British Expats - Do we go for it or not????

Quote:

Originally Posted by SharonHall1205 (Post 4514846)

My husband, myself and my 6yr old and 3yr old came out to Brisbane (Sunshire Coast, Caloundra) at Christmas time for a month.

We thoroughly enjoyed it and are now back in the UK wondering whether or not we should go for it!

It's such a big decision to make, and whilst I can't think of a good reason to stay here, it's a big decision to actully take the plunge.

One minute I know exactly what we're doing (we're starting to fill in our Visa forms) and the next minute I''m very unsure and almost frightened. I worry about the kids and their schools etc. We've always lived in the same village but something does feel very right about immigrating.

My Husband is a Carpenter, so we don't have to 'blag' our way through the forms, so are going to do it without an Agent.

Whilst we were on King's Beach the day before Christmas Eve, we met some ladies from Little Mountain who told us about this site, and they told us that we'd get some honest views - so lets have them!!

OK, don't take all this the wrong way but you did want an honest reaction ...

If you cannot think of a good reason to stay in the UK then you clearly have a warped perspective of life and would therefore not be moving for the right reasons. There are plenty of ways of leading a perfectly good life in the UK. If you have always lived in the same village then this hardly gives you a UK-wide view of life.

Maybe trying life outside your village in a significantly different environment would suffice for now? It would be cheaper and less prone to disaster.

Maybe you are just bored and need a distraction, yeh, emigration is an pretty big distraction and yeh, it might even be what you need but you'd only find out by luck and good fortune ... and what's wrong with that? Nothing. Think how fortunate you are to be able to even contemplate the decision.

Only do it if you take a good look at yourselves and can honestly say that there isn't something deeper (and closer to home) that is causing you to think this way. Think of all your family and friends in the UK that you will leave on the basis of the experience of a sunny holiday.

Australia ain't a utopia, it will not solve personal problems and if you have 'issues' in the UK then they sure as hell will follow you here. If you do make the move then go back then you could end up in a worse position that if you'd stayed in the UK and made more effort to discover what it was you were lacking (and a 'laid back lifestyle' just don't cut it).

But sheesh, it works for me at the moment and I hadn't visited the place before ... it helps that I have an Australian wife and daughter who make ALL the difference, I still work, there are still bills to pay and the commute still drags some days. Yup it's sunnier and that is nice (most of the time) but it ain't a reason to up-sticks and leave your nearest and dearest.

You sound like you have plenty of 'unknowns' and unexplored paths that need to be followed before you make such a big decision.

Matt