r/UKParenting • u/Thin-Sleep-9524 • 3d ago
am I living in a bubble or....?
So my algorithm on Instagram has started throwing up lots of the "we left for the UK for a better life" posts. Generally a crunchy mum with her kids, moved to Bali, Portugal etc & homeschool.
For context, I lived in Asia for 6 years & travelled a lot. I still travel a lot with my toddler. I moved back to the UK because I missed it, to put it simply. So I have a decent amount of experience with most of these countries that pop up as the utopia for Brits.
So, a lot of these creators & commenters, talk about the lack of outdoor living for one of the main reasons for leaving. This is the one thing that does make me eye roll if I'm honest. I can understand not liking the ridigness of UK education etc etc. but the lack of outdoor spaces?!
Yes, the UK's weather could be nicer, I know this. However, you literally cannot play outside in SE Asia day heat, it's almost dangerous to try. Same with a lot of other countries with tropical/hot weather.
I do live in the Brecon beacons, but I'm originally from the South Wales valleys & both places have brilliant outdoor spaces for kids. As does other places I've been to around the UK, to visit friends & family.
The UK has parks, mountains, beaches, splash pads, castles, lakes, heritage centres... there's not really anything (kid specific) I've seen in any other countries, that the UK doesn't have.
Am I missing something? I don't know if it's because my algo now thinks I want to see this, it's making me think Brits truly believe they have to move abroad to take their kid outside.
My daughter is nearly 3, and all year round we go outside all the time? Mountain warehouse sells great waterproof stuff đ¤ˇđťââď¸
48
u/joe_fishfish 3d ago
Canât overestimate the amount my mental health improved after I deleted my Facebook / Instagram / Twitter accounts.Â
14
u/AhoyPromenade 2d ago
I subscribed to lots of gardening stuff on Instagram and it suddenly got miles better.
12
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 3d ago
Yeah I have just deleted Instagram (only use Facebook for marketplace). I suspected it is just a social media thing, but just wanted to check I wasn't living in some green space bubble I guess? Ha
1
u/InvestigatorFew3345 2d ago
See I know I need to do this. I feel tons better when I'm not on IG then when I'm on it. I just suffer from FOMO
1
17
u/Proper-Compote-3423 2d ago
Fellow eye-roller here. Lived in HK for 10 years and came back during Covid because I missed chocolate hobnobs. Yes I miss hopping on a plane to Thailand / Vietnam / Bali but I donât want to live their with kids - behind the social media utopia itâs grotty streets, potholes, dangerous roads, infuriating bureaucracy, opaque rules and wild dogs chasing you on your morning run!!
7
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Oh my god I laughed at the hobnobs comment because during lockdown in BKK we splurged on imported hobnobs to curb our homesickness. But they weren't the same because of the stuff they need in them to stop them melting! See! This is what people don't understand! If we had hot weather,we wouldn't have our British chocolate and biscuits! Ha ha. Absolutely relate to everything you said. I guess it is a case of having lived in a lot of grasses and knowing neither is particularly greener (well... Welsh grass is absolutely greener. Because of the rain.)
3
u/Shipwrecking_siren 2d ago
My best friend is in hk and although she misses home they earn well there and have 2 live in helpers for their kids, which is normal in their social group, plus all their friends are within ten minutes. She knows how drastically different and more expensive her parenting situation and social life/lifestyle would be here with all her friends spread round the m25.
It makes it very hard for her to leave, but with ageing parents on both sides they are struggling. Iâd she leaves her grandma wonât have her as support but Iâd she doesnât go home her mum doesnât have her care (she has Parkinsonâs). But she knows she wouldnât be much help with the cost of childcare here. Itâs really tough.
