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I made the move from the UK to Australia 30 plus years ago. I now get to enjoy watching videos of people also making their moves abroad, their experiences and how life in the UK has changed in that time. The biggest change for me is being able to keep in contact with family and friends with zoom, facetime etc. So much better than feeding $1 coins into a payphone every 20-30 seconds
I went to grad school in London 10 years ago and needed another way to get back there because it's so hard to get a company to sponsor me. So after 10 years, I'm returning back to London for law school because I'm planning on making my life there! Hopefully, I'll find an Englishman like you because I do like them alot 😂! Thanks for sharing!
Interesting. My mum is from Pittsburgh, she married my dad who is from the UK. They moved to the UK in 1985, she only wanted to stay for a few years. She’s still here.
Well done 10yrs in the UK, my daughter who is now 32, spent about 3yrs with Camp America and it really was the making of her. Good luck with the rest of your adventures .
Made it to the end! I am in awe of people who take the plunge to move and live in another country. Fascinating to hear your perspective on the UK and USA and living/working abroad. Keep up the good work making these vids
VERY impressed you made it to the end Mike! Thanks for watching! My husband (British) has helped me come up with some awesome video ideas for the future and I'm excited to be able to film more around the UK too!
Very interesting story on how your UK life started! I'm Norwegian and studied in Southampton in the spring of 2015 and I can definitely relate to the feeling of independence and new experiences and friendships being made as an exchange student. I definitely miss those days and part of me wishes I could've stayed and even lived there but alas, back to Norway I went and though I do enjoy my life here in Norway, I do really miss the UK and I hope to go back once I'm fully vaccinated and borders between Norway and the UK are open again.
So interesting to hear your own UK experience as well! I don't know much about Southampton actually! Also looking forward to traveling when it's safe too. I've been to Bergen and it was amazing!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial So glad you enjoyed my hometown of Bergen, it's definitely very popular among tourists and has a lot of sights to see but naturally during the past year the tourism industry here has taken a toll from the pandemic. Hopefully that will pick up again this year and onward as borders open back up and people get vaccinated.
Just arrive on the beaches of England in a dinghy, claim asylum and the authorities will pay for your stay, give you free accommodation and give you spending money. You don’t have to worry about immigration and paperwork. Less hassle and no bureaucracy to deal with; so far 8.5k dinghy people arrived on the beaches this year without passports. You won’t have to worry about sponsorship as the government will pay for your education.
Came to this late having watched your retirement video before this one. A very interesting tale. Good luck with the rest of your UK adventure. As a proud Briton it is good to hear how the UK is seen by non natives exploring both the good and bad. Thank you.
Your in the same bit reverse predicament as me, I’m British living in US my partner is from US, but I just recently got my US born children British passports, we plan to move when the kids are also grown up, good luck on your future prospects
So impressed you made it to the end! Thanks for watching Bill! I had an incredible time at Richmond and still have fond memories of pizza nights on Friday nights in the dining hall and the friendly staff!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial 12 years at Richmond and left 9 years ago. Still in touch with ex-colleagues: Faculty and staff. A good place to work. Enjoy the U.K.
I don't think anybody should be upset if someone finds a different country not to their taste. I met an American girl many years ago who's father had been stationed at a local RAF base, she hated England, but to be fair to her, she hadn't made new friends and no doubt missed her friends back in the USA. In a similar vein I worked in the USA for 6 months and couldn't wait to come home.
I'm really happy to hear your story, because its kind what I want to do too. the difference is that I'm a Canadian. I have a long & hard journey ahead of myself, but I don't intend on giving up. Thanks so much for the video!!
Camp America can certainly be life changing. My best friend Peter enrolled for the summer camp in 1987. He met an American girl, got married, had a family and never came back to the UK.
Oh wow! A true Camp America love story...my husband and I didn't meet at camp, but worked there in different summers and had a mutual friend introduce us from our time there while I was living in England, so in a roundabout way that is my story too!
I moved from UK to holland for 6 months work in 2011! I'm still here in 2021. It was never planned or a serious thought about it just became my new home!!
Great stuff. I also did a Masters at Central London Polytechnic now University of Westminster, though at the Marylebone campus. Congratulations on the minimal number of US likes Impressive learner and trying new year experiences in education and employment that is for you 'abroad'. I just work for 2 years in Paris after graduation in 1974 , finding it tough to find a job in big hotel . We had just joined the EEC ,so some freedom of movement of employment, though you had to get a carte de sejours. You could only get a carte de sejours with 3 month's pay slips, but did it at the Grand Hotel de Louvre ,with my reference from university vac working at Clarifies in London. Your sustained achievement far exceeds mine , but in an Anglophone country
I'm a Brit and moved to the States 20 years ago. So far I agree with almost everything you have been saying about your opposite move. The main difference is it's almost impossible to get a VISA or work permit in the States, and is much easier in the UK.
A lot of people on here are saying the opposite that its near impossible to have a UK company sponsor an immigrant even an american immigrant. So which is it?
@@mindseye4914 The problem isn't getting a company to sponsor you. In the States if you become out-of-status even for a reason that isn';t your fault (like a company changing its name to go public) you immediately have to leave the country and can't come back for 10 years if it takes more than six months to transfer your bona fide Visa.(which is always does). Yes that's right. You can't get back in-status again because you are out-of-status, no matter what other credentials you have that worked before. The system is THAT broken.
Interested in moving to the UK or reading about my hilarious anecdotes about all the times I've made a fool of myself in the UK? Check out the Girl Gone London book on Amazon, a humorous and practical guide to life in the UK as an expat: amzn.to/3iobJGt
@Gone girl if you have not read them I would really recommend Bill Brysons two books titled Notees from a small island & Notes from a big country. The first is about how after living in the UK for 10 years the author is going back to live in America so does a tour of the UK to soak it all in and visit strange places and weird events such as the famous cheese roll, the second is all about first arriving back in the States and all the changes since he has been gone and going through a culture shock all over again, there's one bit that sticks in my head he tries to walk to the store to buy a paper but as it is all set up for cars not pedestrians he gets in all kinds of bother and even has the police called on him for walking through a nice neighbourhood because they just do not see people walking. His books are so funny yet poignant. I write this as I see you have your own book out I will definitely get a copy. Stay safe & Thankyou for the work you put into your videos.
