Too Early to Jack It All In????
Dec 29th 2009, 12:26 am
#181
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
If you were like us and were fast running out of money Badge, then maybe you would have thought about returning too. I didn't want to be stuck in a strange land with no money and no prospect of an income coming in. And 3 kids to feed too.
Besides, my tale happened over 3 years ago. I was just trying to point out different sides of the proverbial coin to the OP who was looking to others for advice.
Besides, my tale happened over 3 years ago. I was just trying to point out different sides of the proverbial coin to the OP who was looking to others for advice.
Dec 29th 2009, 6:47 am
#182
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Tropical North QLD
Posts: 21,434
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
If you were like us and were fast running out of money Badge, then maybe you would have thought about returning too. I didn't want to be stuck in a strange land with no money and no prospect of an income coming in. And 3 kids to feed too.
Besides, my tale happened over 3 years ago. I was just trying to point out different sides of the proverbial coin to the OP who was looking to others for advice.
Besides, my tale happened over 3 years ago. I was just trying to point out different sides of the proverbial coin to the OP who was looking to others for advice.
Dec 29th 2009, 8:28 am
#183
Banned
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,855
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
I hear what you are saying. Some people will never be happy or satisfied no matter where there are. Some people think it is their god-given right to find fault in Australia and Australians, like the Aussies have begged them to come here and forgotten to bend over backwards once they come. .
Dec 30th 2009, 1:19 am
#185
Forum Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 211
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
A thread with a mixture of reviews. To the OP poster it's only been 3 weeks. We have been here nearly 2 months and I still wonder if we have done the right thing. I have sat in tears on many occasions and today is no different. It's a huge step financially for a start and starting all over again in another country is flipping stressful.
I had a few friends in the UK but we weren't all that close and now in Australia I feel complete isolated. I don't know anyone that is extremely hard when one also has children who for some reason tend to fight more and no day is actually any easier. I am trying to find a job and I am hopeful for a positive response sometime soon.
What I am not going to do is go back to the UK having only been here just 2 months and trust me I have been tempted something bad. My 6 year old has changed for the worst and I don't have one day where she isn't nasty to anyone, let alone her younger brother. It's not nice being like this but I am trying to keep myself and family together. We all want to stay here but personally we are going to give it at least 1 year to see if we can settle in.
I think you are probably just overwhelmed with everything. Like all expats we have left everything we knew and were familiar with for everything unkown!
All the best in whatever you decide to do.
I had a few friends in the UK but we weren't all that close and now in Australia I feel complete isolated. I don't know anyone that is extremely hard when one also has children who for some reason tend to fight more and no day is actually any easier. I am trying to find a job and I am hopeful for a positive response sometime soon.
What I am not going to do is go back to the UK having only been here just 2 months and trust me I have been tempted something bad. My 6 year old has changed for the worst and I don't have one day where she isn't nasty to anyone, let alone her younger brother. It's not nice being like this but I am trying to keep myself and family together. We all want to stay here but personally we are going to give it at least 1 year to see if we can settle in.
I think you are probably just overwhelmed with everything. Like all expats we have left everything we knew and were familiar with for everything unkown!
All the best in whatever you decide to do.
Dec 31st 2009, 6:38 am
#186
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Perth, WA
Posts: 27
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
Wow what a mix of opinions......there is no right answer. You have to do what you feel you need to!!
Hugs for EverydaySunshine too.
I moved from Oz to the UK 5 years ago.......i loved living in the UK. I did so many things, i had a brilliant well paid job and an assistant for gods sake, i had a flat and a car and friends and...........i worked my life away!
It took me 5 years to even make a few friends in England because i work in a male dominated environment...aka i was the only female! So i cant really socialise with a bunch of married blokes....i worked shifts so i couldnt join clubs/groups because i couldnt promise to be there every week......but you know what? When i moved to Australia on Saturday i was so incredibly upset!!!
I loved living there......just as....i intend to make sure i love living here. Its going to be hard work! I dont know anyone any more...... i dont have a job or savings........ and i miss my friends and family back home
But if you dont take a risk you can never gain anything. I was comfortable in the UK but 2010 is a new year and im going to see how it goes
Good Luck with your decision.
Taryn
Hugs for EverydaySunshine too.
I moved from Oz to the UK 5 years ago.......i loved living in the UK. I did so many things, i had a brilliant well paid job and an assistant for gods sake, i had a flat and a car and friends and...........i worked my life away!
