why are we doing this!! is it worth it?
 

thanks to everyone who has replied to my recent threads, the information has been much apreciated. ive spent a great deal of time on the internet fact finding and reading others experiences of migrating........ and im feeling quite disheartened!! worries about currency exchange rates! transfer of pensions! to cash or not to cash endowments! tax implications of the above! sell house vs rent house adn tax implications of same! predudice against english migrants, difficulties in finding jobs, stress of moving, missing families.........................i know all of these are extremely important considerations but pleeeese can someone remind me why are we all doing it!!!!!!!! and for those that have was it worth it??

feeling overwhelmed.

Sometimes using this forum can have a negative effect! Too much information can mean you worry more, rather than leaving in ignorance and hoping for the best.

There are lots of success stories on here, but most people tend to stop posting after a while as they settle into their new lives. I get tired of reading the whinging stories and don't bother anymore, for me they don't help at all as I will be going regardless. I am intelligent enough to realise that life will not be a bed of roses out there, but I still want to go for it nearly 2 years down the line after we decided to apply.


Even if it doesn't work out for me I hope I don't come on this site and moan about things, after all it will take years to set up our lives out there and I don't expect miracles in a few months.


Think of the reasons why you wanted to go and if you still have the same reasons then don't let all of the whingers put you off.
:) :)

Here here Tinaj,
i have spent the weekend doing boring mundane things like cleaning the bungalow, tumble drying the washing and ironing! because the weather has been too crappy to go anywhere! just look out of your window and then you can understand why you are doing this! i've just read Crestas post who says that Australia is not an extension of the UK, hooray for that!!!!!! i for one cant' wait to enter a new chapter in my life
:D

It is very scarey isnt it and you can get lost in a sea of negatives but we just focus on what "we" want from migrating, which is different for everybody.
It "is" a big risk, it is easy to stick with what you believe to be secure and familiar.
That is fine if you feel that is all you want from life but for me personally I want more and know I would regret for the rest of my life if I didnt give it a go.

I am sure that most people who use these forums have felt like you are feeling at the moment ,me being one of them
The way I look at it is its damn hard to get that visa in the first place and when you have got it you owe it to yourself to give it a go

Like TinaJ says it isn't going to be a bed of roses and you'll have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth,and if you do decide somewhere along the line that is isn't all its cracked up to be there is nothing at all to stop you returning to the UK.

I think you have to give yourself a reasonable amount of time to settle into your new life... it isn't going to happen overnight.I am personally looking at least 2yrs and if all is not well then,well who knows,maybe back to the UK or maybe onto somewhere else.

Nobody knows what the future holds
Good health,lots of love and lots of happiness hopefully.

Diane :) :)

Re: why are we doing this!! is it worth it?
 

..cos if you didn't do it, something wonderful in life would have passed you by, and you'd spend your days saying "I wonder what we would be doing now if we'd gone to Oz...."

I don't think it's something you can ever regret doing - even if you end up back in the UK, you will have done something new in life, and that can only be a positive in itself.

Enjoy! Where are you headed?

Re: why are we doing this!! is it worth it?
 

Very very well put, and to be honest, this the the main point thats keeping me on track.
The feeling that i KNOW i can easily come back (with the wife now having the UK equivilent to PR etc), and that i know i will regret it if we don't at least give it a shot in oz, is what keeps me relaxed about a pretty big move.

Before I left the UK I had several moments of "am I doing the right thing". I also met several people over there who had the chance, at various times, to move to Australia & didn't go - all of them said they regret not trying it. A couple who have been and gone back said they don't regret at least giving it a try.
Its very true, if you never try it, you wll never know. You can always go back to the UK if things don't work out here.

Its not a bed of roses, but then nothing is, whatever you do in life. Its not the UK either, its different. And some of the difefrences you can't put into words, you only find them by living with them - like the whole attitude of Aussies, more laidback, and more accepting of you as you are. Far less pretentious (or so I've found), and very friendly and welcoming.
I know I've not been here long, but I've visited several times before, enough to have a fair idea. I'm stressed cos I have no job yet. very little money, a new family wanting to organise my life and my wedding, and a Bloke (who is gorgeous) who is stressed over the amount of stuff I've brought with me; but I just keep focussing on the good points, the reasons why I'm here, and the fact that I've been given an amazing chance, I shouldn't waste it.

Lots of waffle there, but basically, yes, its worth it. Try it - thats the only way you'll know.

Tina! that's spot on that is! well done! a sound piece of advice.

This site is perfect for any advice you need, that isn't in question, but as tina rightly says sometimes you just have to close you eyes and skip certain posts depending on the frame of mind your in.

The journey we're all on is as much a test of the type of people we are, as it is a trial of our qualifications, experience or relationships. Nearly everyone i've spoken to has told me they couldn't do what i'm doing and think i'm really brave!! I've never really been a self confident person, so it's given me a major boost just thinking i'm doing something most people couldn't!

Just between you me and everyone else on here i'll let you in to a little secret as well. whenever i start to feel down and i should just forget all about going, one thought keeps popping in to my head which gets me back in to the right frame of mind.....

... my ex girlfriend REAAALLAAAALLLY wanted to go to live in aus, it was her life long dream. Well she dumped me last year leaving me with my house and mortgage and is now living alone in the depths of sheffield. and how much did i enjoy telling her a few months ago that i was going to aus to live taking the £50K i'd made off the house with me!!

....ain't life sweet sometimes? :D

keep focused on why you want to go and if you have to come back to the UK then atl east you've got something to talk about down the pub. "hey i went to live in aus a few years back.... what did you do?" :)

one step at a time, nice and slow.

Re: why are we doing this!! is it worth it?
 

Couldn't have put it better myself HP :)

i have spent the last few days printing out the application forms and all the other information you need to complete these forms, is it just me or do they make them so confusing, as if to try to put you off at the first hurdle.

anyway we have tonight made a start filling the forms in and it was a nightmare, i will probably be asking for help with the finer points over the next few days, but will it all be worth it once we get to oz, im damn sure it will, we will make it work for us and the kids and if it falls apart then we have had one hell of a time trying.

i am going to have a couple of :beer: now i think i need it.

Take the forms steadily Billy, one question at a time, then they are less daunting! Gives us a yell if you get stuck....

:D :D

....over one and a half thousand posts...... and you've not put your application in yet!

As Pollyana says, take it steady - perhaps you should fill in the retirement forms too just in case you qualify for that first.... :cool:

i know exactly what you mean, will probably end up using this first lot as a kind of draught copy and once im happy with them i will do them again from scratch.

and there will be plenty of yelling as we go along, i have set myself a target of getting the application off within the month of november.....watch this space.

:)

lol :D i have been using this site for a long time before putting in my application i know, but this has been a kind of "dream" for us for a long time.

btw is it still ok to use that word on here ;)

i do feel a lot more prepared for the whole process now after using this site this last few months and gathering endless tit bits etc along the way.

retirement :eek: you cheeky sod :D :) ;)