Re: We made it!
 

Hi Lorry! Good to read his update. It must be really nice to have moved into your new rental home, and, I must say, it sounds lovely, opening straight out onto meadows where you can walk your dog.
Don't talk to me about offspring and employment! A lot of jobs out there seem to be part time. My son has one job and is looking for job no.2 so he can work towards financial independence.
Good luck to the one who is starting school in the UK. I hope all goes well there!
We are off soon for our second European holiday since being back. Mr J has worked more or less constantly since being back so is really ready for a break!
Like you we still have a house to sell, but I gather the market has picked up from last year, so fingers crossed.
So glad you sound so happy! Long may it continue!

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Great update! So happy that things are working out for you the house sounds perfect :D

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Love reading these updates!

Lorry1, it must be such a relief to finally be in your own space and it sounds like a lovely spot!

Sometimes the obstacles to moving back seem so great and I wonder if I should just give up and then I read these updates and know I'm not ready to give up yet!

Re: We made it!
 

aww thanks all it's nice to be able to come on here and read everyone's updates, give hope to those still aiming to return and try to help out when possible.

I certainly have no regrets so far, I am feeling more at home then I ever have, both here and in Canada.

The ONLY downside is my 18 year old daughter not adjusting to life here. She hates me for taking her to Canada, but she had settled during the last couple of years and so now she hates me for returning here. I can only hope that a job which enables her to make a social life again will help her settle.

My youngest is excited and nervous to start school. She is looking forward to making friends but she will be very behind in the system and will have a lot of work to do. I will speak to her teacher after the first couple of days and see about getting her a tutor or extra help.

Life will work out, it always does so I just have to continue remaining positive and help us all re-build a life here.

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Very encouraging post! Can't wait until I join the ranks of those who have returned home:thumbsup:

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I'll cross my fingers that a job gies your Dd a good social life like my boys have managed to find. It will make a world of difference for her.
So school on Monday? My Dd has her first day tomorrow I think 'm more nervous than she is. It doesn't help that first day is swim lessons and dressing herself in anything more than a tee shirt and some shorts is her downfall, all the clothes she needs seems to confuse her, poor love.
I'm pacing myself on delicious foods I dread gaining back all my weight and don't have the money to buy all new clothes so haven't had a custard tart as yet. But it'll be good when I have one I can tell.

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Hope everything goes well for you and your family, I am sure your DD will make plenty of friends at school and out of school clubs are also a good way of making friends as well. All the best

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Yes, a great update! It gives me encouragement! I too never really felt Canada was "home" although my OH fitted in like a glove! Busy planning now to return Oct 2015 to IOW (well the plan at moment :)). Listing house and business on a B&B website tomorrow for first year to see if we can sell it privately first :fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed::fingerscrossed:

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You're back!!!???:eek:

Youngest started school on Thursday and she is settling ok. She had a bit of anxiety on Friday but I know once she makes more friends she will do well.
Good luck to your daughter I hope she enjoys her new school!

LOL you will have to get on the exercise machine like I do so I don't pile on the pounds as I eat all this yummy food.

I have just had a fab weekend and it has reinforced how much I love being home. I went shopping yesterday with one of my oldest and bestest friends and we just had a great day with a pub lunch, a pub afternoon snack and an unplanned Chinese take out back at mine in the evening with our hubbys and lots of wine and champagne :lol:
Today we had lunch with some other friends which was just lovely. (another Chinese!) :o

I love being home :thumbsup:

Oh p.s.....GOOD LUCK FeelBritish! :fingerscrossed:

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OMG :eek: Remember when you were going to turn the lights off in Canada and I in the US? We had both said 3 years - looks like that was a year ago! We are on track for mid 2015 ourselves :thumbsup:

Good luck selling the house and biz :fingerscrossed: Will you be moving into an apartment for the rest of the time then? We plan on selling our house and biz in about a year and renting until we leave.

