British Expats

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-   -   Is one year enough? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/australia-54/one-year-enough-903461/)

Beoz Sep 19th 2017 9:42 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 
If you live beyond transient and shallow states such as WA and QLD these feelings rarely surface.

verystormy Sep 19th 2017 5:05 pm

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Beoz (Post 12341266)
If you live beyond transient and shallow states such as WA and QLD these feelings rarely surface.

Wasn't the forum record for returning the family who never got from the airport to their rental in SA? Know loads returned from NSW - in fact on a forum I mod, must current returners are from NSW

Still Game Sep 20th 2017 3:01 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Dreamy (Post 12340979)
I think you probably know if it feels wrong quite quickly, whereas 'is it good?' is a more nebulous concept. I guess the levels of 'wrongness' and what people can put up with is a different matter.

Having said that, it was home for me the minute I touched down at the airport (well, once we'd got over the slight shock of the reality of the temperature differential between January in Yorkshire and January in S.E. Queensland)

I like this point of view. Is it home vs it's not home but works on many other levels. An interesting concept.

Still Game Sep 20th 2017 3:04 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by garyp (Post 12340852)
Tried to do the give it 2 years thing as advised by many but the longing for home got me by 6 months. Booked the flights home and arranged the movers again and left after 8 months. The ironic thing was by then I was more settled and wanted to stay and suggested we go back to the UK for a visit and not for good. Wife was having none of it because things were in place and the teenage kids were looking forward to going back. Arriving back in winter with snow and realising how things looked dirty and run down in my town I realised after a week it was the wrong decision.

Not good. I hope you're feeling more settled back in 🇬🇧 now? Unless you're making / have made plans to move back to Oz?

Still Game Sep 20th 2017 3:05 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by brits1 (Post 12340801)
Meeting other expats from around the globe in WA the quickest person to return to their homeland was 4 weeks, a family returned to the UK after 6 months and a single Mum 4 months, we started to think about returning home after about 7 years as by then we had tried everything we thought we could to make Aus feel like "home" but it never was, Aus was just where we lived and worked but it was not where we felt we belonged, we had a good life etc but it was just not the same so after another 6 years of "trying" we planned a move back to the UK and we are all still happy to be "home" we do know friends though who are happy in Aus and would not return, it's really down to your own personnel choice and way of life, no case really is the same.

That's great you're settled and happy 😊

Still Game Sep 20th 2017 3:12 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Cairnstony (Post 12340471)
It isn't all doom and gloom of course, but the emotional emptiness I feel at my surroundings is something that will probably never go away.

I know how you feel. Well, not exactly, but have similar feelings. Sorry to hear you would be so affected as a nurse after Brexit (not wanting to turn this into a Uk vs Aust debate, nor a Brexit debate). - Nurses in my humble opinion and past/recent experience are wonderful people x

Beoz Sep 20th 2017 3:17 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by verystormy (Post 12341748)
Wasn't the forum record for returning the family who never got from the airport to their rental in SA? Know loads returned from NSW - in fact on a forum I mod, must current returners are from NSW

Not sure. Not seen such a stat.

SJB101 Sep 20th 2017 12:17 pm

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Still Game (Post 12340367)
Was having a chat to a few new friends recently and the topic came up regarding emigration 'how long do you give it to know you've made the right decision'. Piece of string I said! So many different variables/situations. One person thought a year is all you need, the other thought five. I question how you can really ever 'know' anyway.

Interested to hear thoughts on here.

We've been here for 9 months. This is home to us now :cool:

Pollyana Sep 20th 2017 5:08 pm

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by verystormy (Post 12341748)
Wasn't the forum record for returning the family who never got from the airport to their rental in SA? Know loads returned from NSW - in fact on a forum I mod, must current returners are from NSW

I believe so. Don't remember the poster's name though. There was also someone who png-ponged a couple oftimes - maybe Cherry or something similar, and I think they turned their container round before it reached Australia.
I did travel into Melbourne in a cab from the airport a few years back and the driver told me of a migrant family who got halfway to the city then asked to go back to the airport as it was so unlike the UK they just wanted to go home.

