Couples: What made you decide to live in US

[TBoneTX 48,364]

The billions and billions and BILLIONS of ROOSTERS in Ecuador, grrrr man.

[Anna & John 0]

I'm a part-timer in the military, and I have about 9 years until I can retire. This is a part of the reason that we have decided that we will live in the US. Once I hit 20 years, we will consider moving to Hungary. Of course, the future will play a role in that decision. We will evaluate our situation at that time, and decide where we want to be. I have spent enough time in Hungary to know that it is a wonderful country, and I can definitely see myself living there. The bottom line is that as long as I am with my wife, I will be happy no matter where we live.

[thongd4me 69]

At first it was a no-brainer that we will live in New York as I am near retirement age

and my job pays much more than either of us could ever get in Thailand.

The cultural/family closeness issue is about 50-50. She is very close to her son,

has many close friends but is just cordial with her extended family. I am on good

terms with friends & family here too. The main issue after my retirement

will be my 85 yr old mom who will need us to be there, but after she is not

in the picture we may want to split time between the US and Thailand as

there are many good things that each has that the other does not.

I have wanted to travel more in the US as my travel has so far been mostly foreign since I was 20.

I also want to see other SE Asian countries, India & China which I have never visited.

Being based in Thailand & the US will allow us to accomplish both.

Edited October 23, 2010 by thongd4me

[VanessaTony 3,567]

He was finishing his studies and had student loans to pay.

His family are also freaks and he felt bad leaving his dad alone with all that.

I had no issues with moving. I prefer Australia though quite honestly. Almost everything is better in Australia. Income, medical, food... but at the time I was thinking of leaving crime was on the increase and I was "over" living in Melbourne. I was over the stress and I'd just left a really really bad job where I was abused.

I just was okay with having a break. Having experienced the US things are getting easier, but there's still a LOT I miss about Australia.

[sachinky 465]

I was in the US for nearly four years when we got engaged. We met in college. We just felt that it made sense for me to stay on (even though, I went back home to process the CR-1, don't ask me why!), rather than him moving to India which would've been a much bigger cultural adjustment, given that he doesn't speak any of the regional languages.

He's well-traveled, very laid back and a flexible kinda guy. He loved his time in India, my family and friends adore him and he gets along really well with them. So moving there in a few years time is very much on the cards if we were able to secure good jobs for ourselves.

[Ban Hammer 14,640]

The billions and billions and BILLIONS of ROOSTERS in Ecuador, grrrr man.

at least it's not billions of wedgies.

[StoryAngel 4]

I was living in the Netherlands when we met (online), although I'm a Brit. We seriously considered staying in NL because I had a job and was a home owner. But we decided ultimately that there would be easier for me to find work in the US than the other way around, and we felt that the US offered a better quality of life overall. I ended up getting laid off from my job during the K1 process (company restructure, nothing I did!), so that actually helped with the move also. Having said that, I moved here just when the economy tanked and the work situation has proved much more difficult than either of us had imagined. I've found a series of temporary contracts, but not the permanent position I'd hoped for.

In spite of that, I'm happy here in TX. I love the fact that it's so sunny and I definitely don't miss the grey, miserable European winters. The people are great, the cost of living is relatively low (although with no job benefits that health insurance bites us pretty hard).... I still think we can live better here even though there are aspects of European life that I miss terribly. I also think further down the line (after citizenship), a spell in Europe might be on the cards. It would probably be the Netherlands though. Much as I miss my family back in Britain (and love to visit), I just couldn't live in that pricy Big Brother Nation again...

[JoannaV 174]

We were eager to get married and live together. As I was under 21 at the time it wouldn't even have been possible for me to sponsor him to move to the UK. (Crazy crazy law!!) So, in that sense, we had no choice.

I was a student. He had a job and years of working experience. He is also in the Air National Guard.

All of my worldly belongings (ie books) could fit in a few boxes. All his belongings (cars, car parts, boat, motorcycle...) could not.

I was already open to the possibility of moving abroad. It was not something he had ever considered until he met me.

We both have families and friends (lol), in fact I see more of my extended family than he does of his. But I am an anti-social loner whilst he likes to see/talk to his friends/family every day.

So we live in the US. And of course there are things that one likes about living here, such as the cheap price of houses. It would be hard to swap our acreage for some over-priced flat in Europe.

I have no idea what the future will bring. On the one hand, I like having roots. I love owning a house. I love my church and my new friends. However, it would be nice to live in Europe at some point. It would be nice to go grocery shopping and not have to compromise. It would be nice to be back with my GP and his lovely receptionist and the nurse. I feel like I had more choice and control over my healthcare in the UK. I miss being able to walk places and using public transportation. I miss all the old buildings. Racism is a bigger issue here and it annoys me.

Both my husband and I miss pasties!

So we are both open to moving again. However, now that we own a house it is hard to actually consider moving. Even when my husband gets a job offer on the other side of the state, it can seem interesting for a minute but then reality sets in: we own a house. And we're not the type of people who enjoy moving. If, once we have fixed up the house a bit, a good temporary contract comes up in the UK or somewhere else then we might consider taking it and living abroad for a couple of years and rent the house out.

It's likely that we will die here in the US. And knowing that, it makes me think I should get citizenship sooner rather than later. But I am not sure. It is too soon to think about that yet.

[R&V 8]

I just moved here, but we never really considered living in Germany. I had lived in the US before, I speak the language, and he had a better job and is going to school part-time.

I love it here right now, but I definitely don't want to stay here forever. I've lived in several different countries, and I'd love to live with him (and maybe a family someday) in Europe for a while.

[Kang Lang 7]

my husband lived in the u.s. when we started dating and it was an easy discussion for him to immigrate for a multitude of reasons:

he had a job before he landed here and i would have struggled to find work in thailand.

college, i am still in (2 more quarters) and my husband has just begun whereas in thailand it would have been impossible for him to get secondary education. we plan to move back to thailand after he finishes college and we will open a business which is already in the planning stages.

we have a 5 year plan. we are just saving money to head back.

[Pooky 3,930]

I wanted to learn another foreign language.

[Ban Hammer 14,640]

I wanted to learn another foreign language.

[NigeriaorBust 4,088]

Lets see

US good roads, I make more money, I have children and grand children , and you can eat pork

Nigeria lack of electricity, malaria, lack of running water and most of the water incontanimated, lack of refrigeration, crime, no good medical facilities, and local planes that only the insane would use.

[Hugglebuggles 60]

My husband helps run a successful family business here in Colorado. Without him, things would be difficult, and he enjoys his role and has an extremely stable job because of it. Eventually it will be his. I was a college student without a strong foundation in Canada during the 4 years we dating long distance. I had a part time job, lived with my parents, and didn't really have a plan for the future. After graduating I was starting my life new, so it wasn't a huge stretch to start a new life in a different country. At the end of the day, it was easier for me to move and start over than it would have been for him, so that's what I did.