Foster Clan

I agree - I cried everyday for months and wanted to go home desperately. Been here a year now and so glad I didn't go now. I absolutely hated it when I got here now I really like it.

TouristTrap

Absolutely. Most people only start feeling settled after two years.

Another thing that most potential expats don't realize, is that financially, the majority of them (not all, but many of them), are going to take a step down the ladder both in financial terms and career seniority in the workplace, for the first year or two at least. Emigrating to a new country, and realizing that you will likely battle with culture shock, financially, etc., would probably prepare most better for the trip.

I wish they'd show those kinds of things on those 'all is rosy in your new country' type shows.

Exile

Just goes to show how different we all are. I'm just about to pass the two year mark, and I'm feeling less settled than ever. No financial or seniority problems, and had been away from the UK for many years before we came here, so no culture shock. Sometimes it's hard to define, but you just get that feeling you're in the wrong place.

joh117

I have to say I also think 3 months is hardly what I call giving it a go. I felt homesick 3 months in but got over it once we had settled in around 6 months in.

However, we are looking into returning to the UK we are in the process of getting citizenship and have been here just over 2 years. But our circumstances have changed. We have a 10 month old daughter who didn't come into the migration process and now we have her feel we would have a better life back in the UK and she would get to know her family who most have never met her. We are denying her an extended family something which was very much a part of miine and my hubby's life when we were kids.

Hubby doesn't see her during the week as he has a long commute to work (3+hrs a day) we have not had a proper holiday in over 2 yrs when we were in the UK we went abroad twice a year and we feel this is important now we have a child to get to spend quality time together as a family.

We didn't leave the UK cos we were unhappy just wanted to try something different we have been successful in Oz and are very happy here but when we look at the pro's and con's the scales tip towards the UK (only just)

So we hope to head home this year. But I really would say give it more than 3 months as that is nothing just an extended holiday.

Jo

JAJ

Getting citizenship first is especially important once you have had a child born in Australia, if the child is Australian by birth (birth in Australia to PR parents is enough for automatic citizenship).

That's because if you take citizenship, then future children born in the UK will be eligible for citizenship by descent. Otherwise, (ie, if you don't), then you're looking at your children having different nationality rights, not a good idea.

AdobePinon

Whoa! There are reasons I left and there is no way in hell I would go back to the same place I came from. More like continental Europe I think. Well, that's me.

I was in a long discussion the other week with a Canadian, an Italian, a Spaniard and an Algerian about this kind of stuff. We all agreed that it took us between one and two years to feel at home in the US, and between two and eight years to lose attachment to our home countries. Well, except the Spaniard - he's only been here for a year and a bit. Bottom line is that it takes a while and we all suffer through it.

joh117

Exactly the reason we are getting citizenship prior to returning. Also having gone through the whole process of getting PR and spending 2 1/2yrs here we would be mad not to. Then if we change our minds in the future we are able to return.

Pootle

We moved from Trowbridge! If we moved back I probably wouldn't go back there (still have our house though if you're interested!!) Kids went to the Mead primary school which was really good. I think Bradford on Avon is nicer, and up the road Chippenham is nice. Good luck with your plans and feel free to pm me if you have any questions!

Ruth

Mercedes

When I went back after 12 years and it was to go back and live in the UK permantly I stayed back in my home town. Like most people I had missed the familarity of family friends, and people who knew me when I walked down the street. But when I went back I was the stranger, I had moved on, but home hadn't. So much had happened to me, in the time I was away, certainly new adventures. At first I thought great back to familarity, but in many ways I'd gone into a time warp, I was no longer part of anyones lifes, although they wanted me back in their lives, in many way, I found I had nothing in common with them apart from history. I actually found that more depressing than If I had just had good memories of the past. I also found the people who I had missed, damn boring, they hadn't done anything interesting since I had been away. I moved to another country now and made new friends and a new life, I also found that people also had stayed in a time warp where I was concerned, they hadn't recognised I was not the same person as I had been at 18. I like moving on and meeting new people who have upto date interests with me, rather than people who no longer did and the conversations we could only have was the past.

