hyannis Mets - but apparently they aren't called that anymore! LOL).

Oh funny! I used to work at Endicott College so only became familiar with the North Shore somewhat recently (apparently Boston is a line in the sand between North & South Shores haha). Barnstable is lovely! I don't think I ever watched the Hyannis Mets, but I was a big fan of Hyannis Sound (an a cappella group)!

As a parent with teenage or almost teenage kids, I can confirm that I don't worry about my kids getting shot at school.  I do worry a bit about generic terrorist attacks, but I'd guess that risk is roughly the same as any city in the US.

Another worry I don't have is health care.  Even if I loose my job, my family will still get decent health care.  To me, that's more concrete than a school shooter.
Welcome and enjoy your move.

I can even confirm as a non-parent that when it comes to a personal level, I have almost no anxiety around being involved in a mass shooting. Obviously as Jim said there is still a risk - like any major part of the world - where a terrorist attack could happen but I left the US just after the Marathon bombing happened and prior to that there were all the movie theatre shootings and I just felt like even going to a movie theatre I had to know my exits just in case. Now I feel a bit more relaxed on that so I can imagine, if you have kids, it's a lot less to worry about in terms of school shootings as well. I feel, overall, much more safe over here

Oh funny! I used to work at Endicott College so only became familiar with the North Shore somewhat recently (apparently Boston is a line in the sand between North & South Shores haha). Barnstable is lovely! I don't think I ever watched the Hyannis Mets, but I was a big fan of Hyannis Sound (an a cappella group)!

hahaha yeah it does seem to be a pretty solid line you have north shore, south shore, and all that randomness out west that nobody knows of! :p hahaha

Yeah we were in Barnstable just outside Hyannis and so lots of time spent there. My aunt lives in the house that was once my grandparent's holiday home and so I do still try to get down there when I'm home. Do get homesick for summers on the cape on occasion but my parents are coming to visit in June/July and I am making her bring me loads of mary-Lou's coffee beans hahaha

There is another concern though : your kid will grow up to British.  Not just the accent, but the culture.  And if you move to Scotland you'll be living with a miniature version of Grounds keeper Willie.

Do get homesick for summers on the cape on occasion but my parents are coming to visit in June/July and I am making her bring me loads of mary-Lou's coffee beans hahaha

You can fly directly from Boston to the Cape, too!

There is another concern though : your kids will grow up to British.  Not just the accent, but the culture.  And if you move to Scotland you'll be living with two miniature versions of Grounds keeper Willie.

  Thankfully the husband's family is from either London or the Midlands! But culturally there will always be differences. You do what you can to infuse other elements but it's certainly a conscious choice to move to a British cultural environment

You can fly directly from Boston to the Cape, too!

haha I enjoy the drive when I'm there if I'm honest!

I went to 4 C's for a class over the summer when I was in Uni and I enjoyed the driving - though I stayed down there with my aunt, I didn't commute every day or anything. The air just feels fresher. You can also get a ferry from Boston to P-town I think hah

Are you going to be right in London or outside London? KF, Margo and I are all in the Berkshire area outside London.

haha I enjoy the drive when I'm there if I'm honest!

I went to 4 C's for a class over the summer when I was in Uni and I enjoyed the driving - though I stayed down there with my aunt, I didn't commute every day or anything. The air just feels fresher. You can also get a ferry from Boston to P-town I think hah

Are you going to be right in London or outside London? KF, Margo and I are all in the Berkshire area outside London.

Growing up in Plymouth I loved spending time on the Cape but did not love the drive from Memorial Day to Labor Day! (and was too close to take a ferry haha)

We're going to be in Richmond so commutable to London but away from the hussle & bustle! Not far from Berkshire.

Growing up in Plymouth I loved spending time on the Cape but did not love the drive from Memorial Day to Labor Day! (and was too close to take a ferry haha)

We're going to be in Richmond so commutable to London but away from the hussle & bustle! Not far from Berkshire.

haha I was born and  grew up in Stoneham and my husband got a kick out of the names on the road signs as we drove from Stoneham to my aunt's. Mashpee was a funny one and Sandwich. Not great when you're in need of snacks LOL. Yeah we always had to leave early in the mornings for long weekends and head back late at night. You always knew you were getting close to home when you drove by the colourful water tower and massive inflatable lock on the storage building.

Yeah that's not massively far. Think it's just a bit under an hour on the train Never actually properly been to Richmond.

I'm in Twickenham, which is just a 20 minute walk down the river.  You'll like it here, the schools are great, there's tons of playgrounds and summer is time for drinks by the river