Kathryn V

We moved back to the UK just over 1 year ago, after living and working in Perth for 5 years. We planned our move back over a 16 month period. The main reason we came back was to be nearer family and friends.

Over 1 year on, we are still not settled. My OH is job hunting, with little success in the current climate. We bought a house on our return, which obviously ties us to a certain extent.

We both miss Perth and the Australian lifestyle. Strangely, even though I am "home", I have feelings of home sickness for Australia.

I know there could be an element of "the grass is always greener on the other side" and I we may have our rose tinted glasses on, but I am really not sure. A move back would, of course, be very costly, emotionally and financially.

I would welcome the thoughts and experiences of others, who have been in our situation.

Did you move back to Australia, if so did you settle back there? or did you stick it out in the UK and if so did you eventually settle here?

Thanks

Kathryn

bridie

if you moved back for family and friends.... how is the situation? do you see them often or is it (as is often the case!) that now you're back nothing's changed and you hardly see them?

if that's the reason you moved back then you need to think how it is now and how you'll feel about it if you come back to Oz.

HTH

ABCDiamond

That is the "Fifth phase of culture shock"

I went through all 5 stages, and ended up back in Australia, and happy

But for me 'family' has never been a big tie. My real family is the one I live with.

Petals

I lived here in Australia and then got married and returned to the UK to live and I had homesickness for Australia and hated it but then I got used to it and liked it. OH never wanted to stay in the UK so we moved back to Australia and the same thing happened I hated it and wanted to be in the UK. So I think what it is we get used to things and familiar things and when we are with unfamiliar things we miss them.

When we returned to Melbourne to live we had no family here and only returned to Melbourne because I had some things in storage we could just as easily have gone anywhere.

However 35 years on I love it and am always pleased to get back here when we go away.

So yes you can a fist of it in the UK and you can make a fist of it here it just depends what weather you want I suppose being simplistic

seayork2002

This won't help but it took me moving to the UK (3 times) to realise I want to be living in Australia (I am an Aussie)

coolerkingcooler

Bet you're a nightmare to go shopping with

Cooler

quoll

It's the curse of the expat! Once you have moved you dont really feel settled anywhere. Have you thought about moving somewhere else in UK, that might do the trick. And remember what it was about Aus that didnt float your boat the first time.

london52

Hi, I am also thinking of returning to the Uk after 5 years in Perth, I have come to dislike Australia but worried i will not settle when I get back, I think I may become a pingponger and always think the grass is always greener on the other side when it is probably the same did you move back to the same area? as I think this might why some peoplepingpong as they are going back to a place they disliked enough to leave.
I would never return to Perth though I know that for certain.

london52

Good point, I came from North London and although I loved it I would not return there, would look at Dorset or Cornwall if I go back.

Kathryn V

Hi London52

We did not dislike the place we moved from (Huddersfield) and it was not a dislike of the UK that initiated our venture to Oz. We never really considered moving anywhere else on our return. I have, however, ended up working 2 days a week back with old colleagues, which I am not sure whether it was a good or bad thing to do.

I would be extremely cautious about moving back to Oz and would probably do a "suck it and see" first. I would hate to move back there and then want to return to the UK again.

I really feel that being a migrant changes you and you almost feel lost at times. It certainly changes you as a person.

Kathryn

london52

Agreed, it is though you are in some kind of twilight zone never feel settled in any place and dreaming of your next move, I do not think I could settle down in one place for long now and I would probably feel the same if I was married.

seayork2002

It's a very valid point but it impossible to explain but it wasn't what I didn't like about Australia that made me leave. It was what I wanted to find it Britain.


It is terrible!!!

truditjh

6 years after returning from that side of the world I still feel like a round peg in a square hole

stm1971

This is my biggest worry about moving back to the UK. Will I settle. I am not happy here in Perth, but will I be happy back home. It makes the decision to leave so hard. If it was only me to think about it wouldn't be so bad but I have a hubby and 2 kids as well.

I am from London and lived in Essex before moving here but we will not be moving back to the town we left. Not sure if this will help or hinder

bluekipper

I would try a different state in OZ 1st, wish we had done this, I came back near 2 yrs ago and we are planning our return for next 18mths, cannot wait, we know were we went wrong and regret coming back to the UK loads. Everyone is different and return for different reasons, it has to be right for you & your family, we forget, its not all about us, it includes partner & kids,, sometimes we get a bit selfish, ie-I am not settled so we all go back !!!!

Bluekipper