bourbon-biscuit

I agree it's a personal decision but we said the last goodbyes the day before, drove up to Heathrow (I cried all the way) and stayed in airport hotel all in a room together. The next day there were no goodbyes, just four of us taking off for our new life in New Zealand. I wouldn't have had it any other way. We decided this way because years earlier we'd taken our then 3 yr old backpacking on a one way ticket and tears at the airport had been hard going.

Alana and Arrons mum

The week before we left was the worst week of my life!It was terrible saying good bye to everyone.We had no one at the airport and I was so glad we did it that way.It was the right thing for us.
Good luckxxxxx

ShozInOz

Avoid airport scenes at all costs. They can be horrific and can ruin the journey and arrival.

JenJen

Thanks all..... something to think about.

I'd cheekily asked family if they would come out for my birthday this year (the depressing but big 30)
Mum is feeling bad that they won't be able to come out this year as they have started renovating their new home up north, we are hoping to go and see them and stay overnight next Sunday so the kids can spend a bit of time with them (they used to live 10 min walk down the road).

I think there will be tears anyway. It's the kids last time seeing friends next week as it's the last before half term, they obviously won't be back for the 2nd half of summer term.
Some family we won't see again and I think i'll find that harder.

Mum, dad, my brother... they will all have webcams so will be seeing them online (cue but thats not the same).
Mum won't be out this year, my dad will although as dad lives on his own, i'm dreading that goodbye the day before we leave (i'm a daddy's girl).

I think if there are going to be tears at Heathrow there might be tears from me anyway, still undecided but I might even be sentimental about leaving Heathrow airport lol or being there might make it easier.

Our 2nd little boy was in tears saying goodbye to friends of ours at Melbourne airport last month, but he said he wanted to say goodbye to them, and he wants grandma and her hubby to come say goodbye.

Ooooh decisions decisions.

Jen

divaboy

Really good thread this. Even though i'm only going for a year and not till Feb 2009 I've started thinking about this.

My sister will be fine , its just my mum I worry about she'll be let onb her own up north while my sister is in London and I'm Oz.

Decisions decisions

smudger_scfc

Everybody will have a differing opinion, for whats it's worth mine would be a definate no no for airport goodbyes.

I went home to say my goodbyes then returned to Chippenham for 2 days before flying from Heathrow, it was hard enough talking on the phone those last 2 days before i flew out let alone saying goodbye at the airport.

The sense of relief that all goodbyes are over and done with makes the start of your adventure (the journey to the airport) that much more pleasant and it feels like a great weight has been lifted from shoulders IMO. Some will see it differently though.

JenJen

Lol I'm telling you now our journey to the airport will be an absolute nightmare and that won't be for the goodbye's........... hubby thought it was a good idea to arrange transport to the airport.. which I agreed with
what I didn't agree with was being picked up at 4:30am to get there
I'm not a morning person anymore you see, this has not started things off well I told him lol

hereshoping

Unlike almost everyone else we ARE having family coming to the airport- but only hubbys mum as she is driving us.

I won't let me family come as they keep putting a huge guilt trip on us for leaving and I know it would be really upsetting. But OH's mum is really excited for us (and planning lots of visits) so I don't see it being too bad.

username 34

when we left we did the early morning pick up like you (now when we visit we always spend the night before at the airport Sofitel).

I am TOTALLY an afternoon person - what does AM mean?! but actually I really enjoyed getting up and taking our early taxi - same as you it was 4.30am - and it added to the excitement of waking in the dark, driving through the streets as dawn was breaking .... it was like we watched the first day of our new lives from the very start. The kids were small (9 weeks and 22 months) so they just slept for the car journey which was good.

JenJen

We've done sleeping in a travel lodge near the airport before we went to Florida 3 years ago - never again, the beds were horrendously uncomfortable, the floor would have been more comfortable I think. the people in the rooms either side and under us were really noisy til the early hours and I got on the plane in the mood to committ GBH lol

Our last night in our house here will be memorable and sad but not uncomfortable lol

verystormy

We left just over a week ago and i was very set against it as we had had a leaving party on the sunday before we left and my idea was that we would travel down to london the friday and stay at heathrow for the morning flight on saturday. But OH wanted to stay with her brother in London and he would take us to the airport on the Saturday. I felt it would be too painfull for OH and her brother, but she insisted. In the end it was fine, but we made sure that as soon as we got to the airport, it was a quick hug and goodbye - no hanging around getting tearfull.

RenShen

If it were just my husband and I it would probably be ok, but there is no way on gods earth that I could put the kids through it.

I want the minute we leave our home town to be the start of our adventure.

Kids get so excited at airports, with the planes and all the foreign places on the departure boards, not to mention the shops and fast food. Let them enjoy that experience and look forwards, not back.

I know that my mum, in particular, would not be able to maintain a brave face. In fact she would probably become hysterical. So far my boys have been really positive about the whole thing, and I think I am very lucky in that respect as my eldest is nearly 14. I don't think they would be able to handle the airport scene though and it would put doubts in their minds that, so far, have not surfaced.

Obviously, this is just my opinion, but if I were you I would stick to my guns on this one. A day booked off work can easily be cancelled, but the memory of a wrenching airport scene could stay with the kids for a very long time.

donovandenese

having done it both ways over the last 5 years (me going to oz for a year on a working holiday visa - no airport goodbyes - but buckets of tears at home, and then the other way with my aussie husband saying goodbye at adelaide airport to his family on 3 occasions after our holidays to Oz) i can honestly say that both options are miserable and as bad as each other. now we are a couple of months off me making the permanent move to oz and I can't even think about how i will say goodbye to my parents,grandparents and close friends without crying. it doesn't seem to get easier the more often you do it either.
i think theres an argument for saying it should be the choice of the people you are leaving behind tho - whatever works best for them. its probably one of the few parts of you emigrating that they can decide how is best for them to deal with. thats how i've always played it. my parents prefer to do the goodbyes at home, my husbands prefer to come to the airport - either way, with being from opposite sides of the world we end up with devastated parents, friends & family, one of us miserable and the other feeling totally guilty!!
..and thats from someone who is lucky enough to have had full support from parents (both hubbies and my own), vsists in both directions etc.

JenJen

hmmmm after reading through all the replies and chatting about it.
Everyone has their own reasons for not doing airport goodbyes or doing them.

We've decided that it'll be quite nice to have mum and her husband coem and say goodbye to us at the airport, they've not been involved in any of the decisions. The other thing is although we all might feel a bit heavy hearted leaving knowing that we won't be back for a while and some family we won't see again, when we think about them coming to the airport we don't feel it would end in floods of tears.

I think it will be quite positive for the kids, little one will not understand, my older two will welcome the distraction from the boring monotany of the waiting to board the plane (having been on several plane flights they're not especially excited about the plane journey - though they are looking forward to watching 10,000 BC and a few other films and playing arcade games etc)
the kids are looking forward to being back in Australia though.

Thanks for the advice

stuckinblighty

FWIW Jen theres no way my parents are gonna been within a hundred miles of Heathrow when we leave in 2 weeks....really dont want them to be there

each to their own tho'

Lee