helcat12

I have been here in BC for about 20 months now.
I am going back to the UK for the first time this weekend.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions, I am NOT bailing out, I just have a family wedding, inconveniently and expensively timed.

I have been told by other people that the first visit back is strange and almost worse culture shock than turning up in Canada for the first time.

Has much changed? Will I feel foreign?
Just wondering what other people found.

bats

There is a limitless supply of curly wurlys

helcat12

I am going with a near-empty suitcase for just such an opportunity.

bats

Excellent. When we went back for the first time we thought Tesco cashiers were unfriendly and everbody rushed around. We didnt like the bacon,er can't really remember anything else odd. Leaving was mucvh harder that time than when we emigrated. The goodbyes were hard.

helcat12

I do perceive that the "don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" rule applied to the OH's parents, as he came here well before me and so had a couple of visits back in the first year.

His parents' attitude had changed quite considerably. Whereas before he left, they didn't seem at all bothered about seeing him, once he had left, they were very much more keen to make the running.

He isn't going back with me this time - I am on my own.

I didn't have much song and dance when I left. I went to the airport on my own, so no difficult goodbyes there!
Maybe this time people will have had time to miss me (or not!!).

Thanks for your input.
It is better to be warned than find it comes as a surprise.

Cookie

You might feel like a stranger in your own country especially if going back for a short time.

I've been home 3 times - twice for 8 days vacation and both times it felt a little surreal probably because of the whirlwind of visiting friends. Last year I went home for 3 weeks (illness in family) and by the end I felt very comfortable in my surroundings even with the horrendous traffic. I never got used to the amount of seagulls squawking day and night though (Aberdeen)

JonboyE

I have been here 14 years and have only been back to the UK once - that was 5 years ago. To be honest, it was more of a duty trip than anything else.

I expected to washed in nostalgia but it was all a bit of a let down. The UK was pleasant enough, and travelling on the TGV through France was fun, but I was content when it was all over and I was back on the plane to Vancouver.

dbd33

The fellow who sits behind me went to London on the weekend for a family wedding. He said the water pressure was feeble but the pubs were fun. Pretty much what an informed traveller might expect.

BristolUK

Did he ask for a currency lesson?

dbd33

A different chap. This one lived in London at one time.

colchar

That, alone, is enough reason to move back. I love those damned things.

ann m

The roads and parking spaces will feel impossibly narrow for a couple of days. Those flippin' hedges keep jumping out to get you.

The M25 (if you are going to Heathrow) truly is white-van-man hell - and they are soooo fast. In those narrow lanes.

The old architecture is just a delight and you'll have forgotten that you miss it.

Public transport, if you use it, will be amazing. And frequent. And everywhere.

And yes - curly wurlys.

TheThornes

This is what we found when we went back this year (so glad we went with 2 empty suitcases!) and yes, plenty of Curly Wurlys in there too!

Seriously, the thing that struck us the most was how narrow the roads were; lots of sharp intakes of breath at every turn!

Its true, everything did feel foreign at first but, after a few days, we settled into it and started to remember all the reasons why we wanted to move away in the first place!

It was great to catch up with friends and family but, at the end of the day, couldn`t wait to get back here!!

scribe123

You will find the cheese disgusting and will find yourself scouring the supermarkets for packs of those plastic like individually wrapped 'proper' cheese.

januarymix

And there's a little heat wave. Dress lightly for outside!