A move to america ... my experience so far

[Bayoubrit 18]

I thought i would share my journey and what it means to me personally. 

I am from the UK, my work took me around the world for long periods of time and at many points i was in the US working on projects. I fell in love with Boston, Chicago and New York but my passionate love is New Orleans. Being from Oxford everything there is old and steeped in history, I am proudly English and always will be but the passion the states has for flag and country is amazing. I met my now wife in Tulsa Oklahoma while i was there on work, it was a Disney movie of love at first sight. We lived together in the UK and then Abu Dhabi UAE before deciding after i got laid off from Oil and gas to move her home. I was going to return to the UK see out my final 4 months in the UK office while doing my CR-1 visa. I came here on a holiday before returning to the UK and my company told me i was not required to return... that was a change in the plan and once we found out about the change of status we started the ball rolling. While the paper work and processing was going on I explored New Orleans. 

Now i had never been here before, the first time was to visit my wife's family in 2015 and i fell in love with the city, people, food and culture here. I have spent time walking around the french quarter, the CBD and residential suburbs each step making me smile about my new home. 

Sure things are different here, i cant find a egg and bacon bap with a cup of tea. Bacon is different from home, marmite is impossible to find and try explain what blood pudding is to people who have no clue. Although for each one of those things i miss, i find something new to try, expand my tastes and horizons. I never had a shrimp Po Boy, ate craw fish or mud bugs as they are known here but the main thing for me and my own is .... New Orleans feels like home. I sound different than everyone else, sometimes the English language gets strange here and the English sense of humor lost in translation but New Orleans is my Home.

 

Would i wait as long as i did to get my green card again, you bet i would because at this point looking across at my wife in our home city makes all the stress, money and time spent all worth it....

[Ben&Zian 4,397]

 

New Orleans is definately quite an experience when you get time to actually explore it.

[Ladyj 13]

11 minutes ago, Bayoubrit said:

I thought i would share my journey and what it means to me personally. 

I am from the UK, my work took me around the world for long periods of time and at many points i was in the US working on projects. I fell in love with Boston, Chicago and New York but my passionate love is New Orleans. Being from Oxford everything there is old and steeped in history, I am proudly English and always will be but the passion the states has for flag and country is amazing. I met my now wife in Tulsa Oklahoma while i was there on work, it was a Disney movie of love at first sight. We lived together in the UK and then Abu Dhabi UAE before deciding after i got laid off from Oil and gas to move her home. I was going to return to the UK see out my final 4 months in the UK office while doing my CR-1 visa. I came here on a holiday before returning to the UK and my company told me i was not required to return... that was a change in the plan and once we found out about the change of status we started the ball rolling. While the paper work and processing was going on I explored New Orleans. 

Now i had never been here before, the first time was to visit my wife's family in 2015 and i fell in love with the city, people, food and culture here. I have spent time walking around the french quarter, the CBD and residential suburbs each step making me smile about my new home. 

Sure things are different here, i cant find a egg and bacon bap with a cup of tea. Bacon is different from home, marmite is impossible to find and try explain what blood pudding is to people who have no clue. Although for each one of those things i miss, i find something new to try, expand my tastes and horizons. I never had a shrimp Po Boy, ate craw fish or mud bugs as they are known here but the main thing for me and my own is .... New Orleans feels like home. I sound different than everyone else, sometimes the English language gets strange here and the English sense of humor lost in translation but New Orleans is my Home.

 

Would i wait as long as i did to get my green card again, you bet i would because at this point looking across at my wife in our home city makes all the stress, money and time spent all worth it....

Glad to hear your story! All the best to you and your wife.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Lovely story! Thanks for sharing. It's clear your positive attitude is going a long way to help you settle in a strange place

 

There are various places to get British stuff like marmite - bigger supermarkets may have "international aisles". If World Market is in NO they always have it in stock, if no local store  you can shop online - worldmarket.com - too so worth a look to stock up on that and various other British goodies too (aeros, birds custard powder, hobnobs....)  There are various "British stores" dotted around the country too and a few of them also do online, but World Market will probably be cheapest.

