new lawyer in CA married UK citizen, moving to UK with two dogs

Hi everyone!

An introduction! I met my hubby in California, where he's been working as a professor in politics and I've been working as a public defender. I just passed the CA bar last year and thought I had my career plans all figured out ... until last summer, when we were in the UK and had left our two dogs with a dogsitter. Yuri, our first puppy together, was killed by a stray dog, while the dogsitter had taken her out on a walk. Not the dogsitter's fault, and we are still great friends to this day ... but it was absolutely devastating and how crushed we felt about losing our first puppy together got us thinking about how hard it would be to lose a human child.

My husband has been pretty freaked out by the constant school shootings and constant local headlines about shootings, as well as all the meth and heroin addiction around (seeing my clients, addicted even as teenagers, and we've come across used syringes while on dog walks), as well as homelessness, terrible access to health care (mental health especially) with few social services to meaningfully help people get on their feet ... Also, the area we live in is one of the top worst for air pollution in the USA, everybody over age 45 I've met here seems to have been diagnosed with cancer, etc. As much as we feel passionate about wanting to help the various crises here in this country, we've both decided that in terms of raising kids, the UK is a much better place.

I lived in Denmark for a few months as a child and really loved it - obviously very different, but the old buildings, more communal vibe, the weather (believe it or not), culture, less-consumerist, more walking/less driving/less traffic, more public transport (trains!!!), no guns, all that - really loved it and missed it. Maybe I'm idealizing it. Anyway, I agreed that the UK seems a better place to raise children. Also, his parents are retired in the UK whereas my parents are divorced and living on different continents, with his mother being especially excited to be a grandma and be very involved raising grandchildren ... his siblings are there and we want our kids to grow up with cousins ... it all just makes sense.

Doesn't make quite as much sense for my career however! But I figured it would be better to make the switch sooner than later because I figured years of experience practicing state-specific criminal law in California wouldn't help me in job apps as much as just hurrying and gaining experience practicing law in England asap. So, I'm planning to take the QLTS to become a solicitor in England, all of that seems pretty straightforward ... but the job hunt, not so much!! I would love to get in touch with any other US lawyers who made the transition. I'm curious to learn various cultural differences in regards to professionalism, and also learn as much as possible about UK slang and working class urban dictionary type stuff because I would love to continue working as a public defender in the UK. Been listening to grime and road rap to further my education ... Would love to learn outside of a textbook some basic differences between the US and UK legal systems, lawyer culture, etc, etc. If anyone can bestow any wisdom or point me towards new friends to talk to about this, I would be so thankful!!

Also, I am Asian American. I'm curious to see how racism in the UK is different from racism in the US. I was surprised to hear people use the word "oriental" so much more in the UK than in the US (pretty well known in the US that "oriental" is a no-no), and call me "Chinese" even though I'm Korean (in the US people go, "are you Chinese or Japanese" which can be annoying but now that seems more progressive than just assuming I'm Chinese!). I'm curious to hear people's experiences! Historically, it's quite different from the US since slavery was imported and domestic in the US while the UK outsourced its racial oppression in colonies. And it seems like a higher percentage of people of color in the UK are recent immigrants than in the US? I might be wrong about this? Would love it if anyone would be willing to share their experiences and insights with me, and/or point me towards some documentaries or books they recommend on this topic! ***I know race/racism can be a hot topic, so I'm not here to start a debate at all!! Just wanted to say that's something I'm curious to learn about. Not here to blame anyone or point fingers or say it's anyone's fault or anyone's a bad person. Just genuinely curious about what people's experiences have been.*** Are the stereotypes about Asians the same in the UK as in the USA? I'm curious how and if things will be different. I've lived in parts of Missouri, Texas, and California (San Francisco included), so I've experienced the best and the worst ... but I was disappointed being on a train between Brighton and London and seeing a drunk dude shouting at a British Asian (East Asian) woman if she "could understand what he was saying, speak English??" when she ignored his advances. Ugh.

