ForumTitleContentMemberSexCountryDate/Time
United KingdomWhat was the transition like?
I got engaged last.. September I think it was (it's complicated). To my yankee.
I've been staying with him in the US for a month now... going home in march. The cultural shock is surprisingly small, except in the UK I would walk EVERYWHERE. Nearest supermarket, 45 mins walk, I would get my little granny-trolley and walk there, get my stuff, and walk back. Here, I can't walk anywhere. Well, I could, but... yee, that's dangerous. We're in Atlanta. I keep nagging him about going places we can just go for a walk .He stayed with me for a month in the UK and was suitably horrified by my insistence we walk everywhere. You should have seen him the first time I made him cross a road with no lights. That was amusing. He went all pail and sweaty. He did make an ok pedestrian by the end of the month though.... still didn't like it. My parents lived twenty minutes walk away and he would still jump at the chance for a lift. *rolls eyes*

Food? Well, we're eating what I cook at the moment. We found a wonderful thing. 'Farmers market', and 'World market'. Everything I wanted for the making of my food, I have. All fresh stuff. Great. I grant you herbs and spices confused me for about a week, but the internet is a wonderful thing.

There is also a UK imports place, which I'm hoping will stock HP sauce, being the only thing I'm missing at this point. And is the malt vinegar weaker here or is it just the brand I picked up at the supermarket randomly?
And cheese. I miss the cheese I used to eat. There's some English cheddar but it's not the right stuff /sniff. Trying Wisconsin cheese to find a comparable brand... which seems to be working fairly well. Fairly.

I miss my duvet. The duvet argument is amusing me a great deal happy.gif surprising the things one doesn't think of, huh? But I wouldn't need it here anyway. Far too warm... I have a 10 tog queen size at home (for my little single bed) that I will miss horribly.. but won't need. At any time. Once everything goes through.

The people are surprisingly easy to adapt to if one follows the 'monkey see, monkey do' rule. I watch my fella. I do what he does. All is good. And "Sorry, English," oh yes... I'm making that excuse already. Works surprisingly well.

The first week was really bad culture shock, but I think by the time I actually come here to live, things are considerably less odd than I would have first expected.
When we get an electric kettle. Which we will. Oh yes. He thinks a camping kettle is a real kettle. We've had words.... I brought a tea-pot with me. I'm that sad. Now we need a kettle. The internet provides good tea yes.gif

One thing: I'm never going to get used to the bird song.
Yea, that's right.
The pair of us are up before/at dawn every morning. And the birdsong is weird. It's wrong. And strange. And I'm not going to get used to it. It's got to be the weirdest bit.


And we just have two DVD players in his computer at the moment... one set to region 1, one set to region 2.

And that was my useless two cents.

btw, Hi, new, etc.

Edited by Erynn, 28 January 2009 - 02:22 PM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2009-01-28 14:21:00
United KingdomSorry to ask this
Defiantly only two at interview - as stated earlier, the third is for your medical. If you're really that nervous, take 4 pounds in coin and use the photo machine in there.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 14:18:00
United KingdomPassport return/Visa issue - Do I panic?
Phew... Paranoia is normal wink.gif
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 19:02:00
United KingdomPassport return/Visa issue - Do I panic?
I just got through my interview and they're issuing my k1 visa... Jon and I were planning on spending Christmas with his mother, and I'm supposed to be flying on the 21st - do I need to worry about getting it in time? Reading these threads about the courier has me spooked and I was born to worry.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 14:02:00
United KingdomHow did you meet
Just got OKed today with 'One of his co-workers made me talk to him on skype'. I don't think they're that bothered how you initially met.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 13:47:00
United KingdomGetting Rid of Household Items
I did a variation of the three piles thing - I had four piles. Essentually 'Keeping' 'Would like to keep' 'Will keep if I have space' and 'Gone'.

I took most of the 'Keeping' pile when Jon visited me and I flew back with him to visit - we're both allowed two suitcases and carry on with BA. So he brought one half-filled and one empty suitcase and I packed as few clothes as possible and we pretty much emptied the 'Keeping' pile last year. I came back with one almost-full suitcase. He took back a suitcase with my stuff when he visited again.

Furnature, pretty much that all went to charity. I say pretty much because I kept a chair, a table, and my computer desk - but our living situations are not similar, you can't quite do that (not with a little one), best thing is to get rid of the stuff you don't use (as said earlier), and keep the rest until you absolutely don't need it - then be ruthless. If you don't need it to be gone when you go, just leave it. The house I was living in was sold two months ago and I moved into a little room just to keep my stuff down.If
If your partner already has a fully furnished place, you're not going to need it.

I also mailed little things in little 2kg boxes sent ground-mail with the post office - the costs add up but if you do this over time it doesn't notice.

