Jirrupin

Not off in the camper just yet, Chris is re-fitting it as we speak and I am making curtains. Keeps us busy and out of mischief We are currently renting a house off someone on the forum who has kingly agreed to rent on a temp basis over xmas, so we hope to be hitting the open road in January. I don't think I have seen any designs for a satellite dish but I wouldn't put the addition of one pass Chris.

OzTennis

Donna, I bet you've always wanted to start a letter or a post that way I do apologise for my insensitive post in another thread BTW - the end bit. Good luck on your travels early next year.

OzTennis

Jirrupin

Hello there OT,

Not sure what post you may be talking about, I don't take things too seriously on this forum, although sometimes I am a glutton for a debate. So no apology required. It's all part of the rich tapestry of forum life. Without which, things would be awfully dull...don't you think

bundy

Good post, jandjuk...would make wise reading for many people on this forum.

Like you, we're going back to Oz because we feel we have nothing to lose by taking such a step. Although we have good jobs here in the UK (Cambridge, by the way, sympathise with the surreal atmosphere comment!) they are not careers (we don't have any career plans at all - work to live not live to work and all that). We have virtually no assets, no kids and nothing to stop us. We are lucky in that Mr Bundy has Right to Abode here and can thus come back and live here whenever he wants.

I think it's important that we try this move now, before we have a family, a home, endless ties. If it doesn't work we'll come back - we'll probably come back for a stint at some point anyway. This gives us choices.

I've already done a year living out there with Mr Bundy and it worked well. I'm happier and healthier out there - we both are. That's not to say that there aren't things I'll miss about the UK, but there are already things I miss about Oz. We've been here in the UK for over three years - time to try something new.

OzTennis

re new life down under/a place down under. Totally agree with your views on what purpose the forum serves.

OzTennis

young_lad

Same for us Bundy.

Both myself and young_lass are under 30, no kids and with a bit of cash from our house sale. No expectations of escaping crime, politicians etc. Even go as far as to say no expectation of staying in Oz for the rest of our lives - just looking to two years then we'll reassess again, may stay, may come back. We are going for the experience (understanding this means good and bad) and a little fun along the way.

The only hopes I do go with are that after the initial 2 years are up I'm still able to stay true to this, and (of course ) I'm still with young_lass.

Jirrupin

No Worries sent you PM

OzTennis

young_lad/lass

That's a great way to look at it and I'm sure you'll succeed in whatever you do. Good luck.

OzTennis

bundy

Ditto. And even if things go horribly pear-shaped, it is possible to bring the positive out of things that go badly. So if we hate Oz and come fleeing back, at least we'll know that we tried it and didn't enjoy it. Better than the 'what ifs'. Sometimes you have to take a risk, although it is clearly better to do this when you're relatively footloose and fancy-free (ie not dragging kids about the world).

I think those of us with aussie partners are in a unique position because someone will have to live away from home...it comes down to weighing up the options and seeing which of the two homes seems to be the better option.

Pollster

I was thinking that must a hard position to be in, Bundy - at least with hubby and me we will be expats together!

bundy

I think it can go either way. Some would find it very hard but I have always loved Australia and have spent some time living there so it was never a huge and scary decision to move back there. We've lived over here for 3 years, so Mr Bundy has had a chance to experience life here too. We've weighed it up and decided that Oz is better for us.

There are so many things to take into account: we don't have kids yet, but when we do, one set of grandparents will be on the other side of the planet. But it will always be easier for my parents to travel to Oz than for Mr Bundy's to travel to the UK. My parents are very positive about the move too, which helps a great deal.

Although we won't be expats together, we have each had to adapt to living in the other's country, so we know what the stumbling blocks are and can support each other in that respect.

We're pretty positive people too, and we always try to make the best out of any situation which is why we thing we can make this work. We're not blind to the problems - living there for a year is not like emigrating there, I know that - but we have a whole support network out there (the other advantage of having an aussie other half - you get a ready made family already in situ).

Pollster

Some would say that wasn't an advantage, Bundy, depending on what the outlaws are like!

MrsDagboy

Those are probably some of the truest words ever posted on this forum & what I try to tell people constantly. So many things are not better or worse ..... just DIFFERENT!

We are in the same position as bundy & OzT etc, one english one aussie, we are happy here in Australia. That doesnt mean that we wont ever move back to the UK to live, but for now, even though we are in the position that we could move there tommorrow if we wanted, we choose to stay here. (btw bundy, Dagboy grew up just outside Cambridge, his family still lives there )

Jon, good luck, great post

bondipom

The good thing about Oz TV being rubbish is it gets me doing other stuff. There are things that are worse than the UK but I find I just do things different where I can. Main thing is there is nothing so bad to make me want to return to the UK. Again like the Dagboys I like the UK a lot and we could easily live there again.

janeyray

What a brilliant and very honest post.

We didn't do any travelling/back packing when we were younger and just look at our experiences here now as if we were on a long working visa. Although an expensive one.