Just had my first UK driving experience...

I was really scared that I was going to bash the car up driving around test driving

That might just be the best time to dent one. "Hell no I don't want it! Look at  the state of that fender!"

Does it ever stop feeling like a vacation ??

I was in the US for a long time and it never stopped feeling like vacation for me there...that's a good thing! 

Transferwise should be relatively quick and painless to use! Not sure if it's harder with higher amounts of money, but perhaps you could transfer it via smaller bits? I can at least say, if you do smaller bits, it should get there within a few days. It's better that its been rejected and you know where it is (as you said) than have it just disappear or go into the wrong account. it's definitely annoying, but at least you know it's all still there (and this will be a relatively easy fix).

Definitely explore. I remember getting so bored and felt so useless and even going out to the shops after a while felt boring to me after a while as I was spending money I didn't feel I was really contributing to, but I had been all around the town on previous visits so it wasn't much exploration for me, more of just a time filler. I also got bored cleaning and re-organising (especially as a lot of the stuff wasn't mine to re-organise!). I would say explore as much as you can and see if there are any cheap or free community events you can check out near you if possible.

Is there a hobby or something you could look to try to kill the boredom? I had the best intentions of starting a new hobby when I moved to kill time, but I ended up working a lot sooner than I anticipated so that just didn't happen. Is there a craft you want to learn that you can do at home or courses you can do to kill some time during the day and give you some type of schedule? Try to establish some type of routine (even if it's just "up by x-time, shower, breakfast, explore until lunch, grab a coffee, go home, watch 2 episodes of a show, clean, prep dinner, dedicate time to a hobby" etc etc etc). I'm not usually a routine person, but it genuinely helps so much when you go from having SO much to do to nothing. I found it helped give me somewhat or a purpose when i just couldn't decide what I wanted to do or when I wanted to do it. A little bit of structure can be a good thing.

I think what it comes down to is that you are very practical and you had it all well thought out of what you'd do and how you'd deal with certain issues (which is amazing and such a good thing!) that you didn't necessary account for human nature. Sometimes you just can't avoid culture shock no matter how well you prepare! Even the most prepared person in the world could have a hard time.

If you were only just a bit closer, I'd totally be there to help you out! So close but so far away! lol

Yeah, I just spent the last 2 years saving diligently, and when I didn't know where it was, obviously I was in panic mode. I was stressing so much that I got upset with my husband because I had lost my own pair of socks. I apologized, of course, and he knows me well enough to know that it wasn't personal or even his fault at all. The thing is, though, if he snipped at me for the smallest things like I do to him I'm sure I'd start crying! He's a trooper LOL

I've been trying to wake up at  decent time but I'm so tired! I slept until 11 today and yesterday....part of me is like "this is unacceptable" but the other part of me is "you are probably still jet lagged, give yourself a break"  As for hobbies, I've been writing a novel for over a year now, and I've been studying Latin so I have several things to keep me busy! I have a favorite Costa down in the city center, but I'm keen on exploring. Tom gave me the GPS directions to a Coffee #1 in the city center and I intend on going there today!! I ended up video chatting with his sisters about dresses, and then I had to wait for the delivery man to deliver my laptop's cooling fan...but now that that's all out of the way, I'm going to finish this cup of coffee and this episode of Victoria, then head to Coffee #1 and (probably) have another cup of coffee. You can never have too many, right!? I fully intend on visiting the library this week and gathering some intel on local clubs/volunteer work so I can get moving. I also want to call for my NIN this week. I was going to yesterday, but it was just NOT a good day. I stayed in my pajamas all day.

Thanks for calling me practical! Sometimes I think I'm just strolling along with no clue what I'm doing! Every now and again it'll hit me, exactly what I've done. I still feel like this is a dream, or a vacation and I'll be back in Louisiana in a couple weeks.

Hopefully we all get together for the 27 October Blizzard Party! Then we can all meet up!

I was in the US for a long time and it never stopped feeling like vacation for me there...that's a good thing! 

You're British, right laurabee? What did you think of America? Which state did you live in??

The thing is that you only arrived a week ago, and you’ve already done A LOT of stuff. Give yourself some time to just relax and get used to it. You aren’t being useless in the slightest... you’re adjusting to a massive lifestyle change!

