Kimberly Cole - Expat in England, The United Kingdom

Kimberly Cole is a 34-year-old administrator who lives in a village called Histon, which is located right outside of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, she moved out of her home country as part of her deployment in the United States Air Force. After living in South Korea for a year, she was deployed to England in May 2003 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. “While I was stationed here, I met my husband and decided that I wanted live here on a more permanent basis,” Mrs. Cole explained. Presently, she has been living in the United Kingdom for 8 years now.

Mrs. Cole experienced some difficulty when it came to gathering documentation for her relocation to the United Kingdom. “I got my visa before they changed the rules for spouses. I had bad advice from the bases and when I went down to Croydon for my appointment, I did not have pictures of my husband so I had to ride the train all the way back to Cambridge and get back in the same day or it would not be granted that day,” she recalls. Now with her Indefinite Leave to Remain, Mrs. Cole advised expats that if the form asks for something, provide it. “It will save you time and stress in the long run,” she said, adding that expats who are applying as a partner or spouse will need to make sure that they save evidence of the relationship.

Mrs. Cole also struggled with finding friends while in the United Kingdom. “When I was in the military, I had this support network,” she said, explaining that it wasn’t easy to make friends the American way here. “The British are reserved but if you understand how they work, you can work out a way to meet people.” Mrs. Cole stressed that going to places and joining groups was how she was able to socialize.

Expatriates who are going through formalities with the local bureaucracy while overseas may not be familiar with the rules and requirements needed to process documents. This may cause delays, and expats who want to ensure that the application process goes smoothly may want to consider obtaining professional immigration services to provide guidance and aid with formalities. Additionally, expats who are seeking out camaraderie while overseas may want to join clubs and associations in their host country to meet fellow expats and get to know the locals.

Find out more about Kimberly Cole’s experiences in the United Kingdom in her full interview below.

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: I am originally from Denver Colorado.

Q: What made you move out of your home country?

A: It’s a bit of a long story but the long and short of it is that I was in the United States Air Force. I lived in South Korea for a year before coming to England. I was deployed here in May 2003, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and then tried to get a permanent assignment here.

Q: How long have you been living in the United Kingdom?

A: I have been living here for a total of 8 years. Three of them while I was in the USAF and five of them as a civilian.

Q: Where are you living now?

A: I live in a village called Histon, right outside of Cambridge.

Q: How did you come to choose this new country of residence?

A: While I was stationed here, I met my husband and decided that I wanted live here on a more permanent basis. 

Q: What has been the most difficult experience you've had when you were new in the United Kingdom?

A: I think that while it was tough when I was in the military, I still had the services I needed onbase and that sense of security that if I didn’t understand something, I could always find something I needed there. The biggest difficulty for me was when I was no longer with the military, I was on my own. I had been quite active in the local community but that did not prepare me for how different my life would be. I had to start paying council tax and looking for work was hard because I worked on the equipment that aircrew used in emergencies and in combat- not a lot of jobs like that on the outside!

Q: Would you say that formalities like getting visas or work permits and international health insurance was particularly difficult in your host country? What was your experience with these?

A: I got my visa before they changed the rules for spouses. I had bad advice from the bases and when I went down to Croydon for my appointment, I did not have pictures of my husband so I had to ride the train all the way back to Cambridge and get back in the same day or it would not be granted that day. I now have my Indefinite Leave to Remain. The rules have changed that people have to have a certain level of money in order to support their families without public funds. My only advice is that if the form asks for something, provide it. It will save you time and stress in the long run. Also if you are applying as a partner or spouse, make sure that you save evidence that you are together. England has the National Health Service which is free for all so no issues there.

Q: Are you living alone or with your family?

A: I live with my family but my husband is English. So while we speak the same language, it doesn’t always mean the same thing!

Q: Was it easy making friends and meeting people? Do you mainly socialize with other expats in the United Kingdom? How did you manage to find a social circle in the United Kingdom?

