Bumps on the Way to UK

A few notes on things to consider if you ever want to move to the UK from the US. . .

1.) Best to do it when you're young, unmarried, and still living with your college crate furniture. That way you can ditch it all, get a single ticket, and live in a hostel if needed. The cheapest way to move - hands down. You can get in a student visa.

2.) Taking a pet is a drag. They still have that 6mth quarantine for imported pets, but you can spend your 6mths where you live now, so that's much better. Still paperwork, fees, another plane ticket, finding somewhere to put them if you have to leave before the 6mths is up, etc. Our estimated cost for taking our dachshund is $1700.00. I could buy a whole herd of dachsies for that.

3.) Taking a car is a drag. US imports seem to be the red-headed stepchild. Found a website listing a bunch of insurance cos. that take US cars, but when I tried them, nearly 80% said no. Put on top of that is the fact that Mr. TeamKing wants to take our car, but Mrs. TeamKing has to find out the procedure, insure it, get it moved, etc. I'm thinking I may be in an accident this week. Poor car. >:)

4.) Finding a home is a drag. If our house in the US could sell as fast as the rental houses get swapped up in the area we're moving to, we'd be ecstatic. Note to self: invest in rental house there someday.

5.) I'm pretty much convinced that some left-handed partially deranged ruler is responsible for the backward things in the UK. Really. Can't tell you how many times I've been stunned by some bizarre procedure for something. You can just pick anything in the US and flip it over to find out the UK procedure. They are complete opposites. See, doesn't my thinking seem to work. Any English folks reading this can just blame it on some foreign ruler in the past. That's okay. The US isn't much better, but it is an improvement.

6.) You're going to struggle with some words. I just can't seem to say 'inventory' as 'in-vent-try' or 'aluminum' as 'al-u-min-e-um'. The sidewalk is 'pavement'. (Isn't that what you lay down to make the sidewalk?) Elevators are 'lifts'. Cigarettes are 'fags'. (that sounds dangerous) And calling someone a 'bloke' just sounds downright insulting to me.

7.) If you're from the NE part of the US, you'll probably be many steps ahead in adjusting - size, weather, type of houses. The rest of us just have to think small. Distance is thought of in completely different terms. If you want to go somewhere in the US that is 3-5 hours away, you jump in your car and go - probably to spend a weekend. In the UK, 3-5 hours away might as well be on par with leaving the country. It's much too far for only a day trip or even a weekend trip. Better take off a week. Yes, I'm kidding. But only slightly. ;)

8.) The UK seems more advanced in terms of green thinking. If you're anti-environment, this may seem trivial. If you move from oil country, you'll be amazed and hopefully grateful that not every country wants to drill in its pristine areas for oil. I'm looking at electric providers and seeing 'Green' as an option! What?

9.) Look forward to reducing your waistline - I know I am. Food portions are half what we're used to, yet cost twice as much. I'm thinking that's why tea is consumed so much. Not only does it warm you up, it fills you up so you can make it to the next meal.

10.) You have to bag your own groceries at the store. I might be okay with this as the two stores I use now seem to either have teenagers working the checkout and bagging, and they love to just throw your food down the conveyor and then pack your bread in with your gallon jug of milk. Or they hire the long retired folks (who have already downshifted to first gear) and it takes more time in line than shopping and I end up reading just about every magazine in the rack before I can get through the line. (You can only read so much about Paris and Angelina and Brad and Lindsay!)

11.) Getting around via the Underground or rail system is really good. I felt TONS safer than moving around the NYC subway system by myself. In Houston, we prefer to add 5 more lanes to our highways than deal with the cost and headache of a rail system. Hey, we've got the land! And a bus system that should be sufficient for the 2 million people who live here. But since you have to drive about 10 miles to find the closest bus terminal, you might as well drive your car - hence the need for more lanes.

I'm starting to understand some of the reasons behind that whole tea revolt now.

Did I mention that I have to take the UK Citizenship test? I think I'll ace it. :p