Hoping having an American accent won't hurt me too much professionally ... posh British accents seem to *help* people applying for jobs in the US, but hmm, I don't know how an American accident would play out, especially as a lawyer! I'm guessing it's tougher for people who have Southern accents, likely face more prejudice with all the more negative US stereotypes ... curious to see what others' experiences have been!

Coming from California, I'm scared about missing Mexican food, and also Korean food. Had some great Korean food in Surrey and found a store that sells kimchi so I felt great relief and is part of why I'm like, "k I can survive there" buuuut I'm also scared about missing Flamin Hot cheetoes but that's probably for the best because it's definitely not very healthy ...

Also a bit nervous about being gluten-free in the UK ... not sure how much caution about that has spread in the UK compared to the US ... about two years ago, I started developing rashes on my elbows when I would eat things containing wheat, became quite anemic, etc until a doctor recommended I try a gluten-free diet and wow, wild improvement - blood levels went from really anemic to everything great, rash and stomach issues went away (except when I'd accidentally eat something with wheat), much more clear-headed, my medication started feeling like the dosage was too strong, etc. I've been having my fingers crossed that maybe flour/bread in the UK won't be as bad ... like maybe GMOs have something to do with it, or the fact that wheat gluten is a separate added ingredient in most bread at US stores ... buuut not getting my hopes up too high ... Just wondering if I need to expect more eyerolls from restaurants asking about gluten-free options in the UK than in the US ... especially because I loved Sunday Roasts and want to have some gravy without feeling like I'm dying for the following week!

Another burning question - for people who took prescription medications in the US - I would love to know how long it took to get on your regimen after moving to the UK. I get the impression that doctors in the UK and the NHS don't hand out/push meds like candy like they do in the US, but I'm curious what the process was ...

And of course, I know that each of my questions have their own appropriate forums sooo I will do a search and find answers there, buuut just thought I'd include them in this introduction! Clearly been brimming with questions and wanting to talk about my thoughts about moving to the UK! I'm so thankful for this community and so glad this place exists. I'm really looking forward to (hopefully) making some friends here. I'm sure there will be a lot of things I will miss about the US despite the fact that right now I am just counting down the days to GTFO ... I need to refrain from letting the US become some kind of caricature of itself in my mind because there is a beautiful history despite all of its perhaps more obvious flaws that the world gawks at ... so it will be nice to reminisce about some of those upsides with fellow Americans ... at the same time, I look forward to assimilating to UK culture and learning how to be a respectful, courteous, polite person by UK standards ... this message board will be so helpful in helping me learn all these things, thanks to all the wisdom handed down by people who moved to the UK before me!

Just wanted to say hello and send my love to all of you and say thank you for sharing all of your experiences and helping one another out and giving each other support. Thank you so much in advance for any advice you give me - I hope to be helpful to others as well! I will do my best

Fingers crossed that my spouse settlement visa gets cleared soon and we can be on our way across the pond this June! The plan is to be in Surrey the first few months. Very eager to meet new people and make friends, would love to meet up with some of you in person! And also get advice on how you all managed to make friends in a brand new country, independent of spouses. Of course, missing family and friends will be hard too ... but I'm pretty used to living far away from all of them and moving a lot, so that part actually isn't as terrible ... especially thanks to social media and technology and whatnot that makes things like video chat possible!

Anyway ...

Nice to meet y'all!

p.s. Oh yeah, super excited for Jeremy Corbyn and bought Tottenham and Liverpool kits as soon as we decided we were moving to the UK. Hubby wasn't much of a football fan but I told him if I'm moving to England I gotta have a team! Couldn't decide btwn those two, so ended up picking both before this EPL started ... aaaaaannnd pretty happy with our choices! Excited for the World Cup!! Ahh it's going to be so much more fun watching in England than here!

Welcome!

Unfortunately a lot of your concerns will not be eliminated by a move to the UK.

Air pollution, drug abuse, poor mental health care - they are all rampant here. Racism is at an all time high.  We have Brexit going on which is unbelievably anti-immigration and will likely cause a major recession.  At least Trump will be gone in a few years.  Brexit is going to hurt for decades.   

