CostaCookie

Well, we're back home & loving it! Life has improved so much for us in every way possible.
We moved back in January with our 2 kids & woofer.
We'd only been back a few days when our little boy (1 year) was ill. Found out where the local Med Centre was & turned up with him. We weren't registered, but they saw him straight away & gave us a prescription & paperwork to fill out. The next day, he took a turn for the worse so we called the Med Centre & they said come straight in. Doc was v concerned he had pneumonia & he was sent straight to the hospital. Thankfully, he only had a bad chest infection, but all the staff were fantastic & it was such a relief for us to be able to communicate easily. The care he received was 100%.
The kids have friends in the street & we've registered for them to start at a local nursery next month. Our daughter can go for free as she'll be 3 years old then & is entitled to 15 hours a week.
Everything is sooo much cheaper. Our electricity bill in Spain for a 2 bed apartment was around €130 a month (shocking!) Here, we paid £52 for the first month! That's with the tumble dryer on twice a day & we're in a 4 bed detached house.
Grocery shopping is cheaper as there are so many deals on.
All in all, for us, no regrets whatsoever.
The sun has been shining all this week & we've hardly seen any rain since we got here! So much for us all to do & despite the UK having the reputation of being unfriendly to kids, we've not experienced that. We've been for meals on the early bird deals (much cheapness!) & the kids have been welcomed & it's been a really lovely family friendly experience.
It's great to be home. I'm glad we tried it, but I'm so glad we came home. We should have done it sooner!
x

Mummy in the foothills

Thats a wonderful update CostaCookie

mikelincs

We feel the same, at least we KNOW the grass isn't that much greener, and have had the experience of life in another country.

JLFS

That sounds like the UK I remember, not the one that is always being talked about on forums for expats.

There is no place like home..........

manamama

Someone sounds very happy to be back !

It great to have an update...the experience you had with your baby is my absolute worst nightmare (I too am in Spain but I am not yet fluent). Glad he is OK now but what a nightmare.

We are going to return back soon, not sure when exactly but I am really looking forward to getting back to the land I know and understand, where I can care for my children and understand the teachers, the doctors etc and can ask questions and understand the answers.

Lovely to hear your update and wish you and your family more happy years.

brits1

All the time....in fact I really try now not to tell anyone we are moving back..it just got very wearing always trying to defend our decision moving home...all the usual stuff ie Chavs, horrible attitude with the youth etc...last night here just helped though, next door neighbours are away and their 14/15 year old is left on her own...well the few friends she had around last night just made the move a lot easier, the language,shouting,arguing and a little bit of fisty e cuffs going on, glass mashing etc would not look out of place somewhere maybe really,really,really rough in the U.K honestly it was that bad... and we live in a good area here in Aus....the party was still going on after I managed to fall asleep somewhere around 1pm....at least I can say I had a late night for once...lol....anyway try not to listen to others opionion (eve mine..lol) it's your choice and only you know what is best for your family....all the best....ps my brothers neighbour has just returned from Spain after 5 years with two young children and all she says when people ask is that until you have lived abroad you cannot understand the difference from it being a holiday and also you certainly appreciate your family and friends and other things a lot more when you have been away.....good luck...

stm1971

OMG what parents would leave their 14/15 year old on there own. Were they just away for the night or longer?

I have to admit it's pretty quiet in our road, but I often see lots of cars parked on driveways and on the verge at a few particular houses in other roads around throughout the week and the low sound of a party going on till the early hours makes me thankful I'm not next door to one of them!


Costa Cookie, thanks for the update. It's always interesting to hear peoples experience of moving back whether it's good or bad.

Glad it's worked out for you. Best wishes for your future.

brits1

It seems the parents have gone away for a few days but thank the gods an older person stayed with the young girl last night....the parents hooked their boat, 4x4 and just headed off (this happend last year but with an older daughter 17...who does not live at home...just happend to use the house for a party!!!) the young girl also goes to a local private school....there was a party in your "street" just before you moved in.....it was on a Sunday afternoon and the police were called in....I was walking our dog....3 police cars....huh..like buses...when you want one 3 arrive...lol....

Great news Cookie...does the heart (and nerves) good to hear of a nice ending..hope your little boy is better.....good luck....take care

CostaCookie

Thanks, yes, our little boy is fine now. It made the whole thing so much less stressful though that we were able to communicate with the doctors & nurses. I can't tell you how good it is to be back.
It's a major decision to return home, just as it is to leave in the first place, but in my experience, if you aren't happy where you are & you're wishing you were back home, then you have to do it. It's expensive to relocate & the thought of everything that needs to be done can really put you off, but it is so worth it.
We look at England in a whole new light now. It's a great country, it has so much to offer & we know it will always be home for us.
I'd become a recluse where we lived in Spain, too frightened to go out on my own with the kids after incidents at supermarkets with attempted muggings & being followed from the cash machine when I'd taken money out. So many bad things happened there - people say the UK is rough & crime is terrible in the UK, but I experienced more than my fair share in Spain, along with a lot of people that we knew as well. I feel safe out alone with the kids here & I can go shopping with them on my own & not feel I have to be looking over my shoulder. It's a good feeling & I feel so much more confident again.
Come home - it's a great place to be.
x

brits1

Same here for me really, had a few incidents myself a few years ago that had never happend to me before......bad things can happen everywhere not just in the U.K......I have a friend who migrated to Perth from Portugal...(I really like Portugal) when we first met I said the whole "are you mad leaving Portugal...it's a lovely place...etc" my friend replied..."not where we lived....it has become a very rough place...full of migrants who don't work etc....gangs....poor schooling etc" you would not just expect it in those types of countries...I don't know why ...maybe its all the sun,sea,sand and holiday atmosphere...just goes to show and another good learning curve really its good to meet people from other countries....makes you realise that the U.K gets a bad rap because of our poor UK press coverage...the newspapers hardly gives the UK any encouragement for us to think otherwise. Have had quotes coming in from the removalists these past few days....very stressful...lol....wish I could do the whole...Star Trek thing...you know vapourise...and just be back in the U.K....now that would be just wonderful....and a heck of a lot less stressful...thanks again Cookie......I might sleep tonight...lol....heaven knows I need it....!!!!!

spanishdancer

Really inspiring post Cookie. We are planning a move back, incidentally our electricity bill was 160 euros for the month and we don´t have a tumble dryer so I am still trying to work it out Sounds like it is all falling into place for you there.

CBANDY

So glad you are settling well. Reading your posts are making me homesick. Lol. We just put the house up for sale so we will see.

CostaCookie

Good luck with the house sale.
We didn't manage to sell our place, but decided it was time to go & hope for the best. It's still up for sale, but unfortunately has had a fair amount of damage due to the bad weather. The insurance company has ducked out of their responsibilty to pay up - don't they always. Well, they've offered us €162 to put right thousands or euros of damage. It never rains, but it pours - quite literally!
Still, we're back home, our family is safe & we're happy so that's a lot to be grateful for. Here's to a big win on the Lotto tonight...!!!!
x

CBANDY

Great that you can afford not to sell the house. I dont think we could without renting it out as we have a mortgage.

manamama

G O O D L U C K

Hope you get a buyer soon..