It took me 5 years to even make a few friends in England because i work in a male dominated environment...aka i was the only female! So i cant really socialise with a bunch of married blokes....i worked shifts so i couldnt join clubs/groups because i couldnt promise to be there every week......but you know what? When i moved to Australia on Saturday i was so incredibly upset!!!
I loved living there......just as....i intend to make sure i love living here. Its going to be hard work! I dont know anyone any more...... i dont have a job or savings........ and i miss my friends and family back home
But if you dont take a risk you can never gain anything. I was comfortable in the UK but 2010 is a new year and im going to see how it goes Good Luck with your decision.
Taryn
Dec 31st 2009, 8:08 am
#187
Just Joined
Joined: Dec 2009
Location: Canberra now, Brisbane soon
Posts: 17
Re: Too Early to Jack It All In????
Hello All,
I know this is a very subjective question and the only real answer will be "Do what's best for you", but when do you think it is too early to admit you have possibly made a mistake in moving to Australia and go back to the UK?
My wife and I moved to Brisbane just over 3 weeks ago with our two children on a 457 visa. I came over to a job so I am not finding it too bad at the moment although I am missing my family. Our 2 kids also seem to be doing ok, although they are getting bored as they won't start school until the end of JAnuary and they are missing their school friends, grand parents etc. My wife however is really struggling and said over the weekend that she wants to go home. She loved her job as a fitness instructor in the UK and hasn't yet found work so she spends all day with the kids whilst I am at work. She also had a large circle of friends who she really misses. She is also really down about missing her first Christmas with family and friends. Before we came out we knew it would be hard and promised to give ourselves at least 6 months to see if we settled in. The way she is feeling now I can't see her making this long!
Has anybody else had the same problems/feelings? How did you cope? How long was it before you jacked it in?
Thanks guys.
I know this is a very subjective question and the only real answer will be "Do what's best for you", but when do you think it is too early to admit you have possibly made a mistake in moving to Australia and go back to the UK?
My wife and I moved to Brisbane just over 3 weeks ago with our two children on a 457 visa. I came over to a job so I am not finding it too bad at the moment although I am missing my family. Our 2 kids also seem to be doing ok, although they are getting bored as they won't start school until the end of JAnuary and they are missing their school friends, grand parents etc. My wife however is really struggling and said over the weekend that she wants to go home. She loved her job as a fitness instructor in the UK and hasn't yet found work so she spends all day with the kids whilst I am at work. She also had a large circle of friends who she really misses. She is also really down about missing her first Christmas with family and friends. Before we came out we knew it would be hard and promised to give ourselves at least 6 months to see if we settled in. The way she is feeling now I can't see her making this long!
Has anybody else had the same problems/feelings? How did you cope? How long was it before you jacked it in?
Thanks guys.
It is really hard for the non-working partner at first. I've been there. We jumped countries to New Zealand a few years ago (2003 - pre-kids). Husband had a job lined up waiting for him. I did not. At first it wasn't so bad. I got to explore our new city (Wellington) and look for a place for us to live. That was my project, and all too easily accomplished. But then what?
We'd just been on a three week holiday through Singapore and Malaysia on the way, with lots of photos on our new digital camera, so I gave myself a new project to keep me busy. I taught myself HTML and wrote a detailed trip diary online to share with our family and friends, given it was going to be a long time before I saw them again in person. Learning a new skill helped fill in the time for me until I finally found a job a month in to our stay.
It wasn't easy. I didn't realise how quickly I'd get depressed while being unemployed. I'm not good with uncertainty (the single worst aspect of unemployment for me). It was hard to fill in the hours until my husband came home from work - him being the only other person I knew in New Zealand. I got ridiculously excited about a trip to the supermarket.
My best suggestion to your wife is to get busy until you do find a job. Join a sports team (I really enjoyed netball) to meet people. Or take up karate. Meet up with some of the people on here who have been through it. Take a night course in something that interests you. Those are very cheap. In order to make friends and feel connected to a place you have to get out there and make it happen.
In a few months, we really felt at home in Wellington. I think you can make the best of wherever you happen to be. Everywhere has its good points, and there are always going to be things you miss and look back on fondly after you've left somewhere. But forming those connections which make a place home isn't going to happen without some effort on your part.
And maybe instead of focusing on the differences, focus on some of the things that aren't different - we still speak English here, that's a start.
Silver lining: you haven't needed to line up someone to care for your kids in the school holidays while you're at work.