We have a solicitor on the board who pops up here and there.  She trained in the UK though.  The biggest thing for solicitors is the oversaturated market.  Pick a specialisation that is in demand. 

My husband has Coeliac, so we have a gluten free household.  I’m scared when we go to the USA about gluten free.     You’ll get used to what is safe and what is not here.  Eating out is “ok” as restaurants are required to have a list of the top allergens in each dish.  We went out for the first time since March yesterday and unfortunately my husband was glutened, so not the right day to ask me.     This is only the third time in a couple of years, but we don’t eat out very often.

Bring enough of your USA medications and do some research to see if your medication is available here. 

You’ll do great here!   

Hello....

I will second KFdancer's post and say you will do fine.  I am a mixed race gay Black- German-Latvian-American and I find racism is not that much different though I do find more genuine friendships across various ethnic/racial lines here in the cities but that is me coming from the American South and interracial relationships are more accepted less freaked out about than the South again.  Here in the UK the Brits use Asian more to mean Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi, and East Asians are often lumped together in the separate Chinese and other category or as you have noticed the dreaded Oriental word is used.   I find I am treated by most people I run into first as an American (can't help the accent despite several years here already) and then second as a racial minority though I am much more likely to sometimes get called the half-caste word from certain older generation people though I think it is not usually meant as an insult (from context) .  I have had several very outspoken Brexiters come up to me and say how they love Americans and ask me why I would want to live here but in a surprised but still welcoming manner ......

I know a few people that have studied law in the UK.... like the US the market is very over saturated.  About twice as man people study legal degrees here in the UK than there are training places here in the UK to become a solicitor or barrister.

Doesn't make quite as much sense for my career however! But I figured it would be better to make the switch sooner than later because I figured years of experience practicing state-specific criminal law in California wouldn't help me in job apps as much as just hurrying and gaining experience practicing law in England asap. So, I'm planning to take the QLTS to become a solicitor in England, all of that seems pretty straightforward ... but the job hunt, not so much!! I would love to get in touch with any other US lawyers who made the transition. I'm curious to learn various cultural differences in regards to professionalism, and also learn as much as possible about UK slang and working class urban dictionary type stuff because I would love to continue working as a public defender in the UK. Been listening to grime and road rap to further my education ... Would love to learn outside of a textbook some basic differences between the US and UK legal systems, lawyer culture, etc, etc. If anyone can bestow any wisdom or point me towards new friends to talk to about this, I would be so thankful!!

I think we have a regular poster who is taking, or has recently taken, the QLTS exam. 

I am an older student studying law at Cambridge. It is odd. There are little things. We are drilled for appeal moots to strike a certain tone. They like Received Pronunciation (the Queens English). They aren't allowed to say it but it is there. Saying "Ishooo" for "issue" will get you a glare. It has to be "Issooo".

A young lady from London was grilled in a moot as she (nervous, as you are in those sorts of things) dropped her Gs. "Thinking" became "thinkin'. I actually noticed it myself, she was quivering and just fell back into her natural accent. It gave a peek into a deeper question about the class system and things here. 

For instance here is Lord Pannick addressing the Supreme Court. I read in a few places in the press about his "Yorkshire burr"....but if it is there it seems pretty much ironed out:



I don't know how much any of that stuff matters in the real world outside of higher courts and Queen's counsels and things. On trips to Magistrates' Courts (roughly equal to misdemeanour cases) you see a much looser atmosphere.

I can't do a posh accent at all without sounding like Brian Blessed so I just power on doing a really bad Matlock impression.

Brian Blessed:

I know a few people that have studied law in the UK.... like the US the market is very over saturated.  About twice as man people study legal degrees here in the UK than there are training places here in the UK to become a solicitor or barrister.

This is somewhat true. But (and I haven't looked at the foreign requirements for a while) I believe that by passing the QLTS you bypass the training contract requirement. Which is where the bottleneck exists. 

