PJK

We are setting off for Perth on the 5th January and we have started to say our goodbyes and my God it is hard.

However nothing prepared me for how sad I would feel at seeing the kids finish up at school yesterday. The cards, speeches, flowers, hugs and kisses, the tears even from young men usually frowning and getting angry on the Rugby field. Both my wife and I are heartbroken for our two elder daughters 12 & 14 so I can only imagine how bad they must feel.

If I had known how hard it was going to be it might have put a spanner in the works!

Am I normal or am I just being too sentimental

Would be great to hear of similar experiences just to make us feel better that we are not the only ones and that we are normal

Thanks in anticipation

PJK

DollyDaydream

Hi PJK

Got a fair ways to go before we are as close as you are but nonetheless my heart goes out to you. We will all have to go through it and it's the part I'm desperately not looking forward to. Just keep thinking of Perth and how exciting it's going to be.

Take care

D D

jimtrish

hi pjk,

my friend and her family are off to adelaide on jan 10th and we all said our goodbyes at work to her and i was in floods! her kids are similar age as mine, 9,7 and 4 and she said she was devastated when the kids had their last day at school, she never realised just how upsetting it was for them too.
you are normal, and as dd said, we too have a fair way to go yet, but my heart goes out to you guys and we will all be in the same boat sometime in the future.

pockygoes

PJK

We are in exactly the same boat as you - we fly to Perth on 3/1 & I have only doen one goodbye so far & have to say I am in denial about the rest. We have the kids lewaving party on Sat & ours is 28 Dec. I have been buying Xmas cards for the family & paying even more attention to the verses inside & getting upset - really don't want to think about it until it happens. I am so glad my hubbie has not had to do any goodbyes yet & I know what a softie he is & know that he will be having doubts 0 although he is really committed. He finishes work on Friday & can't wait for that one!!

Keep your chin up - try to remember the reasons for doing it & don't say "goodbye" just say "see you soon".

pockygoes

Mitzi.

This is the part I'm not looking forward to either. We don't leave until March, but it's started already as I'm leaving work at Christmas and most people won't be working next week.

I don't know how other people have found it, but I seem to swing between being sad at leaving folks but looking forward to Oz, and wondering what on earth I'm doing! Do other people feel like that?

It makes you realise how special some people in your life are.

CasG

Total empathy with you, I go out on the 10th Jan and so have started saying my 'goodbyes'.

Good luck with your new life, Cas

madsad

Hi PJK,
We are in a similar position although we dont leave for Brisbane until 21st Jan.

We are not quite at the goodbye stage yet but i have started taking more notice of who & whats around me (if that makes sense!)
I opened the door this morning & the postie handed me our letters & asked when we were leaving & wished us all the best for the future (dont even know the postie!) my hubby must have been chatting to him-worse than us wimen when they start
Our leaving party is on the 7th so we are trying to keep the goodbyes under wraps till then but its going to be so hard,your not being too sentimental,i would say you were "not" normal if you felt nothing or very little about saying goodbye!
I think i am quite a strong person but just thinking about saying goodbye my heart sinks,as soon as i see the tears on my kids faces i think i will just crumble.

Be strong x ,your as normal as any other at this stage & there is no easy way of saying goodbye to the people you love.

Goodluck & all the very best for your futures x

Donna.
P,s-Give us all an update when your somewhat settled!

biggy

We left Scotland just over 5 months ago........we had a leaving bash which was a great night but also very sad.....but nothing could of prepared us for the day we left........it was saying goodbye to our neighbours that we have known for 18 years....one of them a right wee hard nut, was in floods of tears, I would say that was the worst bit....then all the way to the airport we were thinking shit what have we done....but!!!! once we got on that plane there was no looking back, we just knew that we were doing the right thing.......................5 months on...yes we miss everyone like mad, but they are only a phone call, e-mail away, webcams are brill and the kiddies love the fact that if Gran pays 10 pounds into their bank I give them 25 dollars lol

One of our dear friends died last week and that was very strange not being able to comfort his wife and family, but we sent over loads of love and hugs via MIL so they were greatly appreciated, can still make your presence felt even though we are sooooo far away.

All your feelings are perfectly normal.................I think hubby was the worst when he said goodbye to his work mates he has known for many years, the whole lot of them were crying, and I would say he misses them most, although he is getting on well in his new job, he still phones them up for a natter.

Buy loads of kleenex you will need them, but if the move is right you will know as soon as you get on that plane

Best of Luck

jopaulss

All the emotions are normal and most of us will feel them. Our goodbyes i have to say knocked us for 6, and when we did the goodbyes to my parents in cornwall the kids where in a terrible state but it will get easier and you have to move on. Goodbyes are never easy whether its here or there, the inlaws visited for 3 weeks and they left last week, again the tears and emotions run high.
Good luck on your arrival in Perth and we wish you and the family all the best and the girls will be good. kids bounce back alot quicker than we do.

Joanne

steandleigh

Yep, the goodbyes are horrible but theres no avoiding them. Look at it as preparation for your new life tho' cos it gets a bit harder than that, before it gets easier.

Good luck.

Slater

We came over in November 03 with 9,12,14 and 15 year old children, our oldest at 15 was the most difficult leaving behind all her lifelong friends, this was very traumatic for her, 6 months later she returned to England to attend her old school prom in June this year and had a great time. We were worried that she might not want to come home to Oz, but when she did she surprised us by saying that she could not go back to England to live. All the children have made really good friends here and if we decided to return (which we won't) I am sure that the oldest, now nearly seventeen and our 15 year old son would not return with us.


Slater

dolly1

hi we also fly with Singapore airlines to Perth from Manchester at 10am - are you on the same flight?
I have tried not to think about the goodbyes. My mum is upset aready ~!!!
I know that I must give this a good try.
Hope this helps Dolly XXX

sj oldfield

Your not kidding, saying goodbye to my mum, dad and sister was the most devasting thing I have ever done in my life. The pain inside just ripped me apart and I cried for days.
You will feel awful, try and be prepared.

All the best

sandra

capacity

OMG I have tears in my eyes just reading the posts - my daughter and I leave January 21st to Perth (hubby already there and cannot wait for us to arrive) - I am just dreading saying bye to all my family - just wish I could disappear quietly

worzel

OMG! We aren't expecting to leave until the back end of next year but my wife has already started bursting into tears when she sees anything Xmas related and blubs something incoherent about being our last Xmas in the UK. What is she going to be like when we are ready to go???