Living in the UK V. USA

[maxamillion 3]

So this week my design program brought about a dozen kids from the University of Lincoln over here to Philly as part of a collaborative design project, and it really got me thinking that I'd truly entertain the idea of moving to England if the opportunity presents itself. Maybe I just want to be talked out of this current dream but I really like history, and the thought of being able to travel so easily is amazing. I mean if I were to drive 400 miles from here, I'd still be in PA, but in Europe I'd have been through 5 countries. Has anyone here successfully made the transition? Again, just a current fantasy that I thought I'd shoot around.

[team50 20]

Cost of living in GB is very high not to mention they drive on the wrong side of the road.

[Chadd 916]

Getting a visa will be the hard part.

[pby 0]

Have you been to Europe before? If not I'd consider making a visit before considering settlement.

They say grass is always greener on the other side. Even though you might be able to travel through 5 countries in 400 miles but petrol cost 300% more because of petrol tax so you probably be driving less! Everything is more expensive here, everything from a cheeseburger to rink time to houses.

I'm currently working my way to get citizenship in the US, which is your fantasy in reverse :)

[maxamillion 3]

Haha yes I have been before and I loved it. If it ever came to be, I'd look to avoid owning a car, I just used the example because of how close everything is in Europe. again just another college student fantasy.

[thorbs 2]

Hey man, I might have a perspective that could help you. I'm originally from Toronto, Canada and lived in Taipei, Taiwan for 3.5 years and am currently in Melbourne, Australia.

It's certainly different living in a western society that isn't the same as yours -- in Oz, the social climate is almost the same, but with several noticeable differences (ie. people are a bit more blunt/aggressive, lots of 'bogans' (aka white trash), etc.).

If you're a younger guy I'd highly recommend it. Getting out of your own society helps you see it in a different, more in-depth light.

[Chadd 916]

Even though you might be able to travel through 5 countries in 400 miles but petrol cost 300% more because of petrol tax so you probably be driving less!

I want to move to an island that is 20 miles long and six miles wide, not much driving at all.

[pby 0]

I want to move to an island that is 20 miles long and six miles wide, not much driving at all.

I can only imagine how awesome that would be.

[maxamillion 3]

like manhattan?

[Chadd 916]

No, somewhere more tropical

[maxamillion 3]

you have to be careful though. Islands like that have the chance to capsize.

[N00dl3 0]

Wow, finally a thread to pull me out of trolling. :x

I've lived in both, from PA and lived in the UK and traveled through Europe a couple years ago.

Living in London was a dream, if you like Soccer, drinking, easy travel, culture, techno dj's, ridiculous prices, high tax rates and are entertained at seeing every paper full of the previous match's stabbing count.

History and culture wise it was pretty awesome. All of the museums are free to attend (closed Mondays), and the theatre district (Tottenham Court/Oxford Circus) is a mini Broadway. Students were able to attend shows at 20 quid an hour before the performance. Traveling around was easy as hell. There is NOTHING I miss more than the tube system that ran through London. I was a block from three different stations and got around far too easily that didn't realise how spoiled I was until I visited NYC. However, during 'rush hour' the tube would be so packed full I would sit on the platform opting out of four or five trains before I could get on one where I wouldn't feel like a sardine. The trains are super easy too, buying rail passes to get around the country. The only problem was they move slower than dirt. Driving is the way to go if you wanted to live anywhere outside of London, but there's no point to have one in the city.

Going country to country was easy too. I honestly didn't have my passport checked at all in western Europe until I left Greece going into Bulgaria. Again, trains are painfully slow, but it was amazing to be in Switzerland one night, see Paul Van Dyk was playing in Munich the next day, hopping a train and being there a couple hours later. At that rate here, I wouldn't have even been in Harrisburg yet.

There is an epic lacking of sports outside of Soccer there, although I did find that everyone in Europe knows the Penguins logo and loves Lemieux. (Yay!)

On the down side, their current VAT rate is at 17.5% and going up to 20% in January. It's super lame to spend 45 pounds on groceries, and then another 9 pounds just because of taxes. :( Also, everything closes at 10pm (including pubs), and on Sundays, nothing opens until 11 or noon, and then closes at 5pm- so you have perhaps... 4 hours to get everything done on a Sunday calculating travel time/queues and whatnot. Food has no preservatives over there, so produce and food spoils quicker than you're used to, leaving you grocery shopping 2-3 times a week (which personally, I hate). Most flats are very small space wise, and it's very hard to find a drier, even in a laundromat. :(

All in all, great to visit for a while, but rough to live if you aren't used to it. /shrug

[phonak 0]

Moved to America from Europe 3.5 years ago for school. I guess it's the opposite to what you want to do, but it should be a great experience. Europe is totally different but if you're open-minded you should have a blast!

[maxamillion 3]

I'm incredibly open minded, and a lover of history and culture. If I were to go, it may only be for a few years, but I just want to get a taste of something different. It surprised me when I talked to my dad about it, and he was all for it! the telling thing for me was the fact that I had more in common with the dozen+ kids that came from the UK than I did with anyone in my class.

[iceNsteel 0]

Living in Europe is different. You'll find yourself surprised by little things that seem strange, or that you miss. For example, if you live in older buildings the WC concept is a bit different for most Americans, though in modern building Europeans have largely embraced the American bathroom. Or just little stuff like not being able to find ranch dressing. I personally enjoyed living in France. Yes, the cost of living is higher, taxes are high, and a lot of people don't have the same level of consumer goods Americans are accustomed to having. Of course those high taxes spell out a lot of available public services, and I personally enjoyed living in a culture that wasn't as obsessed with work as the US tends to be.