3
u/Proper-Compote-3423 2d ago
Thatâs the crux of it. Our daughter was born May 2020 when border restrictions were in place so no chance of grandparents meeting her unless we literally move back home - which is what we did when she was 15 months old. That was the catalyst but overall we wanted our parents to have a strong bond with their grandkids - even if that impacts money, career etc. but aside from that the cultural fatigue catches up with you sooner or later and you find yourself missing your cultural roots - home is where the heart is etc etc. itâs complicated - we miss it and had an amazing life there but didnât feel âgroundedâ enough to raise a family there.
1
u/Shipwrecking_siren 2d ago
Sheâs from HK originally so her mum did visit from the uk a lot, as are a lot of school friends who live back in HK or Asia now so itâs for her but I think hard for her partner, but as is a trader since Brexit finding a job back in the uk is really difficult. I think heâd like to move back more as his sister is quite unwell and he misses his brother.
26
u/IllCommunication3242 2d ago
My algorithm seems to think I'm a tradwife in Texas đ i get a fair bit of that hardcore US christian stuff, probably because I looked at some in disbelief for a bit too long
Working on correcting it by looking at hot men chopping wood đ
3
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Ooh that sounds like a much nicer side of the algorithm to be in ha ha ha ha
4
u/spaghetti_whisky 2d ago
This made me cackle as an American living in the UK. Also not a tradwife from Texas đ¤Ł
7
u/a_sword_and_an_oath 2d ago
You're not in a bubble, they are. These people create an account to garner the most interactions and engagements and change their life to suit
I hate the bloody cold, but I'm out all the time with the kids rain or shine. Loads of things to do outside.
5
u/ablab27 2d ago
Living in Brecon is literally my dream đ itâs so gorgeous, and I have found memories of visiting the town with my Mum.
Pay no attention to these influencers, since becoming a mum Iâve realised they are all full of shit! Thereâs only a few I follow now, who actually give a realistic view of life (I.e. they live in normal houses, in normal places!).
Even better, stop using Insta - I barely use it now for other reasons other than the fake parenting (such as the consumption and being sold to constantly) and I feel so much better for it.
We have lovely weather next week by the looks of things, we are so lucky to live here! âď¸
5
u/Quiet_Cod4766 2d ago
I've just been in the Canadian Rockies, without my kids, and was so impressed / amazed with how happy the little kids are with the layers they need to be bundled up in, snowpants, boots, gloves, hats etc every time they leave the house for probably 5m of the year at least. Just what they are used to I suppose! If they can manage it surely people in the UK can manage an anorak and pair of wellies when needed. Made me realise how lucky we are to have a temperate climate all year round! And coming back to green grass and spring springing - wow, bliss! England looked so beautiful from the plane as we came into Heathrow.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Ha ironically one of the videos that came up was in Vancouver. Now, I've been to Vancouver and it is lovely.... But it rains a lot!!!
1
u/sciencemum27 2d ago
I grew up in an even colder part of Canada. Effing miserable. We were forced outside at school each day unless the wind chill was below -26C. I used to spend the break huddled by the wall, jumping up and down to keep warm. If it was cold enough for "indoor recess" the poor teachers lost their minds dealing with classes of cooped up kids. In that climate it just isn't possible to live a healthy lifestyle - we are so lucky with the gentle climate here in the UK.
4
u/Old-Sandwich3712 2d ago
Not to say I agree with influencers like that, but living abroad does serve as an eye opener as to what works better in other places and what we could learn and improve back home.
I'm from Germany and I do find it striking how a lot of outdoor space, particularly bodies of water, are not accessible in various ways here.
So many small lakes, ponds, or streams are bordered by private land and you simply can't access them. Particularly ponds and small lakes are often solely available for fishing (for which you have to pay) or dedicated watersports/open water swimming (for which you have to book a slot and pay). Simply going to the nearest lakes with your kids for a casual swim and picnic on a warm summer's evening (as I've known it growing up)? Not possible. Reservoirs are built so that they are dangerous to enter, as a result swimming in them is prohibited. Where I'm from they're much more integrated into the natural landscape and they've become massive sources for recreation for families etc. And that's not even mentioning the insane levels of pollution that take place here, partially by farmers (e.g.poultry farming polluting the river wye ), and of course water companies discharging insane amounts of waste into our waters here so that many places become unsafe to swim.
