Life in America entices UK family to pack up and go
When Andy Trickey was invited to be part of the team tasked with setting up a US branch of his employer’s company, it wasn’t just a bold career move, but the start of an exciting trans-Atlantic relocation for himself and his family.
Hailing from a small village in Derbyshire where they had lived for 8 years, Andy, his wife and two young children were very settled in the UK. There was a strong sense of community in their local area - to the extent where the children knew everyone in their school.
An overseas relocation was not something that the Trickeys had considered, until Andy’s job created the opportunity for the family to move to Boston in the northeast of America.
The decision to move was not something that the family took lightly, Andy explains: “We live in a very close knit community; many of our friendships have existed since childhood. We were very happy in the UK, in fact we loved our house, lifestyle and situation. If this opportunity with my work had not arisen, I don’t think we would have looked at moving, even within the UK, for many years. My wife and I were willing, albeit nervously, to take the plunge and relocate, but we had to consider what the relocation would mean for our children very carefully.
“Initially, our son, aged six, found it very difficult to get his head around the concept of moving overseas. As parents, we found that incredibly challenging. However, Crown Relocations, our chosen relocations agent, provided a short book on moving abroad specifically targeted at children. It really helped our son to understand more about the process of moving, what it would mean for him and us as a family, and also that he was not the only child to have gone through an international relocation. That book was a very useful tool for us.”
Throughout the relocation process, making the transition as smooth as possible for the children was at the forefront of Andy and wife Julia’s minds.
Andy continues: “We were fortunate enough to know a family in Boston before we moved out there, and they were able to give us some useful advice, as were our relocation agents. We made sure that everything would be in order so that the children could start school in America immediately - and that they were joining a good school.”
“Although our move date was dictated by my work commitments, Crown Relocations was able to help us to choose the right moment to leave our home for serviced accommodation in the final days before our move.”
The family successfully relocated to Boston, with no hitches. Now after a hectic few months creating a new life State-side, the Trickeys are able to begin enjoying their new home.
“We are starting to find a new routine and settle into a new normality. The children are fitting in well at their new school and beginning to make friends which is a huge relief. My wife is also adapting to American life well, she is considering joining a further education course at Harvard University, which is one of the world’s best establishments and right on our doorstep now.
“I would say we are a lot further ahead in terms of settling in than I thought we would be at this stage of our relocation. Almost all elements of our move have been incredibly smooth, even taking into account the record snowfall that we came up against upon our arrival.
“The biggest unexpected hurdle for us was gaining credit in the States. My wife and I both had excellent credit records in the UK, and just assumed that would translate to the USA which was not the case. Other than that, our biggest setback has been just how much we miss British chocolate – we’re definitely Cadbury’s fans!
“For us, the moving process has been incredibly smooth, I would highly recommend using a relocation agent - ours has supported us every step of the way, from general advice and expertise to helping with visas and shipping our belongings. Having been in our new home for a few months now, and seeing the whole family adapting to life in the USA, I am confident that we made the right choice in deciding to relocate. The diversity, history and generosity of the people in Boston is fantastic – we can already understand why people say that Boston is one of the most popular places to live in the world!”