When I fly back to the U.K. from the US, it takes me a good 1-2 weeks just to get over the jetlag, let alone do anything else!

It’s perfectly normal to be feeling sad, especially with the jet lag on top of the changes, and be prepared for the feeling to be on and off for the first few months, maybe longer.

Don’t rush to do too much. Just take some downtime and take things slowly, one day at a time. Maybe give yourself a list of one thing to do each day... like go for a walk, or take the bus, or explore the shops/countryside etc.

Start getting some little things sorted, if you haven’t already, like add your name to bills, register with a GP, open a bank account, apply for an NI number.

Take a few weeks to adjust and settle in before tackling the bigger things like driving or looking for work.

It’s so easy, and much, much cheaper than transferring through your bank or ATM.

You just enter the U.K. bank details of the bank you want to transfer to and then pay for the transfer by debit or credit card, or you can do it through your bank account directly.

The way it works is that your transfer from the US to the U.K. is matched up with another equal transfer from the U.K. to the US, and instead of sending any money internationally, your US money gets transferred to the other person in the US, and the other person’s UK money gets transferred to you in the U.K... which eliminates any international transfer fees.


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I thought maybe I over-did it, but I'll be okay. Going to France right after my move may have been jumping in too quickly, but I had an amazing time!! Now that I had my mini-vacation, it's feeling real now. I think that when I usually travel, I go on vacation, go home, and usually get back to my job within a day or so. Since  I don't have a job here yet, I can hardly keep track of what day it is! Tom's added me to the council tax, I visited a phone carrier and inquired about my future phone plan, I still need to call about a NIN, but we are slowly but surely adding my name to things. My name is now on the lease to the flat!! Things are shaping up!

I trust everyone's word on transferwise. @jfkimberly  suggested it months ago, but I opted to use my bank the first time. I should've listened to the experts

Oh, no I am so sorry you're missing your children, I can only imagine how much more difficult that makes it. I miss my family, but I don't think I -miss- them in a desperate sense yet. I wanted to call my dad the other day but it was too early, so that was a taste of what it'll be like, but I haven't cried over them yet. I'm sure the day will come when I miss a big family gathering, or worse, at Christmas.

It's good that you are 100% certain that this is your home now!! I'm sure that helped the adjustment. Does it ever stop feeling like a vacation ??

Yes... when you're dragging your butt to work 5 days a week and your days off are spent cleaning and batch cooking. Vacation over!

My kids are 19, 21 and 22. And in the path of a major hurricane right now. I'm scared shitless for them and I feel 100% helpless. I'm trying to keep calm and keep busy.

Their dad is out of the country now too. My son lives an hour and a half away from his sisters (And he's getting married next week and I won't be there) so it's just the girls by themselves in the family home.

The oldest daughter is well prepared. She's got the yard ready, supplies bought, a plan in place. Very well prepared. I'm not.



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I've been trying to wake up at  decent time but I'm so tired! I slept until 11 today and yesterday....part of me is like "this is unacceptable" but the other part of me is "you are probably still jet lagged, give yourself a break" 

It’s jetlag... my first week here in the Falklands (4 hours behind the U.K.) I was waking up between 4 and 5 am every day and going to sleep at 10pm. Of course, working night shifts and 70-hour weeks quickly put a stop to that!

When I get back to the UK from the US, if I don’t have to be at work, I have about a week of not being able to get to sleep until 2 am and waking up around 10 or 11 am. One time, I was due to go on a training course for work the day after I got home but I had to miss it because I couldn’t even get myself up in the morning .

I was going to yesterday, but it was just NOT a good day. I stayed in my pajamas all day.

You’re perfectly entitled to stay in your pyjamas all day... in fact, it’s gone 11 am here right now and I’m still in my pyjamas, sitting in bed (the plan was to be in the pool by now, but that hasn’t happened yet) .

Hopefully we all get together for the 27 October Blizzard Party! Then we can all meet up!

Fingers crossed .



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For Transferwise, just start with moving $5 or $10.  Once you see it's worked, repeat with the larger amount.  Though depending on the size of the transfer, it could be worth having a look around at rates and getting the best bang for your buck.  I'd actually encourage you to keep some back, as with Brexit, the pound could drop down to being equal with the dollar and potentially worse.  You may get a much larger return if you wait a bit.

If I wasn't in the office, I would 100% be in my jam jams.