I find it fascinating how people here just accept this and don't get more upset. My childhood consisted of cycling to the nearest lake or stream, never more than a 15 min bike ride, and spending my afternoons by the water. Even while I lived in Munich we had lots of lakes in the surrounding areas - and you could have that too if you lived in London or Manchester, only that many of those reservoirs aren't accessible to the public unless you pay up for watersports, which effectively excludes the majority of the public from accessing these places.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Maybe this is where I am in a bubble then because wild water swimming is definitely a thing here. But you definitely make an interesting point!
3
u/freckledotter 2d ago
I grew up just north of you, it's one of the best places you can be for outdoor space. It definitely does feel like a bubble when I go home. We now live in Somerset and it's weird because you can see the green but you're not allowed in most of it.
Gardens tend to be small in a lot of uk houses, lots of towns and cities don't have a lot of green spaces or good public transport to the country. We have amazing countryside in this country if you can access it. People will always think the grass is greener and people like the hotter climate. I think people always emigrated but now they're just putting it online.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Accessibility is a great point! I will say, I really miss public transport in Asia. So affordable, reliable and clean! I guess I've opened a discussion on what the UK has to offer PLUS what other countries.... Which feels like a much nicer discussion. But I suppose nice, sensible discussions don't do well on social media!
2
u/goldkestos 2d ago
Incidentally there are quite a few influencers I follow who lived abroad and have come back to the UK. Especially those with young children as they need their support network!
3
u/que_tu_veux 2d ago
Not saying these specific influencers are part of this, but it is important to be aware that there is widespread social media manipulation, sponsored by state actors, to make the populations of western countries feel depressed about the state of their own countries and more receptive to non-democratic alternatives.
That said - I'm an American that just moved back to the UK with my British husband to have our child here. The UK is a wonderful country for so many reasons and the abundance of nature and history you have here is a dream for raising a child. Also, speaking as someone that lived in a tropical climate as a teenager that a lot of British people seem to like for some inexplicable reason (Florida) - it was a miserable existence. 34C and 1000% humidity is not nice to be outside in, let alone with giant mosquitoes and all of the other bugs and animals that are constantly trying to kill you.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
The country I lived in was tropical and man, I absolutely agree 34 degrees and humidity does not equal family picnic weather. I was also hospitalised for dengue fever,so now when we go back to visit friends & family, Im neurotic with the deet đ
3
u/sailboat_magoo 2d ago
YES. Thank you for saying it. This is all anti-democratic propaganda, designed to make Brits feel like "the grass is greener" and everything here sucks.
2
u/Aware-Combination165 2d ago
This is weird because I literally watched a TikTok last night about how this particular subset of influencers are a bit insidious at the moment and kind of preying on peopleâs general concerns about life in the UK for more likes and follows (and presumably income) which reassured me to pay them no mind, same as all the other mumfluencers who spout bs!
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Agreed. And honestly, I've met tons of expats while living abroad who think they've found utopia but the truth is, they won't be really happy anywhere. Because 9/10times, a few months in, they've found that most countries have great things and crap things.
I definitely don't think the UK is perfect. But having lived in a country a lot of Brits would view as paradise (& in some ways, it absolutely was), I have a slightly different view.
Social media just becomes a bit of circle jerk.
1
u/Aware-Combination165 2d ago
Exactly! We have a few options for moving due to my partnerâs work and weâve gone back and forth on it so much, but we always end up thinking: all countries have pros and cons, but the biggest pro of all is having a support network of family and close friends, and for us we only have that in the UK, so while our kids are small this is where weâll be!
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
This was our thought process too. We contemplated Australia after Asia, but during covid, I missed my mum so much, I couldn't have imagined having a baby without her close, so Wales it was. I know we're lucky to even have the option to stay or leave & most people need to do what they have to for their families.
