Never thought i'd ever think it but yes I am, after 14months.

As a person, i have often been pretty rude to the pommy returnee's but thats just young upstarted agression, but now I am considering going back due to a few reasons, which may boil down to I was generally happier with my life in the UK more than I thought, and I believe I had a far superior standard of living, socially and materialistically.

Appernetly I have a very good job for so i am told, ask me if its a load of shite and I was better off 10 years ago, but thats me. I own a modest house, pool etc, and live in a good suburb, not a lot more i can say, the country is good, bordering on brilliant, and i have embraced it well, but i have missing links i cannot put my finger on precisly, such as,

Personally i think the social scene and our jobs are major factor, both boring and non-eventful and are a drain when we get home, we whinge like hell as we basically dont have anything in common with the people. I thought is this me, but i was the works social animal in my previous jobs and always oganised events piss ups etc, and managed to get money off the companies but cant get anywhere with the people i work with. non -eventful.

The other is no friends, family, and a lack or disposable cash, which at 30 is very important, to us.

Another is , what is the thing of going to bed early,

question is, am i being too hard on myself expecting something that isnt here, do i change jobs, or just basically wind everything up and sod off back where i know is home, and put closure on this little adventure, and get on with what I know best, enjoying myself, as i aint doing it at the moment.

LOL.....I used to think the same when I was there..!!! Mind you my hubby is the same and he is an Aussie..he goes to bed early and is up at 5.30 most mornings..even weekends..!! and we live in the UK now...!!! drives me nuts at the weekends...feel like a bed widow..!!!

It's hard finding common ground with people. And I know it's a ball ache having to socialise for the sake of socilising, in an effort to find people you click with. There's no magic formula except time. Look how long it took you to establish your UK friendships - more than 14 months I'll bet.

Just bear in mind, if you do go back, you'll have moved on whilst the people you used to share common ground with have stayed the same - perhaps you'll not find their company as enticing as it once was.

My husband went through the same thing when living in Melbourne. Fortunately he had a hobby (cycling) which enabled to meet plenty of like-minded people, but even so, it took a year or more really to work out who were the people whose company we felt really comfortable in, and whose company we could just 'politely enjoy' (for want of a better explanation). He thought he missed his friends in the UK but when he came back, he found they were all still doing the same thing (spending all weekend in the pub) and he really wasn't into that scene. He can't wait to go back to Oz!!

Come back for a holiday first, at least. It might not answer all your Qs but it might answer some of them.

So are you 100% coming back??

If so when and where! I must fire up the barbie

Hellooo
Not sure...Mr HP got the job I told you about (he's over the moon), and I don't know if he would want to leave it within the next 12 months, or whether transfer to Mel offices would be poss. So return to Oz is all up in the air - have just decided to see how first 6 months go in new job.

How about you tho.....you defo coming back? Are you going to keep the house in Sas.?

We'd be up for a barbie...as long as you don't set the neighbourhood on fire .

A karma worthy post, good on you for being honest with yourself and all of us.

Agreed good for you. It makes me laugh when I see a brand new Ozzie poster saying they are unhappy and want to move back to the UK cause I always wonder if they have ditched their previous username as they may have had a go at other returnee's in the past...

What a good honest post. I don't think you are being hard on yourself, you've given it a good go and a lot of the people feel the same on this forum. The bit of going to bed early made me laugh, we are exactly the same, I'm 35 and never had so much sleep in my life. People seem to get back from work and hibernate! We are in Perth, Northern Suburbs and it's like living in a retirement village, where do all the people go???!!! Like you we need to put the fun and excitement back into our lifes and have chosen to go home. We have met other people here but feel that we have been thrown into one big melting pot and socialise with them not because they are are sort of people but it's better than sitting in on your own! Saying that a couple we have met have been great but what we are missing it's the whole package good old Blighty has to offer!

