Phoenix

Nah - Taxi for us - much better I reckon.

Sparky wife

Thanks for this everyone, I really don't want them there, MIL isn't too keen on us going, FIL has recently had a bereavement, just seems too punishing for words.

Pollyana, sounds like you planned things really well although it was the bit where you said that you agreed that only your friend would see you at the end, well that is making me feel very tearful. But as for your sister's children, they will have had an experience they will never forget and were part of.

Sam, lol, hope Sparky Hub comes to his senses.

Wasn't sure if I was being a b$£&$ though.

asher

why dont you compromise let them take you to the airport but drop you off at the dropping point they can't hang around there so it wont be too bad and definitely not as bad as going in

Sparky wife

Hi there Asher, .

Perhaps. I do think she would be persistent in her efforts to see us until the last possible moment, even if we said not to.

asher

does she really think its a good idea to have you all sobbing!

maybe this is the best way then, she has seen you to the airport but you have time to yourselves before getting on the plane

CynOpt

Just back from trip to see family & friends in Ireland for the last pre-emigration visit.

Mother insisted on driving me to the airport.

She ran 4 (YES count them 4) red lights, 3 were kind of normal except it was 2 or 3 seconds after they had turned, not the milliseconds the rest of us feel guilty about doing, but one was a FULL ON straight through, no question of it being just changed or about to change, then she stopped (FULL STOP) on a dual carriage way and twice on a roundabout when she couldn't decide which her exit was, and had a go at ME for panicking AFTER we'd stopped.
She also tried to race a sports car in her hyundai matrix. *****ing j*sus. At least it reminded me why I'm emigrating. AGAIN. England isnt far enough.
But thats not completely abnormal driving for her.


Before the death-ride, we'd been out for lunch and had a full blown row cos she couldnt understand why in my last half hour in the country of my birth that I probably wont see again for 5 years I didnt want to
a) go get stamps ( incase the envelope of cash I was carrying got lost and someone might post it to me?!? )
b) get a plastic bag when I had a perfectly good heavy duty paper one
c) unpack my (small) case of child hood mementos from my fathers house in the middle of a restaurant AND GET RID OF SOME OF THEM so I could fit in her "surprise" present.

She threw a complete and total hissy fit. It's not even like I was saying I couldn't take the present, she just didnt want me to carry it in a paper bag.

Then when I got home, she sent me a text saying shes coming over at the end of april and "isn't that great". I think she'll find we're moving out of the house several weeks before we leave, cos she's not stopping here.

And my other half ( who normally has quite a healthy and rational dislike for my mother ) seems to not be able to understand why this wound me up so much. Ah, sure if she comes over again, he'll remember fast enough ( Hi Hons )

Sparky wife

That would be the ideal.

Ooooooooooh, that is rough.

Sparky wife

Grrrrr, why do my quotes never come out right? :curse:

Fly Away

They look fine to me.....

Cheetah7

I am so very glad I didnt take anyone to the airport to see me off.

It was hard enough leaving my Dad at the tube station, I got home and sobbed for 3 hours, my best mate hung on to me when I said goodbye to her, even Mr PP was visibly upset at saying goodbye to people.

Now imagine that intense build up at the airport. Mr PP had his brother come to the airport to say goobye and it was bad enough for me watching them shake hands and I struggled not to cry.

Personally I think goodbyes are best done a day or so before you fly. I felt sick at the airport, worried about all kinds as we were well over our luggage limit and I didn't know how much we would be charged. Turns out Singapore Airlines didnt charge us a penny but each and every thing can add to the stress of flying out.

It is equally hard on your family having to say goodbye at the airport because as you go through security, it is so final. It is even harder on you emotionally.

Each to their own, but I am glad I didn't have anyone.

Wendy

We didn't have any choice (you can't say no to my MIL ), so we had my MIL, FIL, my brother and my son there. It wasn't that bad and there were no tears from any of them until we actually went through customs then my MIL had a few tears - we were all to excited to cry and just couldn't wait to get on the plane.

wmoore

Actually that's another good tip. We left our families on Thursday and stayed in an airport hotel before flying on Friday.

moneypenny20

Over my dead body! We didn't even tell people when we were leaving incase there was a 'party' waiting for us and we told them the wrong date. A friend took us up to one of Heathrow's airports the night before, stayed for a drink and then left us. The following day we flew out and whilst we were sitting in departures, I phoned all family and close friends and said 'see you later, we're gone'. Everyone understood although my SIL had guessed the date was wrong but didn't push it. We'd said see you later (have never said goodbye, even now) during the week before we left.

It was hell with my eldest, without having people there getting emotional

soapy©

we couldnt put the kids through that. not fair when they have to sit on a plane for about 30 hours thinking about in it.
one of my brothers dropped us and left.
we told all the other members of both of our families the wrong time too lol
best thing we did when leaving

OzWannabee

I thought I would be fine with my Dad taking us as he never gets emotional or upset about anything and was all for us going to Australia.

It was a nightmare!! I thought he would just drop us outside as he normally does but he decided to help us with our luggage! Then he just wouldn't leave, he just kept following us. When we got to the departure lounge where you need a ticket to get through I thought we were going to have to call security! Then he just hugged me but wouldn't let go and was really crying! It was awful and upset us all as we had never, ever seen him with a tear in his eye let alone crying!

I was so worried about him driving home in the state that he was in. You just don't know how people are going to react when they say goodbye and then you have a lovely 24 hour flight to worry about it!!