What happens after the excitement of moving abroad wears off?

When there’s no car, no permanent home, and no clear sense of what comes next—what does starting over really feel like?

In this episode, we share the most emotionally challenging week of our move from the USA to England. After less than a week in Deal, Kent, we leave the coast behind and travel to Bristol, ready to begin the next phase of our UK relocation. What we encounter there, however, is far more difficult—and far more honest—than we expected.

This episode explores the emotional reality of moving to England, from culture shock and uncertainty to grief for the life we left behind. We talk openly about the quieter moments of an international move—the fear, the doubt, and the weight of rebuilding from scratch—balanced, as always, with humour, perspective, and two very large cups of tea.

If you’re considering moving to England, relocating from the USA to the UK, or navigating expat family life, this episode offers a real, unfiltered look at what the transition can feel like once the adrenaline fades.

🎧 New episodes daily

🌍 Visit www.HowGreatIsBritain.com for updates, resources, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

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#FromUSAtoUK
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After months of planning, paperwork, and emotional goodbyes, we finally made it—our family has officially moved from the USA to England 🇬🇧✈️

👉 Follow our full journey, resources, and episodes at www.HowGreatIsBritain.com

In this episode, we continue our international relocation journey as we pick up in Paris, where we’re reunited with our two dogs after their long transatlantic flight. From there, we drive through the French countryside, make an essential patisserie stop, navigate customs, and cross the Channel via the Dover ferry before arriving in Deal, Kent—our first home base in England.

Our first week living in the UK is filled with small, meaningful moments: exploring Deal Castle with our new English Heritage passes, walking the pebble beaches, finding heart-shaped stones, visiting the historic village of Sandwich, and taking our very first British bus ride. All while adjusting to jet lag, parenting abroad, and the surprise news that our household shipment would arrive far sooner than expected.

After an unforgettable week by the sea, we pack up the rental car and head west to Bristol, where the next chapter of our new life in Britain begins.

If you’re considering moving to England, relocating from the USA to the UK, or curious about expat family life, this episode offers an honest, real-time look at what the transition actually feels like.

🎧 New episodes daily

Visit www.HowGreatIsBritain.com for updates, links, and behind-the-scenes content.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

#MovingToEngland
#FromUSAtoUK
#ExpatFamily
#MovingAbroad
#LifeInTheUK
#InternationalMove
#RelocationJourney
#DealKent
#BristolUK
#BritishLife
#ExpatPodcast
#FamilyMove
#LivingInEngland

How we left the US and our arrival in Paris, France, all in pursuit of moving to the UK!This week, we’re taking you back in time to our final days in America—a whirlwind of logistics, emotions, and last-minute adventures.Between prepping the dogs for international travel, selling a car we absolutely loved, and continuing to get rid of so much stuff, we were running on pure determination—and coffee (thanks, Starbies!). But it wasn’t all work. From a magical day at Disney World to an Epic one at Universal, and one final surprise involving tea and dolls, we made space for lots of fun before our goodbye.Through it all, we couldn’t have done any of it without our incredible friends, who showed up again and again to help us finish strong and make sure we actually got on that plane in time.In this episode, we share:• The heartbreak of realizing your childhood is now considered “ancient history”• How Covid ended up affecting the sale of our car• The surprising fate of Brett’s pillows• And did we actually bribe people to come say goodbye to us?

Website: www.HowGreatIsBritain.com

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠#HowGreatIs #MovingAbroad #LeavingAmerica #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #AmericanInUK #FamilyMoveUK #FromUSAtoUK #DogsMovingAbroad #LifeAbroad #ExpatFamily

It’s the last few days in our family home — and somehow everything is happening all at once.

We wrapped up our final garage sale (where even a professional garage-saler wanted our “trash”), only to realize that our “timely” plans were anything but.

Cue late nights cleaning until 4:30 a.m., frantic trips to the dump, and donation runs to clear out what was left behind.Then came the big moment: signing the paperwork to sell our house and emptying it out at the very last second — just as the new owner pulled into the driveway. Talk about timing.

Now that the house is no longer ours, we’re trying to slow down and play tourists in our own town before our international move to the UK begins. But of course, there are still boxes to sort, forms to fill, and plenty of loose ends to tie up.

In this episode of How Great is Britain, we share:• What to do when a professional garage-saler wants your trash• How tiny sunglasses let you get away with anything• The difference between moving internationally vs domestically• And how traumatic is it to throw out those plugs and wires you’ve been holding onto for a decade or more

So join us as we wrap up one chapter, stumble into the next, and try to catch our breath along the way!

