discussion Anyone left the UK?

[Boysdontcry]

I've lived in the UK for my entire life (22 years old).

 

I live only about an hour's commute from South London. And last September I moved to London, which I hated so much & spent 3 months trying to get out of my tenancy so I could move home.

 

As I'm entering adulthood, I'm starting to realise how much I don't like the UK:

 

1. The weather - this country is COLD for about 9 months of the entire year. Even today, in late April, it's pouring with rain and 9 degrees in temperature. The winter months we just had were horrible as well. It was unbearably cold & no one has the money to turn the heating on. 

 

I find it hard living in this weather as I'm very much a Summer person. Having a slight tan, wearing t shirts & shorts, really helps me to feel happy & confident in my body. I even find the sun makes my hair healthier & thicker.

 

2. Overcrowded - the UK is one of the most crowded nations in Europe. And as I live only an hour outside of London, I see the side effects of this quite a lot. Firstly the traffic is just awful. Queues for supermarkets are getting worse. It's even just stuff like getting a seat on the bus or train, it's become impossible. As someone with social anxiety, living in an overcrowded area does not help that.

 

3. Cost of living crisis - one of the biggest issues we're facing is the cost of living going up so much. I'm thinking of becoming a teacher & starting salaries in the UK are about £28K (£23K take home after tax). That'll leave me with about £1,900 each month. 

 

The average 1 bed flat is about £1,250 per month at the moment (£650)

Gas, electricity bills, etc. approx £200 per month (£450)

Student loan repayments approx £100 per month (£350)

Petrol costs approx £100 per month (£250)

Then not to forget stuff like wifi, phone bills, medical subscriptions, buying yourself food, etc.

You're going to be left with no money.

 

 

Sorry for this being long-winded, but I just wondered if there's anyone on ATRL that left the UK to start a new life somewhere else & how it's going for you?

 

 

[JayG]

Get advice on Reddit honestly (UK sub reddits) but yeah, I live here and if I knew this was gonna happen back in 2021 I would have made other plans but I had a stroke and medical complications means I need my family so… no choice 

Edited April 27, 2023 by JayG

[May]

Honestly I’m considering leaving in the next few years too

 

this country is so ******* depressing

 

and it annoys me that everyone here is doing absolutely nothing about it

and nothing is changing it’s just getting worse

 

i live in a manchester suburb where rents were £450 average for a 2 bed house just a few years ago .. my friend’s 1 bed flat here just went up from £650 a month to £850 a month . this country is CRASHING ….

 

we all need to get out  

[magazine]

yes, the world did 

[wildsidenormani]

In the same situation as you. Also 22 years old.

London is just bad vibes and it's not changing anytime soon

[Angels]

Lived in the UK all my life and just got a new job to move abroad. Haven't started it yet but I move this summer and I can't wait because the UK is so depressing now and the tories have ruined it

If you're thinking about going into teaching then it's a great career for escaping the UK (I'm a teacher)... you can work in British international schools (or any really but British ones will be easier to get a job at) all around the world and the benefits are pretty good (better salary than UK normally, they pay for your rent etc...)

 

[smartalek22]

The countryside is nicer than anywhere though, way less crowded!!!

There are still good parts to the UK, but yeah, some places, especially cities have gone to ****!!!

[Johnny Jacobs]

Im trying to get there so no

[visions]

Not really answering the question I'm sorry, but in regards to points 2 & 3 the North is much less overcrowded and much cheaper. I've never lived down south but my sister moved there and when I visit the price of everything blows my mind especially rent. 

 

So you don't necessarily have to leave the country to make those changes but I totally understand where you're coming from. If I couldn't work my dog in the countryside listening to music I'd also think about moving lol. I just couldn't because I'd miss my family too much. 

 

Cities like Leeds and York imo are all really nice places with quite a lot to do centrally, but close to quieter areas too. Also, you can always make weekend trips to bigger cities just a few hours away. 

 

It also does feel like the entire country is deteriorating with the tories and all the transphobic **** in the news these days. Anyway, I hope you find what you're looking for whether that's here or another country! You can always just trial whatever you wanna do (if you have the means) and know that your decisions are only as permanent as you want them to be! 

[Jack!]

I was born and raised in Scotland, I’m currently 27 and currently living in the States (have done for around 30 months or so) however I’ll be returning back in September. I’m actually looking forward to returning now. I do love living abroad and it is good to get to go and see the world but my personal opinion is home is where the heart is and that’s Scotland for me. I can’t necessarily share the sentiments of overcrowding as I’ve never lived in a part of the UK that really had to deal with that. In terms of cost of living and social issues most countries in the world are having similar issues right now, albeit maybe not so severe but it’s a recurring issue in a lot of places.

 

It’s also worth bearing in mind that countries with warmer climates come with different restrictions that still will have financial difficulties. I live in Florida and it still gets cold, money has to go into hurricane preparations annually and while I don’t have to pay for heating I pay for air con. Different strokes for different folks.

 

If you had an idea in your head of where you’d maybe like to go I’d say look into it, so some price comparisons and do the research into getting there and the legalities etc and take it from there.

