ozbaz

so its all normal then?? Phew...never thought it would happen to me though !( becaus I am not normal??)
Thanks for all the replies , I will indeed sit under a Coolabah tree!

Alfresco

Umm because they were born and grew up there.

As we've been told countless times on BE, it's not so simple to just upsticks and move from wherever you are. But that's another story...

I'm not native to the UK and will probably also have second thoughts about moving to Oz because of the upheaval factor, but not for too long I don't think.

WillBlack

Err; because they could be born and grow up there.

Australia Bound

We crapped out a few years ago, and binned the whole idea. Then about 6 months ago we jumped back in, got skills assessed, and a few weeks ago submitted the main application.

Right at this very moment my wife and i are sitting talking and still shitting ourselves and wondering if we're doing the right thing.

We call it "having an Oz day" those are the days you feel so buoyed up and raring to go, committed and passionate about the move.

The next day we're filled with dread and ready to bin it again.

It's perfectly normal to be feeling this way, don't sweat it, get the head down and do it, you've come so far after all. Get there and be prepared to want to come back to the UK on a regular basis.

WillBlack

The worlds most famous coolabah tree:
Burke and Wills Dig Tree, Thargomindah

paularn

I'm told its perfectly normal

We have sold our house, it settles on the 20th and I have the movers booked...our plan is to fly out on Feb 1st. I have had ALOT of 'WTF am I doing' moments recently. I think the holidays haven't helped and I have grown children that are staying behind, so its tough.

But I continue to look and move forward and I really do believe that things will be better for us there than here (Canada) and it will be a better place for our 9yr old daughter to grow up in.

Good luck!

Kayelem

Phew I am feeling the same. Especially when I tell people our plans to move to OZ I am met with such responses as;
Your brave,
Why?,
I couldn't do it,
it's along way,
etc. etc.
Does make me question our decision.

xLaLax

I have the same thoughts everyday.....can I actually leave all of this behind....but its different for me, the rest of my family are there and new friends waiting to be made and old friends will stay in touch as long as there is effort on both sides, but that's just my opinion and I'm sure others will differ.

Chin up and remember the reasons why u decided to do this in the first place Although I'll probably be posting the same as u in months to come when we get our visas!!!!

L

perth bound

feel for you ....exact same doubts happened to me. It had been a couple of years of careful planning, we had sold our house, lots of our stuff, were within touching distance of the dream then massive self doubt, are we doing the right thing. We pulled out of the sale. It was the right decision at the time because the stress of it all was a nightmare, but now I think we should have just gone for it. Wish we had a crystal ball. I do think we will eventually go for it, but I don't think the doubts and worries will go away, will have to live with them and just get on with it. I do know exactly how you feel, nothing anyone can say though will help, its a personal journey. Good luck with your journey.

asher

Those thought are normal we all have them it's called the rollercoaster of emigrating

the main things you need to think is flights are expensive your friends may not come to visit
having children and grandchildren in different continents may mean you are always torn in two

However you may also be as happy as Larry and love the lifestyle here we do and we have some good friends here too.

remember why you made the decision to emigrate in the first place

tawkins1

It is soooooooo normal to feel like this. The things you hate dont seem too bad at the moment cos you know that you are leaving them behind & thats why they dont bother you anymore... We were originally applying back in 2005 but my OH bottled it & wouldn't apply So June 2007 we finally did it & we have been here 11 weeks now & absolutely love it..... May sound really silly but I think facebook is fantastic especially for chatting to your friends & family on a daily basis, they are still there for advice & support even tho they are miles away... I also use Skype to speak to my mum & dad & for the kids to keep intouch...
It will all be good in the end. Get yourselves over here & start living the dream. My OH is now saying we should have done it years ago

Kayelem

Positive thought there. Just booked our furniture in with removal company it is going on the 2nd June so I went into panic mode again yesterdy. We have just set my mum and mum-in-law up with Skype. My mum asked if she had too speak louder on Sype when we go over to Oz

tawkins1

suzyambrose

I have days where I'm really excited and can't wait, but then if I talk about actually leaving my family and friends then I'm holding tears back. I know for a fact I'll be a mess on the way over and probably want to go home for a good while.....much to the annoyance of my husband who keeps telling me I better not be like that or we're not going but I think once we're there I'll have to just take each day as it comes and try to keep occupied.

Cheetah7

I remember the day our visa came through 19 months after applying for it - we were in South West Africa at the time and as soon as I got the news, all the waiting, hoping, planning of the past two years suddenly seemed insignificant - I felt physically sick because it had become real.

When I booked the flights I didnt feel the euphoria I thought I would feel, I felt devastated yet excited (now that doesnt make sense I know).

I then lived off the adrenaline that it takes to organise shippers, pet export and a new life, and while that was going on I would not allow myself to think of my family/friends.

We had our leaving party and family members were crying their eyes out - except me. My doctor had given me tablets to calm me down as I was going days without sleep, so I must have come across as hard and uncaring.

I remember my 15 year old neice hanging on to me telling me she loved me, I remember two of my friends going to the export kennels to drop my cat off and when I said goodbye to my cat, I was crying as the realisation hit me that I was crying because I was saying goodbye to my friends who are both in very poor health and looked so fragile standing by the cattery, crying at me crying at my cat

Then I said goodbye to my friends in Harrow when they dropped me off, one of my friends felt so frail as I hugged her and I felt like the worst friend ever for leaving her when I know how ill she is, I walked down the high street bawling like a kid while they drove off also crying.

The last real goodbye was saying goodbye to my Dad on the underground, he squeezed my shoulder and told me not to forget I have a dad who loves me in England.

I still felt numb and hugged him by the ticket barriers and said in a detached way 'Ill call you at the airport' and without even looking back I ran onto the train. Dad said one minute I was there and the next I was gone.

The last night in my flat was spent crying - Mr PP said he never thought it possible for someone to cry so much and for so long.

Mr PPs brother came to the airport with us and was tearful when he said goodbye which nearly set me off again. When we walked down the tunnel to get on our plane, I saw the plane and felt sick - I didnt know what to do, this took years in the planning - about 4 years, why did I feel like this?

By the time we landed in Perth airport I looked so ill, as though the past 4 years had caught up.

The first few weeks were spent 'plotting' rabies injections for the cat should I need an 'escape route' and more than once I craved the security of my tatty London rental house and it was sheer inner strength that kept me from bolting back.

My advice to you would be to make the most of every single second with your family, don't rub your new life abroad in their faces yet make it clear to them how much you will miss them.

Say it, mean it and do so every day because I so regret the drug induced detachment that took over me when I said goodbye to my dad at the underground.

If I could turn the clock back I would have hung on to him, spent more time with him instead of packing stupid boxes, and made that goodbye really count.

Because its been nearly 2 years now and I havent seen him, so much has happened to my family since then and I wish I had made more of an effort in the lead up to our migration to spend time with them.

They are not going to be happy for you Im afraid. You are leaving them and it takes great finance, time, distance and travel to see you and in the event of an emergency, there is no such thing as 'only 24 hours away' and they know it.

Do what you have to do for your family but please treasure these moments now.

Is it normal to feel like this? Hell yes.

(I still dream about my family most nights and love living in Perth, realise its my home but have a huge part of me tinged with sadness)