Beoz Sep 21st 2017 7:36 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 12342600)
I believe so. Don't remember the poster's name though. There was also someone who png-ponged a couple oftimes - maybe Cherry or something similar, and I think they turned their container round before it reached Australia.
I did travel into Melbourne in a cab from the airport a few years back and the driver told me of a migrant family who got halfway to the city then asked to go back to the airport as it was so unlike the UK they just wanted to go home.

How could they say that -

Tullamarine Fwy and the M4 are both cold, flat, desolate, and grey places. They share remarkable similarities.

Not a welcome introduction to either country.

brits1 Sep 24th 2017 8:21 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 
Our drive to/from our local airport is very nice lol,

garyp Oct 13th 2017 4:37 pm

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Still Game (Post 12342064)
Not good. I hope you're feeling more settled back in 🇬🇧 now? Unless you're making / have made plans to move back to Oz?

:confused:not really.
7 years back in UK managed 2 RRVs and 2 job offers but timing is always wrong.Last job holding off to Jan 2018 but probably won't happen lol

carcajou Oct 14th 2017 12:32 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 
I suppose it depends on how much money you have, and at what point in the journey you are.

Ordinarily I would say one year is not enough - try a different place in Australia before calling it quits, and if that doesn't work, sure then leave - but if you are having nervous breakdowns or run out of money, then yes.

The poster who said after 9 months Australia was already "home" - I think you are going to find that premature. That is a very good start but you still have a lot of ebbs and flows still left to go through before you fully settle.

jon111 Oct 14th 2017 6:17 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 
interesting that majority on here are saying they are not happy in aus whats the main reason. according to stats half of all who make the move come 'home'.

is it the im away from family thing? that seems to be most peoples reasoning. or less disposable cash or the heat.... im interested in your thoughts.

as for carcajou saying someone thinking 9 months isnt enough and is premature thats ridiculous maybe they are perfectly happy. I find this forum mostly doom and gloom or maybe its just that i havnt made the move yet so have no way of comparing.

each person is different iv got 2 friends there who both initially went over on working visas stayed and 12 years later both told me they couldnt dream of coming back to england. i asked them this very question when did you know you wanted to stay.... they both said within 6 months.

as for feeling settled my mother for example is scottish in fact we all are but moved to england when i was very young. She has never classed england as her home and has ping ponged from england back to scotland more times than i can count. she not happy here gets nostalgic about scotland goes 'home' realises everything has changed and people have moved on realises she cant earn as much or have as bigger mortgage for a nicer house etc and ends up coming back to england where her children are. and she has repeated this process every 2 years for over 16 years now. yes shes not normal.

so i suppose feeling settled some people are just never happy then others get bitter about why a move abroad or home doesnt work out and start to ping pong.

when in the military when on long tours i got told by an old marine everyone has down days or weeks but some people can just drip/moan for the world constantly. Stay away from these people they will only drag you down as well. and he was right people like that dont do your own moral any good. so its probably similar when living in another country if you have close friends that still there longing for and moaning for home thats not going to do you any good either.

my 2 pence worth

big loves

Tr1boy Oct 14th 2017 9:53 am

Re: Is one year enough?
 

Originally Posted by Pollyana (Post 12342600)
I believe so. Don't remember the poster's name though. There was also someone who png-ponged a couple oftimes - maybe Cherry or something similar, and I think they turned their container round before it reached Australia.
I did travel into Melbourne in a cab from the airport a few years back and the driver told me of a migrant family who got halfway to the city then asked to go back to the airport as it was so unlike the UK they just wanted to go home.

We are up to 4 times now but it wasn't always UK and this is the 5th country for me. Interestingly, I migrated in the early 80s and I think it was easier when you had less info. We are pretty happy in Winchester, again weirdly, Mrs TB is more settled here than me but I've just landed a fantastic perm role with a great package and a chance of Intl transfer back to Oz in a few years (though not guaranteed).

I miss surfing regularly, especially competing. Don't miss lots of things and am equally happy to take advantage of things that I couldn't in Oz. We've embraced our nomadic lifestyle but having Flipper has put the brakes on. I just roll with it now.

The things that would see us back in Oz are things we wouldn't have even considered before we had our daughter. Oh, and those f**k off big parking spaces:lol:


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