Were we separated at birth? :sneaky: :lol:

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Haha, I am amazed at how similar our circumstances are :lol: We don't hold out much hope selling quickly so hence leave it on website and I have also had a few guests who have said how they would love to retire to our island and run a bed and breakfast! I will be sending them details :sneaky: Also intend to print out the brochure for sale from website and leave it in the rooms so future guests might also be interested in taking on a B&B "turnkey". Yes we will rent until hubby retires in May 2015 and then we will also have the money in the bank for "savings" or I go again on my Ancestral Visa but then I have to work. We are really wanting to just enjoy life so I may just go the spouse and forget the job! We may go on a trip to California/Oregon as well before we leave (I have always wanted to see San Francisco and Redwoods) because I doubt we will be back State side again but may return on holiday to Canada although I am so leaning towards rather exploring Europe. We also plan to rent from 1st Oct 2015 (when sold house :fingerscrossed:) a vacation rental place for the winter as I have noticed a lot of them rent their places out over the winter on the IOW which will give us an idea of what it will be like and where to buy. I have already made a list of things to start getting done and yesterday picked up a lot of boxes to start packing either stuff I don't use now but want or stuff we want to sell in our garage sale in spring 2014! I am so happy now that I can be going home! Now to lose all the weight I piled on here being so unhappy!! OH has been watching "last night at proms" Rule Britannia and Elgar and says he feel amazingly patriotic all of a sudden! :thumbsup:

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Watched the entire Last Night at the Proms this evening, crying and singing at the end :cry_smile: :lol: I can see why your OH was swept up in it all :thumbsup:

We are selling a franchise business in interior landscaping. We are fortunate in that if we don't succeed in selling the entire business in a timely fashion, we can sell the individual accounts.

Already sold a lot of stuff - mostly big like our piano - but also had a couple of garage sales. The sooner you get started the better, so you are not overwhelmed with everything at once.

I think it's great that you are choosing the IOW. After a bit of fun in the city we eventually want to move to greener (and quieter) pastures. It's all very exciting :D

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First day for Dd at school today. It's also swim lesson day so I'm sure she'll have a lot to tell when she gets home.
My weekend made me realize how right it is to be here, I'm loving seeing my boys, even if it is just for a meal. I love how friendly and chatty the neighbors are. I waste so much time talking to them, no idea how I'll ever have time for a job. :lol:

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:lol: I know what you mean! I am looking for work but I don't know how I'm going to fit it in around my social life! ;)

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dont you mean take away...c'mon now:thumbup:

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Mummyinthefoothills & Lorry1

How are is it going for each of your daughters at their new schools?

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OOPS I didn't even notice! :lol:

Hi, my youngest is settling ok. Each day she comes home and tells me about a new girl who she made friends with. She finds some of the schoolwork different and a bit challenging but with extra help she will do fine. Small steps :)

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Lorry1,

Glad she is doing okay so far, it takes time but if she is making friends that's a good sign.

I posted this in the "useful links" thread but as we are talking about UK schools I thought I'd mention it here too. I came across a great website that lets you map where schools are in England according to their ofsted rating.

http://www.locrating.com

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She says she's doing great, making friends and learned a few Welsh words.
She has a birthday to go to tomorrow so must be doing OK.

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Mummyinthefoothills,

That is great news!!

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Wow, what a great resource, thanks for sharing!

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Montfan72,

You are welcome! I wish I'd seen it earlier, there is also a tab you can click on and it will map train commute times from one town to another (including whether you have to change trains). Genius! :)

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I am so envious I cant wait to leave 10th October I am going back penniless jobless and homeless ,well not quite me 87 year young Dad id giving me e roof and a bed.
5 years of depression and struggle coming to an end.Now know that others have felt the same as me Do hope all you who have gone home soon settle and happiness and health follow you
nice one

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I know it well Meg!

Good luck to you. If the foundations are correct, the build will be successful. :)

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Good luck with your return home and hope all goes well with your new start here in the UK.

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Aww good luck, I bet your Dad can't wait to have you home. Not long now.

