Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Calle, since I told my wife what you did, she would love to take the QM2 to the UK. I see the prices on the web site include a return flight. I'm assuming they charged you less for only going the one way?

Thanks

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Thank you to all of you. You see, you are still giving me support and advice. :) I went to the appeals meeting today for my son and should hear a decision soon. Yesturday I went to a careers advisor with my daughter. She managed to get us an appointment with a six form that will test and evaluate her level so maybe she could go straight on to A levels. She would still have to wait until September as far as I understand, but we are also looking into some online courses or home schooling in the meantime. She is also applying for a part time job with her second cousin at a mobile phone company. Hopefully she will get the job and it will help her to settle more. Actually, the funny thing is her cousin comes to fetch her pretty often to take her round to play pool and go bowling with his mates, so she gets out more than the rest of us! And she has met some really nice girls her age who are meeting her Saturday to go to the cinema. Who knows, maybe she'll want to stay after awhile. :D
To those of you interested in the QM2, we thought it would be too expensive as well, but when we phoned them they had lots of specials going on and the prices were much lower than the internet prices listed. And since we were taking the pets it was cheaper as it's so much to fly them. It cost us total a little over 4,000. US dollars for four of us plus three pets. And the baggage is unlimited. Not to mention the food and entertainment that is all included. Even doing your laundry is free. The only extra charge is gratuity for when you want room service and of course the shops. :D And they do charge a small amount for internet to.
Ok, back to go watch some good British tv and relax for awhile.
I'll keep you all posted..., and thanks guys!

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Welcome back Calle. :)

Where did you decide to come back to? I know you were not sure.

Hope things work out. K sent for luck.

G

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Hi Grayling
We are in Alsager on the cheshire/ staffordshire border. My cousin actually lcated a nice rental for us here to start and we are close to family. We rented for 6 months and that will give us time to look around in case we decide to try another area. It's lovely here. Quiet, peaceful, beautiful.
The only problem I see is as I said, the schools here are at capacity, although we are trying to sort that. Coming from Plymouth myself, I still cant help wanting to spend some time in the Devon area. But we have some time now to get sorted and maybe still keep watch on jobs and homes available in Devon. They do seem very pricey but there's always the chance some fixer upper may appear. Thanks for the K. :) and I hope you are doing well also.

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Hi Calle - welcome home :D Great isn't it. Theres no feeling like it. Good luck and have a good Christmas. :)

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Calle,

You need to change your location on your profile now. ;) :D

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Aww Calle that post was so wonderful. Its so comforting to know that its working out for you and feeling as good as I'm sure we'd all want it to feel if we decided to make the trip back.
Do keep us all posted on how its going and how everyones adjusting.
Lots of positive and lovely Christmassy vibes coming your way.

Best Wishes
Sarah xxx :)

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Hi Calle,

It was so lovely reading your thread and hope you settle and enjoy yourself back in England. I am at present sitting around my daughters place with all our cases packed waiting for our plane back tonight, 'us' being me, hubbie and 12 yr old son. Daughter and her hubbie are staying here which is very hard but they are settled here and enjoy it, we know we are going to miss each other but there is always webcam and phones isn't there. I am very nervous about going back and having doubts too but daughter reckons its the best thing for us, especially me as she says my depression has become worse since being here (4 yrs) and I am not the happy person I used to be. She remembers the happy Mum out in the garden all day gardening. So with that in mind I am trying to be positive.... and with your threads above it came back to me what I miss and have to look forward to, so thanks for being so honest with us. I will try and do the same thing when I get back, write an honest thread for you all too so it helps others understand our feelings.

Please keep me up to date on your settling, we are going to Rugby where my son wife and two beautiful small grandchildren live, they have found us a rental too for 6 months and will take it slowly. Have an appointment to look around a school for son as he has just finished year 7 here in Perth and would have been going to High School in February so he will be going into Year 8 (or 2nd year ) in High School back in Rugby. Our dog and cat are with Dogtainers right now, where picked up on Wednesday morning and fly out on Thursday next week, we pick them up from Heathrow next Friday, gees I cant wait to take her for a walk like you and your dog, a simple pleasure but oh so important to our souls.

