Ping Pong Stories...
#16
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Whats surprised me about this thread..... Is there really more action in Jersey than Tasmania ?
Blimey !
Blimey !
#17
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Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 7
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I think we will end up back in Jersey, its such a unique special place, and we are really lucky to have residential qualifications to live there. My OH and I both know in our hearts Jersey is where we want to be, we should just trust our hearts and do it.
#18
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Joined: Dec 2005
Location: herts-sydney-herts-manchester...next stop mornington peninsula?
Posts: 94
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Hmmm interesting point you made about cutting the apron strings.
Ive only pinged once uk-sydney-uk. Once I had my little boy I felt depserate to be surrounded by family.
I have been back in the uk now for 5 years. We struggled at first to settle and if i had followed my gut in the beginning I would have headed straight back to sydney after week two.
I am settled here but I cant help thinking what if?
On days when it is the middle of summer but feels more like winter and when all that seems important to people surrounding you is what you do, what catchment you are in, and wether you have a second car.....I wanna run
Sorry bit of a tangent rant there.
Sometimes I wonder if the desire to keep moving is more to do with adrenaline and pepping life up?
Somtimes the routine of life can feel a bit boring especially when there has been the excitement of packing up and starting again.
Ive only pinged once uk-sydney-uk. Once I had my little boy I felt depserate to be surrounded by family.
I have been back in the uk now for 5 years. We struggled at first to settle and if i had followed my gut in the beginning I would have headed straight back to sydney after week two.
I am settled here but I cant help thinking what if?
On days when it is the middle of summer but feels more like winter and when all that seems important to people surrounding you is what you do, what catchment you are in, and wether you have a second car.....I wanna run
Sorry bit of a tangent rant there.
Sometimes I wonder if the desire to keep moving is more to do with adrenaline and pepping life up?
Somtimes the routine of life can feel a bit boring especially when there has been the excitement of packing up and starting again.
#19
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 691
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Well we pretty much had nothing when we arrived in Tas this time, it took us 2 years to get on our feet again, and now everything is cruisy its a easy life here now, but a bit boring really, we knew we made a mistake as soon as we arrived here but couldnt afford to go back right away so we stayed, had a baby bought a house made the most of the situation. Every time i move to the UK I get home sick, I come back to Australia and get bored. The only difference this time is when we came back I saw Aus in a totally different light, I realised I had been brainwashed growing up here to beleve Aus is the best country in the world, but coming back this time it seemed daggy and boring besides having nice beaches I cant see the attraction with Aus any more, and Jersey has nice beaches too, so we are thinking shall we just do one more move and maybe we will feel settled in Jersey now? I feel done with Australia (but I am so scared of making another mistake we cant afford to keep doing this) I know I dont want to live here forever, if we did stay we would always be having the conversation about what our life could have been in the Channel Islands...
#21
Pass The Post
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Ping Ponged York via Melbourne and now pinged to Ferny Hills, Brisbane
Posts: 1,177
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
We moved UK - Melbourne - UK - Brisbane
We have 2 kids one born in Vic and one in Qld we now have put down roots and are settled. What has changed? It costs too much and with kids you need to be settled and give them stability. I was back in the UK at Xmas for 10wks and I settled back in very well to the point I was torn. I have a good life here in Oz but with young kids its hard work having no family close to help out every now and again.
We wont be moving anytime soon I am over all the hassle that goes with it
Jo
We have 2 kids one born in Vic and one in Qld we now have put down roots and are settled. What has changed? It costs too much and with kids you need to be settled and give them stability. I was back in the UK at Xmas for 10wks and I settled back in very well to the point I was torn. I have a good life here in Oz but with young kids its hard work having no family close to help out every now and again.
We wont be moving anytime soon I am over all the hassle that goes with it
Jo
#22
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,230
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I have a few interesting ping pong stories from Bangkok....
#23
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2010
Location: Perth Australia
Posts: 2
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I havent pinged or ponged yet..... but i can feel a tradition maybe starting! I moved to Perth alittle after my 21st birthday by myself (im 25 now) and my family are all back in the uk. I havent moved back to the UK for any amount of time just visits but i miss them terribly and i always wonder if i should go back....i want to but im terrified ill regret it as i have a great life and friends here. I also have depression and feel quite lonely alot of the time! I wish someone would tell me what to do!
Sorry to hijack this tread but can someone give me a few pointers too?? Im new and my friend told me this was a good place for advice??
Sorry to hijack this tread but can someone give me a few pointers too?? Im new and my friend told me this was a good place for advice??
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 127
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I havent pinged or ponged yet..... but i can feel a tradition maybe starting! I moved to Perth alittle after my 21st birthday by myself (im 25 now) and my family are all back in the uk. I havent moved back to the UK for any amount of time just visits but i miss them terribly and i always wonder if i should go back....i want to but im terrified ill regret it as i have a great life and friends here. I also have depression and feel quite lonely alot of the time! I wish someone would tell me what to do!
