Apart from having no job, car or house, I have a phone so can tell you all my first impressions. All positive except the weather (but at least no earthquakes or hurricanes).

This is the top of my list...

1. Plugs don't fall out of sockets
2. Bacon
3. A sensible number of roadsigns
4. Dark chocolate digestive biscuits
5. Hedgerows
6. Proper villages
7. No air-con (nor need for)
8. 'decent' (!!!) instant coffee
9. BBC radio 'live' not 5 hours ahead
10. Fish and chips

There are some niggly issues with coming back after years abroad, like credit
checks with gaps in, no address so hard to get insurance etc so a bit of catch
22 going on.

I am waiting for tough times to hit, but really glad to be home.

Oh, and here's #11 - irony and humour...!

Good luck with the job hunt, hope something turns up soon.

Welcome back!

I, too, love the no air-con thing. Although they have just announced that this has been the coldest summer in 18 years, it certainly doesn't bother me - I love English weather.

Good luck, this is going to be me next week!

Can't wait but still scared, OMG, what am I doing? Packing up is hard and I feel such a failure (sorry made it all about me!)

Never a failure, you tried and have a wealth of knowledge experience because of whatever you did.
Onward and upward.

to OP, welcome back.
just hold on to all those good things you list about being back and you will find more, don't sweat the negatives. We are blessed with a lot of pleasures.

Welcome "Home"...JJ has offered great advice...are you on the "voting Register"?, try buying a few things first like a mobile phone etc...all add's to the credit rating, join the local library etc it might help, if your staying with relatives or friends use their add. for Insurance etc we did and did not have a problem. Good luck....take each day as it comes...it all works out in the end, some quicker than others but you do "get there".

Don't be scared... I've been away 7 years and being back is a real breath of fresh air!

Oh, today I'm adding #12 - egg custard tarts

For me a move is never ever easy, even when I know it's the right thing to do. In my book nobody is a failure if they have tried something they wanted to do, even if it did not work out as planned, I just look at it as another life experience that I have learned from, take the good from it and move on. I know its easy said than done but your certainly not a failure, look forward now....plan the things you want to do in your next chapture of your life. Good luck, take care.

Your posts are literally making my mouth water

haha I had two egg custard tarts back to back yesterday......
and tonight a T Bone steak with chinese shop gravy yum!!

Love custard tarts - our local tearoom has the most awesome ones! But as for steaks, we've never, ever, ever had a good one over here. We've given up searching for a good one after disappointment upon disappointment.

Yum custard tarts!

Thanks all for the kind words, feeling very anxious and stressed.

Apple crumble and custard.