Who's considering it after thinking they would never...?

[allcraz]

Been here since early 2007. Have spoken positively and negatively on this forum of a city I have come to dearly love. I met my husband early on, and we never talked about making a move to the States. Never. We were happy here. We still are if we can manage to momentarily separate ourselves from all the chaos the government continues to throw at us (and everyone). We have a good life here. Family (his), friends, property, my job. He was let go after 15 years at a bank a little over a year ago and has really struggled to find something since then. I'm just wondering if there are people in our boat who have either made the move after doubting it or are currently having doubts while planning an escape route just in case? I read about everyone who can't wait to leave and who is planning to leave, but we haven't taken that mental jump yet. I guess it's really hard to picture us in the States. Just for more info, any potential move would be to Austin, Texas, back closer to my family and safety and the Hill Country and oh the list could go on. But I'll be honest. I don't picture us there. I'm worried about his English (decent but extremely far from fluent), about work, about him missing his country, family and friends even though he says he's ready for a change...

Anyway, I've just been really torn. You would think I would be excited that the Argie is the one ready to leave and make a life near MY home, but I'm nervous, and if you've been there too, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

 

[citygirl]

What does your husband do? Would there be job opportunities for him there?

Honestly, we probably won't leave b/c the SO has the house and business here. But if the property sold, I think we both would go to the US happily.

I, like you, have many things I love about being here. But honestly, it's harder and harder to live here every day. It's not like you can avoid all the restrictions and price increases and freedoms to travel, to do what you want with your money, etc, etc. And while I'm not unhappy, I just find myself tired all the time. Tired of waiting in lines. Tired of taking 3 hours to do a simple chore because that's what it takes. Tired of going to 28273 different places in order to get something done. Tired of bad quality. Tired of paying a fortune for basic things. Am I miserable? No - I love my SO, his family, our home, spending time with friends. But the happiness I have isn't about being in Argentina, it's about being with him. The where isn't that important.

Allcraz - I guess I would ask yourself is there anything really holding you here? After all, you moved here and had a great experience. What's to say your husband wouldn't feel the same being in the US? And if you go and try it and hate it, you can *always* come back here. It's not like Argentina is going anywhere. And maybe by the time you come back, the insanity will have ended....

 

[Iznogud]

This is going to get much worse before it gets any better.
Wonder if there's even the possibilty that it will get any better.

They're on a roll, no opposition, not even massive combined strikes. People are dazed and confused. Unable to react.
Everything looks hunky dory for Kristina's La Campora Jugend. The future is theirs, our future is theirs.

If you still have a chance to make it abroad (youth and energy) you can always at least give it a shot. Your friends will be here if you must come back and you'll find new ones ahead. Such is the way of life.

 

[Gringoboy]

Know how you feel.
It's a big leap and I'm in the same boat really. I'm a Brit and my lady is Argentine.
Long story short.....too many family ties to allow us to go at the moment, so we'll have to weather the storm for another 2 to 3 years.
It's certainly on the agenda though, but needs some serious planning.

 

[allcraz]

Citygirl, as far as jobs go, I have no idea. We haven't started looking, but I know Austin isn't the worst place to be looking for work right now. I'm 29. He's 38. His degree is in Administración de Empresas and I came here with a college degree but still no experience in my major so far (Marketing). I've done well for myself here, and if I can do that here I feel confident I can make ammends in my own country. Ha, oh a little detail I left out. I'm pregnant with our first child. I know that the pregnancy has made me doubt our life here even more...there are just things I can't get over when thinking about raising a child here. The States has its faults. I am well aware of that, but when you start thinking about raising a family, you start comparing a lot more and there are certain factors that just weigh more heavily. We wouldn't be going anywhere until after the baby's born (early next year). But man that growing belly makes you do a lot of thinking. As far as property goes, one of our 2 is on the market, but it's not a deciding factor in whether or not we can move. If we got more serious about moving, we would talk to contacts about selling it to a buyer abroad (in the States). I suppose the only thing holding us/me back is fear (and believe me, I never thought I would ever fear moving back to my own country). I appreciate everyone's thoughts. Thank you.

