Visiting is bittersweet

[Julie+Matt 84]

Thanks shippingforcast! And lioness, I know what you mean. I get so many negative comments-I wish I hadn't told anyone. "He's a terrorist" (umm, he's British) "he's gonna murder you" "you're insane." "He's not really your fiancé, you two live on different continents" "he's cheating on you" "you haven't spent enough time with him"

We talk for hours everyday. I know him better than most of my coworkers know their significant others, & within moments of meeting him I knew we were meant to be together. There's not a doubt in my mind that I'm making the wrong choice. And we trust each other implicitly. I can't even look at other guys, & I know he's not cheating on me. If they think that way then they're not secure in their relationships. And most peoples relationships couldn't handle what all of us are going through. It's rough, but it'll make our relationships stronger. I will NEVER take my Matt for granted after this...

[LionessDeon 2,060]

You should hear some of the crazy things people said to me when I told them I was visiting him for the first time...sex slave trafficking, voodoo, etc. i can imagine what they would say now. I stopped talking about it after that. I'm visiting again in July. Everyone thinks I just love Jamaica. Lol

Jewels you are 100% correct! I know this man better than anyone I've ever dated in my own city. Relationships like ours depend on good communication. I was divorced because of horrible communication. No one can really comprehend what we go through and that although we are apart he is very much a part of me and my life.

Edited May 27, 2014 by LionessDeon

[S-C 21]

On the topic of Australian service people not being friendly, I have never noticed it, but that might be because I am completely used to it. Also, tipping isn't really a thing in Australia (all people get paid at least minimum wage and you generally tip when you are happy with the service), so the quality of service from people doesn't have as big an impact on the worker personally. But I still find most people to be nice. There will always be #######. I am from Brisbane, and having traveled to Sydney a number of times, I can say people in Sydney are just generally ruder.

Regarding negative comments, neither myself or Chelsea have received any thus far. Everyone has been supportive of us, which is lovely, especially our parents and close family. We get weird looks when we tell people how we met (twitter lol) and occasionally I will when get them when I say Chels is 20 (turning 21 in July WHOOP WHOOP) and I'm 30, but I would get them regardless.

All in all, I wouldn't give Chelsea up for anything at all. Is the distance hard? Yes. Do I hate the US process for immigration? With a burning passion. Is there a chance that I may have a breakdown in an airport before this ends? I'm surprised I haven't already. But in the end, when I get off that plane for the last time, and I see her gorgeous face, and I get to hold her and know that I will never be flying away from her for an indeterminate amount of time, it will most definitely be worth it.

[Texasav8r 183]

While I found England to be absolutely beautiful I would have to agree on the customer service/ general demeanor of the population to be entirely different to home here in the US. I didn't realize how accustomed I am to someone holding a door open until I was there and nearly got smacked in the face with them. People will walk right into you on the sidewalk and they don't seem to find my yes ma'am/sir southern habits to be charming at all. HA. I do like to visit though, but I'm glad that he is coming to live here rather than vice versa.

When he left from his visit last week I stood there crying my eyes out as he went through security and a very sweet woman asked when I would see him again and it broke my heart to say I don't know, because everything is tentative when you're waiting for the visa to process. People ask when our wedding date is and I constantly feel like I'm not taken seriously because I have to say I don't know, hopefully sometime around *insert optimistic date here*. It's rough but it will be worth it in the long run. And I try to focus on the positives and just think I'm seeing new places going to visit him that I probably would not have seen otherwise at this point in my life! And plus, what's the alternative? Give up and let him go. Not a chance!

-C

Visit Russia for a few days and you will find yourself longing for England again .

I have a few Brit friends and they basically tell me they do not care much for our disingenuous "politeness". They believe it to be completely phony. While I agree many people could really care less when they ask you "how you are doing" or wish you a "good day", I believe we are in the top 3 when it comes to the "nice factor". Besides, I would be your best friend if it meant a bigger tip if I were in the service industry and I was basically living on tips

Edited May 29, 2014 by Texasav8r

[S-C 21]

Visit Russia for a few days and you will find yourself longing for England again .

