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[DragoonKain]

Ever since I was in my early 20's, something about the UK just connected with me. Everything about it. The people, the culture, the history, the accents, the architecture, the land. I've always wanted to move there. Obviously, I'm not just going to drop everything and move there willy nilly, I plan to visit it first and spend some time there. I have friends who live there and have been planning to visit them sometime for a month or so.

I'm curious if anyone has done this though and if it worked out for you. Did anyone ever have a country they just always dreamed about or always fancied and maybe you decided to move there and did it bring you the joy you desired? I've talked to a few people personally who have done it. Some loved it and never came back to the States, and some missed it too much and ended up coming back(some with a new spouse though!).

Just curious, because it's something I've really been pondering a lot lately.

 

[Composer]

In these scenarios, it's always best to visit for 6 months and see how you feel about it. Personally, I feel the same way about the UK and hope to move there. Living there for a few weeks at a time really solidified that commitment; however, I know of others who felt the same but didn't like it after moving.

 

[DragoonKain]

In these scenarios, it's always best to visit for 6 months and see how you feel about it. Personally, I feel the same way about the UK and hope to move there. Living there for a few weeks at a time really solidified that commitment; however, I know of others who felt the same but didn't like it after moving.

A friend of mine lived there for school abroad and he couldn't wait to come home because he said the weather and how cloudy, overcast, rainy, and gloomy all the time made him incredibly depressed. Now obviously it's not like that everyday, but he said when he was there for 2 years there were significantly less sunny days than in the States and it made him incredibly depressed. He also hated the food-which is something that even some of my British friends will admit greatly pales in comparison to the States.

But I assume that's something people in the US just get used to who move there.

 

[Kule]

This is the opposite for me as someone born in the UK. I felt completely bored there, everything was so samey and depressing. Left around two years ago and have only returned twice for short stays and honestly it just cemented my feelings for leaving in the first place. I do miss my friends and the banter at the pub/bars but that's really the only thing.

 

[DragoonKain]

This is the opposite for me as someone born in the UK. I felt completely bored there, everything was so samey and depressing. Left around two years ago and have only returned twice for short stays and honestly it just cemented my feelings for leaving in the first place. I do miss my friends and the banter at the pub/bars but that's really the only thing.

Was it pure boredom or did you just prefer other cultures/weather/etc in general over the UK?

 

[Kule]

Was it pure boredom or did you just prefer other cultures/weather/etc in general over the UK?

The weather is pretty depressing but I didn't mind it. It's probably depressing because we don't really get extremes, it's just constant. In the winter it also feels colder than it should because it's an island and the wind can really cut through you. I'm living in a landlocked country now and there's hardly a breeze so it can be -5 celsius out and not feel as cold as +5c in the UK (when it's windy). In the summer it can get hot but it just ends up being very humid and not enjoyable.

Mostly my boredom came from the sameness, I lived in the south and all the towns are basically the same. After awhile you kind of run out of stuff to do and see. I'm just talking from my perspective though and my wife loves the place as it's all new and interesting to her. I'd definitely recommend you go and experience it for yourself as the old architecture is really nice and for an American it will probably feel very different.

Also the food can be amazing in the UK. Go find a traditional pub and get a full roast and look for a good Indian restaurant. I'd skip the Chinese food though.

 

[Bigby_Wolf]

Where do you live?

Living in the Northeast, the UK seems nice but not really different enough to really peak my interest.

I'm not sure I want to live in any other country but I'd like to visit more Euro countries further East.

Czech Republic, Poland, Ukraine, Hungary, Croatia, Sweden, Denmark, and even Russia.

 

[Naked Snake]

I felt that way about America for most of my life... That "longing" has faded in recent years though due to many factors.

 

[Geobobfrank]

I longed to live in Japan when I was a teenager in America especially after visiting for the first time when I was 15 and doing a home stay program. I eventually studied Japanese , did multiple exchange programs and now as an adult I have lived in Tokyo for almost 6 years. So yeah I think it is very possible to do it. The adventure itself is so worth it.

