53andthinkingofhome

Hello Everyone,

Wish I had had this site available for the last 27 years of being an expat. I am very interested in these posts because I think we all have a lot of the same feelings. Leaving your country and family and friends is hard and your home and where you belong is always in your heart. Well, I will keep reading and nice to meet you!

lgabriel73

Welcome 53andthinkingofhome. I too wish I had found this site many years ago. Wonder if I would have gone home sooner if I had though.

Mummy in the foothills

Welcome

uk_sweetie

Hello and welcome! I too wish to go home! Hopefully soon!!

MrMuffin

Hello and welcome to you too. I've been in the USA for 26 plus years now and we're moving home to the UK either this year between Sept. and Nov. or worst case in the Spring of 2015. We're getting our house ready to sell right now and getting our belongings slimmed down, sold, and chucked away ready to figure out what we're actually going to transport.

It's a daunting task after so long. It's hard to think of what might happen, and it's hard to keep thinking positively about everything with so much to do. But deep down, I have a warm and wonderful feeling about getting home and being able to pop over to Mum's for a cuppa and a chat about nothing for the first time in a loooooong time. Can't wait.

Good luck to you!!

Fish n Chips 56

Fancy seeing you here... LOL

Fish n Chips 56

Think positive thoughts, its all doable if you have the right attitude, planning, money and expectations.

I returned in 89 then came back in 90, Biggest mistake was coming back but I couldnt get a job, times were very tough, I wished Id stayed longer and tried harder, I had family here trying to pull me back, it was difficult.

I think about returning every hour that my eyes are open or is it every minute, eventually it will happen for me too, my age and circumstances have changed money is the biggest issue.

Best wishes to all, I hope your dreams come true...

Fish n Chips 56

I found this site 4 yrs ago, I was amazed that other Brits had the same feelings as me, It was a great comfort.

Open up, tell us more about yourself, family job etc, where you live and where youd like to finish up...

elgin

I too am always thinking of returning to the UK.. I have grown children and grandchildren here in the U.S. Elderly parents in the U.K a brother and sister over there too. I am married and have been for years. We would not meet the financial requirements for my husband to come back. Here in the U.S we are both working minimum wage jobs and have no health or dental care. It's a struggle and it would be a struggle back in the UK but at least I would have health care!! Good Luck to everyone who struggles with deciding on what to do.

Fish n Chips 56

Hello Elgin, having children and grandchildren here must make it that much harder to leave, I have no children, but sisters and families who I dearly love, that plays on my mind.

The Healthcare issue has been my beef for decades, its a complicated system and totally screwed up IMHO, yet some think its the best Huhhhh, I doubt it will get better.

I have medical insurance but it takes up a large part of my income and doesn't cover as much as Id like, I can only afford so much, I have no dental insurance, Its a slippery slope, as we get older it will become a bigger burden.

I saw what happened with my mother as it came to the end of her life, it was no picnic for my Dad either, I just don't want my wife and myself to go down that path here.

I don't know how anyone makes it here on minimum wage.

Everything in America seems more complicated than it needs to be, everyone is on a different wavelength, nobody works together for the common good.

53andthinkingofhome

Thanks everyone
I have been in Canada for about 27 years and have raised my kids here but my family all live in the UK. I feel like I live in 2 worlds. I would love to live there but I could not leave my adult kids who were born here in Canada and I do like Canada so I think I will just have to go for lots of visits home and see as much of my family over there as I can. It should be getting easier now that my kids are grown up but it is getting so expensive for flights. I think that as other people on here said - once you have left your country you are never really sure what is right.

robin1234

How about a long visit to the UK each winter? This is what I did this year, had ten weeks in England, early January till late March. My reason for that season was that you can get winter lets of holiday cottages at reasonable rates in the Nov to March season. Also, taking just one long trip makes the airfare less onerous (I fly Ottawa to Heathrow.)

I was very lucky with the weather - mild and springlike even in January, I realise it's not like that every year! But it's a pattern I might repeat if moving back to the UK doesn't work out for us.