Edited January 18, 2017 by SusieQQQ

[Bayoubrit 18]

7 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Lovely story! Thanks for sharing. It's clear your positive attitude is going a long way to help you settle in a strange place

 

There are various places to get British stuff like marmite - bigger supermarkets may have "international aisles". If World Market is in NO they always have it in stock, if no local store  you can shop online - worldmarket.com - too so worth a look to stock up on that and various other British goodies too (aeros, birds custard powder, hobnobs....)  There are various "British stores" dotted around the country too and a few of them also do online, but World Market will probably be cheapest.

Thank you , i will look into that! 

[Inikamoze 86]

Lots if places you can get hold of PG tips or Tetleys....

digestives are making their way into normal ailes in the supermarket now too.... we're slowly turning them! 

[Bayoubrit 18]

5 minutes ago, Inikamoze said:

Lots if places you can get hold of PG tips or Tetleys....

digestives are making their way into normal ailes in the supermarket now too.... we're slowly turning them! 

I have see Tetleys but never PG tips down here... only these health teas

[millefleur 5,035]

New Orleans is truly unique place. One of the few truly culturally American cities left. Glad you've found a new home! Laissez les bons temps rouler!

[javadown2 308]

Loved reading your experiences and you really never see and feel a different culture until you live it, I've yet to visit New Orleans but for sure plan on it some day. Again, thanks for sharing...the joys of loving life instead of finding all the flaws.

[SMAlexander 7]

23 hours ago, Bayoubrit said:

I thought i would share my journey and what it means to me personally.

I am from the UK, my work took me around the world for long periods of time and at many points i was in the US working on projects. I fell in love with Boston, Chicago and New York but my passionate love is New Orleans. Being from Oxford everything there is old and steeped in history, I am proudly English and always will be but the passion the states has for flag and country is amazing. I met my now wife in Tulsa Oklahoma while i was there on work, it was a Disney movie of love at first sight. We lived together in the UK and then Abu Dhabi UAE before deciding after i got laid off from Oil and gas to move her home. I was going to return to the UK see out my final 4 months in the UK office while doing my CR-1 visa. I came here on a holiday before returning to the UK and my company told me i was not required to return... that was a change in the plan and once we found out about the change of status we started the ball rolling. While the paper work and processing was going on I explored New Orleans.

Now i had never been here before, the first time was to visit my wife's family in 2015 and i fell in love with the city, people, food and culture here. I have spent time walking around the french quarter, the CBD and residential suburbs each step making me smile about my new home.

Sure things are different here, i cant find a egg and bacon bap with a cup of tea. Bacon is different from home, marmite is impossible to find and try explain what blood pudding is to people who have no clue. Although for each one of those things i miss, i find something new to try, expand my tastes and horizons. I never had a shrimp Po Boy, ate craw fish or mud bugs as they are known here but the main thing for me and my own is .... New Orleans feels like home. I sound different than everyone else, sometimes the English language gets strange here and the English sense of humor lost in translation but New Orleans is my Home.

 

Would i wait as long as i did to get my green card again, you bet i would because at this point looking across at my wife in our home city makes all the stress, money and time spent all worth it....

NO place like New Orleans.. i'm such a Cajun girl...Crawfish and King Cake season is here

[Yaztalksalot 127]

23 hours ago, Bayoubrit said:

I thought i would share my journey and what it means to me personally. 

I am from the UK, my work took me around the world for long periods of time and at many points i was in the US working on projects. I fell in love with Boston, Chicago and New York but my passionate love is New Orleans. Being from Oxford everything there is old and steeped in history, I am proudly English and always will be but the passion the states has for flag and country is amazing. I met my now wife in Tulsa Oklahoma while i was there on work, it was a Disney movie of love at first sight. We lived together in the UK and then Abu Dhabi UAE before deciding after i got laid off from Oil and gas to move her home. I was going to return to the UK see out my final 4 months in the UK office while doing my CR-1 visa. I came here on a holiday before returning to the UK and my company told me i was not required to return... that was a change in the plan and once we found out about the change of status we started the ball rolling. While the paper work and processing was going on I explored New Orleans. 