I moved to the US from the UK to marry my American wife. I love the US, but really miss the UK. Her family frequently adopt foreign students for their study abroads, and my SIL has done a study abroad in the US. I have 3 different friends who all did Camp America, and they all loved the experience
The good thing about going abroad on holiday is seeing other cultures. There is more than seeing different scenery which the USA has plenty of. But many people from here in the UK do go to Spain to drink English beer whilst they eat fish and chips.
I've never understood that, going to another country & doing the same things you always do & eating the same foods. I love travelling, love learning languages so I can make the most of my journeys, & adore learning about other cultures, especially eating their foods. In the good old days, I'd simply book a ferry to France whenever I could, or sometimes to a Belgium or Dutch port, & head the car in whichever direction the sun was shining the most. I've travelled all over Western Europe that way, & some of southern & Northern Europe too. I haven't enough time to see all I want to see. Lol The world is amazing.
I am British, and have lived in Great Britain all of my life. I have not graduated from anywhere at all. Some people in other countries don't believe that I do not know what it is like to graduate. There is something else that children in American schools apparently go through, and the British seem to now, but when I left school in 1988, there was no such thing as a Prom. I was working in the same job, for thirteen years, and then made redundant, in 2012. I have not found a similar job since.
I've been looking into moving to London. I've tried looking for companies to sponsor me, especially start ups, but it's been really difficult. I think my best option is to find a job here, work for a year to save up enough money, apply for the Ancestry visa, and then just move and hope I can find a job either before or after moving. I was really hoping to move late this year or early next year. I'm not giving up though! Thanks for this informative video!
Regarding using the wrong words, when I was working in France when parents joined me in the summer & we went on holiday down in the Camargue. In our bay on the campsite, there were about 10 groups from all over Europe & we all got on really well so regularly went out together or held parties on the site. I was the only one who could communicate with everybody in the bay so was always in demand as interpreter. A group of young bakers from Paris who only spoke French were chatting with a German couple who also spoke English. He wanted to know why their bread tasted so good but went stale quickly. He asked which preservatives they were legally allowed to use. I didn't know the French for preservatives, so followed the unwritten rule: many scientific words are the same but pronounced with a French accent. The only problem is préservatif is an exception & has a different meaning. I basically asked if they put condoms in their bread. Let's just say much merriment ensued! That was a great holiday, especially as the males in the Paris group were celebrating the end of their freedom; they were about to start military service once their holiday was over, so they were determined to have the most fun possible.
Excellent vid, excellent resilience with all those different visas, born UK, grew up Hong Kong, lived and worked in many Asian countries, back in UK now... am finding it interesting but dull, glad you still enjoying it....onwards!!!!;-)
My sister was at an American summer camp before returning to university in the UK. She spent much of her time teaching kids pistol shooting. Was this a useful contribution to US culture?
Thanks for sharing your experience.... good info. My son and I would like if he goes abroad in high school or even college. I'm not sure I'm ready for him to go abroad in high school but in really excited for him
That was very interesting - well done you! Wait till you have lived longer in the UK than the US. Maybe that would be a good time to do another life review video.
I made it to the end! I moved to the US to work and I understand the culture differences that you talk about but in reverse! Asking for washing powder in a store was an interesting moment!
Thank you for watching!!!! That's so funny - what did they think you meant?! A Brit I worked with when we were summer camp counselors in the US came into the office asking for a plaster and we thought he wanted some plaster for a craft project....! He couldn't fathom what we were trying to offer him and we couldn't figure out what he actually wanted for a good while!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial They had no idea until I told them I wanted to wash my clothes... I did struggle with an answer when people asked "what's happening"
Lol very interesting, the one thing I wish they taught in schools ,more about cultures in different countries, I suppose at least people are learning more about the world through the Internet ,I was born in the uk but lived in Australia in 1989,and they use the word Pants for trousers,and flip flops are called thongs which are pants or underwear in the uk ,but it's fun to learn and some of it funny .
Of COURSE I watched to the end. Did you think I lacked stamina? Interesting year by year, visa by visa, account of your almost 10 years in the UK. I am assuming a citizenship application will be next.... I realise how difficult this country is with its various qualifications required for different visas but wish it was a little more sensible and had a more human touch when dealing with these sensitive things. From "Adventures & Naps" (Canadian girl in the UK for 5+ years) I could see how emotional it was for her to have to go abroad to apply and then the tension as she awaited the outcome to return to the UK and her partner here. It shouldn't be hard to tell which applciations are genuine and where the only answer would be to grant that visa. Good to have you aboard in the UK.
I didn't doubt for a second you would watch to the end Raymond! Truly supportive you are! That citizenship application is definitely going in as soon as I get my Indefinite Leave to Remain back and I can't wait (at least for the relief it will give me!). It is definitely stressful - for this one, I can remain in the UK while the application goes through, but it is nerve-wracking. I have no reason to think it won't, but every day when I check my e-mail, it does go through my mind of what would happen. I can't wait to do a celebratory video when it does come back!
I watch Alanna at "Adventures & Naps" and was pleased when she got her Visa. Good to see that you watch another great channel. I would disagree that it is easy to tell which applications are genuine, how do you tell if someone genuinely wants to be with someone. For example with the spouse visa application have to supply photos of the couple together. If there are lots of kissing and hugs because the couple are outgoing will they think it is staged. If they do not kiss in public will they are not in love. It appears to me that the visa system is a combination of a subjective assessment and a box ticking exercise.
@@johnclements6614 I suspect if the person considering a permanent visa application were able to watch some of these videos going back a few years (or Alanna's videos) it would be obvious those applicants were genuine. And I guess they would be able to produce employment records, educational certificates acheived, club memberships etc, from which it should be possible to determine whether the application was genuine. But I accept there will be those who will want to "construct" a false history in an attempt to game the system.
We have thousands of Hong kongers entering the UK these days. To them, to all those hardworking, bright people coming to this country just like you a decade age, welcome home!
Interesting: thank you. Personally, I have never had “itchy feet”, nor any huge desire even to visit other countries. I once had a six-day holiday with friends in Portugal. That was in 1975. That was interesting, because it was before the place had developed as a tourist area and there was a completely alien way of life. The weather was also peculiar: blazing sunshine throughout the day until five pm, then a huge thunderstorm every day for an hour. That was enough for me. I ad,ire your guts and tenacity.
