Unsettled back in the UK
#1
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Location: Huddersfield-Perth-Huddersfield-Perth
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Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
#2
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
#3
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Posts: n/a
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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.
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.
#4
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
#5
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Location: Sydney AUS - Leeds/Selby/York UK - Sydney AUS (April 2011)
Posts: 797
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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)
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
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
#7
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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.
#8
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 427
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
I would never return to Perth though I know that for certain.
Last edited by london52; Mar 25th 2009 at 8:14 pm.
#9
Banned
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 427
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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.
#10
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Location: Huddersfield-Perth-Huddersfield-Perth
Posts: 124
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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.
I would never return to Perth though I know that for certain.
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
#11
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 427
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
#12
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Sydney AUS - Leeds/Selby/York UK - Sydney AUS (April 2011)
Posts: 797
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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!!!
#13
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
6 years after returning from that side of the world I still feel like a round peg in a square hole
Last edited by truditjh; Mar 25th 2009 at 9:37 pm. Reason: I'm a bit dippy today
#14
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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
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
#15
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Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 470
Re: Unsettled back in the UK
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
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