Anyway, sorry for rattling on. Good Luck
Plants

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Calle - what a wonderful account you have written of your journey.....You really ought to be a professional writer! :)

Anyway I was chatting with my husband about your problem with getting your kids into school. Before we left England my husband was the Chair of Governors at our local C of E village school.

He told me that it is the *law* that the Local Education Authority (LEA) *MUST* find a place in a school for your children; even if it means providing transportation (eg. a taxi) and a place in a neighbouring school district...or if even providing a tutor at your home if necessary.

I don't know if you have registered on the electoral register at your nearest Town Hall yet (although you should as credit reference agencies like Experian and Equifax in the UK check the electoral rolls) but what you could also consider doing is to find out the name of the Member of Parliament (MP) in your district. They are there to serve their constituents and would me happy to help you sort out your problem if you are not happy with the outcome of the appeals process.

http://www.locata.co.uk/commons/

(To find out his/her local phone no. in your area, you can ask at your local library or Town Hall/Council House electoral register dept.)

You don't have to be on the electoral register to speak with your MP but I guess it might be more beneficial to you. They all have regular 'surgeries' where they will meet their constituents and they all have private secretaries so you can always send a fax or write in if you can't get to a 'surgery'. Your MP will want the LEA to arrange for a place in school for your children - believe me, if they get a letter with the 'House of Commons' logo on it they will act fast!

As other people have mentioned in this thread, 'A' Levels can be taken not just at the High School but also at local "Sixth Form colleges" and "Colleges of Further Education." I guess your daughter is on a 'Gap Year' right now LOL!

http://www.direct.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/fs/en (see 'find a school' on the right and you choose the max distance from home to the school or college and it lists them).

and this is interesting...an "Education Maintenance Allowance" for 16+ students....this would never happen in the USA!:

http://www.dfes.gov.uk/financialhelp...fm?SectionID=1

Good Luck!

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Thanks again to all who have replied.
Englishmum, Thanks loads for the links. I am happy to say that the letter came today to let me know my son has been admitted to the school. YAY!! so one more thing out of the way. I have an appointment at a job recruitment agency Thursday so I have to get a CV together. SCARY! For so long I had been so confident being the manager of an office, but now its terrifying to be looking for work again and not being familiar with it all. Oh well, part of the process...I did know it would be hard. Its till great though. Stopped at the bakery today for some fresh bread and scones...yummy! :)

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

dear calle
reading your threads...i dont know you but feel so happy for you. (and very homesick!!!) im so glad it seems to be working out - and Plants, the bit you wrote about becomming a happy person again..so true..Calle I'd be interested to know if all of your family reached the same decision to move make to the uk (a thread ive started recently) together or if someone in your lot wouldve preferred oz. if, so how are they coping?
with very best wishes to you
have a lovely christmas! x

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Oh - that's fantastic news!

You might want to check online or get a book out of your local library if you need help with writing a CV.....I understand that the 'Resume' which job applicants write for the US job market differs a bit from a CV so you might want to see some samples.....then again perhaps the recruitment agency can help you with this.

Maybe you could consider just doing some 'Temp' work to start with, so you get some 'tasters' of working in various offices. Of course, the nice thing about working in the UK is that you don't even need to worry about whether or not the 'healthcare plan' is decent enough (although you may be offered private insurance with say, BUPA or PPP by some employers as a 'perk' at subsidised rates). Best of all....unlike the US you will almost certainly get offered more than 10 - 15 days annual leave if you get a job in the UK - in addition to the public/bank holidays LOL! :D

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

if you go to the local adult/further education place near you - they all provide free courses on getting in the workforce again. they will do the cv with you and give you the disc/copies for free. different places call this different things so sorry cant help you with what its called, but if you phone, someone will know. Sometimes the colleges attaches people to the jobcentres instead to make the service more accessable

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

Hi Calle

I am sooooo glad to read this - I stumbled upon this forum from another forum you're on (oh, that sounds kinda strange, I don't mean for it to!) - congrats on successfully making the move!

Could we PM about your adventure on the QM2? I have some very specific questions now that you've done it (and if you remember because of your recommendations, I'm most likely going to do my trip with my cats that way instead of flying)

What fantastic news you have and I'm glad that everything worked out so well.

Heather, Baltimore

Re: I'm HOME!!!
 

You lucky, lucky git!!!

All the best and share a tear for me. I miss the place too :(