Im happy for you that you have made this decision as a couple, keep talking and i sincerely hope everything goes well for you
c xxx

Same to you, I've read your other post and sorry to hear you are going back on your own, but hopefully OH will be joining you soon. Although things haven't worked out as planned, you will both emerge stronger for it and just try and put it down to a life experience, as if you don't try it you'd never know and basically it's not for everyone. It's not for us either. You'll be busy sorting everything in the UK, GO GIRLS and I truely hope you will be happier there. Home is where the heart is

The thing with the balloons meeting on a park at the weekend, terribly good idea, but not for me, I am a spotanious person, needs to run off the cuff, and after all afternoon meetings are too tame in a public place, you need prtection of your own place to give it your all.

Maybe I have become a boring fart coming here, but the guys i work with dont do anything at all, all between 35 and 50, they have nothing to say, on a monday, yet i go to surfers and it seems busy enough... I have rarely met any outgoing people here, i think all the jetski's are remote controlled with manequins on them, and the big boats, are carboard cut outs, and australia ia big NASA project like the trumann show.... but with utes and scruffy dogs.

My decision isnt made, I am gonna plan a trip back May/June which was in the plan to see family and see what we left, I have lived abroad before, but with mummy and daddy, and they are still away from the Uk, so for me its not about family.

Personally I am scared If i return i wont like it and come back soon, so this may be a good excuse for a holiday, like someone says,

people will have moved on, no red carpet, and maybe some stayed the same which will be frowned at, but, I have stayed the same reagrdless where i live, i just need to have a little fun above and beyond getting up at 5am and fishing on the beach....

like the saying you dont what you got till its gone, a two fold thing where ever you are, so the answer is you will never be right, and have to make the best of what I/you think is right...

anyone concur?

i think as a lot of people have said on here, when you have been to more than one country....unless you absolutely HATE one of them, you can open a pandoras box - the grass is always greener on the other side syndrome.
no country will be able to give you everything so when its cold in the uk you will dream of the sunny oz beaches, when you xmas in oz, youll suddenly be nostalgic for snow etc.
but if you know in advance, that some days chosen country will piss you off and are prepared for that maybe itll make settling in one easier.
a holiday sounds a good idea, though im not too sure how helpful reckkies are to "living it". going back to the uk will be hard work, building up old networks etc. if you relish that challenge, go for it. if u have lived in the uk before you know already what to expect good and bad and it wont of changed so much in a year....but you might of. bear that in mind and make sure your view of your personality fits in best with the culture, social aspect of said country.
good luck
whatever you do - you achieved great stuff.

(you know before i came here, i watched one of those "movingdownunder" tv programmes, and some woman was moaning cos traffic lights take to long to change. i thought stupid cow, why worry about traffic lights when youre "livin the dream!" but once you live it....its odd what can get to you that u never expected. so well done, as others have said for a very honest OP.
c xx

Watched the same program............was it called 'No going Back'? I thought exactly the same, I wonder if she'd still here? She did moan a lot if I remember rightly!! I've sent you a PM.

nothing really pisses me off to a great extent, i like both countries , i am thinking I long for the job I had in Uk which had it all, and long for it sadly. as it brought benefits to all the family, and i was sweetly happy.
here i get pissed on, but cant move as it means taking less money!!!

old networks still exist, there is only a couple of friends i have, but who cares really if see them once in three months, not a big deal but my wife will be happier with her family which is important to me to see her happiness.

nothing is sad and depressing its fine a few hurdles which we need to exhaust before any decision is made, a mire of mixed emotions on no-one to gas off too.

personally i want to see a life coach, and pay for the privelidge...

just dont want to make a decision too hasty ,

BUT still cant understand why the pubs shut early and no-one is in them past 8pm... weird

It was Mandy Skeggs wasn't it, New Life Down Under?? I thought she was really funny and quite down to earth. I laughed my head off tho when she said she wanted a conservatory putting on her new build in Perth!!! You open yourself right up for criticism when you go on these progs tho, don't you - whinging makes good TV; being nice doesn't. I'm sure she whinges no more than any other person, it's just that they only broadcast a select few comments.