British Expats Interview-USA

Today's British Expat interview is with Denis, A Prodigal Tourist, who lives in the USA. This is what he has to say about moving there and life in Maryland.

Where do you originate from?
I come from Dagenham in Essex. This is the far east end of London, originally populated by Cockneys like my Dad, lured to the old converted Thames marshlands by work at the Ford Motor Company. Dagenham was, and probably still is, the largest state-based housing project in Europe if not the world, When I was a kid, all the houses looked the same. They were tiny, terraced, and covered in a kind of scab-colored stucco. But everyone had a little garden surrounded in the front by privet hedges, so that was quite nice for me to play in, and for my mum to plant flowers and my dad to grow veggies.

Where did you move too and where are you living now?

I first lived in Washington DC. I chose this area as opposed to the West coast as I wanted to keep a foot in the water (the Atlantic) in case I ever wanted to leg it back and somehow the East coast did not seem quite so far from home.

When Frances and I got married we stayed in the area but moved to Maryland, Although our house is in the burbs we really like it, and still feel a connection to the city because we back to a big park (more like a forest, actually) that meanders down from Rockville into DC. Also, we're yards from a wonderful bike path, which ends up in Mount Vernon in Virginia, twenty or so miles away. All very lovely and yes, I love biking. We stayed in the area because of business. We own a small marketing communications company, also for some years I was involved in local fringe theatre as a playwright.

What made you choose to move to another country?

I moved to the States for more opportunity. I was a writer with a couple of workshops at the RSC under my belt and a patchy scriptwriting and songwriting career, I decided to try my luck in advertising. In London, my credentials raised hackles but no interest. In the States, it was the opposite. I was given a chance to fail. Within three years I was a senior writer at the hottest ad company in the area. Need I say more?

Also, I like Americans. I like their boundless optimism, openness, and friendliness. And my wife is American! So there we are. Prior I moved, I was very despondent about my career chances in Britain, several near-misses, big disappointments on the theatre/music front did not help. So I was ready for a change. If I hadn’t have gone to the States I might have ended up in Canada.
At the time I left, Britain was not the place for me. Now it might be better, different but I have no regrets in that department.

How difficult was the process of moving and do you have any advice for others considering a similar move?

The process of moving. Well, Shaw was right, Americans and Brits are separated by the same language, and also, I had never had a “real” job before. Ever. So everything in the American job market was quite new and different. My first job was in the marketing department of a banking association. A world away from the music business and theatre. Everyone talked in acronyms, which I didn't understand. And my co-workers referred to bills in Congress just by the lawmakers’ names, as in "we're working on Smith-Jones right now." Quite a mystery. Or they talked about "withholding" (which I thought was something infants did) and one colleague was always ranting and on about supervisors being more interested in their “pet project" than anything else. And I really thought they were talking about a puppy or a budgie or something. I was clueless, but smart enough to just say "aaah" in a knowing way.

One neighbor told me he got a new gas blower. Well, I thought gas was something one turned on the stove to cook with, so I had disconcerting images of my neighbor toying around with a domestic flame thrower. Again I just said “aaah, yes!”

Also, people put mayo in sandwiches and never buttered their bread. Very odd. Drink beer straight from the bottle––eeek! And don't get me started on tea!

Advice to a newcomer? Well, you can look knowing and say "aaah” a lot and remain in the dark like I did. But on reflection, I think it's better to ask questions. Americans, in my experience, won't think you're daft if you ask questions, and people here tend to be very giving and sharing and not snobby. As for the tea, just ask for milk and a glass for your beer, they won't think you're odd, just English! In my experience, Americans love Brits.

I figured it out, and so will you.

What are the medical facilities like in your new country?

Medical facilities over here are very good, in the main. Health care for kids is excellent. Mind you, health care insurance can be horribly expensive, especially if you’re self-employed like we are, but there it is...but for most minor ailments, coughs, colds etc. the local pharmacists give out advice free and over the counter meds are pretty good and cover a really wide range of everyday ailments.

What is the climate like and would it suit someone from the UK?

If you move to California, it may take you about thirty seconds to get used to the weather. It’s warm, sunny, and no humidity. Anywhere else, it takes a minute! So pack your tee shirts, shorts, and sandals! Yes, I love the weather here despite the unusually wet spring we’ve had this year. In the main it is sunny and quite dry. Mind you, when it rain it pours but then it's gone and you get the sun and blue skies again. In DC the weather gets very hot and humid in the summer but with AC in homes, building, cars, and public transport you won't have to suffer the heat too much. Leave the heavy wool suits at home! But even on the hottest days, by teatime it’s usually pleasant enough to sit out on your patio with a beer or glass of wine. And you can go to an outdoor pool without fear of freezing!

Spring merges into summer quite quickly, autumn is a lovely time over here. In the DC metro area, we only get about two months of winter. It might get cold but the sun still shines. The weather is mild enough for me to ride my bike most months of the year. Frances would like a longer spring before the heat comes, but there you are.

What about the language I know its English but......?

I think I addressed my language problems above. Mind you people still look at me strangely if I ask for "water” and not "whadda” or butter and not "buddah" and those people include my wife and daughter! And they mock me when I mention “bathing costumes,” I don’t know why. I cling to my accent. Mind you, when I go home everyone thinks I'm American, so I suppose my accent has softened over the years.

Do you have any regrets about moving?

Do I have regrets? I think it's always a shame if, like me, you cannot get a start in your own country. Mind you, I did choose a “do or die” kind of business, so there it is! But I've no regrets about coming to the States.

What do you really miss from home?

What I miss about England? Before I met Frances, I would just go home, see my folks, my friends in town, take in a play or two, then leg it back to the States. Now I'm really enjoying the little villages and towns and places Frances has found. And I can't wait to tour the Lake District one day. Odd but true.

I do miss those long languid days of late summer that go on and on well into the evening. I miss the Archers. I miss the English seaside. The rocks and cliffs and the waves that pound our varied coastline in every season. I miss the lovely countryside I discovered as a returning tourist.

What are your plans for the future?

Future plans. We intend to keep our mar/comm. business The Creative Shop going, at least until our daughter is out of college! In the immediate future I want to shepherd my book to publication. It’s called “A Yank Back to England:the prodigal tourist returns,” and it’s about our travels back to England my becoming a tourist in my former homeland. I’ll keep you posted, hint, hint. Eventually I’d like to find a place in the country and move myself and family to New England, close to a body of water.

A big thank you to Denis for a very detailed insight into being a British expatriate in the USA. Denis has a very successful blog A Prodigal Tourist which I hope you will visit and enjoy reading some of his posts.

Can I also suggest you keep your eyes open for his book "A Yank Back to England:the prodigal tourist returns." I will update you with more information when Denis lets me know.