I emigrated from the UK to the US 2 1/2 years ago. I never expected to – I’d never visited the US until late 2003, didn’t have any family here, etc. I just did it because I met a really awesome person :-) And it’s hard at first, even with two so seemingly similar countries. There’s a lot of cultural references I don’t get, people have trouble understanding my accent (West London), I miss the city, US immigration authorities are completely incompetent, etc etc. I will also say that the first year is probably the most difficult – not only is it a whole new place, but you probably won’t be able to get a legal job for quite a while, unless you come over on a work visa.

But – it made me a better person. I have more opportunities, met some great people, and I have a much wider outlook on life now. I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the US, but I’ve learned to appreciate the best in both countries. I wouldn’t mind going somewhere else, in a few years.

I would definitely do it all over again :-)