Thank you for watching and for your comment! That sounds a lot like Florida weather too! I'm glad I've explored parts of the world, though definitely always feel that sense of longing towards "home" no matter how long I've lived abroad.
I love your vlog and the succinct way of telling your tale. I just refreshed my knowledge about your, (sounds to me) difficult journey to study and eventually live in the UK, I have been watching the vlog of another American woman, An artist and photographer who fell in love with Scotland and moved here: in case you want to check her out, her Vlog is Sarah Burns Studio. did you have to pay for those visas yourself or were you helped by employers or your US college?
Watched it all, I will look forward to what you do with your channel from here on in. I hope it goes really well and smoothly for you, I suspect it might! ;o) I wish you the very Best of British Luck with it all. For the record I am a regular Brit, nearing retirement, so I am on a learning curve too! :o)
Wow, you clocked up some air miles early on, hope you got the chance to redeem them. You now know what Nimbyism is and not only is it alive and kicking but growing at an alarming rate. It has been around for centuries, mainly wealthy landowners who did not want canals or railways on their land and would not sell it, hence few things are a straight line in Britain, and it did not have an acronym back then. (NIMBY, not in my back yard).
Interesting - that makes total sense with what I've observed in the UK! I feel in the US we aren't necessarily pro-development, but definitely not as against it as here!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial As an ex pat Brit in the ROI there is the same reluctance to welcome development here. A big one at the moment is trying to stop high rise development in Dublin that is above a certain height to preserve the city skyline and not overshadow historic buildings, the same in Cork City with the docks and harbour area in general. London has been blighted by high rise development both commercial and housing, I understand that land prices drive this but it could all be a bit more sympathetic. New high speed rail is a necessity if we are to cut carbon emissions, the UK an IE lag well behind France in this who are talking about banning internal flights if the same journey can be done in under two and an half hours by rail. High speed rail in France is leading the way in Europe with this. High speed rail I am in favour of, just like some of our ancestors were in favour of rail development as far better and safer than horse and coach.
So that little quirk of Richmond University being based in Kensington is a prime example of a bit of advice I, as a Brit, would give to anyone coming to visit, study or live over here. Which is: Don't expect things to be logical or make sense, in fact actively expect exactly the opposite!!! The biggest and most common example being our hybrid use of both metric and imperial measuring systems. Basically everyone else in the world has picked one system or the other, but not us Brits! Measuring distance on road signs, imperial miles. Weights on products in the supermarket, metric kgs. House size, square feet. Furniture measurements, back to metric. A person's height, usually feet and inches. Weight, pick and choose either system as you like!!! It makes no sense at all which gives a great insight in to the British mentality. Because, although it makes no sense, it works. So why worry about it and try and fix it when it doesn't need fixing! That's perfectly good time wasted that could be spent drinking tea!!!
Definitely started at the super posh end of London with Kensington! Did I hear you right that you went to the university of Westminster in Harrow next to Northwich park hospital? Fellow Harrowian here. Anyway you certainly jumped through a hole load of hoops to be in England. I guess you must really like it? 🙂
You did hear right! Mostly studied at that location next to the Northwick Park Hospital and have actually had a lot of work related things to do in Harrow when I was at a 9-5...some great areas around there!
Woo, you were in it for the long haul, haha! Thanks for watching! We got married in Hughenden Church in Buckinghamshire - definitely doing a uk vs us wedding video soon with more of the story!
Amazingly i watched every minute! but lass please have a wee glass of water or a cup of tea handy you always sound dry. It's ok we don't mind a wee sip or swig in a video! Anyway really good video I found you really interesting and looking forward to more from you! Keep up the good work you'll do fine! lol!
I'll tell you mine, as a British person living in Yorkshire. I hate Brexit, I hate separating from Europe & I hate everything it stands for. Not only are we all stronger together, being in the EU made it easier to travel, live, study or work anywhere we wanted in the EU. I've studied at universities in the UK & Spain, & worked in France & the UK, I also had a job offer from a company in Alicante but couldn't take it because my Dad was seriously ill (it was a life threatening condition) & my Mum was losing her sight at the time so she was struggling with everything & needed me at home. My nephew's are now at uni & I recommended they try to do their 3rd year placement abroad, but it's impossible now. We are preventing our young from taking full advantage of experiencing what we had. If the job market plummets in the UK, they won't be able to look elsewhere & won't have the language skills in any case. It makes the job of learning & teaching languages harder, because kids question why they need to learn them when we're no longer in Europe. We've already started to experience the financial implications, with the downturn of the fishing industry, for example. Here in Britain, we think we're better than the rest of Europe but we're not. I think the economic, societal & educational disadvantages haven't been fully felt yet. Give it a year or two post-Covid & we'll realised that we've shot ourselves in the foot. I'm disgusted at our insular, xenophobic outlook & I'm ashamed to be British.
@@angelaburrow8114 I totally agree with everything you have written, I was living in West Yorkshire up until last year, hopefully moving to Scotland soon. Take care.
@@billbhein2949 oh, yuck! You mean, you want to live in a place where you can be jailed for 7 years for criticising the government IN YOUR OWN HOME? What's wrong with you, you freak?
Make an appointment at your nearest US post office. They process your information and within a few weeks you’ll have your passport. I didn’t get a passport until 2019. You never needed one until the past few years, even to travel to Canada or Mexico.
i can never tell if you like living in the uk still, sometimes you sound like you feel sad about being here But I am fairly new to the channel so hope that's not the case and you are really happy, I am enjoying your content though
Why do British and Americans refer to themselves as “ex pats” when they live in other countries whereas someone going to live in the UK or the US is called an “immigrant”?
Thank you for sharing. As an UK expat living abroad I wonder how you see the UK. Does the past dominate life? For me from a distance it looks as if the UK is now confused (or has not come to terms) about its place in the world - maybe a cause or symptom or result of of Brexit. Obviously its history as an imperial power is everywhere in buildings, literature, the Proms, its diversity etc. But living In Asia/Oceania it is clear that at least economically the UK is no longer a world power - something some politicians once accepted but now appear to have difficulty coming to terms with. So when Boris talks about more involvement in Indo-China and a military presence in the South China sea it looks ridiculous to us - the UK air force is smaller than that of South Korea or Japan yet alone the PR of China. The US is clearly still a world power - though maybe it is also having difficulty accepting the rise of China. In the end I suppose I am asking is Britain becoming more flag waving, history obsessed and nationalistic than the USA in your view - or is this part of its charm?