 

[jufonuk]

I’ve moved to France but work in the U.K. so kind of working out , must learn the language

 

[matt360]

I longed to live in Japan when I was a teenager in America especially after visiting for the first time when I was 15 and doing a home stay program. I eventually studied Japanese , did multiple exchange programs and now as an adult I have lived in Tokyo for almost 6 years. So yeah I think it is very possible to do it. The adventure itself is so worth it.

Same. I came to Japan for a visit in 2002 and fell in love with it. Moved to Hiroshima in 2006 and I’ve been here ever since.

 

[anotherusername]

I recently left the UK on a whim, and so far it's working out to be the best decision I've made so far.

I found London (i grew up in the North) to be quite isolating, expensive and immensely time-consuming to do almost anything. Having to queue for a minimum of 45 mins to get in anywhere rather annoying, and going to restaurants and finding you'll never get in, or having to book it a week in advance became tiresome quickly.

I struggled back up north because I became accustomed to having so much to be able to do all the time, whereas my home city just didn't offer the same variety.

but definitely, give it a go mate - what do you have to lose?

 

[EverydayBeast]

I moved to Canada and only made 6 months, definitely give it a go just prepare for the long haul.

 

[Reverse Giraffe]

I moved to Canada and only made 6 months, definitely give it a go just prepare for the long haul.

What are the disadvantages of living in Canada? They really seem to have their shit together up there.

 

[down 2 orth]

I did, and it was the best decision I've ever made. If you keep your expectations in check and an open mind, I think you'll love it too.

 

[andrespi]

Well, I'm in a similar situation. I lived in Australia for 6 months and in London for over 3 years and now that I'm back to Italy I'm bored to death, and I feel like I just don't belong here. The 6 months I spent in Sydney and Australia were literally the best part of my life. Wish I could find a way to move back to Sydney.

The quality of life here is just so much lower.

Since I moved back here in Italy it's like I got back 20 years in the past, no groceries delivery, cities are not multicultural at all, little to no entertainment, many shops still don't accept credit cards, no fast food or starbucks which I loved, not a large choice of ethnic restaurants and lack of public transport and so on. Nearly all friends I had moved abroad or to bigger cities because they didn't like here.

Everyday here is the same, and it lacks all the services that I got used abroad. I'm trying now to move back abroad, definitely not the UK because I hated the weather; I need to live in a place that has more sunshine and is less cloudy or rainy than UK (especially because I like to take long walks around the city as part of my exercises). If it wasn't for the weather and terrible housing conditions, London could probably fit all my other criteria.

Unfortunately Australia is way too hard to obtain a visa. I would like to find a sponsor or a job in the USA but that seems hard too. I do long for the USA because my grandfather (american citizen emigrated to Italy when he was 20 years old) was from New york and he always went to the USA every 6-8 months for long periods of time when I was a child (when I was around 6-8 years old) and I remember always talking and describing it when he came back. I also have many relatives there. Still not sure if I will ever manage to do it.

 

[Sakura]

I moved to Japan because I'm a weeb. Been here about 2.5 years now.
It's not that difficult really and I never suffered from homesickness or whatever.
Trying to forge human relationships is the hardest part for me personally but meh.

 

[Syriel]

But I assume that's something people in the US just get used to who move there.

Good luck moving overseas if you're a US citizen.

Unless you're highly skilled and have a company willing to sponsor your visa, it is not an easy process.

Much easier for someone in Europe to move to the US to live/work than for someone in the US to do the reverse.

The big exception to this is if you're interested in teaching English in China/Japan/South Korea.

 

[Osukaa]

I longed to live in Japan when I was a teenager in America especially after visiting for the first time when I was 15 and doing a home stay program. I eventually studied Japanese , did multiple exchange programs and now as an adult I have lived in Tokyo for almost 6 years. So yeah I think it is very possible to do it. The adventure itself is so worth it.

This is my Dream lol I would love to live in Japan but not being a citizen and not doing any exchange programs makes it difficult. The most I've stayed at once was a couple of months for vacation and I stayed with my friend. I would drop everything here (physical possessions) if I had the chance to live there. Every time I come back to the US I always long for Japan. Its just such a different way of living.

I guess ill have to settle with going there back and forth for vacations.. but man how I wish I could stay there permanently.