Sorry to hijack this tread but can someone give me a few pointers too?? Im new and my friend told me this was a good place for advice??
Sorry to hijack this tread but can someone give me a few pointers too?? Im new and my friend told me this was a good place for advice??
In my opinion , I would say you need to happy inside , regardless of your location - this sounds easier than is said I know- but only in a state of peace will you know where is right for you to be .
My advice would also to maybe visit for a month or two and try to get a clearer picture of how you feel then , what is it making you feel lonely and down. If you are vulnerable to feeling low - is the UK the best place to be at the moment?.. I'm not a counsellor sorry but hope this helps .
BTW Have you tried meditation? I could reccomend a great centre in Perth if you wanted pm me.
#25
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,253
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I first went to live in Sydney Australia in 2002 as my partner was Australian and we both wanted to get married over there.
We settled in very quickly and I loved Australia but the problem was that when I went over to Australia in 2002 I was literally straight out of University. The time from when I completed my GCSE's, A Levels and then Degree just seemed like a blur, those 5 or 6 years just seemed to slip away. Even though I was British I felt as though I hadn't had the opportunity to live and work as an adult in my own country and experience what it was like in the real world in the UK.
So in 2005 we packed up and moved back to the UK and settled back in my home county of Yorkshire and started my UK career which has been successful enough.
Again we find ourselves at a new stage of our lives. We now have a 2 year old son and whilst making a good living is important and I still have more than half of my working life in front of me work is no longer my main priority.
We went back to Australia to visit my wife's family and friends back in mid 2008 and we went to some of the places my wife grew up and feel strongly that we would prefer our son to be brought up in Australia.
You can never say 100% certain that you will never move back to the UK again but I think this time we are as certain as we can possibly be that this will be the last time we move internationally.
The main worry for us was selling our house, we honestly thought we might be trapped for 4 or 5 years, but thankfully we complete the sale on Friday.
We are free and it feels great right now
We settled in very quickly and I loved Australia but the problem was that when I went over to Australia in 2002 I was literally straight out of University. The time from when I completed my GCSE's, A Levels and then Degree just seemed like a blur, those 5 or 6 years just seemed to slip away. Even though I was British I felt as though I hadn't had the opportunity to live and work as an adult in my own country and experience what it was like in the real world in the UK.
So in 2005 we packed up and moved back to the UK and settled back in my home county of Yorkshire and started my UK career which has been successful enough.
Again we find ourselves at a new stage of our lives. We now have a 2 year old son and whilst making a good living is important and I still have more than half of my working life in front of me work is no longer my main priority.
We went back to Australia to visit my wife's family and friends back in mid 2008 and we went to some of the places my wife grew up and feel strongly that we would prefer our son to be brought up in Australia.
You can never say 100% certain that you will never move back to the UK again but I think this time we are as certain as we can possibly be that this will be the last time we move internationally.
The main worry for us was selling our house, we honestly thought we might be trapped for 4 or 5 years, but thankfully we complete the sale on Friday.
We are free and it feels great right now
Last edited by Jon77; Sep 1st 2010 at 1:19 pm.
#26
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Well..Petals talks a lot of sense. Yes it is probably us and what we desire that changes.
Also ping pongers probably get to see the best of their countries and want to merge all that together into one perfect place. Impossible? Plus into the mix put finding The Place but loved ones living elsewhere.
When you think how it was the norm not that long ago to spend your whole life in one area. Not even country hopping but within just a few square miles. Growing up in South London all my family lived minutes from each other. And I include aunts, uncles,cousins,grandparents...Then as my older cousins married they moved away, then their parents followed them. We moved out to Kent, then when my grandparents died, the whole family was fratured and lost it's nucleus. I wouldn't even recognise some of my outer family now. Is it because we have the choice now that makes us want to continually look for something else?
Also ping pongers probably get to see the best of their countries and want to merge all that together into one perfect place. Impossible? Plus into the mix put finding The Place but loved ones living elsewhere.
When you think how it was the norm not that long ago to spend your whole life in one area. Not even country hopping but within just a few square miles. Growing up in South London all my family lived minutes from each other. And I include aunts, uncles,cousins,grandparents...Then as my older cousins married they moved away, then their parents followed them. We moved out to Kent, then when my grandparents died, the whole family was fratured and lost it's nucleus. I wouldn't even recognise some of my outer family now. Is it because we have the choice now that makes us want to continually look for something else?
#27
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
I can imagine you being unsettled in Jersey after a while. Some people simply become so used to not having the deep roots of one place any more that it's hard to make them grow once and for all.
