The Cumbrian

Been here 5 months and only now beginning to feel like home.

Gibbo

Took me the best part of 5 years - that was many moons ago!

heldownunder

A month ago I was very settled - that was after 1 and a bit

Now a little unsettled :-(

Wendy

about 6 months before I felt 'normal' again.

Felt at home straight away though

DeadVim

I never really felt unsettled in all honesty ... I landed, headed straight for the hospital (OH in with pregnancy high blood pressure issues) and the other 7 years have just been make it up as you go along.

One day I may hit the wall and cry for a decent pub and a conversation that may contain traces of subtle dry sarcastic wit that does not need to be explained but until then ...

quoll

All depends what you mean by settled. Walked straight in and started to live there without a backward glance but if you mean that more ephemeral sense of belonging and knowing that it was where I fitted, I passed 32 years last March and never felt it.

Pennines49

Still questioning it all 4 yrs in lol

Tr1boy

After 21 yrs, I never settled internally, but did very well externally with jobs, friends, racing etc (we won't mention the first marriage).

When we eventually go back to Oz from the UK, I won't be settled again. But I will settle 'for' Australia as I know that's what Mrs TB wants. TBH, it's a gorilla I've simply given up wrestling with.

I'll go back knowing it's not where I really want to be, but accepting that in reality, it's the place I know best.

Emotionally I've found some happy middle ground, and I have to say, that is due in a very high % to the cycling and triathlon friends I know that are waiting for me when I return. When you are 'geographic orphans' as both Mrs TB and I are, these things are very important. She has a similar network on the Korean/Asian side of things.

I've used this phrase before, but I really feel like I belong nowhere and everywhere at the same time

Bermudashorts

I felt like a fish out of water for the first three weeks and didn't know why I had done this. Then we had lovely lunch at a place overlooking the sea in Collaroy (where we now live) and I felt happy for the first time in three weeks. Only improved from that point.

Still don't know if I consider Australia to be home though, but getting there.

dave99

Just over a year before the feelings of homesickness passed, after 6 years I came back to uk and now feel homesick for aus!

LINZI

Nope not settled yet after 6 years, Will move on again in a few years see some more of Australia but who knows what will happen ...

KJCherokee

How long did it take? No idea, as my marriage wasn't particularly happy at that time so I hadn't been feeling settled in the UK before we left. But I've been here 29 years now, married to an Australian and part of a much larger Australian family than the English family I left behind, and I certainly feel more Australian than English.

renth

Me too.

It took my Mrs. at least 5 years.

Dreamy

I never really felt unsettled either - moved around the UK a fair amount so I was used to upping sticks and facing something new (obviously not on an emigration scale.. although moving to Wales..twice.. had its own challenges!)

However, it wasn't until we had our own house rather than a rental that the final bit of settlement took place. That was more to do with hating renting than anything else. The only other time I've rented I felt the same way (bloody Wales again )

Loch Lomond

Loved it first time round, I was single and met the now Mrs LL and lived in an apartment on the South Perth Esplanade. We left Oz in 2001 and then went back in 2004 but I couldn't settle second time there, despite being financially secure I struggled....so here we are in 2012 back in the UK.