Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

To all of you out there who have your visas already.
Can you honestly say, hand on heart, it was the best descision you made. Only asking because last night reality set in........AND I WAS SCARED!!!!
Lying there in bed which when tiredness sets in is probably the worst time of the day anyway everything gets magnified!. Thinking about all the things we must do and make sure are in place, sell this, do that, SNAKES!!!! SPIDERS!!!
Which I'm not even afraid of anyway. What am I going to tell Rich in the morning...'I really don't want to go!!' He'll go ballistic!
Then morning came, clearish head, back to normal now. Really like to hear about your pre emmigration fears and then your post emmigration experiences, were your fears warranted at all?

Lynn :scared: :scared:
Mrs Rossifumi

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Don't have a visa yet but planning to immigrate to Oz....

Treat this as a life adventure and do not be afraid.... :)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Nothing wrong with a bit of healthy fear I guess, because it is, ultimately, a leap of faith. That said, wouldn't life be boring if we never took a chance...

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Welcome to the Rollercoaster of Emotions that is emmigration it seems :)

We're only at the stage of the month before we leave and there is so much to do. When we thought of moving we then had to worry about skills assesments. Once we got that then there was the visa application, then the medicals to fret over, followed by the wait till the visa was firmly put in our passports. Family to tell, movers to organise, house and other things to sell. Bank accounts, the exchange rate, property.

The list is frankly neverending and just when you think - phew thats that sorted - something else will come over the horizon to worry about. Emmigration we have decided is an enormous step and full of ups and downs even before we moved!

Will it be worth it ? Yes - we think so but only because we are not particularly under any illusions. We are becoming immigrants in a country which is the hardest thing to do, leaving all our family behind.

We're lucky in so far as we've been back to Australia 3 times this year, my wife has family there and we've friends there already, but we do have moments when we're completely scared. But it is the right thing for us to do - we've no doubt when we search our hearts.

I reckon you would be hard pushed to find anyone here that does not have the odd moment of panic and Oh My Life! what have I done. What we are all doing is really one the biggest things you can ever do.

So - I guess really your not alone and I'm afraid the front seat of the rollercoaster has been taken! :cool: :D

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi,
I felt exactly the same I was all over the place and my hubby (bless him) was and still is fantastic.
But guess what, now we can't sell the house (see "Took house off market" thread) I really feel stressed that we can't go and it has made me realise that if we had not been given this chance I would be gutted, so I now see emigrating as a fantastic opportunity that others would give their left arm for.
My advice relax and enjoy the chance of a lifetime.
Love and light
Elfinx

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Well I can say hand on heart its the best move we have ever made.
Been here six years now & it just gets better & better.
I'd say the first 18 months to two years is no plain sailing, finding rented accomodation then possibly a place to buy, schools for the kids, new car, new job etc etc.
But get past all that & its great.

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

It's a big move no two ways about it so nerves are bound to play a part.

We have the shippers coming Friday and I still can't face starting to sort out the house :rolleyes:

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi Lynn,
I think that this must be quite normal as I too woke up at 3am and thought OMG. Luckily the thoughts didn't last long and I am back to thinking 'how much longer'?
I'm sure this is all part of the process, best wishes to you,
Sarah

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

I guess it would not be normal if you did not have the jitters, i like many have thought are we doing the right thing, but you overcome this and now its killing us that we can't get over there right now. It's all swings and roundabouts on the emigration ride.

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi,

I have been here a little over 6 months and I can honestly say that I am really enjoying life out here. Now that maybe because all fo our circumstances have 'dropped into place' which have helped us settle more (e.g. solf UK house and bought an OZ house prior to moving out, step sone settled into school, wife has managed to get a full time teaching job after 14 weeks of being eligible to teach, I am working for same UK but in OZ, etc)

What I can say is that the 2 weeks prior to out departure from the UK were the second worst two weeks of my life (worst when my father died). I felt physically sick for the last week and on the last 3 days if someone had offered me a button to put everythign back as it was, I would have taken it, even though I am not usually someone who lets sentimental stuff both them.

What I can say though is that once you get to the airport things get easier (especially with a couple of beers). The flight is long and you may have the odd moment, but when you get to OZ, you will have SO much to do, whether it be exploring the many glorious beaches or lookign for a house (rent or buy), that your mind will be taken away from what you miss.

Once you have made a few friends and have gotten used to your new surroundings, all being well you will being to feel like it is your home.

As I say we are only 6 months in and accoriding to the books this is when we should start to feel homesick - however at the moment all is good and we don't - hopefully this feeling will continue

D

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hello, I'm scared too!!! :scared:

House sold, jobs resigned, cars sold and goodbye party held! Flights booked for 12.8.05. packing up and thinking OH MY GOD!!! I can't do this.

Cat goes to new home in an hours time and girls upset- Why are we doing this?

Sun, outdoor life, clean friendly place, new friends, new adventures and to settle a long wanderlust!! Worst case we come home in a few years!

Am I convincing you or trying to convince myself?

Think this is really normal reaction, having read a few posts in the same vein.

Lets go for it!!! Perth here I come!

Margie :)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Dont worry, I've been pooing bricks a bit lately too, I think it's natural.

At least, I hope so.... :scared:

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi Dave,
Brilliant news! I have sent you a PM

ACE:-)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi we have our Visas, house on the market etc. I have more family in OZ than the UK, 2 Sisters, BILs, nieces & Nephews and having been out there quite a few times we know a few people. But I am still s**t scared my Wife is a lot calmer about it than me and she will be leaving a large family over here. I think that if you are not scared then there must be something wrong with you.

Be calm and chill out and it will all work out for the best.

Good luck.

