TiddlyPom

K, the culture depends on where you live perhaps? There's lots of 'culture here where I am, I go to theatre, movies, concerts, classical, rock... There are art galleries, exhibitions, restaurants... I don't understand why after living in Sydney you would say there's less 'decent' culture and I reckon this is more about what you define as culture.
We don't watch TV much as we're too buys doing other things, Christmas is great for us, I don't miss the seasons because there are seasons in NSW where I am, and I'm in the countryside... or can access it if I want to.

What I have found is that one persons Australia is definitely not another persons and some people who've had a bad time in NSW have done better in QLD for example or the other way around. Started in Perth perhaps and moved to Victoria and found bliss.

I think that if you're going to do it, you've gotta do a lot of research.

blandy

Wow!! Thank you for all your replies.

Firstly I just want to say I wouldn't let our kids make the decision we just spoke to them to see how they would feel about it (I like my kids to voice their opinions but that doesn't mean they influence our decisions lol)

I agree with what someone else said about we would still have to work, kids going to school etc it would just be in a different place and I have said that to my hubby.

To jerseygirl thank you for moving my post, I wasn't sure where to put it also I feel like I need to defend my hubby with what you said about he could refuse to let me bring our kids back if I wanted to come home. He wouldn't do that. If we went and he knew I was truely unhappy I know he would, we would come back as a family. The only reason we haven't applied for a visa up to yet is because I have said no (I wear the trousers lol)

I have read quite a few posts in the Australia section and I've definatly read some of the coming back to UK ones that's what made me join, well that and the fact that I'm not so against the idea as I first was.

Ohh I don't know! I'm more confused now lol. I think it's because the thought of starting a new life in another country does excite me but then I think of it realisticly and it terrifies me (that probably doesn't make sense at all)

Thanks again to everyone

kel.

whoops I was signed in on my hubbies name blandy is my hubby

manamama

I personally think 12 is too old to re-locate to a new culture...maybe another part of the UK but to the other side of the world....couldn´t do it.

Oh and there´s big deadly spiders down there....and snakes!

TiddlyPom

They're in the Netherlands too. It's only a matter of time before they reach you in Spain.

meauxna

That was not my personal experience. As the kid.

sallysimmons

In some ways I wish I had thought about things the way you have before I left England. I say in some ways, because I truly don't regret all the experiences I've had here in the US - but the thing that is pulling me back to England now is missing friends and family. As I get older, I find that is more and more true.

I don't think anyone can tell you what to do, but the one thing I do want to share is that, while my husband and I were 100% agreed on moving away, we are not agreed on what to do now. He loves it here and the idea of moving back makes him sad. But the idea of staying makes me sad. Oy!

So while I agree that moving isn't necessarily a one-way move - it might well be if your husband falls in love with Australia. And no matter how nice a guy he is (and I'm sure he is!) he can't change the way he feels. If the idea of moving back makes him miserable, will you want to do that to him? And will he still be so flexible at that point? At that point, your marriage might start to suffer and you might both wish you'd just stayed put.

So my only advice is to do this only if you want to. Don't be pushed into it because in the end, doing that could make you both unhappy.

charleygirl

I have to just agree with Sally, as the mum of 3 young children when we moved to the US and a husband who loves it....gosh life has been very tough in many ways. I dont envy you, but I have to say I came here for year then it was 3 and now we are still here 13 years later, it is so hard to get up and go home when one partner wants to stay, I agreed to the one year that I was told we could try for, and that was all....
Good Luck.

N1cky

Also, both you and your husband may want to return in say 7 years. What if your eldest child loves it in Oz and refuses to go back with you. You are then potentially leaving your child and future grandchildren on the other side of the world.

meauxna

Well.. kids can move away to anywhere, anytime (after age 18). Should the child remain beholden to live where the parents want for their entire life?

Jerseygirl

Sorry I didn't mean to offend...I just thought it was worth pointing out that's a scenario that can and does happen.

N1cky

Of course not, but it is very different them moving away 50 miles than you moving to the other side of the world.

Jerseygirl

I know what you mean Nicky. When I see my friends and family back home with their grown up kids living not too far away...it does make me wonder if we did the right thing leaving the UK. Of course they could move away but odds on they won't...just like my daughter won't move from Canada...her life is there now. I try to come to terms with it by telling myself that she's happy and that's all that matters...but deep down there's a void.

meauxna

My parents just moved away from us.
I guess it's the no-grandchildren that makes the difference. Or, my parents just do their own thing.

N1cky

When we moved out here our daughter was 4. Although our families supported us moving here and understood our reasons, seeing the pain and upset in their faces when they see their granddaughter is awful. I know we have put them through such pain, and selfish though it may be I really hope our daughter doesn't do that to us.