 

[Ashley]

We've been in that head space for about a year now and it really is a mental leap more than anything else.
Our decision to move is based largely on economic factors: We want to start a family and want to be able to provide them with a basic level of security. My husband and I both have "good careers" here but my salary is poor and the difference between our earning potential here (especially mine) and in the UK is pretty significant. If we stay here, home ownership isn't really a possibility (the mortgages here are terrible and wouldn't get us much at all) and we'd be renting well into our late 30s. I'm also sick to the back teeth with being mistreated by landlords/ladies and having to put up with severe damp, exploding gas heaters, etc etc. It seems that "juicios" are the only way to solve anything anymore. After 10 years, I'm also suffering from the general frustration of life here and find that it only takes a lengthy queue or being served a luke-warm coffee now to send my blood pressure through the roof...especially because I feel like it doesn't matter how many qualifications you have or how hard you work, you just can't move forward by yourself here, so everything else is just an extra injustice!!
I'm sure your husband will be fine in a new place (you were!) and yes, if it doesn't work out, you've had a great experience and you come back or move on.
In my case, I'm fortunate that my husband speaks fluent English and works in a profession where there are still actually some decent opportunities available.
One of our major obstructions, however, has been the UK spouse visa rulings, which are ludicrous and involve a lot of working around. I have no idea what it's like in the US, but I'm sure that even when you do make that final decision, it will still only be the beginning of a fairly long road out of here...plenty of time for you both to get used to the idea.

 

[allcraz]

This is going to get much worse before it gets any better.
Wonder if there's even the possibilty that it will get any better.

My husband agrees. I agree. We used to think we'd just wait it out, but until when? And experience yet another fall even if things happen to get good again at some point?? I don't think we're willing to wait much longer.

 

[allcraz]

One of our major obstructions, however, has been the UK spouse visa rulings, which are ludicrous and involve a lot of working around. I have no idea what it's like in the US, but I'm sure that even when you do make that final decision, it will still only be the beginning of a fairly long road out of here...plenty of time for you both to get used to the idea.

Yes, I remember you posting about the UK spouse visa issues. I think there's a lot of paperwork involved for the U.S., of course, but other than that I haven't heard of it being a particularly long wait. Perhaps I'm totally wrong. If anyone wants to comment on that, you're more than welcome.

 

[nicoenarg]

Allcraz your husband will be fine as long as you and your family in the US are patient with him and let him "assimilate" at his own pace. The moment he feels pressured by any of you to "fit in" better, he'll start to panic and would want to escape back to Argentina right away.

My wife, who is Argentine, and I got here in January of this year. At the time we made our move to come here, we thought we were going to settle down in Argentina forever. Now we're thinking 2-3 years tops and we'll be out of here to somewhere in Europe (most probably the UK because of the language). My wife is sick of Argentina more than even I am. She can't stand the way things are going and doesn't want to stick around for things to get even worse.

The only thing keeping us here is her job, which pays peanuts compared to what she could get paid in the UK but is good for her experience.

I have to add though that my wife was 6 years old when she left Argentina so she's not used to the usual idiocies like waiting in line a billion hours or going from window to window and whatnot.

She's sick of it, I'm sick of it and we're definitely leaving here in a couple of years.

EDIT: Also wanted to add, from personal experience, that it can even take a couple of years for your husband to start getting comfortable in a new country with a different culture.

 

[Vagrant Violet]

I sadly agree and identify all too well with what allcraz and the rest have mentioned thus far in this particular post. Similar to the OP, I came here a while ago (almost 4 years) with a great deal of love for this country, an open mind, and (most importantly) savings. It's scary to think how much has changed since then, for better and for far worse.

On one hand, after paying my dues for years, I finally find myself with a great job in a fantastic international school, fulfilling my dream of being a classroom ESL/EFL teacher and really feeling content with what I do and the people I work with. I have friends here. Most importantly, I am married to the love of my life, an Argentine, who means everything to me.

But then comes the flip side of the coin. Despite my salary and my husband's, life's little luxuries are out of reach (either because it doesn't exist here or it costs an unjustifiable king's ransom). Although I am fortunate enough to never have personally been the victim of a crime here, I feel increasingly concerned for my safety. I feel constantly worn down by daily situations that are pointlessly draining and are leaving me bitter (waiting in line, "customer service," and so on).

Recent events that are taking place (too many to name) have a personal and ominous significance for me... I think about my family's history- My great grandparents were German Jews living their lives near Heidelburg until the late 1920s, when they started to see red flags popping up all around them (before things really went to Hell). They were fortunate enough and had the means to be able to jump ship in time to immigrate to the US. I don't want to feel overly dramatic, but I can't shake this same sentiment less than 100 years later. I sincerely hope that I am mistaken.

As much as I really want to pick up and leave (a little more with each day), my husband will never go. His extended family is here, therefore he is here. And I can't be without him, period. To make things even more conflicting, I recently found out that I am pregnant, and rather than enjoying this moment, I am already experiencing major qualms about having and raising a child here. I came here by choice, and although nothing is legally keeping me here, I feel like I don't have many options but to stew in my own juices of indignity and freak out in silence. Very sad


PS- And if I hear "Es lo que hay," one more time, I am going to have a brain hemmorrhage. That is all.