Now i had never been here before, the first time was to visit my wife's family in 2015 and i fell in love with the city, people, food and culture here. I have spent time walking around the french quarter, the CBD and residential suburbs each step making me smile about my new home. 

Sure things are different here, i cant find a egg and bacon bap with a cup of tea. Bacon is different from home, marmite is impossible to find and try explain what blood pudding is to people who have no clue. Although for each one of those things i miss, i find something new to try, expand my tastes and horizons. I never had a shrimp Po Boy, ate craw fish or mud bugs as they are known here but the main thing for me and my own is .... New Orleans feels like home. I sound different than everyone else, sometimes the English language gets strange here and the English sense of humor lost in translation but New Orleans is my Home.

 

Would i wait as long as i did to get my green card again, you bet i would because at this point looking across at my wife in our home city makes all the stress, money and time spent all worth it....

What a lovely story!

[Chardon Ne' 71]

23 hours ago, Bayoubrit said:

I thought i would share my journey and what it means to me personally. 

I am from the UK, my work took me around the world for long periods of time and at many points i was in the US working on projects. I fell in love with Boston, Chicago and New York but my passionate love is New Orleans. Being from Oxford everything there is old and steeped in history, I am proudly English and always will be but the passion the states has for flag and country is amazing. I met my now wife in Tulsa Oklahoma while i was there on work, it was a Disney movie of love at first sight. We lived together in the UK and then Abu Dhabi UAE before deciding after i got laid off from Oil and gas to move her home. I was going to return to the UK see out my final 4 months in the UK office while doing my CR-1 visa. I came here on a holiday before returning to the UK and my company told me i was not required to return... that was a change in the plan and once we found out about the change of status we started the ball rolling. While the paper work and processing was going on I explored New Orleans. 

Now i had never been here before, the first time was to visit my wife's family in 2015 and i fell in love with the city, people, food and culture here. I have spent time walking around the french quarter, the CBD and residential suburbs each step making me smile about my new home. 

Sure things are different here, i cant find a egg and bacon bap with a cup of tea. Bacon is different from home, marmite is impossible to find and try explain what blood pudding is to people who have no clue. Although for each one of those things i miss, i find something new to try, expand my tastes and horizons. I never had a shrimp Po Boy, ate craw fish or mud bugs as they are known here but the main thing for me and my own is .... New Orleans feels like home. I sound different than everyone else, sometimes the English language gets strange here and the English sense of humor lost in translation but New Orleans is my Home.

 

Would i wait as long as i did to get my green card again, you bet i would because at this point looking across at my wife in our home city makes all the stress, money and time spent all worth it....

Great story and one of the things I envy most about visitors to America, they tend to see and experience things natives never will. 

[Marco&Bettina 502]

You might could order marmite online at https://www.heb.com/product-detail/marmite-yeast-extract/606191. It's a TX food chain but they carry pretty much everything from all over the world.

 

I'm happy you're happy here though. The world is good when you're happy where you're at.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Marco&Bettina

[Thesmiths2016 117]

So lovely to read your story. There are so many people who move to the USA and complain about everything, even though they made the choice to be there.  I personally am at the last part of NVC stage for my visa, and look forward to moving with a positive attitude like yours to absorb all the awesome things about our new adventure, not the negatives. 
I also plan to pack several jars of marmite ... the kiwi version ;-) 

[Team_Healey 6]

On 4/1/2017 at 4:59 AM, Thesmiths2016 said:

So lovely to read your story. There are so many people who move to the USA and complain about everything, even though they made the choice to be there.  I personally am at the last part of NVC stage for my visa, and look forward to moving with a positive attitude like yours to absorb all the awesome things about our new adventure, not the negatives. 
I also plan to pack several jars of marmite ... the kiwi version ;-) 

Lots of luck to you! While living in NZ I was turned to eating Marmite every morning! Lucky for us, my mother-in-law sends us a box of goodies for Christmas filled with Cadbury and Marmite! 

I am happy for OP and his big easy living in New Orleans! Positive stories are always a good read, and indeed looking at my family after all the waiting, frustration and money is all worth it once everything comes through!

And as for the blood pudding, look into the local butchers and not the conventional grocery stores. We have been lucky to find such goodies after a while of looking!