@@RJS4287 The only one concerned whether it is a world power seems to be you. It is certainly the only European country that can project power through a credible, modern, carrier battle group. I have Teams business calls every day from the UK that span three or four continents, you seem to be confused that Brexit has made the UK introverted when, in reality, it has done the exact opposite.
@@glynnwright1699 I suppose I am partially reacting to the constant union jack flag waving and the constant claiming of "world class'. In terms of East of Suez I am afraid the "defence" of Singapore in 1942 is still remembered here as when we shifted to the US as our principal defence ally. As someone also involved with trade (mainly in Asia) the one thing I have noticed since Johnson and the Brexiteers took over is that the UK pound has dropped 20% against the Australian dollar. Though this makes the UK very cheap for us (if we can ever get there again) - anything you wan t to buy from us is going to be a bit more expensive.
@@RJS4287 The pound is pretty close to where it was in 2016 against the dollar, which is all that really matters. Singapore was the best part of century ago.
Id like to apologize for the empire a nd the imperial rule we had over you yanks...and the rest of the world😪 but i love AZ and the southwest😁 my fav place to go.
Strange that you find other countries way of life different from the USA . Every country does similar things differently, the USA has extremely strange and different ways of doing things, compared to most western type cultures, I think maybe because the USA is a day behind the rest of the world, but don’t even know that😂
I would have thought that the most obvious difference would be the N.H.S. and the British system of funding and the American form of funding. Humans are very imperfect and illogical,which filters through to systems of government. For example can it be logical to spend billions on weapons that would destroy human life on this planet and at the same time spend billions on saving life through medical schemes ? The point being we are not as civilized as we would like to think ourselves and not very logical and we should not expect perfection. Anyway what is perfect because should one define perfect the other half of the world would not agree ,as one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Is the answer one world government ? My answer would be it will never happen so lets be pragmatic about solutions. A small elite body determine that we should have different political systems and this causes mistrust between nations and hence wars along with other human traits like self importance greed etc: The real point being that a small elite control huge populations which in itself is illogical because the logic must be that this small elite is wiser than the huge population it governs,it of course is not, and that is why we are closer to midnight on the doomsday clock. Sorry to be a pragmatist.
Wow,... takes along time to get to the points,..needs to talk slowly, so we can digest what she is saying...boring after a while...seems to be talking to herself!!
Since leaving The European Union I have become rather jealouse of my fellows in mainland Europe. Us Britons have been able and free to sojourn the most fascinating Continent in the world - historically - and have now decided to give up their right to freely sojourn - persuaded by those that are still free to sojourn.
What a ridiculous thing to write, on a channel made by a person from a country outside the EU, who nevertheless "sojourned" for ten years. And how arrogant to assume that the majority of the population - more people than ever voted for anything before - are so gullible! Do explain: do you know the origins of the EU? If so, and you still support it, you should be ashamed of yourself. If not, then you didn't know what you were voting for, did you?
@@goldfish2379 I wrote, giving my opinion - if thats OK with you. In fact, the opinion remains - whether you like it or not, or whether you think it ridiculous or not. Goodbye !
You're missing out on exclusive weekly videos (and the controversy over how I tiered British food...sorry, Yorkshires are the best!) if you haven't checked me out on Patreon! www.patreon.com/girlgonelondon
I made the move from the UK to Australia 30 plus years ago. I now get to enjoy watching videos of people also making their moves abroad, their experiences and how life in the UK has changed in that time. The biggest change for me is being able to keep in contact with family and friends with zoom, facetime etc. So much better than feeding $1 coins into a payphone every 20-30 seconds
I went to grad school in London 10 years ago and needed another way to get back there because it's so hard to get a company to sponsor me. So after 10 years, I'm returning back to London for law school because I'm planning on making my life there! Hopefully, I'll find an Englishman like you because I do like them alot 😂! Thanks for sharing!
Interesting. My mum is from Pittsburgh, she married my dad who is from the UK. They moved to the UK in 1985, she only wanted to stay for a few years. She’s still here.
Another wonderful video! Keep it up. You are an asset to the UK.
Well done 10yrs in the UK, my daughter who is now 32, spent about 3yrs with Camp America and it really was the making of her. Good luck with the rest of your adventures .
Made it to the end! I am in awe of people who take the plunge to move and live in another country. Fascinating to hear your perspective on the UK and USA and living/working abroad. Keep up the good work making these vids
VERY impressed you made it to the end Mike! Thanks for watching! My husband (British) has helped me come up with some awesome video ideas for the future and I'm excited to be able to film more around the UK too!
Very interesting story on how your UK life started! I'm Norwegian and studied in Southampton in the spring of 2015 and I can definitely relate to the feeling of independence and new experiences and friendships being made as an exchange student. I definitely miss those days and part of me wishes I could've stayed and even lived there but alas, back to Norway I went and though I do enjoy my life here in Norway, I do really miss the UK and I hope to go back once I'm fully vaccinated and borders between Norway and the UK are open again.
So interesting to hear your own UK experience as well! I don't know much about Southampton actually! Also looking forward to traveling when it's safe too. I've been to Bergen and it was amazing!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial So glad you enjoyed my hometown of Bergen, it's definitely very popular among tourists and has a lot of sights to see but naturally during the past year the tourism industry here has taken a toll from the pandemic. Hopefully that will pick up again this year and onward as borders open back up and people get vaccinated.
Try Portsmouth next time you are here - just along the coast and 100% nicer!
I want to move to the UK but I heard it’s really hard to get a company to sponsor you and to find a job. But I’m determined to make it happen
Just arrive on the beaches of England in a dinghy, claim asylum and the authorities will pay for your stay, give you free accommodation and give you spending money. You don’t have to worry about immigration and paperwork. Less hassle and no bureaucracy to deal with; so far 8.5k dinghy people arrived on the beaches this year without passports. You won’t have to worry about sponsorship as the government will pay for your education.
