I said when Trump won the election that we were leaving to the UK. I am a dual national with the UK and the US, but I never actually bothered doing anything about it before. But my daughter is queer and she is just not safe in the U.S. in our view*, so we are taking the opportunity to get out. I think some people here didn’t believe it, but we have our plane tickets and we will be there on January 21st.

We are leaving on the 20th because we are thinking that if Trump starts rounding up immigrants right a way, a lot of people who are in the U.S. legally will freak the fuck out anyway and who knows when we’ll be able to get tickets. So we’re just leaving. I’ll have time to see what happens when the fascist rapist felon get sworn in and then we’ll be out of here.

I was originally going to wait until I got a job to go because it will be easier to get a family visa once I get a job and, of course, I’ll be eating through what money we can scrounge together from things like selling my car, but I have already had two interviews cancelled because I’m not in the country and I’m sure having a U.S. phone number doesn’t help (I realize I could have spoofed that with a UK number, but it literally didn’t occur to me until today). Even with the interviews I have scheduled next week, the chance of me getting hired before Trump gets into office are pretty low.

We will be staying with an old high school friend of mine for a few days until I find a place to rent by the week as I look for work. We have absolutely no plans about where to live. I will go wherever the work takes us as long as we’re there.

My wife is going to stay behind and take care of affairs like selling the house. My daughter is in online school, so she can stay in that until we get the family visa and can enrol her in a UK school. Because she’s my daughter, once she has a family visa, she can immediately apply for permanent residency status. My wife will also be able to much more easily get a job on a family visa.

The nicest part is that we can bring the dogs over without having to put them in quarantine. That won’t happen until I get a job either, but I am glad we will be reunited soon.

So we will be off in a week. Will I still post a lot on Lemmy once we get there? That remains to be seen.

Goodbye, America. I don’t know if I’ll ever come back, but I hope I can at least return to visit.

*I know some of you are going to say she won’t be safe in the UK either. They are banning conversion therapy there and schools have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to bullying queer kids. Plus, the education system there is not going to turn to dogshit to the point the U.S. already has and it’s only going to get worse. It’s all around better for her there.

      • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
        81·
        6 days ago

        I wish you all the luck. I hope it stays safe there as well. But with the way Elon seems to butting is head in all elections now that he found he could buy ours. I fear fascism will come back there as well.

        But you are correct the education system will be a lot better for your daughter then it would be here. My kids are about to graduate. For me I can’t get out, so I just have to stay and fight if it comes to that. Unfortunately for my LGBTQ kids we will just have muttle through some how. Good luck and I wish you well.

    • baggachipz@sh.itjust.works
      41·
      6 days ago

      Any country with a depopulation problem could open up to American refugees and solve their issue overnight. They would gain an enthusiastic, educated work force who yearns for a civilized society. My wife and I would absolutely emigrate if we had the opportunity.

  • hexabs@lemmy.world
    181·
    6 days ago

    I hadn’t (and still haven’t) read any of your earlier comments on this (or any other stuff from your personal life).

    I just recognize your name as the life of so many communities here. So much so that I just started associating you with “the lemmy algorithm”, a faceless entity like the stuff behind YT shorts to keep me entertained on this site.

    So it’s kinda crazy to (a very stoned) me that you’re going through this.

    All this to say good luck man, and hope you and your family land on your feet in whatever capacity you end up in the UK.

  • TheOneAndOnly@lemmy.world
    6·
    6 days ago

    Good luck, and good speed, amigo! I wish I had the money and know-how to buy a ship and sail off into international waters for the next 4 years. I’m just your average middle aged white dude, but I’m feeling just as pessimistic about the way things are going here, and worry a ton about my family. I hope the UK does you well, and you’re still able to post. You’re a familiar face, and have very much made this place feel like the Internet of old… a small community in a humongous space. All the best!

  • HubertManne@moist.catsweat.com
    9·
    6 days ago

    Don’t blame you. First administration you could chalk up to a fluke but getting re-elected. ugh. this time to he won’t be restricted by any feelings about re-election and they have a whole cadre ready. Not going to be fun. Good luck.

  • SerpentEnglish
    6·
    6 days ago

    Good luck, it will be an adventure! I’ve lived around the UK, so happy to offer any insights if needed.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      4·
      6 days ago

      Thanks! I’m planning to post a questions thread in Casual UK on your instance, so please feel free to contribute.

  • nomous@lemmy.world
    4·
    6 days ago

    Protect yourself and your family bro. Best case scenario he spends the time golfing and you can come back to visit in a few more years.

    Worst case scenario? Well, it’s a good thing you got out while you could.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      3·
      6 days ago

      Best case scenario he spends the time golfing and you can come back to visit in a few more years.

      I told that to my mother, who is the only person in my social and family circles who has told me not to move apart from a very crazy person I know from high school who I’m mostly only friends with because all of his other old friends have had enough of him, but she lived in the UK in the 1960s and hated it and has decided that it hasn’t changed an iota since then. That and the issue of realizing that she either comes with us, which she refuses to do, or live in a retirement home, which she’s finally decided to do but doesn’t want to. Regardless, she’s decided to be super shitty to me. I sent her a long message when we decided to go ahead and make the move and explained everything in detail and that I hoped that she didn’t get too upset by this being so sudden and also that we’d like to visit her this weekend (it’s over an hour’s drive by car, so we always have to arrange it) and this was her entire response:

      Oh well, narcissism. What can you do?

  • tfw_no_toiletpaper@lemmy.world
    5·
    6 days ago

    Good god as someone who hates to plan a lot, this sounds like a nightmare, but good on your part putting your daughter’s safety first. Although I haven’t heard the nicest things about the UK, it will probably be better in the coming years than the US. Anyway I wish you luck with your job search and renting and the such

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldOP
      41·
      6 days ago

      Thank you. Unfortunately, pain is something I have a lot of experience with and this is nothing, believe me. The pain is the least of the issues I’m concerned with right now. I’m just focusing on logistics.

  • Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    4·
    6 days ago

    I look forward to hearing about your success over there! Enjoy Nando’s; I havent been in the UK since i was 9 years old, air force dad, but i miss the consistent rain

  • Spitefire@lemmy.world
    2·
    6 days ago

    I’m envious. I have a path to potential dual citizenship in the EU through my father, but we don’t speak the language (yet, I’ve been studying for about a year but it’s slow going). It will be a few years before we could get the legal representation and paperwork in order and I’m worried it’ll be too late. I wish you and your family the best!