[HardBambi]

Even though this country is facing loads of problems at the moment I absolutely love London and Londoners 

I’m also thinking about moving to a warm place in the future but it will be hard to leave London it feels like the centre of the world here 

 

Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it as much 

I have recently moved from Vauxhall to Canada Water, it’s so incredibly different, every area, you can be in a magic area like Notting Hill or a newer area like Canary Wharf, or to the unique Camden (Amy’s area)

 

I’d better stop before this turns into an ode to London

Edited April 27, 2023 by HardBambi

[Helios]

Brexit legit ruined everything.

[Yawn]

london is still the place to be. i wouldn’t live anywhere else 

[Wolf Alice]

I moved to the UK 3 years ago from India and honestly the best decision I've taken. I recently moved to London after living in Cambridge which was beautiful and I'm enjoying London a lot! 

 

The weather does suck here (especially today!) but I have been escaping the cold weather times by going Asia/Europe and so far it's been working out. 

Edited April 27, 2023 by Wolf Alice

[OrgVisual]

Honestly i've heard people & friends from EVERY part of the world complaining about their lives/country and it's so tiring. The truth is the grass is not greener on the other side.

 

The majority of British (& people in Northern Europe) complain about the weather. But then you have people in tropical countries complaining all the time about how hot it is as well. You said you like the sun, but trust me, you wouldn't be able to cope with 40-degree summer that could last for weeks or months 

 

Cost of living crisis is a global problem and countries like the UK actually have the financial means to give citizens stimulus and support. In other countries, the government wouldn't give a ****. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and realise that you are born and living in one of the most privileged countries in the world  Many people in third-world countries would wish for or even risk their lives to have the life that you have. 

[Alldeezy]

then there's me wanting to follow my fave there but think i'll just stay in Australia even though it is probably worse here. 

 

think everywhere is depressing these days 

[cockatoo]

7 hours ago, Sept said:

Honestly i've heard people & friends from EVERY part of the world complaining about their lives/country and it's so tiring. The truth is the grass is not greener on the other side.

 

The majority of British (& people in Northern Europe) complain about the weather. But then you have people in tropical countries complaining all the time about how hot it is as well. You said you like the sun, but trust me, you wouldn't be able to cope with 40-degree summer that could last for weeks or months 

 

Cost of living crisis is a global problem and countries like the UK actually have the financial means to give citizens stimulus and support. In other countries, the government wouldn't give a ****. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and realise that you are born and living in one of the most privileged countries in the world  Many people in third-world countries would wish for or even risk their lives to have the life that you have. 

 

9 hours ago, Yawn said:

london is still the place to be. i wouldn’t live anywhere else 

All of this

[cockatoo]

Maybe it's naive to say, but I do believe things will get better. I'm sure people felt the same way during the 80s under Thatcher's government.

[Robert]

I left the UK last year to move to Australia. Aus has a lot of problems too but generally the quality of life is much better and the wages are higher (I would say my living costs are lower but some things are very expensive here). I think I probably will need to move back to the UK eventually for various reasons but its been an amazing experience so far. No where is perfect but the quality of life in the UK has really dipped in the last few years. 

 

 

[fountain]

A dream! I fear my anxiety would probably not allow me to though 

 

It’s honestly like a depressing Stockholm syndrome living here 

[chromatico]

I lived in the UK for about 8 years but literally moved out a month ago. I really thought moving back home would make me a lot happier (better weather, cheaper rent and bills) but as the others said - no place is perfect (unless you are loaded lol). Inflation is an issue everywhere and I was shocked to find the cost of food being more expensive in my home country than the UK food prices.  I'm even considering moving back to the UK in a few months' time, but somewhere cheaper maybe. 

 

I guess my point is that you'll always have to sacrifice something. Back to the OP - London is definitely overcrowded, but most of the UK isn't. You would definitely struggle with that sort of wage in London as well, so not sure if moving to a different part of the UK is an option at all. I totally agree about the weather, it's miserable and you only get like 3 months of sunshine.

 

You're only 22 though so I'd say if you have the opportunity to move abroad for a while and explore, go for it. If you're absolutely fed up living in the UK and want to relocate, there's nothing to really keep you here (apart from family & friends I suppose). I can't see the cost of living situation improving anytime soon unfortunately, and we can't fix the weather lol. And also, even if moving abroad doesn't work out, you still have time on your side to move back and then see how you feel.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2023 by chromatico
oop

[Theshigo Washidu]

I want to start the process of doing so later in the year so that once I complete my Masters next year, I'll be able to find work abroad since it will be in the Tourism industry.

I've lived here mostly all my life (born and bred) and I've definitely outgrown living here.

 

Similar to what you stated, the weather, the cost of living, the bad vibes, Brexit and the overall boringness is what's really dragging me down.

I try not to overthink it too much because when I do, it impacts my mental health.

 

I'm thinking of Canada (it's quite similar to the UK but I imagine it will be better?), the US, other parts of Europe and South Africa as places to relocate to. Eventually I'll have a retirement home in West Africa once I'm older.

 

[arceus]

Even Hungary is better than the UK 

[Europe]

I know a guy who moved to Hungary from the UK and he often talks about how he absolutely hates the UK, specifically the people and the general attitude of humans there and he could not wait to get out. I don't understand what makes it so bad but I've never been there. BTW he is also a teacher like the OP wants to be. He says he found an arrangement where he can teach for foreigners and get that salary and it's quite a high one while living in Hungary because the prices are lower there, so he gets to live very comfortably.

[Gwendolyn]

I will wait and see if Labour takes power again (which is guaranteed to happen at this point) 

Edited April 29, 2023 by Gwendolyn