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Dear Jayne, et al!
I think you hit the nail on the head about attitude and the home issue! I'm not there yet but I am American who married a Brit and arrived in England 12 years ago. We lived in Cornwall where I was truly a novelty and could have had to fight various prejudices but I was very careful not to compare. Things were "different" not "better" or "worse" and I was very careful to call it home from the beginning. My husband had already suffered at the hands of my mother who thought he had "stolen" me so he didn't need to hear it from me. You make your choices - especially in a cross-cultural relationship or if you decide to emmigrate somewhere and you have differing opinions about the location. One of you may have to "sacrifice" their culture. However, for me it is my husband and my children who are my priority and "home" is where they are. If I don't think of it like that then the issue of location could breed resentment and bitterness and who wants to live that way. Don't get me wrong - I am extremely close to my parents and I think they are internally devastated about a further move 11,000 miles away. However, we feel we are making the right adventurous decision for this time and as I've lived in 4 countries - and never would have dreamed 12 years ago I would have be lived in any of them - I don't think anything has to be forever. It will be interesting to see if my husband struggles more as he has always lived in England. Best wishes to you all and may hour happiness continue! I appreciate your posts and it helps put things into perspective when the sheer "overwhelmingness" hits you.
Liz
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