Madison Parker and her husband Brett Patzke flew to the UK in July along with all of their belongings in seven suitcases and have shared their verdict on like in England’s second city
A couple from Texas have shared their experiences of moving to Birmingham after “giving up everything” back home to start a new life in the UK’s second city. Madison Parker and her husband Brett Patzke, along with their German Shepherd, Coda, made the big move in July, bringing all their belongings in seven suitcases.
“We sold everything else and moved across the water,” Madison revealed in a TikTok video. “Neither one of us had ever been to England before, but after receiving some incredible job offers for our dream jobs, we just couldn’t turn down the adventure.” But after a challenging first month, the couple seem to be settling into their new environment.
Madison confessed that it was “really scary” leaving behind her parents, the family horse, and “everything she had ever known”, but now she’s relishing her role as a Partnership Activations Manager for Birmingham City Football Club.
Sharing footage from a match at St. Andrews, she added: “But after living here for around two months, I finally feel like I am really enjoying it.”
While Madison clarified that her aim isn’t to “go viral” or “become the next big influencer”, she expressed her desire to demonstrate “how amazing it is” to take on a new challenge and do something “totally unexpected and with a person she loves”.
Responding to queries from locals, Madison also mentioned: “We live right in the city right now but we are thinking of moving to a smaller surrounding town once our lease is up.”
Madison’s husband, Brett, has also made a move into the football industry, meanwhile. He swapped his role at FC Dallas to become a photographer for Wolverhampton Wanderers, The Blues’ West Midlands rivals.
On LinkedIn, he expressed his excitement about the new role: “I’m incredibly honoured to step into the role of Club Photographer for the Wolves . This is a dream opportunity, and the fact that it’s now a reality still feels surreal.
“Madison is also returning to the sports world and will be working with Birmingham City FC . We couldn’t be more excited for this next chapter. Thank you to everyone who continues to support us.”
On Sunday (September 14), Madison shared a follow-up video detailing her experiences since moving to Birmingham. “There are some things I love and some things I don’t love from being a Texas girl all my life,” she admitted.
“First and foremost… the weather – seriously I can’t figure it out. One minute here it’s sunny and beautiful, and the next it’s raining… and I mean pouring rain.”
And when it comes to shopping, Madison confessed that Marks and Spencer is “everything” to her. “I love it, but some people I work with tell me I am crazy to get all my groceries from there. I could spend hours there.”
Regarding food quality, Madison claimed it is “so much better” in Birmingham than back home. “Things do go bad a lot, but that’s because they don’t use as many preservatives here… especially in fruit,” she said. “The fruit here is phenomenal, but it’s mouldy in two days.”
Madison also revealed she finds the locals “so lovely.” She elaborated: “Everyone here has been super nice. Whenever I start talking, people are like, ‘oh my gosh where are you from?’ and then I tell them and they ask a million questions, but everyone has been incredibly nice.”
The Texan concluded by praising the city’s shopping scene for clothes. “There are so many great in places in Birmingham, she raved. “Especially in the Bull Ring there are so many clothing stores, it’s amazing. But for home stuff and kitchen stuff I am having a hard time.”