Discouraged

No window screens.  No plugs in the bathroom.  Not always a dishwasher.  Rarely a drive thru anything.  Hard water.  The list grows and grows. 

I am a massive fan of no window screens. In south Louisiana every single window has screens because of mosquitoes. Because of that, windows only open up and down. In England I can push my windows outward like Belle does in Beauty and the Beast and I think my first week there I'll be tempted to burst into song every time I open a window!! haha!

NO PLUGS IN THE BATHROOM. OK that is the most inconvenient thing I've encountered there. Where do people get ready?!! My husband bought me a mirror to use in the living room and I was like "I'm going to need a vanity, I am spoiled" lol! No dishwasher is okay as long as the dishes don't pile up. I've been telling my husband my list of "please don't do this when we live together"

I haven't had any fast food in years and the only time I use a drive thru is when I pick up my morning coffee. If I end up walking to work/using a train/bus, I won't have to, I can just walk in!

Hard water?!?!

I am also excited about all the walking. Down here, we can't have subways or trains (except the 1 Amtrak line) So having a car is a necessity. I commute an hour to work and back every single day so that's at least 2 hours in a car every day and I'm just so sick of driving. I love walking outside, especially in England weather. If you haven't noticed, I am EXCITED! Ugh still no email though 

But you cook! 

I cook, too, but I need a microwave!  They're so useful!

Same.  I had been in the UK for a year with no dishwasher when I moved in with my now-husband.  Who had been in his house for 2 years.  And the paperwork was still inside his never-used dishwasher.  I was like, "Ummm... yeah.  So we are now going to use this magic box."  It took a LOOOOOOONG time to convince him.  Now he couldn't live without one.

AHAHAHA OMG I feel this thread SO MUCH. I've been here in the East Midlands since October....and I have finally convinced my husband that rinsing off dishes is a thing and he should definitely do it. He still won't kill the dang house spiders though and I can't deal. They are EVERYWHERE. I don't have a dryer yet, but I got my eye on a condensing one from Curry's.

Speaking of curry....dear sweet baby Jesus how did I ever live without it?! Gah! I miss queso and various other cheeses that just aren't a thing here....but the food overall is amazing. I think the things I had to get used to (and still struggle with) are stupid little things we all do automatically coming from the US. (I'm from SE TN btw)....light switches, outlets (sockets), the lack of window screens, 24-hour time formats, the phrasing within a business setting, the way the toilet flushes....NO Air Conditioning (I've installed ceiling fans in all of the bedrooms of our house)...nosey neighbors, pub life, football madness....I can't wait for all you guys waiting to get approved. It's so much better here.

I cook, too, but I need a microwave!  They're so useful!

I couldn't be without one! 

I am a massive fan of no window screens. In south Louisiana every single window has screens because of mosquitoes. Because of that, windows only open up and down. In England I can push my windows outward like Belle does in Beauty and the Beast and I think my first week there I'll be tempted to burst into song every time I open a window!! haha!

NO PLUGS IN THE BATHROOM. OK that is the most inconvenient thing I've encountered there. Where do people get ready?!! My husband bought me a mirror to use in the living room and I was like "I'm going to need a vanity, I am spoiled" lol! No dishwasher is okay as long as the dishes don't pile up. I've been telling my husband my list of "please don't do this when we live together"

I haven't had any fast food in years and the only time I use a drive thru is when I pick up my morning coffee. If I end up walking to work/using a train/bus, I won't have to, I can just walk in!

Hard water?!?!

I am also excited about all the walking. Down here, we can't have subways or trains (except the 1 Amtrak line) So having a car is a necessity. I commute an hour to work and back every single day so that's at least 2 hours in a car every day and I'm just so sick of driving. I love walking outside, especially in England weather. If you haven't noticed, I am EXCITED! Ugh still no email though 

girl, public transport here is a BLESSING. I have a bus stop at the end of my street and it's the best thing ever because I am NOT driving in this craziness  ::)LOL. The plug thing bothers me (my light switch for the bathroom is also outside the actual bathroom ) and I've opted for a vanity. Ikea. Ikea is life.

Hard water?!?!

Has a higher level of dissolved mineral salts than soft water, leading to limescale build up in kettles, boilers etc.

https://www.kinetico.co.uk/hard-and-soft-water-explained/hard-and-soft-water-uk

I don't have a dryer yet, but I got my eye on a condensing one from Curry's.

If it is at all possible for you to get a vented dryer, rather than a condensing one, do it!  I mean, something is better than nothing, but we had a condensing dryer at the old house, and it was ... not great.

AHAHAHA OMG I feel this thread SO MUCH. I've been here in the East Midlands since October....and I have finally convinced my husband that rinsing off dishes is a thing and he should definitely do it. He still won't kill the dang house spiders though and I can't deal. They are EVERYWHERE. I don't have a dryer yet, but I got my eye on a condensing one from Curry's.

