When I was a senior in high school, I came to the realization that I wanted to make my home in England. I have made an effort, over the course of many years, to comprehend the rationale behind why anything occurred. If you want to call it a fad or trend, then what I want to know is: am I simply a foolish sheep like so many other people who inadvertently got hooked on this craze or trend?
It wasn’t until I went to college that I learned the term “anglophile.” Before then, I was arrogantly under the impression that this interest was mine alone. What was it about this specific place that captivated the attention of such a large number of individuals at the same time? And what was it about that neighborhood that drew me in?
One of the most apparent reasons is that England represented the opportunity to explore the globe, since a large number of my favorite novels had been set in or inspired by the country (and no, I hadn’t read Harry Potter at that time – the). But I spent my childhood immersed in the works of Noel Streatfield, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit, and a host of other classic writers that you are all familiar with.
The fact that England is enough distinct from where I come from to be fascinating but maintains sufficient similarities, such as climate and language, to feel at least something like home was another factor that piqued my interest in the country (yet another banal answer I saw in mirror on many blogs).
There’s a good chance that the striking contrast between the culture there and that of the Pacific Northwest piqued my interest. As someone who spent their childhood in the greater Seattle area, I have always been a part of a society that wholeheartedly supports the “grunge spirit.” My house is an authentic celebration of originality, pioneering spirit, and the natural world in every conceivable way. You construct your very own log home in the middle of the woods, brew your own kombucha, bake your own bread, and launch your very own technology business, among other things. (I am exaggerating, but just a little bit!) These are things that I have come to take for granted but that I did not always appreciate. On the other hand, England has a rich history and long-standing customs that have been cultivated over the course of many years. That, in and of itself, blows my mind completely and utterly. It is undeniable that its technological sector is prospering, but at the heart of everything that constitutes its culture is this connection to the past. And if you’ve ever been to Seattle, you know that tradition is not something that is particularly valued in this city.
If you don’t have the same unique interest with England that I do, you should think about going to school in another country instead of England. In many other nations, it is not only less expensive but also more simpler. I gave going to Spain, which is equally gorgeous and where I could end up settling down at some time in the future very serious thought.
If, on the other hand, you too have an insatiable desire to reside in the United Kingdom for more than three months, but you are from the United States, your alternatives are restricted. Simply enrolling at a school in the UK makes you eligible for a student visa. You will be eligible for a graduate itinerary visa immediately upon the completion of your studies, which will allow you to remain in the country for a number of years after graduation.
Your other choices are to get a firm to sponsor you for a work visa (which, from what I’ve heard, is very tough), to establish a business there, or to marry someone from that country (which is also rather difficult and seems to have a somewhat dubious motivation, wouldn’t you say?).
Anyway, after considering all of these factors, I came to the conclusion that being a digital nomad in England was not an option for me if I intended to spend more than three months living there. Becoming a student was the only option available to me to achieve that goal. Which was convenient given that I had been considering returning to school in order to expand my expertise in digital design.
In the end, I decided to travel to England since there were a number of really excellent programs available at a price that wasn’t too outrageous. I looked at Ireland as well; however, the prices for the classes in Dublin were more. I performed a good deal of study on the various programs that are offered in the United Kingdom and Ireland. You probably weren’t expecting to see the adjective “wonderful” connected with the noun “spreadsheet” when you read this, but I’m going to publish the spreadsheet that I made in my next article.