What a great introduction, thank you for sharing.   But so sorry about your dog.

I understand being worried about the safety of yourself and your family, but there aren't "constant school shootings" here in the US.  There is an awful lot of coverage, but the numbers really aren't much different than in previous years.  In fact the overall crime and murder rate in the US has been steadily decreasing over the last several years.

Just last month the murder rate in London exceeded that of New York City. The only real difference is that people were more often killed by people using knives in London, than with firearms.

What is scary, IMHO, is the opioid crisis here in the US.  Too many people are choosing to use them, and other substances that are causing their own deaths.  but I don't know if that situation is any better in the UK.

all that aside, my only suggestion to you is that before you move to the UK, make a stopover in NYC and have some real pizza.  because it doesn't exist in California or England!   

I understand being worried about the safety of yourself and your family, but there aren't "constant school shootings" here in the US.  There is an awful lot of coverage, but the numbers really aren't much different than in previous years.  In fact the overall crime and murder rate in the US has been steadily decreasing over the last several years.

Just last month the murder rate in London exceeded that of New York City. The only real difference is that people were more often killed by people using knives in London, than with firearms.

What is scary, IMHO, is the opioid crisis here in the US.  Too many people are choosing to use them, and other substances that are causing their own deaths.  but I don't know if that situation is any better in the UK.

all that aside, my only suggestion to you is that before you move to the UK, make a stopover in NYC and have some real pizza.  because it doesn't exist in California or England!   

Cocaine is big here.  Rampant, actually.

Hi, and welcome to UKY!

My husband has been pretty freaked out by the constant school shootings and constant local headlines about shootings, as well as all the meth and heroin addiction around (seeing my clients, addicted even as teenagers, and we've come across used syringes while on dog walks), as well as homelessness, terrible access to health care (mental health especially) with few social services to meaningfully help people get on their feet ... Also, the area we live in is one of the top worst for air pollution in the USA, everybody over age 45 I've met here seems to have been diagnosed with cancer, etc. As much as we feel passionate about wanting to help the various crises here in this country, we've both decided that in terms of raising kids, the UK is a much better place.

I suggest caution in thinking the UK is going to be a much better place.  Violence, especially in London, is on the rise and it's been reported recently that London has overtaken New York City in violent lethal crimes.  Drug addition (both legal and illegal) is a serious problem here as well.  Access to mental health care here is available to people via the NHS which is great; however, patient demand exceeds the supply of mental health providers and the subsequent wait time is very long (12-16 weeks) unless it's an emergency.  London exceeded the pollution quota for the entire year of 2018 within a few days of January 1st.

Every country has it's positives and negatives, and there will be variation depending on where you live, so naturally your mileage will vary.  Personally, I do prefer the UK over the US and think the pros outweigh the cons overall, but the UK definitely shares some problems that the US has and it's likely you'll encounter them here as well.  And, you'll probably discover some uniquely UK problems that the US doesn't have.

Also, I am Asian American. I'm curious to see how racism in the UK is different from racism in the US. I was surprised to hear people use the word "oriental" so much more in the UK than in the US (pretty well known in the US that "oriental" is a no-no), and call me "Chinese" even though I'm Korean (in the US people go, "are you Chinese or Japanese" which can be annoying but now that seems more progressive than just assuming I'm Chinese!). I'm curious to hear people's experiences!

I'm also Korean.    In the UK, "oriental" is not considered derogatory and you'll be hearing it a lot and seeing it on forms that request demographic information.  If you say you're Asian, you may get some funny looks as here it typically refers to the Indian subcontinent.  Oriental will refer to China, Japan, etc.  It may be a bit of a shock, but just remember that it's not at all meant in a negative connotation here and it's the normal accepted descriptor.  I have some colleagues who are Chinese, and they refer to themselves as oriental in the same way we would say we are Asian Americans.  From my experience, people will probably make more of a fuss about you being American than oriental.  (You're American, and you moved HERE?!  Why?!)