I have a few Brit friends and they basically tell me they do not care much for our disingenuous "politeness". They believe it to be completely phony. While I agree many people could really care less when they ask you "how you are doing" or wish you a "good day", I believe we are in the top 3 when it comes to the "nice factor". Besides, I would be your best friend if it meant a bigger tip if I were in the service industry and I was basically living on tips

Hahaha Chelsea is a server and she's perfected the "Super Happy Awesome Time!" fake smile. But people in London are far ruder in general than I'm used to, and seem as though they think everyone owes them everything. When you have nearly an entire city like this, it wears you down.

[shippingforecast 126]

Hahaha Chelsea is a server and she's perfected the "Super Happy Awesome Time!" fake smile. But people in London are far ruder in general than I'm used to, and seem as though they think everyone owes them everything. When you have nearly an entire city like this, it wears you down.

City, you mean country right? It's like everyone's permanently passive aggressive... Heck even our weather is like that!

[yuna628 9,825]

Hahaha Chelsea is a server and she's perfected the "Super Happy Awesome Time!" fake smile. But people in London are far ruder in general than I'm used to, and seem as though they think everyone owes them everything. When you have nearly an entire city like this, it wears you down.

From experience, I feel it depends on what parts of the UK you travel to seems to reflect on how friendly people are, especially if you're an outsider. He tells me this is pretty much true.

[S-C 21]

From experience, I feel it depends on what parts of the UK you travel to seems to reflect on how friendly people are, especially if you're an outsider. He tells me this is pretty much true.

London is is not representative of the rest of the country. But still, having traveled around the UK a bit, there really isn't that big of a difference when you go to places with larger populations. Sure country towns will be different, but country towns always are.

City, you mean country right? It's like everyone's permanently passive aggressive... Heck even our weather is like that!

You could not have said it any better haha

[Bakemma 4]

Oliver is from the Somerset area of England but he current lives in the Orkney islands, and he says he misses England everyday because, while its nothing compared to Florida, it's WAY nicer than Orkney. He thinks everyone in America is just nicer. Granted when he came for the first time I took him to Disney World and he thought the tourists were rude and, for lack of a better word, idiots. I don't think it occurred to him that he was a tourist too.

I hate a lot of the negativity surrounding our relationship. His parents are totally supportive, but my family.... not so much. We have the mindset that this journey is already going to be a difficult one, why do other people have to make it harder? But we just take it all in stride we know what is most important, being together, and we are willing to do what it takes to achieve that. A lot of the comments are about the fact that we have spent so little time together in person so how can we be sure that we are in love and that we have a real relationship. OR how do I know that he isn't just with me to get a GC or other ####### like that. I just tell them, the average couple spend 9 hours a week together, talking and whatnot, we easily spend at least 2 or 3 times that together on Skype or Kik or Messaging every week. If anything our relationship is stronger than anyone else's that I know because of the distance. It sucks now, but after he comes in July we know the next flight will not have a return ticket. And that makes all this worth it.

[shippingforecast 126]

Oliver is from the Somerset area of England but he current lives in the Orkney islands, and he says he misses England everyday because, while its nothing compared to Florida, it's WAY nicer than Orkney. He thinks everyone in America is just nicer. Granted when he came for the first time I took him to Disney World and he thought the tourists were rude and, for lack of a better word, idiots. I don't think it occurred to him that he was a tourist too.

I hate a lot of the negativity surrounding our relationship. His parents are totally supportive, but my family.... not so much. We have the mindset that this journey is already going to be a difficult one, why do other people have to make it harder? But we just take it all in stride we know what is most important, being together, and we are willing to do what it takes to achieve that. A lot of the comments are about the fact that we have spent so little time together in person so how can we be sure that we are in love and that we have a real relationship. OR how do I know that he isn't just with me to get a GC or other ####### like that. I just tell them, the average couple spend 9 hours a week together, talking and whatnot, we easily spend at least 2 or 3 times that together on Skype or Kik or Messaging every week. If anything our relationship is stronger than anyone else's that I know because of the distance. It sucks now, but after he comes in July we know the next flight will not have a return ticket. And that makes all this worth it.

I'm really sorry to read that, but I'm totally with you on how strong it makes you as a couple. Despite the distance I think I've done more with my wife than any other relationship, despite the fact we've only been together for a year. Fortunately both sets of parents and siblings are super supportive of us; they didn't even mind when we eloped without telling them.