We arrived one year ago today after tearful goodbyes at Heathrow...

Don't want to make this a long post - there have been things that have gone wrong, really difficult, hellish times...Do we regret it? ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Loving it here, very much feels like home, and may there be many, many more years to come.

Best wishes to all of you fellow ex-pats out there...

Lorraine G.

Congratulations

Congratulations.

I think the 1st year is the worst, I am 2 months into my 2nd year and feel much more settled.

Congratulations and best wishes for many more happy years.

Congratulations and well done on the first year.

Thank you all

Congratulations, well done

Congratulations

Congratulations, I bet you don't miss the Colchester traffic!

Miss the A12 like a hole in the head!!!
I remember one memorable morning it taking me over 2 hours to travel from Stanway to Witham, I get most of the way to Toronto in that time here!

How's things with you? You must be feeling very settled by now?

We went back to Colchester at Christmas, I was shocked at how expensive everything seemed and how busy it was. Guess I have got used to the quite life.

We are very happy here though, and it is the best thing we have ever done, I know it is not for all, but for us this is well and truly home.

Good to hear from you!

wow ... can't believe you have been out there a year! seems like only yesterday we saw you in the boiling summer sun outside the embassy!

we're not quite out there yet... had some delays along the way and did a short landing trip in March to activate the visa... but now the flight is booked for the 9th December.

hope you have many happy years to come!
G x

Lovely to hear from you!
Good to hear that you are finally on your way, just in time for Christmas!
Yes, we remember that day well, it was very overwhelming to come out with the visa's in our hands, we celebrated with a champagne lunch...it all feels a long time ago now. We have no regrets though, we are very, very happy here.
Let me know how your move goes, and GOOD LUCK xx

Great to hear things are going well Lorraine - can't believe you've been there a year! Colchester traffic goes from bad to worse as more and more houses are built.

Hoping not to be too far behind you! x

(PS How is son finding it?)

So glad to see that you have your visa's, and yes, hopefully you will be on your way soon.

As for our eldest, he took the longest to settle but now he has friends, a PT job in a local supermarket and has really settled into high school. So much so, he is staying on for a 12x year before applying to university. He plays football and skis with the school, and has dome the canoeing/camping trips. It just took a while longer for him than it did for my girls.

Let me know once you get a date to move fixed...and GOOD LUCK...
Lorraine XX

Hi Lorraine

We are from Harwich and are seriously considering the move to Canada.

I am really glad to see that someone is happy with the move because, as a newbie to this forum, it seems all doom and gloom with a lot of expats!

I know reality checks in but, my goodness, shouldn't it be easier to be happy in a country with all those wonderful landscapes?

GOOD LUCK TO YOU!!!