I know racism has been on the rise, and Brexit hasn't made it any better, but personally, I haven't experienced racism here.  At most, people seem genuinely curious - especially when an American accent emerges from my Korean self with a certainly non-Korean name.  That being said, I have seen racism directed at other people so it does occur here as well.  But generally, everyone just rolls their eyes when racist comments are uttered and does the British response of tutting and ignoring the offending person.   

I'm also scared about missing Flamin Hot cheetoes...

I've only seen them here once.  Once.  ONCE.     And never again after that.

Another burning question - for people who took prescription medications in the US - I would love to know how long it took to get on your regimen after moving to the UK. I get the impression that doctors in the UK and the NHS don't hand out/push meds like candy like they do in the US, but I'm curious what the process was ...

It's definitely true that doctors here are more hesitant than US doctors to write prescriptions for anything and everything.  Personally, I'm totally okay with that.

I suggest you get a full refill of any medicines you need before you move over, so you'll have some time to get everything sorted.  Register with a GP as soon as you can, and either bring your medical records from the US or have the US send them to your new GP practice.  (though I would recommend bringing them yourself) 

To speed things up getting things set up here, ask your US doctor to write a clear concise (and signed) letter that details what conditions you have and the exact details of the medicine you are taking.  In my experience, that was accepted readily by my UK GP and they prescribed everything I had been taking in the US without any hassle.  The UK also isn't as heavily into branding as the US, so know the generic name for medicines you're taking as those will be recognised easier by doctors and pharmacists.

Hi everyone!

An introduction! I met my hubby in California, where he's been working as a professor in politics and I've been working as a public defender. I just passed the CA bar last year and thought I had my career plans all figured out ... until last summer, when we were in the UK and had left our two dogs with a dogsitter. Yuri, our first puppy together, was killed by a stray dog, while the dogsitter had taken her out on a walk. Not the dogsitter's fault, and we are still great friends to this day ... but it was absolutely devastating and how crushed we felt about losing our first puppy together got us thinking about how hard it would be to lose a human child.

My husband has been pretty freaked out by the constant school shootings and constant local headlines about shootings, as well as all the meth and heroin addiction around (seeing my clients, addicted even as teenagers, and we've come across used syringes while on dog walks), as well as homelessness, terrible access to health care (mental health especially) with few social services to meaningfully help people get on their feet ... Also, the area we live in is one of the top worst for air pollution in the USA, everybody over age 45 I've met here seems to have been diagnosed with cancer, etc. As much as we feel passionate about wanting to help the various crises here in this country, we've both decided that in terms of raising kids, the UK is a much better place.

I lived in Denmark for a few months as a child and really loved it - obviously very different, but the old buildings, more communal vibe, the weather (believe it or not), culture, less-consumerist, more walking/less driving/less traffic, more public transport (trains!!!), no guns, all that - really loved it and missed it. Maybe I'm idealizing it. Anyway, I agreed that the UK seems a better place to raise children. Also, his parents are retired in the UK whereas my parents are divorced and living on different continents, with his mother being especially excited to be a grandma and be very involved raising grandchildren ... his siblings are there and we want our kids to grow up with cousins ... it all just makes sense.

Doesn't make quite as much sense for my career however! But I figured it would be better to make the switch sooner than later because I figured years of experience practicing state-specific criminal law in California wouldn't help me in job apps as much as just hurrying and gaining experience practicing law in England asap. So, I'm planning to take the QLTS to become a solicitor in England, all of that seems pretty straightforward ... but the job hunt, not so much!! I would love to get in touch with any other US lawyers who made the transition. I'm curious to learn various cultural differences in regards to professionalism, and also learn as much as possible about UK slang and working class urban dictionary type stuff because I would love to continue working as a public defender in the UK. Been listening to grime and road rap to further my education ... Would love to learn outside of a textbook some basic differences between the US and UK legal systems, lawyer culture, etc, etc. If anyone can bestow any wisdom or point me towards new friends to talk to about this, I would be so thankful!!

