The thing about British people having social circles solely full of friends they grew up with is so real and honestly makes it difficult for even other British people to make new friends. It's like you're either in or you're not.
60 years ago I moved from Yorkshire to the Midlands to work. I was told by some, "Piss off foreigner, your'e not welcome here" Don't worry if you do not make friends quickly, you will eventually.
That's v true. And once you get near or over 30. I found most people have long standing friends and actually actively are trying not to add more. Also they are focusing on there partner marriage etc. Can be tough but you can make good friends. The trick is not forcing it or rushing it along
It really depends on the company and the industry. Sadly employers aren't obliged to inform why candidates are unsuccessful, although most will if asked.
She's got that thing known as unrecognized female privilege, so I'm not the least bit surprised to hear about her success at getting hired. It's particularly pervasive in Canadian governments: hiring personnel are all too happy to hire women because it bumps up their diversity scores and no one will come back to question you if you hired proportionately too many women.
I live in California, but that didn't stop me from getting a membership for English Heritage. I've never actually used it, but I probably will. I pay because I fully support what English Heritage does. It's worth supporting.
Your "mistakes" are life lessons. I moved to a new area for work, still in the UK and I felt homesick. You don't have to cross the Atlantic to feel isolated.
I moved to another neighbourhood in my born city and I was feeling homesick for eight months. Sometimes is harder than usual. And I guess I'll always occasionally feel homesick.
You’re not alone getting homesick every time you go home, I have had my own apartment for about eight months and I miss being able to talk to my Mam by just walking around the house to find her and when I do go back home it’s also hard because my Mam hadn’t lived alone until I left so she gets sad sometimes too. Homesickness is really powerful but at least it doesn’t mean you did the wrong thing. Thanks for the video I hope you aren’t too hot.
Alanna I always get excited when I get a notification for a new Adventures and Naps video as I know it will be entertaining and Informative. Thank you for taking the time to make these fantastic videos. 😎👍🏻
I left the UK in the 70's and suffered some of the same issues, homesickness was one of them. However, now back in the UK, since 2000, I wonder every day why on earth I ever came back. Also currently in Kent.
@Phil Madgewick Same here I left England in 69 and came back 2012. I have never been so miserable. It's harder to go back when have experienced regular sunshine and friendly people.
I live in Mexico, and i have lived in the US for many years before and im thinking moving to Spain and this video just reminded me all the trouble that you go thru when you are new to anywhere. It is hard to adjust, but once you get the hang of it and you go back to your own country its hard to re-adjust to your own country again. That is super strange to me.
I can’t imagine doing what you did. Such a big move would cause me so much anxiety, I’m not sure I could go through with it. I admire your strength of character.
We all have some story behind and I would love to hear yours. Please make a video of what is for an English to move to Canada. Ive moved from Bulgaria to Myrtle Beach, SC/ Charlotte, NC. Lived there for about 25 years, And 3 years ago relocated to North West of UK
My biggest problem was homesickness. I did not realise that I missed so much about South Africa, especially the food as most English people would admit that what was offered in supermarkets during the seventies was rather dire! Has improved immensely now though! The quality of fruit was the worse then!
Good call with the National Trust membership. We have been members for years and enjoy some great days out. Lovely walks, interesting properties and great cream teas! Well worth it.
It's definitely worth getting a National Trust and/or English Heritage subscription if you are going to do the historic touristy thing. Even if you are only here for a week or two you could save money. Also, it is worth checking if your National Trust is valid in other countries or their equivalent here. While staying in Rome we travelled to and entered Parco Villa Gregoriana with our Trust membership.
I used to live in Spain. Didn't go home for a year and but when I did return and out of nowhere, when the plane flew over England, I was overcome with emotion and started crying. Maybe it was the wine but I didn't even realise how much I'd missed it until then.
I moved to southern England 6 months ago. I agree with so much of what you have said in this and other videos. The struggle to find work is real, especially now.
Very interesting as always Alanna . You have a superb work ethic and are a lovely person . I hope you stay here , you're a credit to your family back home 👍
Im expecting to be going to school in the UK in 2024 and I've been watching your videos to help prepare myself for what to expect. Thanks for making such great content!
I’m a fellow Ontarian living in Switzerland for 25 years now moving to the UK. The Swiss are also difficult to make friends with for the same reasons you gave for the British. What I found makes it a lot easier is to join clubs for activities you enjoy doing. Because you are involved in a similar activity you have a lot in common with the other members and it is much easier to make local friends.