 

[kittoo]

I felt that way about America for most of my life... That "longing" has faded in recent years though due to many factors.

More or less in the same boat. I have an image of USA, especially small towns, in my mind because of movies or whatever. It seemed so appealing and Serene and good etc.
But hearing the horror stories of the healthcare system and maybe the increased xenophobia (especially towards browns. I am not Muslim but still) kinda dulled the longing a bit.
I would still absolutely visit and stay for a while though, someday.

 

[Tevious]

Does a longing to get out of America count? Then yes.

 

[Maedre]

Also the food can be amazing in the UK. Go find a traditional pub and get a full roast and look for a good Indian restaurant. I'd skip the Chinese food though.

Wait, you've put "food", "amazing" and "UK" in the same part of a sentence?

 

[aaronsan]

Not yet, but if Net Neutrality is wiped out by Ajit Pai, I might be moving to Finland near some friends of mine. Because this country will be DONE if that happens.

 

[PaulBizkit]

My sister moved to japan like 4 years ago and last year, her boyfriend went there too. She tries to be positive but tokyo is just good for visiting as a tourist. The people suck, she can't make friends (

Spoiler

she has many here in Argentina, and all her friends in tokyo were foreigners too but almost all of them returned to their countries or went somewhere else

), she has to work like 18hours a day, and it all sucks.

Having his boyfriend there helped her a lot, but now he wants to be a voice actor and that ended up chaining my sister to japan even more.

It's obvious that she wants to return (her old roommate is a friend of mine and she left japan before the third year of living there), but she needs more work experience before that.

• Too many UNNECESSARY work hours
• No social interaction
• Being woman over 28 = housewife
• Women demand A LOT from potential partners since they sacrifice ALL of their freedom forever
• Escapism is everywhere (host clubs, idol culture, otaku culture)

Japan is seriously doomed to extintion.

 

[Darren870]

I'm from the US and always wanted to live abroad. 8 years ago when I was 23/24 I moved to the UK. Then after ~5 years there I moved to Australia.

Just recently moved back to the US and kinda wanna move abroad again.

I'll see where life takes me!

 

[IlGialloMondadori]

Ever since I was in my early 20's, something about the UK just connected with me. Everything about it. The people, the culture, the history, the accents, the architecture, the land. I've always wanted to move there. Obviously, I'm not just going to drop everything and move there willy nilly, I plan to visit it first and spend some time there. I have friends who live there and have been planning to visit them sometime for a month or so.

I'm curious if anyone has done this though and if it worked out for you. Did anyone ever have a country they just always dreamed about or always fancied and maybe you decided to move there and did it bring you the joy you desired? I've talked to a few people personally who have done it. Some loved it and never came back to the States, and some missed it too much and ended up coming back(some with a new spouse though!).

Just curious, because it's something I've really been pondering a lot lately.

I live in the UK. I moved here from Canada for a number of reasons (not any longing). It's kind of crap, to be honest. I like a lot about it - the travel, the history, that sort of thing - but the housing is crap, the pay is generally crap compared to US and Canada, politically it's a joke (well, so is much of the world right now). It feels like a shambles.
I like it, and I don't. I guess that goes for any place you live. I am very, very glad I did move abroad, though, just for the experience. I have never regretted it one bit.

I do think UK food is generally underrated. I really like haggis, a good pub can be amazing, a fine steak and ale pie can't be beat. Food diversity does suck compared to something like Vancouver, though.

 

[Blam]

What are the disadvantages of living in Canada? They really seem to have their shit together up there.

There are very little if none.

I've been very tempted to move over to JP, and see how that panes out.

 

[Sakura]

What are the disadvantages of living in Canada? They really seem to have their shit together up there.

It's really cold during the winter pretty much everywhere aside from lower mainland BC.
There isn't that much in the way of culture.

Depends what you want really. If you want to be surrounded by beautiful nature then it's great.

 

[jufonuk]

My sister moved to japan like 4 years ago and last year, her boyfriend went there too. She tries to be positive but tokyo is just good for visiting as a tourist. The people suck, she can't make friends (

Spoiler

she has many here in Argentina, and all her friends in tokyo were foreigners too but almost all of them returned to their countries or went somewhere else

), she has to work like 18hours a day, and it all sucks.