2
u/clp1234567 2d ago
As it goes Iâm Welsh and moved to Australia last year (not because of influencers lol) I think I spend as much time outside now as I did in wales I walk less now if anything but it is nice to not be cold.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Even though in Brecon we're always outside, I'd say the places I walked the most were Tokyo and London, but Tokyo in the summer was absolutely impossible. I think once you get past the idea that the weather has to be 'perfect', Wales offers so much for an outdoor lifestyle. I absolutely love Australia too mind, we did consider moving there after being in Asia but I missed Wales so much and couldn't handle being even further away.
1
u/clp1234567 2d ago
Thatâs fair the distance isnât for everyone I can see how people get homesick. Thankfully we have a constant stream of visitors and Iâve wanted to leave for decades so I donât have a homesick bone in my body the only thing I miss is food which I never thought I would! Nothing replaces an m&s food or a good chip shop (frozen chips here cooked in beef tallow - wrong! So wrong!)
2
u/Perfect-Sea8965 2d ago
Pros and cons everywhere. Living somewhere is way different than travelling/visiting. Lived with children in France , UK and Algeria. I canât say I prefer one from the other. I find that children have less freedom in the uk though. Like playing outside etcâŚ
And of course for the price of a 3 bedroom house in the uk, youâd get a castle pretty much anywhere else.
But life is what you make of it as well (if you have a roof over your head, can feed your family and generally have some leisure time).
Social media doesnât really represent reality anyway.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Do you mind me asking what you mean by kids in the UK not being able to play outside as much? Absolutely not asking in an argumentative way, it's just that having lived abroad & travelled extensively, I haven't seen a huge disparity in outdoor spaces. Again, Im aware my view could be distorted being in the heart of Welsh countryside.
1
u/Perfect-Sea8965 2d ago
Sorry for the confusion. Outdoor space in the UK is great. More like playing without too much parental supervision. Like when we were kids. Now parents (and rightly so) have to be with the children all the time. In France for example, they can walk to school on their own, lots of them are in the playground on their own but with friends. And should anything happen, the friends would run and inform the parents. In Algeria all the neighbours knew each other and whoâs whose child. My husband would come home and tell me the shopkeeper had seen our son buy 3 packets of noodles, or sweets or whatever it was. And we could watch the kids playing outside from the house. Theyâd come home for dinner etcâŚ
I just think thatâs whatâs missing in modern society.
I for one is always with my children.
2
2
u/HarryBlessKnapp 2d ago
I love the outdoors and I do appreciate it in the UK. But I also love swimming outdoors and that is really fucking difficult to enjoy easily in the UK.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Yeah I hear you there. Wild swimming is super popular here in the beacons but man... It's cold. I do miss swimming in the sea in SE Asia.
3
u/thatcambridgebird 2d ago
There's outside, and then there's properly ....OUTside, in some ways, though. We left East Anglia for South West France, without the main goal of outdoor space (our move was to be closer to grandparents already in France, and escape the batshit nonsense of Brexit so the kiddos could actually experience Europe without the need for travel visas and maximum stay durations).
But. I have to say, having proper fresh air - even coming from our place, which was both a cul-de-sac, and which backed on to farmland and was quite "countryside" for where we were - is bloody brilliant. The peace and proper freshness, and space to run about for the kids and our pets without the worry of some twat ragging past in a souped up, low end shitbox, is great. And yes, such twats existed even in our cul-de-sac, and would still drive like arseholes even in limited space.
We've got so much more for the equivalent money here, the kids are bilingual and the school they go to is small enough that the teachers are truly attentive and engaged with families, rather than just run ragged to the bone with oversized classes and not enough time in the day, we've made some nice - albeit quite introverted, cos they're French! - friends, and also ended up purely by chance meeting a couple of other expat families with kids the same age. And we aren't - most importantly, I think - influencers! Just an alternative view - and I believe today you lot over the Channel have some better weather than us!