Speaking of curry....dear sweet baby Jesus how did I ever live without it?! Gah! I miss queso and various other cheeses that just aren't a thing here....but the food overall is amazing. I think the things I had to get used to (and still struggle with) are stupid little things we all do automatically coming from the US. (I'm from SE TN btw)....light switches, outlets (sockets), the lack of window screens, 24-hour time formats, the phrasing within a business setting, the way the toilet flushes....NO Air Conditioning (I've installed ceiling fans in all of the bedrooms of our house)...nosey neighbors, pub life, football madness....I can't wait for all you guys waiting to get approved. It's so much better here.

I am disgusted by unwashed dishes! 

I don't like bugs in my home...where I sleep!! 

Ok so one big thing I keep hearing is "Omg you're going to miss Southern/Cajun food" "England isn't known for their food"
ummmm the food in England is AMAZING. I don't like Cajun food...I don't like spicy, I don't eat rice, I don't eat very much meat other than chicken and ground turkey, and they season the absolute crap out of everything to the point where I feel like I'm eating a paste of Tabasco and Tony Chachere's.

This visa-waiting stuff has put my mental state into such limbo. The original post was spot on. I am feeling SO discouraged. There is so much to look forward to and I'm just here...still working...waiting on the visa...going mad!

The move has been HUGE! I come from south Louisiana where a lot of people have never really left the country. (not hating on them, although I don't believe life is meant to be lived in one place)

I've always loved the UK. I'm a historian...where is there more history than Europe!!! That being said, I had a lot of goals before even thinking about moving so far away. I opted to go to college locally (cheaper tuition) and once I decided on history, the only thing to do was to get a Master's degree. I got offered an assistant-ship at my university so I stayed local for another few years (They paid my tuition). I wanted a masters degree and a full time job in my field before I got married. I did all of that! Little did I know my husband would be BRITISH!

I don't know about you, but I've gotten mixed responses by people in regard to my decision to move. How about you? I've been met with "Oh, wow! That's amazing!" to "Why would you want to leave America?"
Um, because Europe is amazing.....and umm...MY HUSBAND!

My family wasn't surprised. I'm a huge believer in just DOING things. Even if it frightens you. And this is certainly frightening, but the idea of finally being with my hot British man keeps me going lol! A lot of people ask "Won't you miss your family?" Like I'm some a**hole who doesn't care about my family down here. OF COURSE I'll miss them! But I'm not going to stay here forever for them and they understand that. I am also glad to see someone my age taking such a huge step!! I'm not aloneee!!

That is such a huge change! I can't imagine. And I totally agree, too many Americans don't see enough of the world!

Congrats on your degree!!! That's such an accomplishment. I want to go for a Masters, but I'm too impatient to do it in America - my husband and I's 4th anniversary is this month, and I just want to move over there so I plan on completing mine there.

I totally have had the same responses. My family is very annoyed that we didn't choose to live here (because "America is the greatest country in the world!!!"  ), but most other people tend to understand.

I feel the EXACT same about leaving my family. Like I will miss them, but I can't only live my life for them -- you've got to get out and do what you want, and I think that's something which a lot of people don't understand. I also don't see how it's so different to me moving to California or something from NY -- it's about the same flight time (give or take a few hours going from London to NY..), so what's the big deal?

I went through the two visa threads and noted when people were getting approvals, which my husband put into an Excel sheet (he works with data and loves spreadsheets, lol). I thought some other people might appreciate the data!

It's been a while since we've had a flurry of decisions, but I noticed they do come in droves... let's hope for one soon!

That is such a huge change! I can't imagine. And I totally agree, too many Americans don't see enough of the world!

Congrats on your degree!!! That's such an accomplishment. I want to go for a Masters, but I'm too impatient to do it in America - my husband and I's 4th anniversary is this month, and I just want to move over there so I plan on completing mine there.

I totally have had the same responses. My family is very annoyed that we didn't choose to live here (because "America is the greatest country in the world!!!"  ), but most other people tend to understand.

I feel the EXACT same about leaving my family. Like I will miss them, but I can't only live my life for them -- you've got to get out and do what you want, and I think that's something which a lot of people don't understand. I also don't see how it's so different to me moving to California or something from NY -- it's about the same flight time (give or take a few hours going from London to NY..), so what's the big deal?

There is literally NO ONE here who has a single clue about what I'm going through. No one here moves out of America, it just doesn't happen. There is one exception: I had two friends in high school, one who went to grad school at St. Andrews (but he moved back to the US) and another friend who is currently getting his Vet degree in London. I don't know if he's moving permanently) Other than that, no one can relate and to be honest, going to school in the UK is different than marrying a UK citizen and moving there on a settlement visa.