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠

#MovingAbroad #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #InternationalMove #FamilyMoveUK #SellingOurHouse #MovingWithKids #ExpatFamily #LeavingTheUSA

It’s the final week before moving out of our home, and we’re knee-deep in piles of keep, donate, sell, and why-do-we-have-this-in-the-first-place?

From predawn starts to 2 AM finishes, we’ve been hustling to clear out our possessions and memories and literally put them out to sea.

And just to make things even more interesting, we accidentally packed our tea mugs—so we’re doing all this without our trusty cups of motivation!

In this episode, we explore:

• The chaos of sorting and downsizing in one final week

• The shipping container surprise that threw our plans off

• If a nursery rhyme makes for good hip hop

• And what to do when doubt inevitably starts creeping in

So pull up a seat (and a big mug—since we can’t), and join us for the latest chapter in this very full, very final week before the big move.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain⁠⁠

#MovingAbroad #UKMove #FamilyMoveUK #MovingToEngland #ExpatLife #InternationalMove #HousePacking #Downsizing #GarageSale #FromUSAtoUK #RelocationJourney #AmericanInUK #ShippingContainerProblems #LeavingtheUSA

We are officially in the thick of it. One week until we move out of our house—and suddenly, everything feels very real.

In this episode of How Great Is Britain, we’re clearing out years of clutter while preparing for our move from the USA to the UK. That means attic purges in 100-degree heat (37.7°C), back-to-back garage sales, and getting two dogs ready for international travel—all at the same time.

In the middle of the chaos, we’re also pausing to say thank you. Our channel grew significantly this week, and we’re genuinely grateful to everyone who’s following along on this journey. We couldn’t do this without you.

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:

• The rising stress of packing up an entire life

• Selling one home while trying to rent another—across the ocean

• The surprisingly confusing difference between UK, England, and Britain

• And yes… Brett and Gemma finally got haircuts. It was time.

So grab your favourite chair, make an aggressively large cup of tea, and catch up with us.
We’re so glad you’re here for the ride.

🎥 Prefer to watch? Full video episodes are on YouTube:

https://youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain

In the midst of the stress and logistics of our international move from the USA to the UK, we’re letting ourselves daydream a little. In this episode of How Great Is Britain, we share the everyday things we’re most looking forward to in England—the small moments, cozy comforts, and simple joys that are keeping us motivated during this big transition.

We also share a few real-life updates from the past week of move prep and unwrap a little surprise that made our journey feel very official (spoiler: it’s not just the visa!).

🎧 In this episode, we talk about:
✔️ Everyday UK life moments we can’t wait to experience
✔️ The comforts and traditions inspiring our move to England
✔️ Progress updates as our relocation from the USA to the UK gets closer
✔️ A special arrival that marks a new chapter for our family

Thanks so much for following along on our family relocation journey—your support truly means the world to us.

🎥 Subscribe for weekly episodes documenting our emotional, chaotic, and exciting move abroad.

Got questions about moving with children or relocating from the USA to the UK? Please drop us a comment and we’ll cover them in future episodes.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain 🎥

This week has been full of those moments—the kind that make your heart race, your eyes well up, and your dreams feel just a little bit more real. 💫

In Episode 5, we’re diving into some major milestones in our family’s journey—from the kind of news that makes your shoulders drop in relief… to the kind that makes you want to dance around the kitchen (we actually did). We also received an incredible surprise from a creative friend and experienced a very fun moment for our daughter that reminded us why these small wins matter so much.

🎧 Tune in for:
✔️ Big moves toward our UK dream
✔️ The power of kindness and creative collaboration
✔️ A small but mighty family win (Magnatiles, anyone?)
✔️ Honest reflections on what’s next

We’re feeling grateful, a little overwhelmed, and wildly hopeful. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

💬 Tell us in the comments: What’s your version of good news this week?

🎥 Subscribe for weekly episodes on our emotional, chaotic, and exciting journey. Got questions about moving with children or relocating from the USA to the UK? We’ll answer them in future episodes!

Don’t forget to follow the podcast so you can come along with us as we explore life in Great Britain.

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HowGreatIsBritain 🎥

#HowGreatIsBritain #MovingAbroad #FamilyVlog #UKMove #InternationalFamily #LifeUpdate #CreativeLife #ParentingWin #PodcastVlog #SellingOurHome #HouseIsSold