Having his boyfriend there helped her a lot, but now he wants to be a voice actor and that ended up chaining my sister to japan even more.

It's obvious that she wants to return (her old roommate is a friend of mine and she left japan before the third year of living there), but she needs more work experience before that.

• Too many UNNECESSARY work hours
• No social interaction
• Being woman over 28 = housewife
• Women demand A LOT from potential partners since they sacrifice ALL of their freedom forever
• Escapism is everywhere (host clubs, idol culture, otaku culture)

Japan is seriously doomed to extintion.

this is not the side of Japan NHK world portray

 

[Darksol]

My sister moved to japan like 4 years ago and last year, her boyfriend went there too. She tries to be positive but tokyo is just good for visiting as a tourist. The people suck, she can't make friends (

Spoiler

she has many here in Argentina, and all her friends in tokyo were foreigners too but almost all of them returned to their countries or went somewhere else

), she has to work like 18hours a day, and it all sucks.

Having his boyfriend there helped her a lot, but now he wants to be a voice actor and that ended up chaining my sister to japan even more.

It's obvious that she wants to return (her old roommate is a friend of mine and she left japan before the third year of living there), but she needs more work experience before that.

• Too many UNNECESSARY work hours
• No social interaction
• Being woman over 28 = housewife
• Women demand A LOT from potential partners since they sacrifice ALL of their freedom forever
• Escapism is everywhere (host clubs, idol culture, otaku culture)

Japan is seriously doomed to extintion.

Your mileage may vary.

Been here 2 years, wife 5. Lived in and out of Tokyo. Found the people warm and inviting and made many friends. Work a reasonable amount of hours. All of my coworkers are women: most of them are in their 30s and none of them are housewives.

Also, what’s wrong with a little escapism? Video games, TV, drugs, sex — it’s all just things to make us feel good while we wait to die

 

[_Nemo]

I wanna move to the UK too but it's basically next to impossible to get an employment visa unless your career is on the skills shortage list. It really blows.

 

[Tosyn_88]

Yes, I moved to the UK and I think it's all in the mind with regards to if you like a place or not.

Personally, I like the UK for many things, but I also have things I miss about Nigeria where I left.

Regarding the weather, I think people complain too much, it's not that bad and I say this as an African person from the equator zone of the planet. I'm used to sun like a lot but the change hasn't bothered me much, I actually like the unique nature of it but I hear all these Europeans complain as if their country is some sunny paradise, like bitch please, I'm from where the sun shines everyday all day every year.

As an advice, it's usual the wind that makes it colder than normal winter so look out for wind protective clothing.

The people are people, there's a lot of nice and some smelly people too. For the most part, I have met nice people, both at school, work and general day life. Ooh my wife is also English and from the north which we currently live. I lived in Cambridge for a while and it was really cool but now I live in Yorkshire countryside and it's also got its charm.

The food is food. Some people are good at making them, some aren't. I have had great roast dinners and mediocre ones, it's all about who cooks it. Also, there's an assortment of diverse food ranging from Turkish, Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese,Italian etc. Almost every town has one of these and the city is usually full of them.

In terms of recreational things, you have historical places to visit, nice country hike, dedicated game hubs and theme parks etc. It's all available if you want to do something fun, again, it's all in the mindset.

I hope this helps

 

[Baron Doggystyle von Woof]

I have not made the move but u always wanted to move to somewhere with better weather. I live in the Netherlands currently. Although I love living here, the climate really sucks and it's very crowded.

I just want more sun, more space but with the same wealth and equality as the Netherlands.

Any tips?

Also, I am a software engineer so it shouldn't be too hard to find work somewhere else.

 

[snausagesUK]

I've had it with the UK I think. Been in London three years and I worry now about stuff like the air quality. You can even notice it under your finger nails if you're wandering around outside central London for a bit. I'll go back to Ireland at some point I think, kind of a reverse 'longing' I guess.

 

[Raptomex]

I have not. I don't think it's worth the expense. I have nothing against other countries or cultures, but it costs money, and it's just not worth it for me. I agree with others saying you should visit first. I think that would apply to anywhere you want to move, though, even in your current country.