6 months back
Mar 31st 2022, 9:35 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 156
6 months back
It has now been 6 months since we returned to the UK from BC, Canada. It has flown by as we had so much to do but we are now into our new home and feel we can finally put roots down. We never felt we could say that we were finally home until we moved into our own house surrounded by our own furniture.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
Apr 4th 2022, 9:16 am
#2
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,212
Re: 6 months back
It has now been 6 months since we returned to the UK from BC, Canada. It has flown by as we had so much to do but we are now into our new home and feel we can finally put roots down. We never felt we could say that we were finally home until we moved into our own house surrounded by our own furniture.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
Apr 26th 2022, 9:51 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: Now Devon
Posts: 951
Re: 6 months back
It has now been 6 months since we returned to the UK from BC, Canada. It has flown by as we had so much to do but we are now into our new home and feel we can finally put roots down. We never felt we could say that we were finally home until we moved into our own house surrounded by our own furniture.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
I am sure there will be things that we miss as time goes on but so far being close to family and life long friends has outweighed any negatives. Yes, we could pick holes in some things but we didn't leave perfection either.
We settled back in an area that was home for me and to be honest the last place we were going to go. In saying that, the feeling of emptiness that I carried for years has now completely vanished.
Six months on, I can say that we like being close to family, just being able to have them around and in turn having the support system that we never had in Canada as there was just the two of us.
We are finding people are genuinely helpful, you see what you get, you may not always appreciate it but it is honest and real. A lot of our time in the Okanagan you never knew if people we genuine or had fake veneer. Thankfully we were good judges of character.
Fuel costs have gone through the roof but we have nothing to compare the change too so that is a good thing. Same with the cost of food etc. Right now, ignorance is bliss on that score.
We don't regret not coming home sooner as being retired worked well for us on both sides of the Atlantic. We were able to move and not worry too much financially and I know how fortunate we are to do that. Our pensions and RRSP are what they are and we will make it work.
Our furniture came in two shipments (not that we asked for that) and the remainder will be here next month. To be fair, the shipping company stepped up and is int he process of making sure the remaining items will be with us ASAP.
What we miss:
Weird things... Kraft salad dressings.
May 9th 2022, 9:32 am
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Apr 2013
Location: Tennessee, USA
Posts: 168
Re: 6 months back
It has now been 6 months since we returned to the UK from BC, Canada. It has flown by as we had so much to do but we are now into our new home and feel we can finally put roots down. We never felt we could say that we were finally home until we moved into our own house surrounded by our own furniture.
It's certainly an interesting time to return to the UK. Covid was still very much a part of life when we returned, as was the rising cost of living, petrol/diesel and now energy. We lived for a while in my house (thank God I never sold it, living rent/mortgage free was a Godsend in that expensive setup period) before buying our first British home together. Our shipping arrived last November and had been mostly in storage. We've been in our new house just over a month and not only is it lovely to see all our stuff again but it's saving us £400 a month on storage fees! Hubby is settling in nicely, we survived the winter and looking forward to being able to travel again.
Nov 8th 2022, 11:53 pm
#5
Forum Regular
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: oregon
Posts: 63
Re: 6 months back
Your sentence about “ that feeling of emptiness I’ve carried for years is now completely vanished” gave me chills! I know some people don’t feel that, but I do for sure, it’s always there. And it’s something I’ve always wondered about - whether that will be gone when I go back. Good luck, I’m excited for you.
Dec 5th 2022, 7:32 pm
#8
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 525
Re: 6 months back
From reading other replies and personal experience, for some people returning home feels like .... well home. And for others, the place, the people, yourself have changed / moved on and it's not the same, no longer home. It can be that nowhere is really home, and some people ping pong back and forth with no location feeling quite right. I don't think you can truly know how you will feel until you make the move.
Dec 6th 2022, 9:08 am
#9
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 156
Re: 6 months back
I agree but from my own personal experience we feel at home in the UK. We did however settle in a place that is far too quiet for us and yes that is because we have changed and moved on. We now know where the right place is for us and will make that move next year. If however, we had gone with gut feel we would have settled there upon returning. It is one of those things, you don't know what you don't know.
Jan 9th 2023, 8:51 am
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2007
Location: England
Posts: 4,212
Re: 6 months back
It’s always lovely to hear people being happy and settled (no matter wherever they have moved to/from) well done and a nice story to start the new year with. All the best.
May 5th 2023, 7:44 pm
#11
Just Joined
Joined: May 2023
Posts: 1
Re: 6 months back
Your sentence about “ that feeling of emptiness I’ve carried for years is now completely vanished” gave me chills! I know some people don’t feel that, but I do for sure, it’s always there. And it’s something I’ve always wondered about - whether that will be gone when I go back. Good luck, I’m excited for you.
