# American family wants to move to England: feasible? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 1, 2008, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830 "2008-07-01T00:11:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830/81 "2008-07-04T18:47:19Z")
> [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > But you do have to realize there are a lot of good things about America that you take for granted. And you won’t know what those are until you’ve lived there for several years. I probably would have stayed had I been able to, but on the other hand, being forced to come back to the US wasn’t such a bad deal either. It compelled me to finally study computer science, which is what I should have been doing all along. Some things about America are pretty awesome really. And I think you have to have lived in Europe for a few years to realize it. I’m curious–what are those great things about America that you missed in Europe? > [@Merkwurdigliebe](#): > > Just one example, but big city folks like the idea of the unknown. It’s not the quantifiable things that happen, but the things that you see / stumble upon during your daily routine. In the suburbs, you just drive from point A to point B and never run into a single person. I’m from a town of 4,000 by the way. I feel comfortable being around other people. I like it. I don’t want to be alone. Nailed it. I’m from a town of 3,000 and I love living in a big(gish) city because of the strange and surreal things I see every once in a while. Even the graffiti excites me sometimes. I like to take the trolley down into the dirtier suburbs by the border and check out what people are painting on walls. Not to mention that, on any given day, I can meet a person who can change my life or take me on an exciting adventure of some kind. That doesn’t happen out in the 'burbs. I can certainly see why some people wouldn’t like it, but it’s what I love, and it’s part of what we pay so much for. > [@Equipoise](#): > > $900 a month :eek: When’s the next flight to Chicago? ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830/82 "2008-07-04T18:54:07Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] We’ve got everything you’d want, and some of the best weather in the world, too. [/QUOTE] You mean a bit grey and misty? It reminded me of home, and thus I agree! I was only there for a couple of days though (and loved it). ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2008, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830/83 "2008-07-06T23:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] I didn’t take it personally. [/QUOTE] It kind of sounds like you did. I was asking an innocent question. :rolleyes: I still fail to understand, because I’ve been into cities, and they’re nothing like you describe. I also don’t suffer any of the pitfalls that you mention, other than the price of fuel. That’s more than made up for in quality of life, though. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830/84 "2008-07-07T00:45:44Z")
Give me a BIG city (Sydney is the biggest in Australia, but only just scrapes by in terms of what I want) or a tiny shack in a remote place in the outback. Either/or - I don’t mind. All I know is I grew up in the outer suburbs and I hated it then and I hate it now. Worst of both worlds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-family-wants-to-move-to-england-feasible/454830.md?page=4)