Carrianne

I was just wondering as you lot know I do and wondering if this move has made you re think goals, dreams, times of contentment. Priorities ?

As it is such a big move it does throw many options, emotions and choices.

I was always and still am quite career orientated and hoped one day to be a barrister, being given this chance has made me re think my path in life.

Is there anything you think you will do that you never thought you would do before or has this changed you or are you the same.

I always said I am a surburban girl, but thinking of moving to Oz I now know that I would like to live in the country, etc.


So come on has this made you re assess anything ?


Carrianne x

Larissa

I think we both spent a lot of time reassessing before we actually made the decision to migrate. We had to prioritise regarding what we thought was best for our own little family, rather than worrying about what the relatives would think etc. I've recently made a decision not to progress any further with my chosen career (Educational Psychology) as I believe my kids are more important (I'd have to study full time for a year, then work another 3 years fulltime). I just can't do this to my kids - the older one is so much happier since we had our baby and I'm around more. If I went ahead with my career, it would also mean putting off Aus for another 4 years, in which time I think it would be harder for my older child to re-adjust.

Carrianne

Larissa, that is me also, starting a family is far more important than anything I need to do for myself. I have changed so much over this past year, from wanting to be in work to wanting to stay at home with kiddies and play myslef like a child and bake buns.

Those words would simply not have crossed my lips. Not sure if it is to do with OZ although I know wanting to live in the country is. I am not settled in Scotland that is for sure even after 3 and a half years.

Hubby has always wanted to be a fireman, so will try and try and hopes to coach football and do joinery on the side.

We see this as starting a fresh, with the challenges we relish. Hubby says he will try and get into a soccer team and I shall try adn get into a swimming club and I shall vounteer to life guard to help circulate and make friends. A move like this can either make you open and vunerable or bring out the confidence in you and thats the biggest assesment of all.

tinaj

It is a difficult decision balancing a career and children.

Although I don't actually want to go to work I do get some sort of satisfaction from it also it gets me away from my children! Unfortunately I go from looking after my kids to other peoples which doesn't really give me a break.

I don't know if I will feel the need to work when I get to Oz, I am going with an open mind. The only thing that makes me want to is the thought that I have studied for so many years to get where I am and it is a bit of a waste really.

This year has nearly killed me as I have been trying to finish off an MA alongside everything else. Finally next weekend I will kiss the last project goodbye. Unfortunately after all that I won't be here to go to the graduation ceremony!! I wil still be able to get my piccies inmy robe done though.

A good compromise would be for me to work 2/3 days a week. But if i don't miss it then I wil get involved in the business and work with my hubby.

At least moving to Oz does one thing for me, give me more choices about what I want to do! And having no mortgage and money to invest I won't feel pressured to have to work.

hevs

KIds and careers is a tough deal for us Mums. I am self employed, so i do book time out for sports days etc. I will need to go to work in Oz, for my sanity if nothing else. But we are hoping to buy a bit of land and the plan is to grow our veg and fruit., that will save a fortune on the amount spent on organic food. Reading that back i sound like a right pommy dreamer, but its just something that we can't afford to do here as houses with any sizable piece of land are just way over our budget.

footie chick

Yes something this big does make you reassess your lives. Fortunately our kids are older well they are not toddlers any more. We are still young enough to change direction completely wherever that might be.


footie chick

arlene

i feel very fortunate and blessed to have a job that i adore and look forward to going into, i work full time but it seems like the weeks just vanish, i never have to clock watch in fact the opposite, my job can take me all around the world and i will never have to tote my cv around and hopefully will not be short of work

ry is working full time so is more or less off my hands now, des is happy and works to suit himself and we are embarking on the journey of a lifetime

looking forward to fulfilling those goals and dreams

heres to health and happinness

off to the pub soon to counteract the effects of green tea


arlene

karawara88

I think what was once a "journey of a lifetime" made me realise that I dont have to stay in one place and that I can go anywhere, moving around the world is a doddle, (apart from getting working visas etc)

Once you get rid of the chains from around your neck, mortgage etc. the world is your lobster.

We dont have kids so its an easier lobster to get around. !!

tinaj

Yes life is free and easy if you don't have kids.

Unfortunately flitting around is nowhere near as feasable when you have them. Also is it really fair on them to never have a stable base.

Emigrating without kids would be so much easier - anyone want 3 of them!?

karawara88

Sorry Tina, I was talking for ourselves, we have no kids so life is a lot less hassle when moving about, all I was trying to say was once you made such a move that was once an impossible dream, you realise that the world is quite small and really you can go anywhere you want. (circumstances, finances, visa, permitting)

Some people think moving to different places around the world and not having a stable base is to do with life experience and therefore a better education for kids. (added by Karawaras better half )

amaslam

It didn't make me re-assess my life once I got the chance. But it did make me re-assess the amount of 'useless' stuff I own (clothes, odd computer parts, magazines).

I think "Leaving the country" cleaning beats "Spring" cleaning hands down.

Well I'm leaving in 1 week and have to get back to my "Leaving the Country" cleaning (Britishexpats.com is SO addictive).

Bella

You always start such good posts Carrianne.

I have been a mental health nurse since 1983 and would love to do something different. Don't really know what yet but feel making the move to Oz will allow me to take a break from nursing and think about my options. Maybe a return to studying of some kind.

And like you, I've always thought of myself as a city girl, I love London and all it has to offer, but now I yearn for some space & peace and greenery!! Who knows what will happen but it's exciting wondering ....

steandleigh

I think the answer to your question lies in the question itself - " Has this CHANCE made you reassess your life"?. You make your own luck in life and you create your own chances, we wanted to do more of both and so we are going to!

Martin Hales

]
Hi Carrianne

Always keen to read your threads as you seem to have researched as much as you can re life in Oz.

We are a couple of "wrinklies" and have reassessed our lives many times over the years. I was born and lived in London for the first 20 years of my life then married and lived in Singapore for a few years. Thought we would like to try living in the country, but realised after a couple of years we were not country folk. Definitely feel we need to live within half an hour of a city so
at the moment we think Cleveland in Brisbane is right for us.

During the 80's and early 90's really loved going out to work full-time (although not so keen travelling from Kent to Herts through the Dartford Tunnel and on M25) but did this for 15 years. However moved to Southampton mid 90's and really like being at home.

Our only child has been in Sydney for the last 3 years and has suggested we try life in Oz.

We are mid-fifties and still very fit, love sailing and feel if we don't give it a go now then we will never will and always wonder "what if".

Jackie

ohsohopeful

Great thread

Although we are still waiting for our visa to come through, making the decision to emigrate has definitely changed our perspective on things. We know that if the visa doesn't arrive for whatever reason then we will be moving somewhere else to start something new anyway.

My partner is in IT and is thoroughly keen to move on to something new. I am lucky enough that having just sold our house and with bf still earning contract IT rates, I can now hand in my notice at work (marketing) and begin training towards becoming a gym instructor, which is something I've wanted to do for ages.

If we can't do these new things in Oz, then we'll do it somewhere else. But the realisation that you want to move on to something new on the other side of the world certainly made us reassess what we want and what our priorities are and boy, they are different to 4 years ago.

Handing in my notice today!