I found myself putting more and more stuff from 'maybe' into 'gone' as time went and made a point of getting rid of it there and then, and not going through things too often. The temptation to keep is strong, but if you don't see it and haven't missed it, what's the likelihood you're going to?

With ten days to go I have three small boxes (actully one double-sized and one small) and two suitcases of stuff. Plus the cat. We just did it all gradually... it worked out for me because there isn't that much. Also I think the suitcases thing is damn convenient wink.gif... which was largely my intended contribution. With BA, and a number of other airlines, you can take two suitcases: use them.

Edited by Erynn, 11 December 2009 - 05:17 PM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-11 17:15:00
United KingdomVisa Photos
For our original application, UK passport photos were acceptable.... and inside the embassy there is a photo machine. Not the best solutions there ever were, but... don't panic. There are last minute options.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 14:29:00
United KingdomHelp needed on 1-134 Affidavit questions!
(sorry, edit isn't working O.o)

As for your business... put 'N/A'.

Just make sure your sister provides MORE than enough evidence so they don't get iffy (personal tip).
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-11 17:41:00
United KingdomHelp needed on 1-134 Affidavit questions!
My fiance (the primary sponsor) was advised by the lawyer who works for the same company as him to put 'indefinite room and board'. That should cover it nicely.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-11 17:35:00
United Kingdomnotorization in the UK
QUOTE (Justine+David @ Nov 13 2009, 02:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I was pretty sure I read that only the USC needed an updated notarized letter of intent?


As am I.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 14:32:00
United KingdomDual Citizenship- Your Opinion
Given you have to apply in writing to loose either citizenship, it's not such a biggy. I love England. Particularly since coming to the USA - discounting the medical care which has saved my life (compaired to when I got sick in the USA and nearly died, landing my fiancee with a hefty medical bill. Now we're married at least we share insurance) and those of my whole family more than once, the better public education, and the safest roads in the world - damnit, even in London I could see three different breeds of tree outside my window. I think someone got out the clone tool in Georgia and pasted the same tree in 10,000 times. It is driving me insane.
Anyway. I don't want to risk ever not being able to go home to visit - which is what happens if you loose the citizenship (which is more trouble than it's worth, since British taxes don't have to be payed by those not currently in residence, so far as I know). You enter on a visitor's visa. Which can be refused.
I also want my children to be able to choose what they want from life, and to renounce citizenship now is cutting off their options. I don't really have any intention of going home. I miss it like crazy, particularly when I want to go for a damn walk. The sidewalks around here are virtually non-existent and I still can't get used to two lanes in each direction... however, that'll come with time. That's not the USA, that's just this area (Sidewalks, least ways). The biggy with duel citizenship is the children which may or may not follow. Some day they might want to use the options that I could loose them with a few misplaced letters. I want to go for citizenship in the USA as soon as I am able - I don't exactly love it here yet, but I had enough to moan about in London that I'm pretty sure I could be happy here (At least here people are moderately friendly and smiling in the street at a stranger doesn't get me flipped off). I'm just not loosing the options.
ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 12:24:00
United KingdomContraceptive Pill -
agh double post.

One thought though: If you want the pill for contraception, the earliest warning you will get if it fails is your period... do you really want that to be three months apart? You would need to use regular pregnancy tests, just as with the implant.

Edited by Erynn, 22 March 2010 - 11:59 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:55:00
United KingdomContraceptive Pill -

There's a pill you can take (I know you said you didn't like taking a pill...) that makes you have only 4 periods a year. I was considering it.
My question is....do you think its healthy for your body to not have a period? That's the main thing from changing to a pill like this.


I doubt it's entirely healthy not to. I was on the pill long before I needed contraceptives to make it happen more often than 4 times a year. The risk of cancer in the womb was higher when I wasn't on the pill. Of course now it's lower along with some other cancer and a different cancer is now more likely along with blood clots and diabetes. You'd have to actually look at the 4-a-year pill's listed side effects and some proper studies into it, but I personally would worry about it unless it can stop womb lining regrowing as fast. I am of course prone to paranoia.

edit: mistype, oops.

