Life Lessons from Moving to England in My 40s

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Moving to England in your 40s brings its own unique challenges, but for me, the timing was perfect.

Moving to England in my 40s wasn’t my plan. For years I had been wanting more peace and simplicity, but I didn’t know how to make it happen. With a full-time job and two kids in high school, every day felt busier than the next. I wanted to slow down. I longer for more being and less doing, but I just couldn’t see how to make it happen.

Then a trip Venice, Italy changed my life forever.

We were enjoying the last days of our family vacation and I had gotten up early to walk the city alone. I had paused on a bridge over one of Venice’s famous canals. It was so peaceful and quiet, and I allowed myself to just be present in the moment. I became overwhelmed with gratitude that I was able to experience this beautiful city with the people I loved most- my husband and daughters.

That moment of gratitude was transformative. I felt something in me come to life. I realized I wanted to live in Europe and experience this beauty every day, and I would work for as long as it took to make that happen.

When I returned home to Colorado, I could have decided it was too hard, too scary, or too crazy. Instead, I journaled, made a vision board, wrote out a dreamline, and had many long conversations with my family. Incredibly, my spouse and both of my teens were completely onboard.

I decided to trust that I would be supported in this journey. It wouldn’t happen overnight, but I knew it would happen. After 2 years of researching and planning, we boarded a plane to London to begin our new lives as an American expat family in England.

Every day when I walk through the ancient streets of England, I feel the same gratitude I felt that morning in Venice. Like anything, it’s not perfect, but I have learned so much and wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. As I reflect on my life here, these are all of the beautiful life lessons moving to England in my 40’s has taught me.

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You can do anything if you break it into small enough steps and work on it every day. 

When I first had the idea to move our entire family to England, it felt ridiculous, irresponsible, and just impossible. Even so, I allowed myself to lurk on expat blogs and read memoirs about people who had sold everything and moved abroad. The more I acknowledged the desire burning in my heart, the less ridiculous it felt.

I began researching what it would take to move our family to the UK. The more I learned, the more I realized how difficult it would actually be. But it also became clearer and clearer that this path was calling to me—that this was the journey we were meant to take.

One day, I stood in my kitchen, my “moving to Europe to-do list” in hand, with a sink full of dirty dishes, feeling completely overwhelmed. Then I thought, Just do the dishes. That’s all you need to do right now. In that moment, I felt an immediate sense of calm and peace wash over me. From that moment forward, I stopped worrying about everything that needed to be done and just worked on the next best step.

Deciding where to live, finding a job, understanding visa, going through all of our stuff, finding schools for our teens, packing up the house, researching healthcare– it felt never ending. I made a list of everything that needed to get done, but only worked on one step at a time. I stopped measuring success by whether or not I reached my goal, but rather, if I had been working towards it consistently.

Before I knew it, we were standing in Heathrow airport with 5 suitcases starting our new life in the UK. You can do anything if you are willing to break it down into small steps and just keep going, even move to England in your 40s!

You can make peace with uncertainty. 

Before our move, I confided in a friend, saying, “Sometimes I think we should just play it safe and stay put.” “Why do you think that’s safer? You have no idea what the safer choice is,” he replied. He was absolutely right.

We often convince ourselves that staying in our comfort zone shields us from unwanted change. But that sense of safety is nothing more than an illusion. Change is inevitable, whether we choose it or not. Life is unpredictable, and safety doesn’t always come from standing still. All we can do is make the best decision with the information we have at the time and let go of the outcome because it is out of our control.

You simply cannot do big things without stepping into uncertainty. No risk, no story.

I moved to England with a job offer, but no signed contract. This took a huge leap of faith. What if they decided not to hire me? What if I moved all the way over there for nothing? What if all fell apart? What if we failed? My brain went into overdrive trying to help me see every possible outcome that it perceived as a threat to my survival.

Eventually, I had to stop terrorizing myself. I decided that it was just as likely that it would work out fine and I made a choice to stop catastrophizing. I set the intention of staying grateful for this incredible adventure, got on a plane to London, and embraced the uncertainty.

One by one, things fell into place in ways that I could not have predicted or orchestrated.  We found a home that we loved, our daughters got into wonderful British schools, and we started to build a new community and life in the UK.

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It’s Never Too Late to Change Your Life and Your Story

We encourage young people to venture into the world, explore new horizons, and discover themselves. Yet, we tell older people they can’t outrun their problems, reminding them, “Wherever you go, there you are.”

But when does exploring the world stop being a worthwhile, life-changing experience? At what age does it transform into mere escapism? What’s the expiration date on our dreams? When does wonder and awe become incompatible with age? The answer is simple: never.

Growth and change are always possible. It’s never too late to rewrite your story and embrace new adventures. And sometimes, you need to change everything.

Your environment shapes who you are. The people, places, and things around you constantly reinforce the habits and behaviors that define your daily life. That’s why vacations often bring unexpected clarity—you’re free from the cues that remind you who you are every single day.

Years ago, I set an intention to simplify my life, but I struggled to make it a reality. It wasn’t until I changed my environment that everything shifted. Moving to England has opened the door to growth and transformation in ways I could never have imagined. Sometimes, a change in surroundings is exactly what’s needed to rewrite your story.

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Your Never Too Old to Learn New Things

Another awful thing that we tell ourselves as we get older is that we can’t learn something new. We stop allowing ourselves be beginners. 

Six months after moving to England, I still hadn’t learned how to drive. It felt wonderfully European to walk to the market, tote bag in hand, filled with fresh produce, crusty bread, and flowers.

But deep down, I longed for more. I longed to explore the countryside, uncover remote ruins, and visit the tiny, picturesque villages of England—places public transportation rarely reaches.

