to feel nervous, worried and downright scared as hell about moving! 31 days to go and the thought of leaving my wonderful friends and being lonely is freaking me out!

The way some people are talking to me it's like they don't think they will ever see me again - not helping people!!!

Last minute nerves I guess....hmmm now I didn't plan for this!!

Note to self - must remember to breathe

How did you cope with your last few weeks...???

We leave in 40 days and I feel exactly the same.

My current family and friends are more concerned with what they can have from my house for free rather than spend time with me!

I too feel apprehensive about being lonely, especially as I will be on the dreaded H4 visa. Hubby will be at work, DS will be at a school (once we find one!) and me.....?

I am currently sorting through books to sell, store or take and it's making me realise the enormity of the move. :-(

Sam

X

Yes.

Although I'm not sure I had time to be nervous - I only had about 2 weeks notice of my original posting overseas, and that time was too busy to think about whether I was doing the right thing. Plus I was only supposed to be out of the UK for about a year....that was 1995 and I'm still away! Wonder who's feeding the cat.....;-)


Have you ever been skydiving? Bungee jumping? Or do you ski? Remember that feeling in the seconds before you launch out of the plane/off the bridge/off the top of that double black diamond? Bit scared, butterflies etc? Then once you're freefalling or bashing through the powder that feeling goes and you start having fun? Think of it like that! You're just about to launch and once you're actually past the point of no return (ie on the plane on the way here) your focus will change from hassle of leaving to excitement of arriving.

All you can do is make sure you are organized, you've got everything checked off on your list, and you get to see everyone you need to before you leave. And when you see them, make sure they know you're a bit apprehensive about it (after all, its fairly reasonable to be nervous about any big change), but that you're going to keep in touch, and you're only going to be a 6/8/10 hour flight away which means a) you can get back if you want to and b) they can come stay! Its not like the old days when people got on a sailing ship and didn't even know if they'd make it to the other end, let alone be able to get back again!

I used to have a friend who kept a totally seperate bank account with a couple of thousand dollars in it that she never touched. That was her "escape money" , and would only be used for flights home. She was never going to back herself into the corner of not being able to afford to get out if she really wanted to. She reckoned it helped on bad homesick days to be able to dig out the bank statement for that account, look at it and know she could go if she really wanted to.

I personally just take it in my stride but the again I have been traveling since I was 18yrs old and now 46yrs old....I do get a bit twitchy the night before either coming or going to the UK, when I am leaving the US I am bad tempered and sad because I don't want to go but when I am leaving the UK to return here, I get very anxious the night before leaving mum behind I always have this fear if it will be the last time that I see her

Just remember you are only a flight away you are not going to Mars, plus you have the phone, internet and Skype......once you get going it will all be such a whirl wind and exciting you will be fine, and don't forget you can always come home

Ditto what Poppy Girl said about only being a flight away...I kept saying that to myself and it kept me sane.

It's perfectly normal. I started feeling really guilty about leaving everyone behind in the weeks leading up to my leaving.

I just got drunk a lot

You have it made these days, with the internets, Skype etc.
In our day, we didn't have any of this. So buck-up and stop bleating. Pull yourself together, man.

Are you dying?

It is our first anniversary of moving today, been here a year and it's all still very clear in my head, the emotions of leaving. As much as I was upset at leaving and nervous about the whole move and that the kids would be allright, I have surprised myself!! The worst part for me was saying goodbye to my mum and dad, and the guilt for taking their grandchildren across the Atlantic, but you know, in reality, it's been fine. I have had few bouts of homesickness, talk to my mum and dad all the time on Skype, they can see the kids, how well they're doing etc and I am so glad we made the move.

People can sometimes make you feel guilty, I sometimes feel its a wee bit of jealousy that they haven't taken the plunge so to speak - I may be wrong on that one. I'm on an H4 and yes, it's hard when you're on your own all day, but I find plenty to keep me busy, have made myself go out their and meet new people. We've just bought a new pup so he will take up most of my time over the next few months, the ironing will just need to pile up .

Enjoy the whole moving experience, look forward to your new life and the different things you will experience here and don't look back. You are only a flight away, and if you don't settle in the first couple of years, there's no shame in going back, you have to grab it with both hands and make the most of it, some people never get the opportunity.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE MOVE AND ENJOY IT!!!

Thank you all SO very much for taking the time to post back - I really appreciate it. I feel so glad and thankful to have found people who understand and have been through this - I will certainly take all of your advice onboard - and keep calm and carry on.

I'm going to "man up" and keep calm and carry on - after all I'm British and we don't crumble! Stiff Upper lip is what's needed what ho!

I can't stop laughing

That's the spirit!

Of course it's natural to worry if you're doing the right thing, but you are.
A lot of people would give their right arm to be in your position. Enjoy yourselves!

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Thank you for making the road ahead clearer...an adventure awaits along the way..

keep the faith! good luck wiht your move samjwood