We touched down at Heathrow 6 hours ago - under dark clouds and a cold, blustery west wind. Making our way through the less than perfect baggage collection area we retrieved our bags. Then pushed our way through the world and its mother to jump into a car and get home.

And we love it! It's f***ing fantastic to be back!

We don't care that it isn't wall-to-wall sunshine and a beach 5 minutes drive from where we live. These are trivial things. By comparison, the UK feels so much more alive.

In the UK we get to see green not brown, lots of different nationalities and colours, real old buildings. Different villages, towns.

Not the bland mediocrity that is all-pervasive in Oz.

Unlike Oz, UK people can laugh at themselves.

It was refreshing to go into a decent supermarket and have a normal conversation with the check-out person. None of the Oz gushing (well, they gush for the first few words, then run out of things to say).

At least I've learnt what Oz has to offer and to appreciate the UK so much more. After six hours the scales are already tipped well in the UK's favour.

Let's see what a few weeks will bring.

hopefully a personality transplant.

That was almost funny.

BTW, how's Meg?

meg?

Good luck but if someone wrote this about Oz within 6 hours you would be the first to complain.

ROFLMAO...too right Simba...

he'd get the obligatory "well what do you know, you've only been here 5 mins and dont know what you are talking about!!"

Glad you're happy Mike.

I hope to get a vicarious pleasure from your UK postings!

Bella

I envy you geezer, i wish that was me back there on vacation today
Having a spanking hot curry with the boys in BRICKLANE E.1 london, talking about the day's footie results And then hitting the clubs in leicester square

And then the sunday morning fry up, a good hang over cure

Glad to hear you've got what you want - and that you realize the immediate high doesn't mean you'll still have rose-tinted glasses when you've had the chance to settle down.

Enjoy it while it lasts - and good luck in the weeks to come.

Only if they'd never lived there before, thats the difference. All of us going back know what to excpect, most of us grew up there and know what life has or hasn't got to offer.

When people post about their first few weeks in OZ it's good to hear how they are doing but not to hear that it's the best since sliced bread, because how do they know? They just don't. So when Mike posts about feeling good in the UK it's because he knows, he's lived there and done.

Good luck to you Mike. I know that the minute we land it will feel brilliant.

There will be days when you'll miss things about OZ, I'am sure I will but to have a life again in the UK is going to be great!!!

Are you in the Middle East?........

Happy days ahead for you all.........enjoy and keep the postings coming.

P

thats great mike ... i leave 8 weeks tomorrow and just cant wait.... will be very sad to say goodbye to friends...and it will be closing a chapter but hey the next chapter looks fantastic...

im so excited to coming home that i cant believe its taking years for me to make this decision....

keep us all posted with your news mike.. we do appreciate it....

Because of you, we're definitely going to Brick Lane for a curry

We're a bit jet-lagged at the mo', but looking forward to the fry-up with some decent bacon!

And then reading the Sunday papers....