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Thanks for your replies that's the only human contact I have had today .I hope you are all doing well and like me realise that happiness is where the heart is and not in some foreign land.
Good luck to you all and thanks for your replies

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Thanks for your replies that's the only human contact I have had today .I hope you are all doing well and like me realise that happiness is where the heart is and not in some foreign land.
Good luck to you all and thanks for your replies

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:DGoodluck meg5050. I get what you mean about the human contact thing. Same here. :D Wish you all the luck in the world on your return home. Keep us all updated. :D

You may be penniless, but youll be happy. Pennies are easy to build up when you are happy> :thumbsup:

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Mummy in the foothills, welcome back! We've been away on holiday, so I missed that news! Fantastic!
I've noticed how our happiness can be dependent on how our offspring cope with the move. Our son, early twenties, came back with us in July last year. At first he had no job and only a couple of friends. Now, due to his own efforts, he has two jobs, a fantastic hobby and lots of friends and is really thriving. All this is a huge relief for me, as you can imagine!
I would say its taken a year to achieve all this.
Meg5050, good luck with your return. I hope it all pans out for you in double quick time!

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Happy kids certainly make it all worthwhile.
Last night just showed me how it is all just right.
We had dinner and everyone had turned up, we had to extend the dining table to fit us all in, I was so happy, all kids, Dh, me and my Mum round the table at once, chatting, laughing, eating and enjoying each others company. We even got the oldest sleeping on the sofa as he stayed so late instead of him driving home.
I'm pretty sure you'll get more human contact over here Meg, good luck.

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Mummy, it sounds like you had a lovely time,and imagine how happy your mum felt to have you back!
I am so glad you are settling right back in to life in the UK. It's been a wonderful summer to return, weather wise!
Imagine my return last year! We had the Queens Jubilee, Olympics and Paralympics. It was as if all the flags were out for me!

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Lorry 1, I've been back since July 17 this year after 32 years in America. I had to laugh at your realization that the British are so friendly, as I've been going through the same stuff. The change is what has caught me out...and I mean the money...I was staring at a handful of change trying to give the shop assistant some money. Of course I didn't recognize any of it and looked puzzled...I glanced up to see her giving me a quizzical look because I haven't got an American accent...luckily my friend looked over and stated, "Oh, she's been in the States for the last 32 years" !! Tis indeed wonderful to be back. Been on the trains up to London and the West country and am just marveling at all the greenery and the flowers...I take pictures of bushes that are pretty and put them on Facebook...my American friends love it!!. Welcome back, keep us all posted !

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Meg5050...same happened to me in US. Fed up and depressed and now home.....!!!!

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I have been back over a year and the other day, in the village shop, the owner asked me for £2.75. I gave him £3.50 and he looked at me a bit oddly. I confused my 50p's with quarters. I felt like such an eejit, but I had a laugh about it any. Glad you are enjoying being back.

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Can you help me make the move too?!

My common law partner is a permanent resident in Canada. He moved over with his mother and step-father in 1981 when he was 11. He is not a Canadian citizen and has permanent resident status in Canada. He does still hold a British Passport. He wants to move back to England since he never wanted to come to Canada in the first place lol and he is and has been completely miserable since he got off the plan and I made things worse by sending him back over to England to visit his brothers that still reside in england and his father resides in Ireland for 6 weeks for his birthday.
We don't have anything holding us here like mortgages or fancy careers ...but we also don't have $20,000 in savings either.
Is he entitled to "Right of Return" and how would I go about getting him back home?
Is there any kind of help or assistance with jobs, housing etc until we get on our feet? He is worker if he has a couple of days off he's like a bare with a sore ass....so I know it would only be a matter of a couple of months until he found a job. any help in the right direction would be fantastic.

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Whatta a position to be in eh???

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I am so happy that you arrived safely and are happy. :)

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I know that if he holds a British Passport then he has the 'Right of Abode', but as to the rest of your question, others here will know more than myself.

Good luck.:)

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If your common law partner is a British citizen then he does not need right of return - he just gets on a plane and returns to the UK.

With regard assistance that won't be assessed until he is back in the UK and proves permanent residency. He should plan on sorting out his own housing etc for a couple of months at least - he could stay with his relatives.