I moved to England for my daughter. I didn't expect it to completely rewire who I am. The biggest shift wasn't anything I saw — it was something I stopped doing. Have you ever had a moment like that?  Tell me your story below 👇 Sub & Hype if you can, and send a thanks to support the channel! 💝

Your selflessness and sacrifice for your daughter have earned you blessings Mandy. 🎉

You're a great mother ❤

You said "I don't always get it right".
There's nothing wrong in being wrong. The wrong thing is not learning from your mistakes and doing it wrong again.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new"....one of my favourite quotes from Albert Einstein.😊

You're welcome here. Have a lovely life and I hope your girl does well at school. Your husbabd is lucky to have a lady like you

Your utter-honesty, is ... very special in itself: Never -stop, Mandy. I'm now a 55yr old Brit, who spent  a small-handful of years offshore after rather too many years & degrees etc at Uni; moved back here with then -partner and Our .. utterly-awesome daughter. In that - I do think I see, 'we' have lived, some if not much of what you express. & So: please - just never stop just being yourself. You express such things wonderfully.

Many years ago I was on a European tour for the under 30s. We were a collection of people from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa and the USA. By the end of the tour I felt I had a good close understanding of most of these people... except the Americans. I got on really well with them, too, but felt I could not penetrate the facade every one of them had crafted to hide many aspects of their true selves. As you said, it felt 'performative'. Everyone else had the confidence to just be themselves, so it saddened me, even at that young age, that the Americans were clearly conditioned to act in this way. I'm glad you found your way out of this mindset.

That's so lovely to hear that you are genuinely happy and looking forward to the rest of your life and not contemplating  having to move back to the US. See That's what drinking cups of tea does to you😊 I might have made that bit up.

I have lived in four different countries, and it usually took about two years to feel settled and accepting of the new social and physical environment. To be honest, it was tough but the growth that came from the moves and forced adaptations was worth it. It is never too late to change and adapt (and grow); in fact it is invigorating... even in your late forties. You learn that nowhere is perfect and that is in fact a bonus, it is just how life is.

I was forced to re-examine my social training during child and early adulthood, but the bonus is that  I don't take things for granted. I have the privilege to choose the good and drop the 'not-so-good' which has given me a much greater self-awareness (though not self-indulgence). I have accepted that I will always feel somewhat foreign, no longer a local in my birth country and not a native in my new homeland. However, I do know where my 'safe harbour' is,  and that is comforting.

It is similar to learning a foreign language - somehow you never feel a master of the new language because of the mistakes you continue to make. However, the difference is that you are hyper aware of your mistakes whereas a native speaker hardly notices, chalking it up to a learning experience rather than a mistake.

The growth can however be isolating because your varied experiences are not common amongst your peers but I have learned to be grateful for those experiences, though not superior - it's just another adjustment.


It is good to see your openness to the new and gratitude for elements and experiences of the past. Enjoy the ever-evolving journey; it never ends... thankfully.

You definitely look calmer and happier than in some of the early videos you put out.

Hey Mandy I'll let you in on a secret, I'm 71 and live in Australia I still haven't figured life out yet. I don't really think anyone really figures out life, you just do the best you can and keep moving forward ❤️

The bread conversation - always  use your loaf when discussing bread 😊

There’s a difference between civilisation and civilised. Thats what you’ve learned.

You're lovely sweetheart,  don't worry, you're on the right track and you're not alone.  We're all a bit messed up but I  think you'll always be welcome here.

Life is a journey, you never know what is going to happen to you 🧐🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Because so many people got made redundant several times, I was made redundant 9 times. You finally realise that all those hours and commitment to the company made no difference to the top boss. They sack you anyway, regardless. So yes, I always did my best and tried to help fellow employees, but not the company!

We all evolve through different ages and phases of our lives.

Well done :)

Going to say something now that has the potential to be life changing if you take it on board (not meaning to sound patronising, but it made a huge difference for me a long time ago). Watching the vid and you just said that in your forties you shouldn't be working life out this late....well now, says who? That's the key to the word 'should/shouldn't'...Whenever we use the word 'should', it almost always means a should/shouldn't that originates outside or apart from us. In other words, it originates from someone else's expectations, judgements, ideas, assumptions etc., etc. Once I got that notion straight in my head, it changed how I approached every thought that contained 'should'. It quite literally changed the world around me and through which I moved. Almost as powerful was exchanging the word 'need' for 'prefer'...worth trying out both ideas  😊

Make the most of your holiday leave.

It's great to just chill. Being a parent is something that will fly by before you know it.

There are plenty of people who are stressed,work long hours etc.

But if you really want to see a great relaxed culture, go to France.

They work fewer hours.
Retire earlier.
Have a relaxed attitude, outdoor cafes


Take your car to France. Find a town by a river.
Go to a French hypermarket

Take 2 weeks to do it.

In fact, I recommend Eurocamp.

They are reasonably cheap.  Pool on a campsite. Friendly bars and restaurants
Kids activities

I can guarantee you will have an experience you will never get in the UK.

Your child can find friends, run round the campsite etc.

A French camping holiday is a middle class experience that you must experience.

It will also make great content.