Ozwells

We are going back to the same town and at first I wished we hadn't sold our house as it would have been so easy to slot back in, great neighbours, etc but now we have changed our minds. As although we will be living in the same town we will have the excitement of buying a new home in a different part, which in a way is moving on. Would feel a bit weird just slotting into where we were 5 months ago, as although this isn't a long time to have been away for we have changed as people - our views and expectations from life. We thought our way of life in England was too fast and wanted a chilled out beach lifestyle. Been there, done that, no thank you!!! Luckily my husband has got his old job but but managing a different area, so again thats different. A positive to returning to the area you know is you will already know people/ the good schools, areas to live, social scene,etc. If you do decide to go back contact the school your son went to and see if he can get back in. As at least he'll know the school system and have his friends around him.

You have to really sit down and think what is it you want back from your old life, although we are all looking forward to seeing friends and family we really miss England as a country - customs, history, shopping, music, theatres, good old British sense of humour, work situation, multi cultural (being able to get a good curry!) etc. It took us to do this trip to truly realise what a great country England is, never appreciated it before, and no I'm not looking through rose tinted glasses, I know it has problems which will still be there, but hey so does every country. Crime/drugs, etc are problems in Australia but they don't seem to publicize it as much as the UK press.

Anyway, good luck with your decision, and we like you feel the need to get back to living our lifes rather than wishing to be somewhere else (3 Years in the UK wanting to be in Oz, 5 months in Oz wanting to be in the UK!!)........fly out in 3 weeks!!!

TouristTrap

It took me about 5 years to really feel settled here. Luckily for me, there is no way in hell I will ever return to South Africa again, for obvious reasons, so I guess that makes it easier for folk like me.

Although, being a citizen of an EU country and carrying its passport (heck don't need to go 10 rounds with JAJ again!! ha!ha!), we could basically live anywhere our hearts desired. Which is what made it extremely difficult those first few years. (There were days where I was so fed up with the INS that I wanted to pack it all up and move to the UK!).

Sooty

I'll second that. It's all fine and good to swan off to another country to satisfy your own emotional or financial needs. But you should be aware that in some circumstances you'll be cutting off your children and/or grandchildren from the land of their ancestors (i.e., yourself and those who came before you). Just ask me. I don't want to criticise my dear old grandads, but they both emigrated. Now here I am, the son of a British mother, and I'm not allowed to live in England. Those of you who have the right to move back to the U.K. don't know how lucky you are. Just make sure your children and grandchildren have the same right, no matter what country you emigrate from.

JAJ

Laws were different in the past, but today there is no reason why overseas born children of British born or naturalised parents won't have British citizenship.

Second generation born overseas is different, unless ties with the United Kingdom are maintained by the children (and certain procedures followed), the grandchildren will not be British if they are also born overseas and don't come to live in the United Kingdom.

The view of the British government is that the second (and subsequent) generation born overseas is much more likely to identify with the country of birth (eg Australia / NZ / Canada /Ireland / South Africa /United States etc). Hence it is not appropriate for British citizenship to be granted to an endless series of generations born overseas.

TouristTrap

[QUOTE=Sooty]I'll second that. It's all fine and good to swan off to another country to satisfy your own emotional or financial needs. But you should be aware that in some circumstances you'll be cutting off your children and/or grandchildren from the land of their ancestors (i.e., yourself and those who came before you). Just ask me. I don't want to criticise my dear old grandads, but they both emigrated. Now here I am, the son of a British mother, and I'm not allowed to live in England. Those of you who have the right to move back to the U.K. don't know how lucky you are. Just make sure your children and grandchildren have the same right, no matter what country you emigrate from.[/QUOTE]

Absolutely agree.

No one knows what the future holds, therefore it is best to have a bunch of options to choose from.

User Name

Have you really done with roving dunroving?!? Are you still in entrenched in NC or de-trenched and debugged in the UK? Bit confused is what I am ...