John & Julie

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

:D Isn't it mad how your mind does overtime when lying in bed. I think its totally natural to feel this way...I know we have. The one thing that I have found is that since we've had our visas granted and "THANK GOD" the house has sold and gone, I've had no wobbly moments at all. Just really looking forward to the whole experience.

All the very best :)

Sue

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

we have had our visa's since feb 05 and have just been waiting to sort out hubby's job. i don't think i've had a full nights sleep since !!!
i too am going through the is the right thing to do or not but today have reached a point of no return. the packers came today and as i write the house is in boxes!!!
i just keep thinking about the original reasons why we first embarked on this long and exciting road to oz and then i feel better.
we fly out on oct 4th.
one big adventure !!!! :) :) :)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

well we came out at christmas to Bunbury WA, a week before we left UK i wanted to buy another house, i was so scared, we had 5 suit cases , 5 t chest 3 children and leaving 3 older ones back home. It was the hardest thingi have ever done, treat it as an adventure think of it as a holiday, never say never. 7 months down the line i have 4 kids here now my daughter of 19 has come out to live and my son of 22 is coming out at xmas, we absolutely loveit here, it is so clean and beautiful so you dont really think of the creepy crawlies. If you dont like it you can go back, but give it a chance, its the best decision we have made. Denise ex Morecambrian

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

LOL - you wait till you've been living here for a year and wake up at 3am thinking 'OMG - I'm in Australia - and guess what, it feels good'!

I think some of us are just looking for excuses to wake up at 3am, frankly :scared:

Cheers
Anya.

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Its true, night times are the worst for making little worries big ones and big worries massive ones.

Its normal to be scared in any life changing move so be gentle on yourself.

Nothing is carved in stone, so take that huge leap forward and give it a go because you will regret it if you don't.

Learn to take your emotions for what they are, and dont let them cloud your judgement.

When your sitting in your new home, new country with a cold beer in your hand, you will know you made the right choice.

Good luck

Samantha

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

I agree Anya, Iwake up in the night as well and cant believe i am here, 12 months of stress certainly takes it out of u. We have been here in WA 7 months and i still cant believe we r here, i have nightmares about the whole emigrating process i found it so stressful, but well worth it.

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

We'd never been to Aus before we moved here :scared:

Great job in UK, nice house, close family, excellent long term friends...so no NEED to leave.

But we wanted to.

Wanted to experience life, rather than live with regrets. Decided the worse that could happen.....was we go back. So what?

Then we arrived in Aus. Against all the odds, we'd made it.

AND WE LOVE IT :beer:

Could just as easily have been the other way. But we were lucky :o

Then again, it's not utopia, we had no preconcieved ideas and we accept shit happens wherever in the world you live.

We accept the good and the bad of Aus and get on with it :p

So maybe it's not luck ;)

Good luck. And make sure you do what's right for YOU ;)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Don't worry, Australia is full of Cornish who went out to mine gold so you'll feel right at home. We will be down in Redruth next week, spending our last week with Clare's mum and seeing family. PM me if you want to get together for a drink

Steve

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

It was the worst decision we ever made and completely ruined our lives, mine especially.

Just thought I'd give you a bit of honesty and perspective. :(

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

In the long run, it's been the best choice for me and my family, although I did waver at one point :)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

i agree to all u said, and we feel just the same, we absolutely love it, and sometimes when i think about family problems back home i am glad i am well away from it. wishing u all the very best, Denise WA

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

I wouldn't call it the best decision, but it certainly hasn't been a bad one so far. It was just a decision and a commitment we made together. The future is just what we make of it. If we run into any problems or have any worries, we'll just have to deal with them like we did before moving over here.

Our best decision since arriving in Brisbane, however, was to have picked up a lovely dog from the shelter. I suppose if we didn't come here, we wouldn't have found him. :)

Mrs JTL

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Hi,

I have been here almost one year, and nearly every day I wake up I can't get over how lucky I feel to be here.
I went through the same 'What the hell am I doing' feelings before I left the UK, and some times during the first few months of being here - but it has been worth every single minute of waiting and every stressed out day of waiting to hear if I have a visa or not.
Every ex-pat Brit I've met since I've been here (some having been here up to 25yrs) have all said that moving here was the best thing they had ever done and that they'd never consider moving back to the UK.

Hang in there mate - chances are that like most of us over here - you won't regret it.

W. :D

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Well it hasn't been the best decision I have ever made. In fact it's probably been one of the worst (especially financially). However I am glad I have done it because although I have had to come half way round the world to realise it, and it has cost me a fortune in the process, I have learned a lot about myself and what is important to me. I was never not going to do it. But it has been the toughest time of my life.
Joanne

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Why was it such a big mistake apart from the financial cost? what things don't you like about OZ or Adelaide.

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

best decision we ever made!! even with all the ups and downs and sudden trips back home because my Dad just passed away - Still love it and feel lucky to be able to live here ( been here 9 months!)
Saloni

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

Would totally agree with this....we have learnt a lot from the experience and didn't want to be sat in the UK in a few years wishing we had tried something different.

BUT!....lost a lot of money, gave up a good job, caused a lot of stress to relatives and ourselves......and are now skint, and finding it hard to settle back here!!!!

:)

Re: Can i ask for your honest opinions & thoughts
 

We're still waiting to be told to go for our medicals but....

I'm not worried at all even though I've never been to Oz

I'm not worried about getting a job, moving home, leaving friends & family behind, getting paid less money...................anything really.

I'm looking forward to the great weather, outdoor activities, discovering a new country & having a more laid back way of life rather than the stupid keeping up with the Jones' mentality of this cold & overpriced little rock.