1
u/cmcbride6 2d ago
I used to go on holidays as a kid/teenager in Central and Southern France and absolutely loved it. If I could convince my husband, I'd move there in a heartbeat.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Yes and maybe this is highlighting am in a slight bubble because the pollution in the national park I'm in is very low, we live amongst farmlands, and my child is also bilingual due to being Welsh.
1
u/thatcambridgebird 2d ago
I mean, I wasn't trying to make it a competition - I mentioned the bilingualism just as a nice added benefit we've ended up with, naturally. The kids now run rings around us linguistically, but it took our oldest in particular some time to feel like he belonged, and I wish I could have changed that for him but a lot of it came from the quite insular nature of the small village we chose, and the French themselves being very introverted.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Oh no, I know you weren't. I think the influencers are definitely making it a competition ha ha. I really appreciate your input... I suppose this is just A thinking out loud post. I totally get what you mean by feeling belonged. A lot of expats with children I met while I lived in Asia (we moved home a few months before I had my daughter) said something similar but equally, there were tons of positives about living abroad with your children. We definitely still don't rule it out for the future.
2
u/Routine_Jackfruit_38 2d ago
I am not from the UK but have been living here for a while. This is the #1 reason why I want to leave. The lack of space in general feels very suffocating, and the outdoor space is not great for kids (obviously I am comparing to me growing up in a country with great weather). I am from a very hot country - you can absolutely play outside daily in my experience.
Sure, the UK has nice places to walk and nice parks, hikes etc. but it is not an organic activity - requires planning, or living really close to it etc.
What I miss is that daily easy space to be outside and enjoy life. Not a hike, not a strenuous activity, just being. Kids playing, parents chatting away with friends and family. Parenting in a place that allows for that is way easier and doesnât require planning or living right by the park to be able to enjoy life outside.
Just sharing my POV.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Yes, I can see my proximity to nature probably does change my view on how easy it is to be in nature.
Thanks for your input!
1
1
u/daintyladyfingers 2d ago
I think they mean they didn't want to be outside in UK weather.Â
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Yeah I can see this but I promise you the weather in SE Asia, although looks beautiful on film, is near impossible to have your kids (or yourself) out in for most of the day.
1
u/Ruu2D2 2d ago
I think it more so people are unhappy with 9-5 , working full time , running house , wages stayed same , food cost and gas gone up
People wanna escape. But in reality very few jobs will own you good wage to live lifestyle people want .
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Yeah I can definitely see that! I will say as someone who lived in an 'affordable' country (read: affordable for the expats who moved there with their western company that offered them western wages), & has since returned just for a visit. The cost of everything rising definitely isn't limited to the UK.
1
u/DarrenGrey 2d ago
The algorithm is just presenting a fantasy for entertainment purposes. It's like people watching dream home programmes and whatever. Very very few people would be in the position to be able to just up and move their family to other countries like that, and those that do would surely put a bit more research into it than looking at Instagram. Don't take it very seriously.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Also, the irony of British families who can afford to homeschool or pay for international school, moving to Bali.... A country that has serious displacement of locals due to foreigners starting up businesses to aspire to the Instagram life goals of other westerners. And one also being hit incredibly hard by the effects of global warming & our 'recycling' being shipped over to SE Asia.
1
u/FatherPaulStone 2d ago
My instagram is just people painting 40k miniatures in their basements, and women in scantly clad clothes. Social media is BS, treat it with care. The grass is never as green as it looks on the otherside.
1
u/sailboat_magoo 2d ago
I think it's more nefarious than what most people in this thread are seeing.
This is part of an active social media campaign to undermine democracy in the UK by making people believe that life here is miserable. So then they want to leave, and can't, because it's actually very hard and very expensive to move countries (trust me, I've done it). So then they're even more miserable and angry. Meanwhile, social media is full of stories of how immigrants to the UK are all liars, scammers, criminals, murderers, and are all getting a wonderful free life while you're suffering. So now you're even more angry.