I had viewed several of your videos before; this has enabled me to put the others in perspective . As a result, I have now subscribed.
Came to this late having watched your retirement video before this one. A very interesting tale. Good luck with the rest of your UK adventure.
As a proud Briton it is good to hear how the UK is seen by non natives exploring both the good and bad. Thank you.
You certainly made it look more attainable to move to the UK from US with your story. Thank you for that!
Made it to the end! My partner is English but we live in the US. Planning to move to England when our kids are off to college!
Your in the same bit reverse predicament as me, I’m British living in US my partner is from US, but I just recently got my US born children British passports, we plan to move when the kids are also grown up, good luck on your future prospects
I made it to the end. I was a VP at Richmond. I hope that you enjoyed your time there!
So impressed you made it to the end! Thanks for watching Bill! I had an incredible time at Richmond and still have fond memories of pizza nights on Friday nights in the dining hall and the friendly staff!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial 12 years at Richmond and left 9 years ago. Still in touch with ex-colleagues: Faculty and staff. A good place to work. Enjoy the U.K.
I don't think anybody should be upset if someone finds a different country not to their taste. I met an American girl many years ago who's father had been stationed at a local RAF base, she hated England, but to be fair to her, she hadn't made new friends and no doubt missed her friends back in the USA.
In a similar vein I worked in the USA for 6 months and couldn't wait to come home.
I'm really happy to hear your story, because its kind what I want to do too. the difference is that I'm a Canadian. I have a long & hard journey ahead of myself, but I don't intend on giving up. Thanks so much for the video!!
Camp America can certainly be life changing. My best friend Peter enrolled for the summer camp in 1987. He met an American girl, got married, had a family and never came back to the UK.
Oh wow! A true Camp America love story...my husband and I didn't meet at camp, but worked there in different summers and had a mutual friend introduce us from our time there while I was living in England, so in a roundabout way that is my story too!
I moved from UK to holland for 6 months work in 2011! I'm still here in 2021. It was never planned or a serious thought about it just became my new home!!
Ah, so you can relate!! I for sure thought I was going to go back to the US...ah, well, here's to another 10 years!
Great stuff. I also did a Masters at Central London Polytechnic now University of Westminster, though at the Marylebone campus. Congratulations on the minimal number of US likes
Impressive learner and trying new year experiences in education and employment that is for you 'abroad'. I just work for 2 years in Paris after graduation in 1974 , finding it tough to find a job in big hotel . We had just joined the EEC ,so some freedom of movement of employment, though you had to get a carte de sejours. You could only get a carte de sejours with 3 month's pay slips, but did it at the Grand Hotel de Louvre ,with my reference from university vac working at Clarifies in London. Your sustained achievement far exceeds mine , but in an Anglophone country
You've led an interesting life, and you're still so young! I love your videos 👍
I'm a Brit and moved to the States 20 years ago. So far I agree with almost everything you have been saying about your opposite move. The main difference is it's almost impossible to get a VISA or work permit in the States, and is much easier in the UK.
A lot of people on here are saying the opposite that its near impossible to have a UK company sponsor an immigrant even an american immigrant. So which is it?
@@mindseye4914 The problem isn't getting a company to sponsor you. In the States if you become out-of-status even for a reason that isn';t your fault (like a company changing its name to go public) you immediately have to leave the country and can't come back for 10 years if it takes more than six months to transfer your bona fide Visa.(which is always does). Yes that's right. You can't get back in-status again because you are out-of-status, no matter what other credentials you have that worked before. The system is THAT broken.
It's easy. Our borders are so open.
Interested in moving to the UK or reading about my hilarious anecdotes about all the times I've made a fool of myself in the UK? Check out the Girl Gone London book on Amazon, a humorous and practical guide to life in the UK as an expat: amzn.to/3iobJGt
I wouldn't live in London.This is as close as I go.
This video has joyous amounts of regret and pondering missed opportunities - truly you are becoming culturally British, marvellous ^oo^
@Gone girl if you have not read them I would really recommend Bill Brysons two books titled Notees from a small island & Notes from a big country. The first is about how after living in the UK for 10 years the author is going back to live in America so does a tour of the UK to soak it all in and visit strange places and weird events such as the famous cheese roll, the second is all about first arriving back in the States and all the changes since he has been gone and going through a culture shock all over again, there's one bit that sticks in my head he tries to walk to the store to buy a paper but as it is all set up for cars not pedestrians he gets in all kinds of bother and even has the police called on him for walking through a nice neighbourhood because they just do not see people walking. His books are so funny yet poignant. I write this as I see you have your own book out I will definitely get a copy. Stay safe & Thankyou for the work you put into your videos.
Hope you are happy here, with no regrets, we are the best.
I moved to the US from the UK to marry my American wife. I love the US, but really miss the UK. Her family frequently adopt foreign students for their study abroads, and my SIL has done a study abroad in the US. I have 3 different friends who all did Camp America, and they all loved the experience
WoW! Really interesting story of an academic life in two countries!
Thanks for sharing! You've had quite a journey!!
Always make it to the end of your videos 👍 its like listening to a podcast. 😊 Thanks for what you do!
Aw thanks for watching Sophie! So glad to have you as part of the community!
Very engaging and interesting....thankyou. Glad you enjoy the UK
The good thing about going abroad on holiday is seeing other cultures. There is more than seeing different scenery which the USA has plenty of. But many people from here in the UK do go to Spain to drink English beer whilst they eat fish and chips.
I've never understood that, going to another country & doing the same things you always do & eating the same foods. I love travelling, love learning languages so I can make the most of my journeys, & adore learning about other cultures, especially eating their foods. In the good old days, I'd simply book a ferry to France whenever I could, or sometimes to a Belgium or Dutch port, & head the car in whichever direction the sun was shining the most. I've travelled all over Western Europe that way, & some of southern & Northern Europe too. I haven't enough time to see all I want to see. Lol The world is amazing.
Your University experience is interesting but sounds very, very expensive. Did all your traveling go on student loans and have you paid them off yet?
I am British, and have lived in Great Britain all of my life. I have not graduated from anywhere at all. Some people in other countries don't believe that I do not know what it is like to graduate. There is something else that children in American schools apparently go through, and the British seem to now, but when I left school in 1988, there was no such thing as a Prom.