Never say never. Go back to Jersey but don't be surprised if in a few years you get itchy feet again.
Never say never. Go back to Jersey but don't be surprised if in a few years you get itchy feet again.
#28
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Suffolk to Melbourne to Suffolk and back to Melbourne again!
Posts: 55
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Suffolk UK-Victoria Aus; Vic to Suffolk (brief stop in France); Suffolk to Vic; Vic to Suffolk and.............. OMG the fact I'm on here means we're seriously considering heading back to Vic next year. Been back in UK 17 months this time and have come to conclusion for what it's worth that it really isn't about where you are, it's about what you do while you're there. And never look at anything as forever, the grass is not greener, just different, good and bad. For us we are born wanderers and someone said on here at least you've had the experience, how true. I hate the upheaval of moving, the goodbyes (great hellos though!) but whilst the last four years ping ponging have had their very testing moments I sit here with new friends and life experiences and me and OH are still talking to one another!!!!!
I love the UK, our mad weather, pubs, sense of humour, M&S, our compassion for animals (some of us!), our quirkiness and eccentricity, we're a funny lot but we are great. My husband loves Aus but sees the good points about UK. We've really struggled the last few years and decisions to move have been for mainly health reasons for both of us and family, maybe the scare each of us has had has made us see things differently. I don't know where we'll settle but as long as I've got OH, my pets, my friends and my own little home somewhere, I'm a lucky person. It's easier for us in a way because we do not have children, that's a different ball game.
I don't think I've got a point just wanted to share, offload (thanks for listening) our experience might shed light on things for someone else.
Good luck to everyone, it isn't a fun place to be but I think now I've accepted it I'm happier and who wants to be 'normal' anyway!!!!
P.S. Did I see someone on here from East Anglia, we're near Saxmundham, Suffolk for now, love to meet up with a fellow ping ponger, because no one understands unless they've done it!
I love the UK, our mad weather, pubs, sense of humour, M&S, our compassion for animals (some of us!), our quirkiness and eccentricity, we're a funny lot but we are great. My husband loves Aus but sees the good points about UK. We've really struggled the last few years and decisions to move have been for mainly health reasons for both of us and family, maybe the scare each of us has had has made us see things differently. I don't know where we'll settle but as long as I've got OH, my pets, my friends and my own little home somewhere, I'm a lucky person. It's easier for us in a way because we do not have children, that's a different ball game.
I don't think I've got a point just wanted to share, offload (thanks for listening) our experience might shed light on things for someone else.
Good luck to everyone, it isn't a fun place to be but I think now I've accepted it I'm happier and who wants to be 'normal' anyway!!!!
P.S. Did I see someone on here from East Anglia, we're near Saxmundham, Suffolk for now, love to meet up with a fellow ping ponger, because no one understands unless they've done it!
#29
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 127
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Hi
Wow you pinged a few times then! I suppose it's a bit easier without kids , our eldest is about to start secondary school so our pending move back to Perth will be it for a fair while
I'm an Ipswich boy and we're living in Brantham at the mo - yes you're right no-one understands us outcasts fo society - the general response I get at the mo is " ...oh you're moving back ...and how do the rest of the family feel about it? "
Contact us for coffee and a whinge !
Cheers
Dave
Wow you pinged a few times then! I suppose it's a bit easier without kids , our eldest is about to start secondary school so our pending move back to Perth will be it for a fair while
I'm an Ipswich boy and we're living in Brantham at the mo - yes you're right no-one understands us outcasts fo society - the general response I get at the mo is " ...oh you're moving back ...and how do the rest of the family feel about it? "
Contact us for coffee and a whinge !
Cheers
Dave
#30
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Melbourne
Posts: 114
Re: Ping Pong Stories...
Hi Everyone, i was wonderind if any ping pong poms have managed to settle in either uk or oz and feel really happy where u are now and how did u stop the cycle?
Im new to BE but already a seasoned ping ponger
Guernsey, UK - Australia
Australia - Jersey,UK
Jersey - Aus
Aus - Jersey
Jersey - Aus
Aus... now feeling like i want to go back to uk permanently - but how do u truely settle somewhere?
Im married to a Brit and have a baby and just want to be happy somewhere!
Im new to BE but already a seasoned ping ponger
Guernsey, UK - Australia
Australia - Jersey,UK
Jersey - Aus
Aus - Jersey
Jersey - Aus
Aus... now feeling like i want to go back to uk permanently - but how do u truely settle somewhere?
Im married to a Brit and have a baby and just want to be happy somewhere!
I came from UK to Aus for 3 years, back to UK for 4 years, and now back in Aus for two months so far! I don't think I will ever settle in either place! but having a 4 yr old child I would like to hope that this time around I can settle in Aus despite the terrible homesickness! I really don't want to keep moving him around.