I wanted to learn how to drive, but I was terrified. We live in York, a medieval city in England where some of the roads date back to the Romans and are flanked by buildings nearly as old. There’s no room to expand, and so the British have adapted.

Cars zip down narrow streets that shouldn’t be two-way, barely avoiding each other and the cars parked on both sides, half-blocking the sidewalk. There were moments when I thought, I’m never going to be able to do this.

But instead of letting fear hold me back, I approached it the same way I approach everything now—by taking one tiny step at a time and practicing every single day. Within weeks of getting behind the wheel in the UK, I felt just as comfortable driving as I did in the States. More importantly, it felt incredibly rewarding to master something new. It made me feel young, alive, and, if I’m being honest, a little invincible—something I hadn’t felt since my teenage years. There is no age limit on learning!

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You can’t ask people for directions to places they have never been. 

Whenever you make a big change, people will have big opinions—and most will feel very comfortable sharing them with you. They might call you crazy, irresponsible, or warn you that you’re about to ruin your life. When I told a co-worker I was leaving my job to move to England, she said, “I had a cousin who moved to England, and she got cancer and died waiting for medical care.”

Thank you for sharing.

While some of this may come from genuine care and concern, it’s also important to recognize that watching you completely transform your life can make some people uncomfortable. They see you chasing your dreams, and it forces them to confront the limits they’ve placed on their own lives.

We all have desires in our hearts, but many people choose to believe that chasing those dreams is impossible, selfish, or impractical. And when you step forward and challenge those beliefs, it can be unsettling.

After all, none of us like to be wrong.

If you decide to move to England, you might be going on the greatest adventure of your life, or you may decide that it wasn’t what you thought it would be. But you will never have to wonder what would have happened if you had followed the desires of your heart.

This is your journey. No one can walk the path for you, only with you.

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Novel experiences are good for our brains. 

Having novel experiences and exploring new places can do wonders for our mood. During my first year in the UK, everything felt new and different. Each day was an adventure. I was so aware of the subtle changes of the seasons, noticing the fresh sights and smells they brought with them.

In January, I bought a paper map, bundled up in layers, and wandered through York, trying to memorize quirky street names like Whip-Ma-Whomp-Ma-Gate, Lord Mayor’s Walk, and Swinegate.

As the weeks passed and the weather warmed, I saw gardens bloom and parks come to life. New leaves hid beautiful statues and buildings that had had become familiar on daily walk to work. I thanked winter for the unobstructed views it gave me of this beautiful city and welcomed the fresh gifts that spring brought.

When summer finally arrived, I was amazed by the gorgeous weather. We spent long weekends exploring the beaches of Yorkshire and Wales. I soaked in the beauty and tranquility of coastal villages, feeling the calm wash over me. lingered in outdoor cafes, sipping cappuccinos slowly, as if I were on vacation, savoring every moment of this new life I was creating.

The start of autumn brought a whole new sensory experience. The trees were bursting with color, and the air was rich with moisture and the earthy scent of damp soil. Warm summer days gave way to cool, crisp evenings—perfect for cozying up by one of the giant stone fireplaces in the local pubs.

I even took a $50 round-trip flight to Paris for the weekend, spending a whole slowly wandering through the incredible Jardin du Luxembourg. In those moments, I felt like the luckiest person in the world, surrounded by beauty and living a life filled with adventure and wonder.

We can never truly know what the future holds, so I’m making the most of this time, savoring every moment and paying close attention to all that is new and different. Being surrounded by so much beauty has shifted my perspective.

Days and months stretch out before me, and time seems to stand still. I’ve become aware of a rhythm to life that exists beyond the constant rush of a to-do list that once dominated every season and holiday.

At times, I feel homesick for my house and community back in America. But when I stay focused on the gifts of the present moment—on this season of my one life—any sadness easily transforms into gratitude.

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An easier, simpler life is possible.  

As Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” Time is our greatest non-renewable resource. It is more valuable than money because, unlike money, once you spend it, it’s gone forever. 

For at least ten years I have had a New Year’s resolution to make my life simpler. I made goals, put them on my vision board, and I tried every productivity strategy I could find. No matter what I did, it felt like I was drinking from a firehose every day.

Since moving to England, I feel less stressed, less rushed, and less overwhelmed. I now realize that some of the reasons my life feels simpler and easier are embedded in the culture here—things that would have been difficult to replicate in America. We own one car, not three. I walk most places and often hit my 10,000 steps without even trying (no more coming home to hop on the treadmill). I spend much more time outdoors in nature. My work is less demanding but far more rewarding.

In the States, we would take our summer vacation and return with a a vague, post-vacation depression, knowing that it would be another year before we could do it again. But in the UK we get so much vacation time, and there’s no pressure not to use it. There is always another holiday just around the corner. 

These small changes have freed up so much of my time and energy. I write, wander, explore, and connect. I have learned that you can probably simplify your life anywhere, but it’s a lot easier when the culture and environment are supporting that change.

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There is no “right” decision.

You can never know if you are making the right decision because you will never be able to see where the other path leads.

When things have been tough and I’ve questioned my decision, all I need to do is step outside and go for a walk in this beautiful city, paying attention to the world around me. Every day experiencing things I never could have imagined if I hadn’t taken this leap.

I collect memories of beautiful days and small moments. I remind myself that when I was back home, I longed to be here. Someday, I’ll be home again and will yearn for these ancient places once more.

There are no mistakes—only positive experiences and learning experiences. This journey has been both. How do I know this is where I’m meant to be? Because this is where I am. It’s as simple as that.

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Did you move to a new country in your 40s or make another big change later in life? Share your experience in the comments!