Going Home!
 

Hi

I have been a somewhat infrequent poster here, choosing instead to read and learn but as I have the best news ever I just have to post! After 2 long years and 8 painful months I finally have a final leaving date...7th March 2006. Yes!!!! My time in the USA has been both the best and worst time of my life. I met my wife here (yes, that's good), I got my dog here and I made some good friends...however I started with an employer that downright lied to me then sued me when I quit, I then worked at an instituition that was rotten to the core and didn't give a shit about it's employees, I ended up drowning in debt thanks to low wages and very high cost of living and I had a most unpleasant nervous breakdown in the end. Fast forward 18 months and I paid off all the debt and the arseholes that sued me (thank goodness for San Francisco wages!), I got to work in a great place where I learned more than I could have ever imagined and I even got offered the job as the boss (I declined).

So, all the furniture is sold, the flights are booked (BA to London for 2 @ $933 total!), the dog is cleared by USDA/DEFRA and has a Virgin Cargo flight ($1600). I'm so happy to leave this place and all the greed and disgusting overuse of resources and plain rudeness of the people.

Look out Blighty....I'm coming home!! :beer:

Paul

Re: Going Home!
 

thats great news, Paul! what an experience you have had! After all these lifechanging things, I hope it doesnt take you too long to be settled in the uk again! i bet it'll seem surreal at first!
all the best for the new adventure home!
c

Re: Going Home!
 

Actually I'm really scared...the culture shock when I came here was awful...I really don't look forward to reverse culture shock and feeling out of place in my own home town. Still, it has to be done and ina year or so I hope to be settled and happy at last.

Thanks for the kind words.

Paul

Re: Going Home!
 

Hi Paul, I live in the East Bay. Sausalito is beautiful but I know what you mean about the culture. It sounds like you had a really terrible time, I'm glad you came through it and are heading home with your wife (is she Ameican?). If so, I hope she likes the UK, she might have a tough time settling down there but my husband (american) really loves the English countryside, the amazing sense of history, the towns where you can walk to everything, the beer and the old pubs. All the very best of luck to you.

Re: Going Home!
 

Hi Paul

Good luck with your move back to Blighty..how exciting what part are you coming back too? :)

Re: Going Home!
 

Hi Paul
I am so happy for you. You have really had a rough ride. It is scary and yes reverse culture shock is real. I just keep my local news site from Jax. on my pc favourites and check it now and then. Reminds me of how thankful I am to be gone from there. :D
Good luck and hope you resettle soon. :)

Re: Going Home!
 

Hi

Thanks to everyone for your support. It has been a very rough ride but I'm glad I did it. My wife is Filipino but lived in Toronto for 6 years before coming to the USA, Scotland will be her 4th country so she's realistic about moving there and certainly is good at adapting to new cultures by now! Obviously I will keep posting here to give others wanting to move home some opinions from the other side.

thanks

Paul

Re: Going Home!
 

Good luck to you. We're also in the process of heading back home, hopefully by May. Doesn't it feel great to be going back to everything that's familiar?

Re: Going Home!
 

Don't worry about that fella - if its where you truely belong you'll settle in in no time.
Hope it all works out well for you.
Best of luck :)

Re: Going Home!
 

It's the best feeling to know I'm going, and I feel better every time I sell a piece of furniture or other belongings as I know it's finally real now. I'm excited to show my wife around Edinburgh and take trips to Europe an all the other places and things we couldn't do due to lack of holiday time and the fact that we we either always at work or driving to/from work. Then all the little things I look forward to wash over me too, like being around family and friends again, getting a pint in the pub (not a sports bar), eating nice food and proper sized portions...I could go on and on.......

Oddly I am now startiing to enjoy my time here as I know I am no longer trapped here....many of yyou that want to go home will know that feeling of being trapped and out of place....it's gone!! :D

Re: Going Home!
 

Good for you :) Brings a big smile to my face every time reading someone elses post for there plans of going home, I know I'm not alone feeling the way I do about life over here. Your so right you do some what enjoy the time you have left, when that feeling of being trapped has gone. Wishing you and yours all the best.

Re: Going Home!
 

Just wanted to wish you & your wife all the best Paul and also go :scared: at the cost of shipping your pooch back!!!!

Re: Going Home!
 

Thanks!

Yes I nearly fainted too, but he has had a hard enough life already (in and out of rescue twice) and I refuse to abandon him like his previous owners did....we sold our furniture to pay for his flight but I think it's worth it! FYI Virgin is a LOT cheaper than BA for flying a dog.

Re: Going Home!
 

Bless you for not abandoning him. ;)

Re: Going Home!
 

Lol snao mate we sold our stuff as well to get the dog back.

Welcome home to Scotland. Is it Edinburgh you are heading too for good??

Tell you something there will be no reverse culture shock. When we got back first thing I noticed is the wee wifey having a conversation with you in M&S or the man in the street smiling back at you as you walk by him.

Enjoy your time left in California and safe trip home to you and the doggy.