I am an expat from British Columbia, Canada, living in Chester, England (I was in North Wales for a few years before this), and a lot of what you said I can relate to so much. Especially the friends part. I have been in the UK for almost 3 years ( moved here when I was 20), and my husband (who is also Canadian) and I still don't have very many friends at all. The closest friends I have made have been fellow foreigners. It's way easier. I have tried so hard to get in with British friend groups, and no one will let me in. I am still very, very lonely in this country.
This was a very interesting video! I would have thought that England would have been the easiest country in Europe to move to because they also speak English like Canada and the U.S., but I forget that the culture of each country can be vastly different.
I am in America with my wife and two boys. We are thinking about moving to England. I never understood how difficult that is. We have passports, but are still working out visas, etc. We also have nowhere to live yet.
Hi, Alanna , a very interesting and useful video, people thinking of moving to another country should take notice of this it will help them. But, hey, Alanna, what happened there was no lorry reversing or people using electronic power tools, I'm sure they'll soon be back. Looking forward to your next video soon.
I've literally subscribed to your channel for few years. So cool to see your channel is growing! I still remember when I could not find a job in Canada, they asked me if I have a Canadian work experience. It was tough to get one unless you want to work at restauran but once you get one, it gets a bit better later on.
Start to build travel into your routine, say the last weekend of the month go visit somewhere new. It's not to late to join EH or NT both are worth while and have places all over the country, and once you've been a member for a year or so you can use it in Scotland and Wales as well. Could try and talk your employer into a corporate membership and get extra benefits.
Yep, travel is important to get the full flavour of the UK. Use those extra holidays that the UK has so many of (Bank holidays etc) and use some statutory days to stretch a long weekend into a week and jump in the car and head out. Try Cheddar Gorge, try Ironbridge (Shropshire) try Perth in Scotland, the variety is endless. Work is important to pay the bills, enjoyment is important to pay your soul :)
Hey Alanna (I hope I spelt that right..), you should go to Wales, Port Merrion (voted number 2 best attraction in UK) in mid/north Wales. Oh and the castles are great, Conwy, Criccieth and Harlech. I am English and I love Wales...I want to migrate to Wales !
Good video, Alanna. Lots of helpful advice for people looking to move to the UK. BTW - Re homesickness, I hear ya. I got homesick when I moved from SE London to Bolton! XD
Thanks for the tip about English Heritage and the National Trust. I go over there for a couple of months every other year and that would save me a bundle. Love ya stuff. Cheers
Spending a few days travelling around the UK will probably help a new arrival get acquainted with the place. However, getting a job is a major priority and most people will have to wok very hard at that; I'd advise accepting a job even if it's not great because it's easier to get another job if one is already in work. Are student/young person railcards still going? Twenty pounds to see Stonehenge is a rip-off! A few miles away is the village of Avebury where there is a stone circle freely accessible to the public. Watching this video has prompted me to send off for National Trush membership.
Hi Alanna, As you seem quite settled here, I think you were correct in getting your job first. There will still be plenty of time to travel and we all need money to travel. Plus Stone Henge is not moving anywhere. On a side note I visited Sutton Hoe, Suffolk, recently it well worth a visit ....
Alanna; “It’s really difficult to get a job in England.” Gets job. Also Alanna; “Don’t have any particular passion about a particular job field. I don’t really care.” Alannas employees see video. Alannas next video;”It’s really difficult to keep a job in England.” Great video though lol. 👍🏻👍🏻 🏴🇬🇧🇨🇦.
Why would she be disappointed England is beautiful I think people like you living in England take it for granted, we have one of the most beautiful country side in the world, largest history, best health care, and best universities I could go on, don’t take out country for granted.
I spent a break year during uni teaching conversational English in Seoul, South Korea. I was an emergency replacement for a teacher who contracted hepatitis. I landed with no cultural prep and no real teaching experience. Fortunately our language institute gave us a week off after every 7-week term. It was only then that I had the time available to travel and learn about the country, which is something I wish I could have done before teaching. I learned to love the people AND the country. Upon return to North America I surprisingly experienced “reverse culture shock,” taking pictures of EVERYTHING in sight. My family laughed at me!!!!
I am not an expat but serously considering moving abroad, Athens Greece. I like your attitude and really identify with manay of your ideas and thoughts, I eish u the best of luck, u are a sweetheart
I'm sorry I may have missed last week's video, a lot going on but I always look forward to your videos and smiled seeing your new video appear. I enjoy your discussions about yourself, previous life etc as much as your other videos. It's always interesting learning how people respond to challenges etc.
I'm an expat American in Canada. I'm from near where you are from, in my case, SE Michigan, not far from Windsor, ON. My experience has been a bit different, since i came to Canada to be a professor and the cultural differences are similar, but wow do i commiserate about the home sickness.
