meonline

There are a lot of touching stories of people coming back to the UK on this forum but I was interested to know of the Britons who moved back, did you find the experience improved your life back in the UK or not i.e. financially, enabled you to get a better job, improved salary, better lifestyle, happier life.

MartianTom

Interesting question. As someone who's yet to leave the UK, I think it might also be interesting to know if the experience of living abroad changed people in any significant way: altered their perspectives and priorities, etc.

(Sorry, meonline... I'm not hijacking your thread! )

dalaney

Mentally yes, feel Ive changed and grown in a way I could never have done if I had stayed in the UK.

Financialy no.

Mummy in the foothills

It opened me up to all kinds of different ideas and lifestyles. I'm in California and it made me a different kind of parent that I thought I would be, if I'd stayed in the UK I think i'd have been very different in that area alone.

Fleaflyfloflum

Definitely didnt improve the finances! Sure changed my view of the world though, and for the better. It has also made me appreciate my homeland a hell of a lot more than i did.

I dont define success in monetary terms, but more on how happy you are inside as a person. I'd happily live in a tent and feel the way i do since coming home.

MartianTom

Amen to that!

katu

I appreciate how very difficult life is for foreigners, in any country. I also really value being surrounded by people who have a similar outlook and background, who get sarcasm (god I missed every day humour).

Financially it was a disaster. Professionally, again, not so good. Would I do it again, no.

ellimere

Exactly the same here - I'm pretty happy with myself now and looking forward to my future when I get back to the UK (9 weeks to go!).

cathy22w

I think it has helped. Have lived in the US for 6 years. Going back to England in a month, and the job I have been offered will pay 10k a year more than I earned before.

Not back in the UK yet, but already I think there is a benefit. Will be interesting to see how experiences/protocol for my line of work match the UK.

cricket1again

It's changed me but really only in two ways, 1) it affirms what I know to be true about the UK, mostly that is it provides the opportunity to get ahead if you have the determination to succeed.
2) it's definately not the case in Australia. This doesn't apply to myself but more to Aussie colleagues who find themselves up against a corrupt business system which favours not them, but the greedy landlords. When they repeatedly fail because there is so much unfairness, ie rents doubling just after they've signed lease agreements, they are given the ungracious accolade of being herocially defined as 'the all blue Aussie battler'! Somehow they buy into this false praise and carry on suffering.
Reminds me of a hamster going round and round on a wheel. It gets faster and faster but gets nowhere.

JulesNYC

I moved from London to NYC in 1996 - actually I was asked to work in NY for 6 months. Once the 6 months were up, I didn't want to leave and my employer didn't want me to go either! So I stayed and they sponsored me for a green card. Moving here was the best thing I ever did.

I really feel that if I had stayed in London, I would not have had the opportunities there that I got here, work-wise. The People in NYC could not have been friendlier. They love the accent (albeit, they confuse me for an Australian quite often!) and it's a great conversation starter. I've made many good friends since moving here and am now engaged to be married in August of this year.

I actually get home sick for the States when I visit the UK. I wouldn't dream of moving back. Mind you I never went through home-sickness, really. Sure I miss having a family close by, but not enough to move back. For me, I adapted to the lifestyle here very, very easily.

I have grown as a person too. I always felt there was something missing when I lived in London. Everything seemed to snap into place when I moved here.

quoll

Financially, no definitely not. Emotionally - not really for quite a long time now. Professionally -hmm not sure but I would have gone in quite a different direction had I stayed in UK and I think I would have enjoyed it more even though I had a good professional life here. Adventurousness - yes but not quite as much as living in PNG, that was an adventure!

Victor Meldrew

Definitely financially yes, have saved a nice nestegg. Personally, yes, has changed my approach to life and my viewpoint.

However, I think that it has possibly hindered my chances of re employment having been away from the UK job scene and may be held against me, particularly as I am at that 'crucial' age which may be seen as a little too old or unemployable.

The reality is I am better experienced and qualified than I woud have been if I had stayed in UK for the last 10 years.

dunroving

This can be an issue in some professions - make sure you address this in your vitae and/or letters of applicatoin - sell it as a positive rather than wait until it is asked about.

kevin747

Yes indeed. I appreciate the sophistication that the UK has in comparison to the backwater I was living in.