I wish my life felt like vacation all the time.  I am desperately needing a holiday. 

Today was my day with the car, so no jam jams for me.  But I do have ingredients for all the tasty noms, so there's that. 

TT, enjoy some slower days.  Take it easier for a bit while you just get used to being here.  It does get easier!

You'll have the little moments when things you always took for granted back in the US aren't possible or are much more difficult/expensive here, and you'll have occasional meltdowns.  Sometimes out of the blue, and over the stupidest, most trivial things.  But those moments will gradually  be fewer and farther between.  And at some point, you'll get to a point where you aren't even emotional about it anymore... You'll just acknowledge it wryly and then get on with working around the thing you can't do here.

And, above all else, come to us to vent!  We know.  We know every emotion you're feeling.  We've all been there.

I wish it felt like vacay!  I'm afraid not for me. 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have hardly seen any of the UK.  I still haven't been to Devon, Cornwall, the Lake District...  so many places.  When I get holiday, I take off for warmer/sunnier destinations.  Had I known we would have a unicorn of a summer this year, I would have done a proper UK holiday.

It’s jetlag... my first week here in the Falklands (4 hours behind the U.K.) I was waking up between 4 and 5 am every day and going to sleep at 10pm. Of course, working night shifts and 70-hour weeks quickly put a stop to that!

When I get back to the UK from the US, if I don’t have to be at work, I have about a week of not being able to get to sleep until 2 am and waking up around 10 or 11 am. One time, I was due to go on a training course for work the day after I got home but I had to miss it because I couldn’t even get myself up in the morning .

You’re perfectly entitled to stay in your pyjamas all day... in fact, it’s gone 11 am here right now and I’m still in my pyjamas, sitting in bed (the plan was to be in the pool by now, but that hasn’t happened yet) .

Fingers crossed .



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What do you do for a living? you travel so much! I stayed up quite late last night, like until 1am so I'm not surprised I slept until 11. I feel like my natural balance is a night owl, so staying up late is easy, waking up early is difficult!! And since I don't have to be anywhere, my body is like "nah I'm snoozing!"
I managed to put clothes and make up on!! I'm visiting a coffee shop. Ran into an issue, though. My debit card is still old fashioned, and doesn't have a chip/contactless and this coffee shop didn't have an option to slide....time to look into transferwise lol

I wish it felt like vacay!  I'm afraid not for me. 

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have hardly seen any of the UK.  I still haven't been to Devon, Cornwall, the Lake District...  so many places.  When I get holiday, I take off for warmer/sunnier destinations.  Had I known we would have a unicorn of a summer this year, I would have done a proper UK holiday.

We did two tours around Wales.  We said it was "holiday", but we were also scoping out suitable places to live, so we could narrow our house hunt.

Our "honeymoon" was Wales and the Lake District.  I'd like to see Scotland sometime, and I'm trying to convince my husband that a trip down to the very tip of Cornwall would be interesting.  He said it's full of Cornish people, though...

What do you do for a living? you travel so much!

I’m a meteorologist, working with the Royal Air Force (I’m a civil servant, though not military). I travel so much because I volunteer for overseas deployments in British Overseas Territories . It’s pretty cool - other than the fact that I work crazy hours (days and nights). Yesterday was a fun day - we had gale force winds, severe turbulence, rain and low cloud, and I spent the day fielding phone calls from the captain of the twice-weekly passenger flight down from the UK, and from the fighter pilots, who were constantly asking if the weather had improved enough yet for them to fly (they get so impatient )!

I’m so tired this week though as I barely slept after my night shifts the other day, so although I’m now up, showered and dressed now, I’m sitting on my bed, snacking and binge-watching The West Wing . The highlight of my day will likely be going to the coffee shop for cake before my night shift tonight .



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I'm embarrassed to admit that I have hardly seen any of the UK.  I still haven't been to Devon, Cornwall, the Lake District...  so many places.  When I get holiday, I take off for warmer/sunnier destinations.  Had I known we would have a unicorn of a summer this year, I would have done a proper UK holiday.

Same here - it took me 25 years to see Stonehenge, even though I grew up only about 1.5 hours from it (and that was only because a friend from the US was visiting and wanted to go), and I’ve now lived in Lincolnshire for 7 years but I’ve barely seen any of the county... haven’t even made it to the coast yet!



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