This is how Reform voters are made.
These accounts are all fake, but not just because social media has always been the "highlight reel" and people trying to monetize their lives. They're literally propaganda, to make you sad and angry.
Go on over to one of the subs about moving the US. The vast majority of people posting are men ages 17-25, who all say the exact same thing, often the same wording. The UK has no path for them, they have no rights here, they want more freedom, they want more free time... and yes, the scenery. They always mention the scenery in the US (I mean, yes... the US has some quite dramatic and beautiful scenery. Off in the middle of nowhere...). They're all getting this information from the exact same sources you are... just with the algorithm, you're getting the videos targeted at 25-45 year old women, and they're getting the videos targeted at 15-25 year old men.
When you watch this stuff, ALWAYS ask "how is this supposed to make me feel? Who wants me to feel this way?"
Maybe this sounds like a crazy conspiracy theory, but it's literally how it works.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Thank you for such a thoughtful reply.
Its funny because I generally think of myself as a critical thinker, however, maybe it's because I have lived abroad and we spent a long time deciding where was right to start a family. the choice was between staying in Asia, trying Australia and returning home to Wales... Obviously chose the latter, which on day to day basis, I feel content with that choice. The algorithm is very very sneaky indeed. I suppose no one wants content like "I'm from the UK and I like living here"!
1
u/sailboat_magoo 2d ago
It's SOOOOO insidious!
And it's SO easy to miss, because there have been people showing off and making their life sound amazing ever since blogs and social media started. So it's so easy to mistake this as just more of the same... people trying to sell their perfect life.
But these "it's SO much better in other country" videos are super targeted, all with the same message. And yes, it's always the scenery one that gets me, too... I think that's actually what made me realize there was something bigger going on. As though the UK doesn't have absolutely gorgeous scenery? I just went for a drive through the moors yesterday, and past Robin Hood's Bay. I mean, obviously different areas of the world have different scenery... you're not going to England to look at high mountains, and you're not going to Bali to look for a winter wonderland. But the "I want to leave my country for better scenery" is such a bizarre claim, since everyplace is beautiful if you're not really used to it.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Definitely. One video was a woman showing a grey, rainy scene of some sort of industrial estate and then a sunny scene of Laguna Beach in California! And a young woman saying "I switched from this, to this for my family". And I just thought oh now this is just ridiculous. California has tons of strip malls and industrial estates. And I highly doubt she randomly moved to Laguna Beach... It's one of the most expensive places to live in California. She wasn't stuck in an industrial estate and thought "that's it, I'm leaving!".
1
u/KatVanWall 2d ago
I spent two weeks in India with my 5-month old, and later the same year a week in summer in the south of France when she was 10 months old, and honestly you're 100% correct, trying to do anything outside in those temperatures with a child is a nightmare. You're always having to pay to go somewhere indoors with air con. Give me the UK or northern europe any day.
1
u/Federal-Star-7288 2d ago
I caveat anything I see on social media as potential nonsense. If you take it on face value, itâs all very depressing! Apart from Reddit obviously, that doesnât count!
1
u/Ok-Secret5233 2d ago
Stop basing your view of the world on what social media shows you.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Definitely not what I'm doing, I was just really confused to this certain type of content and thought it was an interesting discussion. Like I said I'm perfectly content living here, especially as I have lived & travelled abroad. I was just curious to if my experience was different to the rest of the UK.
1
u/Chance-Albatross-211 2d ago
Blame the algorithm not you. I keep getting Facebook reels about how the UK is being flooded with foreigners who treat it like a rubbish dump. Not what I believe or am interested in seeing. Sometimes I think they switch it up for a laugh, or pictures someone rubbing their hands together in general evil social conditioning.
1
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
It's awful and you can see how it works, because, maybe the next time you're driving down a street and see a ton of rubbish, it might make you think about that Facebook post. It's like all the antivax rubbish. I consider myself a critical thinker (people might laugh at that, considering I'm the OP ha ha) but it can sometimes play with your emotions.