I was working in the same job, for thirteen years, and then made redundant, in 2012. I have not found a similar job since.
I've been looking into moving to London. I've tried looking for companies to sponsor me, especially start ups, but it's been really difficult. I think my best option is to find a job here, work for a year to save up enough money, apply for the Ancestry visa, and then just move and hope I can find a job either before or after moving. I was really hoping to move late this year or early next year. I'm not giving up though! Thanks for this informative video!
I love your honesty
Thank you so much for watching!
Regarding using the wrong words, when I was working in France when parents joined me in the summer & we went on holiday down in the Camargue. In our bay on the campsite, there were about 10 groups from all over Europe & we all got on really well so regularly went out together or held parties on the site. I was the only one who could communicate with everybody in the bay so was always in demand as interpreter. A group of young bakers from Paris who only spoke French were chatting with a German couple who also spoke English. He wanted to know why their bread tasted so good but went stale quickly. He asked which preservatives they were legally allowed to use. I didn't know the French for preservatives, so followed the unwritten rule: many scientific words are the same but pronounced with a French accent. The only problem is préservatif is an exception & has a different meaning. I basically asked if they put condoms in their bread. Let's just say much merriment ensued! That was a great holiday, especially as the males in the Paris group were celebrating the end of their freedom; they were about to start military service once their holiday was over, so they were determined to have the most fun possible.
Excellent vid, excellent resilience with all those different visas, born UK, grew up Hong Kong, lived and worked in many Asian countries, back in UK now... am finding it interesting but dull, glad you still enjoying it....onwards!!!!;-)
Dull ... off you go sir.
That sounds like a very interesting journey.
My sister was at an American summer camp before returning to university in the UK. She spent much of her time teaching kids pistol shooting. Was this a useful contribution to US culture?
Assuming she taught gun safety as well, yes.
@@gemoftheocean Gun safety is one thing mental state is another.
Westminster Uni represent! I was doing History at the Regent Street campus a couple of years before you :)
Yea I heard of Camp America it was something I knew a few people did, when I worked as a outdoor pursuits instructor over here in the UK.
Thanks for watching Ben!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial no problem your videos are great
I think your experiences are pretty awesome. If I were younger again, I would love to live in Europe.
Richmond is great , I live in Twickenham and my wife went to Richmond and Kensington via Kings College
Awesome! Small world! thanks for watching!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial ..West London, definitely the best part of London 🤣
@@glastonbury4304 Oi, what's wrong with the east end. 😄
@@tonywilkinson6895 🤣🤣...true, most my mates live in West Ham, Ilford and Stratford , but I managed to escape West 👍🤣🤣
Sorry, i know im a bit late, but welcome to the UK! x
I enjoyed watching this.
Thanks for sharing your experience.... good info. My son and I would like if he goes abroad in high school or even college. I'm not sure I'm ready for him to go abroad in high school but in really excited for him
That was very interesting - well done you! Wait till you have lived longer in the UK than the US. Maybe that would be a good time to do another life review video.
I make it to the end of all your videos I also live in chiswick😊
I made it to the end!
I moved to the US to work and I understand the culture differences that you talk about but in reverse!
Asking for washing powder in a store was an interesting moment!
Thank you for watching!!!! That's so funny - what did they think you meant?!
A Brit I worked with when we were summer camp counselors in the US came into the office asking for a plaster and we thought he wanted some plaster for a craft project....! He couldn't fathom what we were trying to offer him and we couldn't figure out what he actually wanted for a good while!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial They had no idea until I told them I wanted to wash my clothes...
I did struggle with an answer when people asked "what's happening"
Lol very interesting, the one thing I wish they taught in schools ,more about cultures in different countries, I suppose at least people are learning more about the world through the Internet ,I was born in the uk but lived in Australia in 1989,and they use the word Pants for trousers,and flip flops are called thongs which are pants or underwear in the uk ,but it's fun to learn and some of it funny .
This was very impressive. I'd like to know more!!!!! Thanks for the reference of BUNAC! Can you share more programs?
Of COURSE I watched to the end. Did you think I lacked stamina?
Interesting year by year, visa by visa, account of your almost 10 years in the UK. I am assuming a citizenship application will be next....
I realise how difficult this country is with its various qualifications required for different visas but wish it was a little more sensible and had a more human touch when dealing with these sensitive things. From "Adventures & Naps" (Canadian girl in the UK for 5+ years) I could see how emotional it was for her to have to go abroad to apply and then the tension as she awaited the outcome to return to the UK and her partner here. It shouldn't be hard to tell which applciations are genuine and where the only answer would be to grant that visa.
Good to have you aboard in the UK.
I didn't doubt for a second you would watch to the end Raymond! Truly supportive you are!
That citizenship application is definitely going in as soon as I get my Indefinite Leave to Remain back and I can't wait (at least for the relief it will give me!). It is definitely stressful - for this one, I can remain in the UK while the application goes through, but it is nerve-wracking. I have no reason to think it won't, but every day when I check my e-mail, it does go through my mind of what would happen.
I can't wait to do a celebratory video when it does come back!
I watch Alanna at "Adventures & Naps" and was pleased when she got her Visa. Good to see that you watch another great channel.
I would disagree that it is easy to tell which applications are genuine, how do you tell if someone genuinely wants to be with someone. For example with the spouse visa application have to supply photos of the couple together. If there are lots of kissing and hugs because the couple are outgoing will they think it is staged. If they do not kiss in public will they are not in love. It appears to me that the visa system is a combination of a subjective assessment and a box ticking exercise.
@@johnclements6614 I suspect if the person considering a permanent visa application were able to watch some of these videos going back a few years (or Alanna's videos) it would be obvious those applicants were genuine. And I guess they would be able to produce employment records, educational certificates acheived, club memberships etc, from which it should be possible to determine whether the application was genuine. But I accept there will be those who will want to "construct" a false history in an attempt to game the system.
Made it to the end :)
Enjoyed the vid :)
THank you for watching!!
We have thousands of Hong kongers entering the UK these days. To them, to all those hardworking, bright people coming to this country just like you a decade age, welcome home!