Edited by Erynn, 22 March 2010 - 11:53 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:51:00
United KingdomBrits in the USA
Erynn and Jon (Erynn, London, UK) currently living in Stone mountain, GA.
I'm loosing my British accent so speaking to some English people would be nice :P
ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 12:03:00
K-3 Spouse Visa Process & Proceduresmy husband broke up with me...before start the process =(
I know this will be of little comfort, but at least it is happening now, and not in five or ten years' time, when you've given him so much.
Leaving you like that... he doesn't deserve your tears. Don't give them to him.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-11 16:59:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresconfused about what to send when
The proof of financial support, in the UK at least, is required at the interview stage... It's just a good idea to have it ready before you get that far. I'm wishing we'd done it a month ago at the moment. There is, however, no reason why you can't send them more information than they need. It's better than not enough. Just make sure you have copies of EVERYTHING you send.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-10-13 14:09:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresDoes my Fiancee Need my Birth Certificate???
My British interview didn't need it. If it's not on the documents list, it isn't required. Be careful about reading what is on the list though, they hide some things.
Also, as above, Jon was never required to send the original - only a photocopy, with the original application.
ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 11:46:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresAlien fiance new address
My address changed between times as well - I ended up phoning the embassy every few days once it left the US because we didn't catch it early enough. Once I informed them they just sent me an e-mail with the information and links to the forms (you don't get anything more than a letter with the links to the forms anyway), as well giving me a code and e-mail address to send the updated info to. This costs 1.20 a minute, for about 5 mins.
It's probably best if your fiance just calls them and ask if you can e-mail the information (Hopeless to try and give it over the phone. Seriously).
Alternatively, the Royal Mail has a forwarding service that's quite cheap. It forwards all mail connected with the last name you give to a new address so long as the credit card used is registered to one or other of the addresses. I think the last name has to be the same too. Then you/your fiance can call the line like I did and get it updated.

Quick edit: do get the info updated regardless, the mail forwarding is just to be safe.

Edited by Erynn, 10 December 2009 - 11:23 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2009-12-10 11:19:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresK-1 Income Question
You will also probably need a letter from your employer stating that the job is good indefinitely... which you're not going to get unless you discuss it with your employer and sort something out. You could always ask your parents to offer sponsorship. If you can get another internship or something else right after, it's not going to be an issue - but it will ensure that you can bring him/her over. You don't want to have it fail inspection and the London embassy is mostly interested in the affiliates (from my own experience).
ErynnFemaleEngland2010-01-25 15:06:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow many pages was your I-129f packet?
We did a similar thing with chat logs, photos and skype calls, I don't even remember how many pages were involved at this point. The final packet was over an inch and half thick, and I was more than content with the overkill - overkill is good, it means you didn't miss anything. The fun part was censoring out the chat logs for content involving my husband's work, for which we're both under NDA. No-one complained about it, that's for sure.
We had airline tickets and receipts for rings, a letter from the minister who had agreed to perform our ceremony, a letter of permission to use the premises we had picked out (Te lunch hall where my husband works. Laugh if you want, but it was free and there was free soda after the ceremony :P)... anything we could think of throwing in there due to our mutual over-active paranoia.

Edited by Erynn, 22 March 2010 - 11:29 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:26:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresWHAT KINDS OF EMAILS AND CHATS TO PRINT AND BRING FOR INTERVIEW
My husband and I printed the whole damn lot and censored them, but we both knew when we were doing it that this is almost completely unnecessary. They only want a cross-section of your communications... the advice already given is pretty good. 4-5 samples per month; they'll do exactly that if you send them the whole thing. I'd print a page from the chat logs at random for this period too, 3-4 a month. A page largely because you'll just be wasting paper otherwise. If you're using skype, you may wish to get a copy of your call log... which is difficult and another ballpark entirely. Phone records would be good too.

We printed it all just to be sure. If you aren't hurting for ink and paper, well...

Edited by Erynn, 22 March 2010 - 11:37 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:36:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresim so worried!
My husband and I had 5 that we submitted, and we panicked about that too. When we were together neither of us owned a camera, and it turned out the disposable one we picked up didn't take pictures too well - we ended up with the photos on my dad's phone and two taken on the disposable. Fun, huh? So we overcompensated with everything else. Phone records, chat logs, e-mails, cards... even receipts for gifts we'd sent each other (online stuff will usually have both mailing addresses).
Happily, if the lack of photos ever caused a problem, we never heard about it. It's natural to worry about this kind of thing. A good selection of other evidence accompanying it should work just fine.... too many photos and not enough other evidence would probably be worse.
ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:43:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & Proceduresk-1/I-134 privacy...please help
The only company I've ever had trouble with - on an unrelated issue - was DHL, and I've found fed-ex to be quite reliable, personally. My husband sent all documents that we needed through fed-ex to Britain and we had no leaks that way. I don't know if the trouble I had with DHL (misdelivery of goods) is common, but I have found a number of reviews online that didn't take well to the local office in London at least. If you want to find the most reliable courier in your area, you should try looking at review websites maybe and see who messes up least?
ErynnFemaleEngland2010-03-22 11:23:00
K-1 Fiance(e) Visa Process & ProceduresHow soon can you get married
I got married on the 28th after flying in on the 21st - it would have been sooner but we didn't check the hours of the office where we needed to get our marraige license so we had to wait until after Christmas.

As canadian_wife says... as soon as local law allows. You can make tentative plans, but unless you're doing what we did - a wedding ceremony in the staff cantina presided over by a friend who happens to be the Chef and a Minister - you don't want to make anything concrete or put money down. These things can have unexpected delays.

Edited by Erynn, 13 February 2012 - 06:10 AM.

ErynnFemaleEngland2012-02-13 06:09:00