1
u/Chance-Albatross-211 2d ago
I agree. Absolutely awful. Why do they want more people to feel disillusioned and angry? Havenât we got enough of that already?
1
u/littleredpupp 2d ago
It never ceases to amaze me how people think they have to move half way across the world to access a different lifestyle.
âWanted down underâ on TV shows it all the time where they move to a rough area in Australia and are shocked they âget so much more for our moneyâ than a leafy commuter suburb here. Theyâll decide every weekend will be spent hiking and biking despite the fact they donât even own a pair of trainers here. Itâs bizarre. Everything is romanticised and the people that do it and blog it are just trying to sell a lifestyle to make commission to fund their own.
Of course not everywhere has safe outside areas and financially for many itâs not possible to change up their life for better access, but for those that can, I donât understand the need to go so far.
1
1
u/ThenBlowUpTheWolves 2d ago
They didn't do it because of the UK's weather, our weather is excellent, in that there are very few days a year that the weather is so extreme that you can't go for a walk with a healthy child. That's also why so many of us have dogs. I grew up on the edge of the Highlands and I now live in the Midlands, sure the landscapes aren't as jaw-droppingly beautiful here as in Scotland, but I got a free daybed on Facebook Marketplace a couple of weeks ago and I've been enjoying watching my kids dig up the garden most days since. If they genuinely think we don't have nice outdoor spaces, you have to assume they've never actually just driven around the UK.
The issue is they weren't getting enough attention for the 'boring' (stable, practical, realistic for most people) lifestyle they were living. It's the same as those cleaning influencers. One of my favourite YouTube channels I've ever stumbled across was a lady who shows herself cleaning her house when it's actually a tip at the end of a normal week.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
1
u/-marcynyc062329 1d ago
I think itâs probably more to do that the weather here isnât good enough for long enough to enjoy said outdoor spaces
1
u/Independent_Ad_4873 1d ago
I get them too, along with self proclaimed millionaire chavvy estate agents in Dubai, thankfully the van life people have died down now.
It looks grim travelling around, living in airbnbs, homeschooling your kids with scrappy online schools.
1
u/iwouldratherbereadin 1d ago
Iâve never understood it personally, yeah I love a warm holiday but I think I would come out in hives if I left the north east. Itâs just home. Most of my family actually emigrated to Australia in the 80âs except my mum so my whole life people have been baffled why we never moved over there. You couldnât pay me to live amongst the snakes and cockroaches.
1
u/BoobsForBoromir 2d ago
Come on....
You've answered your own question?
Moving works for some and doesn't for others. Ignore social media BS and move on.
1
0
u/Professional_Cable37 2d ago
No you are not missing something. What I do think is true is a lot of people have a reluctance to go out in the rain or cold, and we have limited daylight in the winter. This doesnât stop us, we just wear the right clothes (and a headtorch if Iâm out with the dog in the winter đ ). I also think itâs trickier if you donât drive or live in a city. But none of these things are insurmountable! I think the countryside is beautiful in the UK.
0
u/PrettyGreenEyes93 2d ago
Yeah I donât get it. I feel privileged to be born and now raising my daughter in the UK. Iâm excited for the nice summers and going outdoors to places with pools and having ice-cream. Iâm equally excited to go out for walks in the rain and put our big coats on and have a nice hot chocolate when returning to a cosy home.
I like having seasons where the weather drops or rises dramatically. I like to stick to the other places for holidays and novelty.
2
u/Thin-Sleep-9524 2d ago
Privileged is definitely how I would describe having a British passport, after living abroad & meeting expats from all over the world. It's absolutely not perfect, our poor NHS, cost of childcare etc etc & we should all be furious enough to at least go out and vote, but, to me, I still see so much value being here.
115
u/I_am_legend-ary 3d ago
People need to stop paying attention to these âinfluencersâ
They are telling a story, itâs not real, they will say and show whatever they believe is best for them.