Thanks for the congrats! It took me 7 years but I got my two degrees and an amazing job! Which I am unfortunately resigning from once I have the visa. It was an internship and when I graduated in 2016 they moved me to full time. I'm attached to my job, my boss, my co workers, etc. I'm going to actually cry when I resign officially. My boss is coming to my wedding in England!!

4 years? Long distance?! That is another thing people don't seem to grasp....that I am ALONE HERE! I have friends and stuff, yeah and family...but anytime someone complains about their relationship I am like BUT YOU ARE TOGETHER!!! I'm so salty about it lol! We've been long distance nearly 3 years now so I feel your pain.

Thankfully my family has been understanding about my love for Europe and my decision to move. My husband was willing to move here...but it wasn't really his first choice. I was always going to be the one to move and I am 100% okay with that (except this horrible visa process/cost/wait)

My sister lives in TN, so I'm not the only child in my family to move relatively far, but to be honest my family weren't surprised in the least. Especially when I introduced them to my perfect British husband!

If it is at all possible for you to get a vented dryer, rather than a condensing one, do it!  I mean, something is better than nothing, but we had a condensing dryer at the old house, and it was ... not great.

the layout of my house is not great for a vented dryer. I don't have a window to vent out of as it's going in a scullery (what a great word) and the windo there doesn't open. I don't mind hanging everything but like sheets and towels.

I went through the two visa threads and noted when people were getting approvals, which my husband put into an Excel sheet (he works with data and loves spreadsheets, lol). I thought some other people might appreciate the data!

It's been a while since we've had a flurry of decisions, but I noticed they do come in droves... let's hope for one soon!

I don't fully understand the chart, but it's good to know that flurries DO happen and if it's been stagnant for a few days/weeks then hopefully we'll all know at the same time!!!

I am disgusted by unwashed dishes! 

I don't like bugs in my home...where I sleep!! 

Ok so one big thing I keep hearing is "Omg you're going to miss Southern/Cajun food" "England isn't known for their food"
ummmm the food in England is AMAZING. I don't like Cajun food...I don't like spicy, I don't eat rice, I don't eat very much meat other than chicken and ground turkey, and they season the absolute crap out of everything to the point where I feel like I'm eating a paste of Tabasco and Tony Chachere's.

This visa-waiting stuff has put my mental state into such limbo. The original post was spot on. I am feeling SO discouraged. There is so much to look forward to and I'm just here...still working...waiting on the visa...going mad!

I completely understand. Been there. I've just reapplied for my daughter's visa so now my wait begins for that...thrill.

the dishes thing....it's a Brit thing. And it's not not rinsing plates off after eating  and laying them in the sink...it's washing them and sticking them on a rack to dry without rinsing them off. *gag* we have a dishwasher now, but there's still some stuff that you gotta wash by hand. I nagged about this so much.

There is literally NO ONE here who has a single clue about what I'm going through. No one here moves out of America, it just doesn't happen. There is one exception: I had two friends in high school, one who went to grad school at St. Andrews (but he moved back to the US) and another friend who is currently getting his Vet degree in London. I don't know if he's moving permanently) Other than that, no one can relate and to be honest, going to school in the UK is different than marrying a UK citizen and moving there on a settlement visa.

Thanks for the congrats! It took me 7 years but I got my two degrees and an amazing job! Which I am unfortunately resigning from once I have the visa. It was an internship and when I graduated in 2016 they moved me to full time. I'm attached to my job, my boss, my co workers, etc. I'm going to actually cry when I resign officially. My boss is coming to my wedding in England!!

4 years? Long distance?! That is another thing people don't seem to grasp....that I am ALONE HERE! I have friends and stuff, yeah and family...but anytime someone complains about their relationship I am like BUT YOU ARE TOGETHER!!! I'm so salty about it lol! We've been long distance nearly 3 years now so I feel your pain.

Thankfully my family has been understanding about my love for Europe and my decision to move. My husband was willing to move here...but it wasn't really his first choice. I was always going to be the one to move and I am 100% okay with that (except this horrible visa process/cost/wait)

My sister lives in TN, so I'm not the only child in my family to move relatively far, but to be honest my family weren't surprised in the least. Especially when I introduced them to my perfect British husband!

I feel the exact same way about how nobody ever goes anywhere if they're from the South. I know one other person who's been out of the country for pleasure (and not military) and most of the people I've known my entire life have never even been on a plane.

My husband has also said he would move to the US if we ever had to make that decision...but I couldn't do that to him. the whole Southern culture is just so harsh compared to here. It's strange to be living in a place so open-minded and concerned with their citizens (compared to where I'm from in TN). I wouldn't ever want to go back.