Also, I am Asian American. I'm curious to see how racism in the UK is different from racism in the US. I was surprised to hear people use the word "oriental" so much more in the UK than in the US (pretty well known in the US that "oriental" is a no-no), and call me "Chinese" even though I'm Korean (in the US people go, "are you Chinese or Japanese" which can be annoying but now that seems more progressive than just assuming I'm Chinese!). I'm curious to hear people's experiences! Historically, it's quite different from the US since slavery was imported and domestic in the US while the UK outsourced its racial oppression in colonies. And it seems like a higher percentage of people of color in the UK are recent immigrants than in the US? I might be wrong about this? Would love it if anyone would be willing to share their experiences and insights with me, and/or point me towards some documentaries or books they recommend on this topic! ***I know race/racism can be a hot topic, so I'm not here to start a debate at all!! Just wanted to say that's something I'm curious to learn about. Not here to blame anyone or point fingers or say it's anyone's fault or anyone's a bad person. Just genuinely curious about what people's experiences have been.*** Are the stereotypes about Asians the same in the UK as in the USA? I'm curious how and if things will be different. I've lived in parts of Missouri, Texas, and California (San Francisco included), so I've experienced the best and the worst ... but I was disappointed being on a train between Brighton and London and seeing a drunk dude shouting at a British Asian (East Asian) woman if she "could understand what he was saying, speak English??" when she ignored his advances. Ugh.

Hoping having an American accent won't hurt me too much professionally ... posh British accents seem to *help* people applying for jobs in the US, but hmm, I don't know how an American accident would play out, especially as a lawyer! I'm guessing it's tougher for people who have Southern accents, likely face more prejudice with all the more negative US stereotypes ... curious to see what others' experiences have been!

Coming from California, I'm scared about missing Mexican food, and also Korean food. Had some great Korean food in Surrey and found a store that sells kimchi so I felt great relief and is part of why I'm like, "k I can survive there" buuuut I'm also scared about missing Flamin Hot cheetoes but that's probably for the best because it's definitely not very healthy ...

Also a bit nervous about being gluten-free in the UK ... not sure how much caution about that has spread in the UK compared to the US ... about two years ago, I started developing rashes on my elbows when I would eat things containing wheat, became quite anemic, etc until a doctor recommended I try a gluten-free diet and wow, wild improvement - blood levels went from really anemic to everything great, rash and stomach issues went away (except when I'd accidentally eat something with wheat), much more clear-headed, my medication started feeling like the dosage was too strong, etc. I've been having my fingers crossed that maybe flour/bread in the UK won't be as bad ... like maybe GMOs have something to do with it, or the fact that wheat gluten is a separate added ingredient in most bread at US stores ... buuut not getting my hopes up too high ... Just wondering if I need to expect more eyerolls from restaurants asking about gluten-free options in the UK than in the US ... especially because I loved Sunday Roasts and want to have some gravy without feeling like I'm dying for the following week!

Another burning question - for people who took prescription medications in the US - I would love to know how long it took to get on your regimen after moving to the UK. I get the impression that doctors in the UK and the NHS don't hand out/push meds like candy like they do in the US, but I'm curious what the process was ...

And of course, I know that each of my questions have their own appropriate forums sooo I will do a search and find answers there, buuut just thought I'd include them in this introduction! Clearly been brimming with questions and wanting to talk about my thoughts about moving to the UK! I'm so thankful for this community and so glad this place exists. I'm really looking forward to (hopefully) making some friends here. I'm sure there will be a lot of things I will miss about the US despite the fact that right now I am just counting down the days to GTFO ... I need to refrain from letting the US become some kind of caricature of itself in my mind because there is a beautiful history despite all of its perhaps more obvious flaws that the world gawks at ... so it will be nice to reminisce about some of those upsides with fellow Americans ... at the same time, I look forward to assimilating to UK culture and learning how to be a respectful, courteous, polite person by UK standards ... this message board will be so helpful in helping me learn all these things, thanks to all the wisdom handed down by people who moved to the UK before me!