"cultural differences are similar", what a nice phrase for a professor! British culture isn't that different from N. American's, as they both are based on N. European culture. To see real cultural difference, try some exotic place, like China.
of course! I was merely saying that the cultural differences between Britain and Canada, and Britain and the USA are similar. They're not big, but homesickness is real whenever one moves a long way from where one grew up.
Great point about National Trust/English Heritage well worth joining not just for ex pats and immigrants but locals too well worth if you like that sort of thing
3 months later, after moving to the UK, staying shortly in London, Kent, Bournemouth, Poole, Leicester and now living in Rutland, I've found a steady income as a Carpenter and a flat of my own in the countryside. And I came to England with just 800pounds and 2 weeks worth of accommodation prebooked. At one point I had not a single pound left to my name, but by making friends, humbling myself and keeping up the search for work, steady has built up steady. Being a dual citizen helps and I would not suggest anyone come here without a passport. Phew... Some of the experiences were hectic, like sleeping on the beach in Bounemouth for the morning because I wasn't allowed to check in past 9pm, after getting off a 4 hour coach. So yes, be as prepared for such things as possible. I would say, even if you can't travel abroad a lot before moving to another country, at least go for a couple days of hiking in the wilderness some place close by. (See what it's like to have to carry all your own items, pack your whole life in a bag, etc and face the idea of being miles away from rescue. If you get get through that, you can start to navigate almost anything else that can come about when travelling to some degree.) Good advise offered here as usual :).
Thank you for these honest points. You can't buy experience and I think the only mistake you make in life that matters is the one that kills you. You are admired. Thanks for uploading - Liked.
You're right about homesickness. My family(parents and three sisters) emigrated from the UK to New Jersey when I was old enough to decide to go with them or not. I decided to stay here. Around three years later I decided to join them along with my young wife and a babe in arms. I knew about homesickness but had no experience of it...It hit me really hard it wasn't just a feeling but almost a physical illness. I couldn't stop thinking about all my childhood friends living their lives and having a great social life, down the pub and attending sporting events. After four months I decided I didn't want to be miserable anymore so on the spur of the moment decided to go home. We scraped together the money for the plane and arrived back at Manchester absolutely penniless, jobless and no place to live. Fortunately my aunt who hadn't any children and regarded me as the son she never had took us in for a couple of years until we had the cash for a house deposit and we never looked back. I have a sort of reflected glory in the fact my middle sister Pauline was good friends with Bruce Springsteen in the 70's. He wrote a song about her on his first album called I Came For You....I never met him but I almost ran over him one night driving my car in Ocean Avenue, Long Branch NJ.
Hi! I don't usually comment but it's quite evident that you've put in your heart curating this list of 5 points! Thankyou for your great insights and I hope you're doing well in life. A suggestion, don't really consider these as mistakes. These are More of experiences that not many come across. Thanks 🙌
You can also get memberships for any of the museums. I am a member at the Imperial War Museum and at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Although they are free to get into anyway there are tonnes of other stuff they give which saves in the long run.
Very interesting video Alanna. I'm curious as to job interviews and employment in the UK vs Canada. Are taxes and stuff taken from you salary in the same way? I was also told, I presume it is true, that you are not obliged to give a notice period when you leave one job for another. So when you moved here did you have someone you already knew living in the UK, or was it just a case of in at the deep end and a giant learning curve? My only disappointment to this video is that there is no delivery van making a noise this week, can you sort it out for next time? hahahaha. Take care x
Just watch the first couple of series of The League of Gentelmen - it's full of very dark northern humour, if you think you could deal with that then you'll have no problem adapting to UK life =)
I have been a new subscriber to your channel for about two weeks now maybe ... and I can safely say your video`s are always both amusing and interesting. I moved from Yorkshire to Lincolnshire for two years ... I did not move very far` about 100 miles .. but I still got homesick ... in fact the main things I missed was the noise from the railway and trees .. crazy things we miss. Oh yeah` the Friends thing you talk about .. we have made two Real Friends in about 33 years .. and recently we have become like strangers .. so yes` making friends in life can be hard in general .. plus working all time makes that hard going too.
Have a look at the Historic Houses, lots of houses in the south east of England. Well worth investigating, different from the other historic sites, in that the organization is mainly for house owners. They have memership for the public which saves money.
I'm English, I didn't know about English Heritage and National Trust even though I'd heard of them. Something I'd be interested in but everything my friends are interested in involves alcohol, sometimes too much. Yes I need some different friends but like you said easier said than done because people have their own friends (groups). Basically people don't speak to people they don't know. It seems impossible. This is Leicestershire. Apparently in Yorkshire, where my aunt lives, everybody talks to anybody.
