Nathan84

I think this is the right pace for this apologies if not lol.

I came over to Melbourne when I was 16 and Im now 23 and I am now really thiking about where I want to be for the next stage of my life.

I like Melbourne love the city and the people in general are great but Im just not sure if I want to stay in the long term.

It's actually quite strange I have been here 6 years and only really felt homesick for the first few months but all of a sudden its come back lately and much stronger then ever and nothing major has happened to make me think that way either.

I have always still referred to London as home and when I have been back to visit I always feel more at home then I do in Melbourne even tho I have been here for a while.

Guess I will make the decision soonish bit nervous as its quite a tough one to make as family is over here too but guess I need to do whats right for me.

Anyoen else decided to go back after a relatively long period over here ?

TraceyW

Well, if you consider 4 years a long period, then yes, me. We're hopefully going back in October if everything goes to plan and I can honestly say, it's scarier to go back than it was to come here. Coming here was a great big adventure into the unknown and really exciting. Going back seems somehow to be taking a backwards step, even though I know it's the right one.

Someone said to me the other day "You can take the easy choice and stay here, which'll turn out to be the hardest path in the end. Or, you can take the hardest path now, and it'll turn out to be the easiest in time." So true. So, if you feel that Melbourne is not where you want to spend anymore of your time, get the hell out of it and go home. You're still young, you have time on your side.

Good luck in your decision making

dunroving

Tracey, that thought has entered my mind constantly over the past year. The thought of going through everything involved in uprooting and moving again scares the cr*p out of me ... but if I let that stop me from moving, I'd regret it for the rest of my life ... and being "stuck" here scares the cr*p out of me even more.

JAJ

At age 23 there shouldn't be any problem going back to London to check things out and see where you'd really like to be.

Provided that you've got your Australian citizenship (have you?).

quoll

I think you are just the right age for a "gap" year - try it and see if it works for you! My eldest son went for his gap "year" at just about your age and he hasnt come back yet - that was nearly 6 years ago. He got a job in London and absolutely loved it. Then he decided on a career move and has made changes which will see him committed to being there for at least another 5 years. He thinks it is the best move he ever made - he came here at 6months of age so it isnt like he had a UK history to fall back on, other than trips home while he was growing up.

I'd say at 23 the world is your oyster and as long as you have got your Aussie citizenship to fall back on, go and have a great time!

brits1

Hi we have been here nearly 10 years (Perth W.A) and I know what you mean, was here for 7 years before I ventured back...and as soon as we stepped off that plane it felt like home in a way I was devasted as we had not returned home for that period of time so we could put "roots" down and make Aus home....I think some things are inside you and you just have to go with how you feel. We are heading back home and sometimes as Tracey says it scares the life out of me...BUT also as Tracey says and it's very ture for us...if we look at the long road down life and it was to be here forever that really does scare the living daylights out of me.....your young.....the world is your Oyster....I would go for it....really, if in time you want to come back to Aus then you can.......
All the best

brits1

Tracey again you have hit the nail on the head for us...it is scary to think of going home...people have said we were VERY brave to come out here without knowing a sole etc but we did not feel anything at all like that just looked at it like a good experience.....the thought of staying here forever really does do it for us really.....and I suppose knowing what you are going back to does make it harder...but then there is also a comfort in knowing you can go to places that you once enjoyed and can do it again....very hard when you live on the otherside of the world.......

MademoiselleMtl

I am going to try and remember this quote because it is simple yet wise...

TraceyW

Hey, me and you mate...just the same thoughts!

JRB

Hi there, we left Perth after being there for 5 years. I think after that amount of time it suddenly felt less like an adventure/ experience and I suddenly realised that I didn't want to live there forever. We were both approaching our 40's with 2 little kids and I felt if we didn't make the move then we'd never make it. It was v. scarey but things have turned out fine. Occassionally I miss some of WA. We rented for 2 years in Cottesloe and sometimes I miss being there but the reality is that we could never have afforded to buy there. I don't miss the dreary suburbs which are all the same though!!! I think for you being only 23 that the world is your oyster so while you have few commitments make the most of it. Enjoy your freedom, you are young enough to spend a few years travelling and enjoying adventures. When you get to your 40's and there are children involved it all becomes more complicated. Go for it! You can always come back again if you want to if you have c'ship.

Nathan84

Cheers for your thoughts people.

It is a hard decision to make and I guess only you can make that decision for yourself.

Some people from England have said I might be mad to come back but what they seem to forget is that its not just one big holiday here lol. And you really don't realise what you have sometimes until your away from it.

I know exactly what I will be going back to in London so its not like when we moved here which was a step into the unknown really.

As much as I like Melbourne I guess I have just never got that feeling (hard to explain) that Melbourne is home it seemed like I was just living here if that makes sense...

quoll

You make perfect sense! Some of us go through life feeling like we just live here!!!

I think you should be very optimistic about your opportunities in UK - both my sons went over (one came back) and neither of them had any trouble finding jobs - the one who stayed was much pickier and landed a really fantastic job that he could not have got here. So it can be done!

TruBrit

hey you ping ponger

what makes you so sure that the probs you endured last time you made the usa your home wont crop up again if and when you get the chance to ping pong back to the usa?

apologies to the OP for crashing his thread but it's all kind of related i feel.

TruBrit

while you are still young enough with no baggage give it a whirl, tons of good luck

Sherro

Hi nathan,

yeah all of what you were thinking, I have been in melbourne for 8 years, nine in April when I leave.

At your age (I am 33) you may as well just look at it as the aussie thing and go over with a mindset of doing the 2 year travel, work, settle and just see how you go.

No need to make any bold statements about going home forever, just head back over, party hard, have fun and see where your head is at in 12 months time. If you stay, good on you, if you dont, then you will be free of the constant nagging in the back of your mind about what to do.

If your family is here then you will potentially have a different set of issues 6 years from now which is UK is great but I miss my family etc etc.

Thats the curse of calling more than one country home

Good luck mate, either way will be fun, at 23 I was just starting to party !!