A: I think that this was probably where I struggled the most. When I was in the military, I had this support network. So when I was out, I had to remake friends as over the years my old ones had been reassigned elsewhere. It is not easy to make friends the American way here. The British are reserved but if you understand how they work, you can work out a way to meet people. The best way is to go to places or join groups that interest you. I like to run so I joined a running group and became good friends with people that way.  I did socialize through social media with other Americans, mainly those that were stationed here and recently discovered an expat group with other Americans.

Q: What are the best things to do in the area? Anything to recommend to future expats?

A: I love Cambridge, there is so much history that is available all around- it inspired me to do Bachelors in history. If you come to Cambridge, you MUST see:

• Kings College Chapel- It is visited more than Westminster Abbey and is the largest fan-vault ceiling in England. It also still has the initials of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in the wooden screen.
• The Round Church- It is one of only four round churches based on The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
• The Eagle Pub- You must go into the RAF bar and see the names of the Us pilots from WW2 on the ceiling.

I personally think that in order to appreciate this city, you just have to have a wonder. If you do go for a punt, make sure you haggle on the price!

Q: How does the cost of living in the United Kingdom compare to your home?

A: This is one of the most expensive areas of the country. It is because people who work in London commute and because of the universities. So expect to pay a lot for very little. Houses closer to the center of town are smaller because they were here before cars. If you move into the surrounding villages like I have, you get more house for your money and still great access to Cambridge.

A cup of coffee costs $5. A meal in an inexpensive restaurant costs $25, while a meal in an expensive restaurant will cost $60. A bottle of wine is 20 and I am not sure about the price of cigarettes since I don’t smoke, but I know it is very expensive.

Q: How do you find the local culture and people in your host country?

A: I really like them. Once you break through to the British, you will find you have a friend for life. Also there are cultural differences in different areas so take that into account, some people will be warmer than others. Also Cambridge is a very international city so a lot of people are not locals. 

Q: What do you think are the positive and negative sides of living in the United Kingdom?

A: I think that there are so many pros to living here. One is that it has exposed me to so many ideas that I am not sure that I would have encountered if I had stayed in the US. I eat healthier and the government prevents chemicals that are allowed in the foods in the US. It is safe here; there aren’t guns here so shootings are rare if they do happen. Everyone has access to free healthcare so if you are out of work, you can still go to a doctor and not have to worry about a bill. Plus we are so close to Europe, it is easy to travel! I think that the biggest con is being away from my friends and family.

Q: Do you miss home and family sometimes?

A: Of course I do. I do like that Facebook has grown to be as popular over the years so I don’t miss out on their lives.

Q: How do you cope with homesickness?

A: I have Vonage, so I call my mom all of the time. I also exchange emails with the rest of my family. Fortunately for me I am allergic to milk and soya so that prevents me from missing the great American foods like macaroni and cheese and brownies etc. I started blogging to cope with my homesickness because it got me out there and learning about where I live. 

Q: Do you have plans to move to a different country or back home in the future?

A: Not at the moment. My husband would like to live in the US at one point, I want to stay here.

Q: What has been the hardest aspect to your expat experience so far?

A: The hardest thing was finding a job. Veterans struggle in America as people do not know what they do and how they will fit in. I had a very supportive husband and was able to find bits of work. As I mentioned before I used to work with parachutes and other survival equipment. I registered with a recruitment agency that had me take tests to see my computer skills and it turned out that my experience in the USAF made me very advanced in all the computer programs used in offices and that helped me land my first job here. Don’t be afraid to take risks and things will work out. I have bounced around a bit between being an office administrator to a boutique manager and back. Now I feel very settled and happy.

Q: What tips can you give other expats living in the United Kingdom?

A: Come here with an open mind. People live differently than Americans do and that does not make it wrong. So if you keep thinking “well in the U.S. this… or the U.S. that…” you will not enjoy your time there. Do your best to live like the locals and see the world through their eyes the best you can.

Q: Do you have favourite websites or blogs about your host country?

A: Bringing up Brits and so many other ones, too many to name.