Thank you for sharing. 👍❤️
Interesting: thank you. Personally, I have never had “itchy feet”, nor any huge desire even to visit other countries. I once had a six-day holiday with friends in Portugal. That was in 1975. That was interesting, because it was before the place had developed as a tourist area and there was a completely alien way of life. The weather was also peculiar: blazing sunshine throughout the day until five pm, then a huge thunderstorm every day for an hour. That was enough for me. I ad,ire your guts and tenacity.
Thank you for watching and for your comment! That sounds a lot like Florida weather too! I'm glad I've explored parts of the world, though definitely always feel that sense of longing towards "home" no matter how long I've lived abroad.
Thanks for sharing
I'm from Northampton. Moved to USA IN 86 . LIVE IN DENVER.
I love your vlog and the succinct way of telling your tale. I just refreshed my knowledge about your, (sounds to me) difficult journey to study and eventually live in the UK, I have been watching the vlog of another American woman, An artist and photographer who fell in love with Scotland and moved here: in case you want to check her out, her Vlog is Sarah Burns Studio.
did you have to pay for those visas yourself or were you helped by employers or your US college?
You having a watershed moment? Sometimes reflections don't show true images. Looking forward to your next instalment .
Watched it all, I will look forward to what you do with your channel from here on in. I hope it goes really well and smoothly for you, I suspect it might! ;o) I wish you the very Best of British Luck with it all. For the record I am a regular Brit, nearing retirement, so I am on a learning curve too! :o)
never regret, you can fix what you missed xxx
Wow, you clocked up some air miles early on, hope you got the chance to redeem them. You now know what Nimbyism is and not only is it alive and kicking but growing at an alarming rate. It has been around for centuries, mainly wealthy landowners who did not want canals or railways on their land and would not sell it, hence few things are a straight line in Britain, and it did not have an acronym back then. (NIMBY, not in my back yard).
Interesting - that makes total sense with what I've observed in the UK! I feel in the US we aren't necessarily pro-development, but definitely not as against it as here!
@@GirlGoneLondonofficial As an ex pat Brit in the ROI there is the same reluctance to welcome development here. A big one at the moment is trying to stop high rise development in Dublin that is above a certain height to preserve the city skyline and not overshadow historic buildings, the same in Cork City with the docks and harbour area in general.
London has been blighted by high rise development both commercial and housing, I understand that land prices drive this but it could all be a bit more sympathetic.
New high speed rail is a necessity if we are to cut carbon emissions, the UK an IE lag well behind France in this who are talking about banning internal flights if the same journey can be done in under two and an half hours by rail. High speed rail in France is leading the way in Europe with this.
High speed rail I am in favour of, just like some of our ancestors were in favour of rail development as far better and safer than horse and coach.
So that little quirk of Richmond University being based in Kensington is a prime example of a bit of advice I, as a Brit, would give to anyone coming to visit, study or live over here. Which is:
Don't expect things to be logical or make sense, in fact actively expect exactly the opposite!!!
The biggest and most common example being our hybrid use of both metric and imperial measuring systems. Basically everyone else in the world has picked one system or the other, but not us Brits!
Measuring distance on road signs, imperial miles. Weights on products in the supermarket, metric kgs. House size, square feet. Furniture measurements, back to metric. A person's height, usually feet and inches. Weight, pick and choose either system as you like!!!
It makes no sense at all which gives a great insight in to the British mentality. Because, although it makes no sense, it works. So why worry about it and try and fix it when it doesn't need fixing! That's perfectly good time wasted that could be spent drinking tea!!!
It's good the English can still order a pint of beer.
You missed temperatures, generally Celsius if it's very cold and Fahrenheit if it's very hot.
I'm curious what made you want to move here and in which part of England you are now living. xx
Definitely started at the super posh end of London with Kensington! Did I hear you right that you went to the university of Westminster in Harrow next to Northwich park hospital? Fellow Harrowian here.
Anyway you certainly jumped through a hole load of hoops to be in England. I guess you must really like it? 🙂
You did hear right! Mostly studied at that location next to the Northwick Park Hospital and have actually had a lot of work related things to do in Harrow when I was at a 9-5...some great areas around there!
Hope you’re happy here
Really interesting.
Well done..
I made it to the end
Props to you!!
good for you
Fascinating
An interesting journey, do you regret doing it, would you change anything?
Made it lol. Where did you get married? Love to hear that story.
Woo, you were in it for the long haul, haha! Thanks for watching! We got married in Hughenden Church in Buckinghamshire - definitely doing a uk vs us wedding video soon with more of the story!
Amazingly i watched every minute! but lass please have a wee glass of water or a cup of tea handy you always sound dry. It's ok we don't mind a wee sip or swig in a video! Anyway really good video I found you really interesting and looking forward to more from you! Keep up the good work you'll do fine! lol!
I did
I made to the end and subscribe
As an American living in the UK, what is your opinion of the Brexit situation?
I'll tell you mine, as a British person living in Yorkshire. I hate Brexit, I hate separating from Europe & I hate everything it stands for. Not only are we all stronger together, being in the EU made it easier to travel, live, study or work anywhere we wanted in the EU. I've studied at universities in the UK & Spain, & worked in France & the UK, I also had a job offer from a company in Alicante but couldn't take it because my Dad was seriously ill (it was a life threatening condition) & my Mum was losing her sight at the time so she was struggling with everything & needed me at home.
My nephew's are now at uni & I recommended they try to do their 3rd year placement abroad, but it's impossible now. We are preventing our young from taking full advantage of experiencing what we had. If the job market plummets in the UK, they won't be able to look elsewhere & won't have the language skills in any case. It makes the job of learning & teaching languages harder, because kids question why they need to learn them when we're no longer in Europe. We've already started to experience the financial implications, with the downturn of the fishing industry, for example. Here in Britain, we think we're better than the rest of Europe but we're not. I think the economic, societal & educational disadvantages haven't been fully felt yet. Give it a year or two post-Covid & we'll realised that we've shot ourselves in the foot. I'm disgusted at our insular, xenophobic outlook & I'm ashamed to be British.
@@angelaburrow8114 I totally agree with everything you have written, I was living in West Yorkshire up until last year, hopefully moving to Scotland soon. Take care.
@@angelaburrow8114 Angela Burrow. In a nutshell, you're a democracy denying bad loser. Be grateful you live in the greatest country in the world.
As a Brit I also hate Brexit and am yet to find a single advantage only negatives.