Lived all over UK for several months without intending to relocate and was offered jobs on a couple of occasions. I think because the folk are so friendly and jolly, if you're nice and open like lovely Allana, for example, it can happen.
We used to alternate English Heritage and National Trust each year, but it also depends on where you live as to which has most value, in Kent I would say given that National Trust has a few more better properties within a reasonable distance. Bateman’s (the home of Rudyard Kipling) is a really lovely place, just across the border in East Sussex, Knowl near Sevenoaks with its deer wandering the grounds, Scotney and Sissinghurst castles are all rather pleasant. Then again Dover castle is one of the best complete castles with the underground tunnels. Unfortunately Hever castle (fantastic place), nor Leeds castle are part of either group.
Scotland also has Historic Scotland membership if you visit/move here specifically. About the same price. There's some great places included in it too, like Edinburgh and Stirling castles.
you should have looked at sports/societies/hobbys/clubs/volunteering, and nearly all have social events/trips. Really good way to meet new people. I joined a local photography club, 10 min walk from my house, and met a lot of new people that way. I have a lot of respect for people who moved so far, I'd visited Vancouver, BC a few times and really wish I had made the effort to emigrate!
I may be relocating again and I plan to learn from my mistakes. Will definitely make time to meet people while doing the stuff I love doing. So investigate Meet Ups on FB, join clubs, research your hobbies, make new hobbies up if you have to, make a programme even if it takes some $$$ to do so. Friendships across nationalities are more genuine and easy that way. With my first move I just thought friendships would happen like in my home country. Not so
I'm Australian and moved to UK pre internet 1997-2001; your experienes and advise is pretty much the same. Then there was an expat London weekly guide/newspaper. I was lucky enough to do short 1 or 2 day travels around UK ( bus, train or cheap flights ie £15) when i was working and 4-6 weeks through Europe. And mix with the locals at the pub and you'll find anything you need.
I moved to England when I was 18 years old. Hated every minute of it. Stayed just outside of Lancaster and then decided to return home. Stayed at home for a year and all my friends were getting married, having kids and moving away etc. Moved back to England and never looked back. Been here nearly 30 years and love it here. Most of my friends are foreigners or of foreign decent. Everyone is different. Thinking of going back home to Durban next year for my 45th birthday. But that is just to say hello to old friends. Tooo many friends here now to leave them. Regrets? None.
Lost my Google account a while back, which also meant all my subscriptions. If memory serves, last time you were going through your cupboards and eating English snacks, really quite funny. Marmite. Yum! Anyway, watched a Simone Giertz video earlier this evening and she has taken on your 'byeeeee' thing at the end of her videos too and hearing it reminded me of you. Looks like I have a lot to catch up on. That boyfriend of yours still hasn't put a ring on your finger, though! You also seemed to have moved at some point. Glad you're still here and it was really nice seeing you again.
I had a overseas moving fund I saved like $20 per week over 5 yrs (pre trip before 1997) and allowed me to take 2 weeks before starting work to see London and get a feel for the place
I know it’s a few years late, but rather secure work before you get to the uk and in this day and age, it’s easier to look back in hindsight, but rather secure work and then travel instead of the other way around. If you’ve got plenty cash upfront, then fine, but if not - don’t chance it.
Thanks for that, I think I'll join English heritage, I'd never really thought about it before but for 64 quid ill join and visit some interesting places.
I would recommend going Blackberrying or hunting for cobunts (like fresh, sweeter Hazelnuts, especially prevalent in Kent) I foraged some in ASDA car park, no cost and you get a good look at your local countryside, appreciate the little things, and you get to make a great apple and blackberry pie afterwards. Got the recipe if you need it. :)
She is not an expat but an immigrant. In the beginning she mentioned that she came to the UK with no job and stared to look for on being already in the UK.
She is not an expat but an immigrant. In the beginning she mentioned that she came to the UK with no job and stared to look for on being already in the UK.
Agree on the National Trust membership - just a note though if you visit one of these places you can join onsite and you get your entry fee (and car parking) returned! (To my shame I still haven't done a National Trust parkrun).
This is why my goal out of uni was to work at a global company with an HQ in London. Not to say that gives me global experience... now i'm getting my MBA in London next year which will hopefully help me lock down a job in the UK later
I'm 65 years old and have been lucky enough to have time to travel I am born and bred in Brittan I first holidayed in Europe (IN 1966)with a youth club The next time I went, I went with my older Brother Hitch Hiking in 1969/70 the next time H.M.G British Army of the Rhine took me back ;-)) And ever since I done my BEST to SAIL AROUND Europe AND ALSO drive around other people's Homes
The US National Park Service has a pass available for seniors that gives free admission (for four people) to their excellent facilities. It used to be quite inexpensive.