Just wanted to say hello and send my love to all of you and say thank you for sharing all of your experiences and helping one another out and giving each other support. Thank you so much in advance for any advice you give me - I hope to be helpful to others as well! I will do my best

Fingers crossed that my spouse settlement visa gets cleared soon and we can be on our way across the pond this June! The plan is to be in Surrey the first few months. Very eager to meet new people and make friends, would love to meet up with some of you in person! And also get advice on how you all managed to make friends in a brand new country, independent of spouses. Of course, missing family and friends will be hard too ... but I'm pretty used to living far away from all of them and moving a lot, so that part actually isn't as terrible ... especially thanks to social media and technology and whatnot that makes things like video chat possible!

Anyway ...

Nice to meet y'all!

p.s. Oh yeah, super excited for Jeremy Corbyn and bought Tottenham and Liverpool kits as soon as we decided we were moving to the UK. Hubby wasn't much of a football fan but I told him if I'm moving to England I gotta have a team! Couldn't decide btwn those two, so ended up picking both before this EPL started ... aaaaaannnd pretty happy with our choices! Excited for the World Cup!! Ahh it's going to be so much more fun watching in England than here!

I dont have the time to edit down the quote so I'm just replying to a couple parts.  I'm new in the UK and you'll find Gluten Free is quite easy, but with the same qualifier as in the US. Pre-made gluten free food is full of crap and often just bad. There are a couple good breads, and plenty of pasta options. I love baking though so I've found the flours I need on amazon and I'm getting used to the convection ovens here with no bottom heating element. Produce in supermarkets is cheaper as well.

I'm struggling with the NHS. They won't accept my medical records in the practice closest to my house. I have about 30 diagnosed conditions thanks to crummy genes, so you can see how that would be an issue for me. But some others have gone to their practices with their records and they have been happy to have them and continue care so its luck of the draw. I ended up with a bully of a doctor who thinks the US doesn't have a clue what they're doing even though I saw one of the top geneticists for my condition. I've been here 4 months and I'm almost out of meds (mainly for pain management and allergies/sinusitis) and haven't been able to get them refilled.

I've got to agree with Aquila's post, there are good things and bad things about both places, so don't think you are leaving school shooting hell for a Mary Poppins paradise.  The answer lies somewhere in the middle.  Keep in mind that the UK is absolutely tiny compared to the US, see the image attached.  Comparing gun crime across the entire US doesn't really make much sense.  The good news is that at least you don't have to see and hear people bragging about their guns. 

Good choice for moving to Surrey, Surbiton is well known as the hub of Korean culture with good restaurants and markets. 

Air quality here is particularly awful, especially under the Heathrow flightpath which I believe Surbiton is.  Nobody does anything about it even though it kills thousands of people a year.  One thing you will learn about the UK, nobody spends money on anything unless it is literally on fire.  That's why the trains grind to a halt whenever there is either a dusting of  snow or hotter than 90 degrees.  They certainly aren't going to spend any money on improving air quality that you can't see. 

One good thing is that everybody here  hates Trump and you can safely assume everyone is up for a good complaint session about his latest.  People here are NOT religious at all and very deeply suspicious about Bible Thumpers, so if that fits your preferences you will be happy.  Everyone around London is stridently anti brexit, so when you get here and start figuring out exactly what a spectacular act of self harm Brexit is, you can join in the moaning with gusto. 

You've got a lot to look forward to!

Keep in mind that the UK is absolutely tiny compared to the US, see the image attached. 

And it feels even smaller than that!

And it feels even smaller than that!

For a minute there I thought you were going to absolutely humiliate me by making that image appear inline instead of attached. This web interface is miserable!

while (*d++ = *s++);

There you go my brother.

while (*d++ = *s++);

There you go my brother.

Thanks man, but I don't understand.  You seem to be instantiating a do loop without specifying any content, and your semi colon is in the wrong place.  Also, both d and s seem to be incrementing by 1 with each iteration but have never been instantiated. 

Could you submit a more complete code sample?