@@billbhein2949 oh, yuck! You mean, you want to live in a place where you can be jailed for 7 years for criticising the government IN YOUR OWN HOME? What's wrong with you, you freak?
How easy is it to get a passport in the US? I've heard stories it takes ages.
Make an appointment at your nearest US post office. They process your information and within a few weeks you’ll have your passport. I didn’t get a passport until 2019. You never needed one until the past few years, even to travel to Canada or Mexico.
Acton must have been an eye opener compared to Kensington.
i can never tell if you like living in the uk still, sometimes you sound like you feel sad about being here But I am fairly new to the channel so hope that's not the case and you are really happy, I am enjoying your content though
I had to laugh when you said that people were telling you that Pittsburgh was the best city in the world. A lot of people here feel that way.
Your feelings about Pitt v London is referred to in England is "winning on the swings and losing on the roundabouts".
So what does girl gone London mean?
It means a man from Afghanistan goes to Switzerland
I also made it to the end. This is a comment for the algorithm.
As you asked, yes I made it to the end, this is a comment.
They say your body repairs itself every 7 years, so that makes you British now 👍, which is obvious as it also speeds up your speech 😉😅💕
You were a beautiful bride :)
Are you ok? You haven't posted for a while.
to the end... always ;)
I enjoy all your videos. Yes, I made it to the end. I was going to put an emoji but don't want to show my age lol. ooooppps
Why do British and Americans refer to themselves as “ex pats” when they live in other countries whereas someone going to live in the UK or the US is called an “immigrant”?
Because we aren't going to these places as dependents.
Your a fantasic lovely person don't change you American trates for English ones. stop the way you are in Canada
Thank you for sharing. As an UK expat living abroad I wonder how you see the UK. Does the past dominate life? For me from a distance it looks as if the UK is now confused (or has not come to terms) about its place in the world - maybe a cause or symptom or result of of Brexit. Obviously its history as an imperial power is everywhere in buildings, literature, the Proms, its diversity etc. But living In Asia/Oceania it is clear that at least economically the UK is no longer a world power - something some politicians once accepted but now appear to have difficulty coming to terms with. So when Boris talks about more involvement in Indo-China and a military presence in the South China sea it looks ridiculous to us - the UK air force is smaller than that of South Korea or Japan yet alone the PR of China. The US is clearly still a world power - though maybe it is also having difficulty accepting the rise of China. In the end I suppose I am asking is Britain becoming more flag waving, history obsessed and nationalistic than the USA in your view - or is this part of its charm?
The UK spends more on defence than Russia, in fact it spends more than every other country except USA, China and India.
@@glynnwright1699 Still a small air force by either total number or number of combat planes. But the real point is, it is a world power?
@@RJS4287 The only one concerned whether it is a world power seems to be you. It is certainly the only European country that can project power through a credible, modern, carrier battle group.
I have Teams business calls every day from the UK that span three or four continents, you seem to be confused that Brexit has made the UK introverted when, in reality, it has done the exact opposite.
@@glynnwright1699 I suppose I am partially reacting to the constant union jack flag waving and the constant claiming of "world class'. In terms of East of Suez I am afraid the "defence" of Singapore in 1942 is still remembered here as when we shifted to the US as our principal defence ally. As someone also involved with trade (mainly in Asia) the one thing I have noticed since Johnson and the Brexiteers took over is that the UK pound has dropped 20% against the Australian dollar. Though this makes the UK very cheap for us (if we can ever get there again) - anything you wan t to buy from us is going to be a bit more expensive.
@@RJS4287 The pound is pretty close to where it was in 2016 against the dollar, which is all that really matters. Singapore was the best part of century ago.
Id like to apologize for the empire a nd the imperial rule we had over you yanks...and the rest of the world😪
but i love AZ and the southwest😁 my fav place to go.
Strange that you find other countries way of life different from the USA . Every country does similar things differently, the USA has extremely strange and different ways of doing things, compared to most western type cultures, I think maybe because the USA is a day behind the rest of the world, but don’t even know that😂
I notice no engagement or wedding rings on your pretty hands?....:)
Just goes to show you've got to really want to live here to jump through all that legal paperwork. It must have been a nightmare.
I would have thought that the most obvious difference would be the N.H.S. and the British system of funding and the American form of funding. Humans are very imperfect and illogical,which filters through to systems of government. For example can it be logical to spend billions on weapons that would destroy human life on this planet and at the same time spend billions on saving life through medical schemes ? The point being we are not as civilized as we would like to think ourselves and not very logical and we should not expect perfection. Anyway what is perfect because should one define perfect the other half of the world would not agree ,as one mans terrorist is another mans freedom fighter. Is the answer one world government ? My answer would be it will never happen so lets be pragmatic about solutions. A small elite body determine that we should have different political systems and this causes mistrust between nations and hence wars along with other human traits like self importance greed etc: The real point being that a small elite control huge populations which in itself is illogical because the logic must be that this small elite is wiser than the huge population it governs,it of course is not, and that is why we are closer to midnight on the doomsday clock. Sorry to be a pragmatist.
You should have just used some boot polish and come over from France on a dinghy. Probably easier.
All those visas, must have cost a fortune!
That they have! I think in total it'll be about £12,000 by the time I finish up with everything over the years...yikes!!!!!
Wow,... takes along time to get to the points,..needs to talk slowly, so we can digest what she is saying...boring after a while...seems to be talking to herself!!
Since leaving The European Union I have become rather jealouse of my fellows in mainland Europe. Us Britons have been able and free to sojourn the most fascinating Continent in the world - historically - and have now decided to give up their right to freely sojourn - persuaded by those that are still free to sojourn.
What a ridiculous thing to write, on a channel made by a person from a country outside the EU, who nevertheless "sojourned" for ten years. And how arrogant to assume that the majority of the population - more people than ever voted for anything before - are so gullible! Do explain: do you know the origins of the EU? If so, and you still support it, you should be ashamed of yourself. If not, then you didn't know what you were voting for, did you?
@@goldfish2379 I wrote, giving my opinion - if thats OK with you.
In fact, the opinion remains - whether you like it or not, or whether you think it ridiculous or not. Goodbye !
Did you marry a horse???😅😅😅😅😅😅😊😊😊😊😊