A Bermudian woman contacted me this week to ask some questions. She and her husband, and their kids, are contemplating moving to Britain. She didn't say why, but her questions were mostly economic, so it's probably fair to assume that money played its part in their decision. What do we need to know? she asked.

This is one of those "cruel to be kind" situations. What they need, first and foremost, is British passports, so that they can arrive and start work immediately. They had those. If you're Bermudian, you should have one too. You might not need it today, or ever, but if the time ever comes that you do need it...

The next immediate priority is a home, and that means renting until the family could save a downpayment for a home of their own. It turned out they had saved up a downpayment, which told me right off the bat that they'd be just fine, economically. That fact and the subsequent conversation revealed that both of them have one of the most important requirement for such a move: the right attitude.

I have in the past been more than a little sarcastic about Britain, partly because that's my job in this space, partly because I'm a Smart Alec, and partly because Britain sometimes fails to be all that it could be. Of course, that's true everywhere.

The couple had selected an area to move to, and were willing to work to make a go of things. We talked about house prices, which are low in the UK right now, and the Pound, which is strong. The woman asked if I thought they should wait until this or that changed, a downturn arrived and then was replaced by an upturn, or what have you. My answer was that they should do what felt right for them when it felt right. The money tends to sort itself out, all things being equal.

We talked about salaries and taxes, and I trotted out another of my core beliefs: wherever you are - the desert in Dubai, rural France, Warwick Parish or wherever - economics dictates that, by the end of the week, there's either a little left over or not quite enough to go round. British people earn less than Bermudians, on average, but their cost of living is lower. In London, they earn more than the British average, but the costs are higher. In Bermuda, you can earn big bucks with no direct income tax other than the payroll tax (point taken, Taciturnus), but prices take account of that.

The couple will qualify for free health insurance in the UK, and transportation is affordable and reliable. They might qualify for social assistance if work takes time to find (I'm not sure about that, but it sounds right). The caller pointed out, having been to the UK before, that there's more to do there, socially, and not all of it need cost a lot of money. Volunteering is a good idea; you make friends, help others and generally fit into society that little bit easier. The pubs are a great place to make acquaintances (and to get drunk).

Life in Britain is different in so many ways, and yet the same in one key respect. Life, for most of us, is an amalgam of work, home and socialising. Work is work. What you do at home tends to be the same in any developed country: TV, family, hobbies, hating the neighbours. Socialising is easier, in many respects, in the UK, because there are so many more people, and so many more venues.

The British, I said, can be standoffish, but Bermudians have such warm hearts (most of them, anyway) that they tend to do well overseas. Bermudians are rare and interesting people, generally. Britain's come a long way lately in accepting foreigners and those of different colours; in London, I could go a whole week and not meet another Briton. That the country has become a melting pot is a cliché, but it's refreshing and adds to your understanding of the world.

Odd things came to mind. On buying a house: there's a stamp duty of three or four percent that is like a tax, except that it serves to increase the price of the house, so you can argue that you get it back when you sell the house. The hard part is that it's money you have to find up front. "Isn't everything a tax in Britain?" the woman asked, suggesting that she's been reading this column a little too often.

I am out of touch with the mortgage market, but I know it's changed. When I was a lad, back in the Middle Ages, there was only one kind of mortgage: 10 percent down, 30 years, capital and interest all rolled into the monthly payment. And tax relief on the interest, to boot. Today, I believe there are any number of variations on that theme, and no tax deductions for interest.

"I suggested the couple visit a bank and have a chat, and then visit another bank for another chat, to confirm the details of the first chat. The couple already have friends in the UK, and that's a priceless asset. Friends have already been down the same roads and will be able to offer distilled wisdom about which bank, and which doctor (they don't have witch doctors in the UK), and which school and all of that."

These guys are going to do fine, I concluded. A positive attitude, a willingness to understand that different is neither better nor worse, friendly spirits and a sense of adventure are all they need to pack. She even said she didn't mind the weather in the UK, and I didn't have the heart to say, "Oh, but you will."

The conversation took me back to my move, in the reverse direction, all those years ago. I took the advice of a former boss, who told me: "There are three things you must do before you're 30. One is to not get married; two is to work overseas" - and I can't remember what the third one was, which means I probably didn't do it.

I'll tell you this: there is no greater, nor more rewarding, experience than going to live in a new country. There are tough patches, there's homesickness, there can be cultural misunderstandings, but above all else, there is the sense that you're doing something special and you're learning about life from an entirely different perspective.

The experience changes you. Expatriates work a little harder, to show they're not passengers. You automatically become more adaptable to change, because you have to. And, in a sense, you grow up. For me, that was the only scary part, so I never did. The couple I was speaking to already have, so they're all set.

* * *

As of late Thursday night, I had still not earned a single delegate in my bid to be the Democratic Party candidate in the November election. But this does not mean I shall be conceding to Barack Obama, or anyone else. Certainly not. I am taking my fight to the Convention later this year, and if unsuccessful there, I shall battle on all the way through to the 2012 Olympics, for which I am also ineligible. I believe that this is what the American people want, with a side order of fries.