Young family leave US ranch life behind to set up new home in Glasgow

A young family packed in their farm life in rural US to re-start their life in GLASGOW - because they were fed up of the US "political climate".

Callie Phillips, 25, her husband, Chase, 27, and their two daughters - Westlyn, three, and Saylor, one - moved out of the US, mainly because of the cost of healthcare and childcare where they lived.

Callie found a masters course in Global History at University of Glasgow in Scotland that took her fancy - so they took the plunge and moved to the UK in August.

They left behind their home and ranch life in Hogeland, in rural Montana, and moved around 4,000 miles to Glasgow, Scotland, with their children.

They have so far been bewildered by British metrics of measurement, public transport and Glaswegian accents.

They've also been confused by the naming of washing-up liquid - and the phrase 'are you daft?'.

But the couple say they've been amazed at how "welcoming" and "child-friendly" their new home is - as well as how accessible health and dental care are.

So far the parents are loving it in Scotland - and haven't yet ruled out the possibility of making their move permanent and raising their children there.

Callie, a masters student and stay-at-home mum, said: "There were a variety of reasons we moved.

"Ranch life is very stressful and we didn't like the political climate in the US so we started looking elsewhere.

"We decided on the UK and figured Scotland would be most appealing because of our rural background.

"Our Western ranch lifestyle is so niche and it becomes your sense of identity, so it's been odd figuring out where we fit.

"But we both really like it even though it's so far removed from what we know."

The couple moved from their home in Hogeland, Montana, where they owned cattle and horses.

Their two girls had been raised on the ranch and it's all the family had ever known.

But Callie, a former teacher, and Chase, a former ranch hand, got fed up of the financial climate out where they lived.

Callie said: "The ability to afford healthcare in the States, even when provided through a job, can be incredibly high and that might not even be for good insurance at that.

"The panic when receiving a doctor's bill is something that began to feel suffocating in conjunction with trying to afford basic necessities as well."

When Callie began looking at university courses in the UK, she settled on Glasgow.

Soon, the family had packed up their life, sold their animals, said their goodbyes and set off for Scotland.

The family's first hurdle was the accent - and Callie confessed they "had to ask people to repeat themselves so many times."

She said: "Once there was an incident coming back from Loch Lomond on the train - a fight between a couple.

"We noticed other people in our car had gotten off earlier - but we didn't realise how serious it was.

"Just because we couldn’t understand them."

Callie has gone from living 70 miles from a town to living right in Glasgow's city centre.

And she's gone from seeing farmers and people in riding gear on her morning commute, to seeing "people headed to work in suits and ties".

She explained back in Montana everyone drives as soon as it's legal because there's "no other form of transportation" - and driving over 40 miles in a day was not uncommon for them.

But one of the cultural differences that has stumped Callie the most so far is - washing up liquid.

She said: "I remember doing our first grocery order, and I kept looking for dish soap but I kept seeing washing up liquid.

"I thought that was hand soap - in the end I had to Google what it was."

Similarly, she struggled to understand the phrase "are you daft?" - and had to Google its meaning.

But she was impressed with healthcare in the UK - having racked up $13k in medical bills through her two pregnancies due to complications.

Callie said even after paying the £930 healthcare surcharge per person necessary for their visa, it's "nothing compared to what you get access to" in the UK.

She said: "Healthcare really dictates a lot of parts of your life in the US - maybe not for everyone, but for us.

"I got a sinus infection right before we left and I had a $1,600 medical bill - after insurance."

While Glasgow is "so far removed" from their social background, Callie said so far they've loved it.

The size of the UK means that they've been able to travel to several nearby beaches already - compared to a 10-hour road trip to their nearest back in Montana.

She said: "I'm not trying to cast more negative light on the States.

"I still love my home, especially Montana, and hope to see these kinds of things become more accessible in the future.

"For now, I’m grateful that my family and I have the ability to experience life in another country, particularly one as beautiful and welcoming as Scotland."