Originally Posted by between two worlds

Just to say hello to all my friends on here. Haven't been on for a couple of months--great to see so much happening! Windsong home at last, feelbritish having sold house and zooming along with preparations, and other familiar names too working towards fulfilling the dream.

Lovely to see the old friends still involved and joining in even if the move back is long in the past or still far in the future.

I have been back a year and a half and loving it. Harder adjustment for USC OH, although he knows and likes the place where we are. It was a lot to do all at once, adjust to retirement or semi-retirement as well as new living circumstances.

But I am so very happy to be back here and loving it all. Feel very lucky after all those years of longing; try to appreciate every day and not take it for granted.

Originally Posted by jasper123

BTW Oh that's wonderful that you both have settled in, wow a year and a half, it don't seem that long, time just flies by don't it, and so glad that your loving life in the UK, I feel the same way after almost 5 years home!!! Ive never been so happy and sometimes I have to pinch myself thinking that all this is just one big lovely dream!!!! but its all real

Originally Posted by feelbritish

Nice to hear from you too! Glad you are still happy and settled. We are also retiring! In fact yesterday hubby handed in his notice to company and his final working day ever will be 27th September! We leave on 29th September, flight booked and arrive home on 30th September. Will go and look at house on 1st October but stay with friends for a few days while we get the house painted. I am getting so excited!!!

Originally Posted by between two worlds

Wow it is really happening for you!!! So exciting. Thank you for answering. I should say that it may not be all smooth sailing--not to discourage you, but so you are prepared--retiring and moving house all at the same time is a lot to deal with….but if all on the same page and looking forward to this new adventure, then it will be great!!

Flight booked, gosh that has all been quite fast. Good luck!!

Originally Posted by jasper123

Yep almost 5 years home for me, and I remember all the help and encouragement you and many others gave me in the year building up to my move, I was so scared of the unknown, I was away for almost 40 years, when your away that long its like the only thing you know is that way, and of course you have grown old in your adopted country too which makes it all the more difficult to adjust, when you left the UK so young and you are returning much older in your senior years ---- or as I like to put it the Autum of your life, and there is only one season to go before the curtains come down, and that's Winter!!!!

One thing that I found hard to get used to was all the British TV personalities over here, like I would see them and because of there stature and what they do made me realise that a lot of these people are quite famous over here in UK but trouble is I never heard of them before, and never saw there faces before, so to me they were just compleat strangers,
so the more times I would see these people over the years of course now even to me they are famous, and I reconise them right away, there are dozens of them that are doing very well for themselves here but have never made it in America, so of course I wouldn't have known them,
Im just thinking now of a few of the names coming now from the top of my head ------ bradley walsh, nowel edmonds, harry hill, nick knowles, lorraine kelley, amanda holden, even will-i am who is american I never knew who he was until I saw him on the voice in uk, some americans make it bigger over here then there own country!!! ----- john bishop, and another comedian called something McIntyre, anyway there are a ton of other british names that I now know and like but I cant think of them right now,
you see while in America I didn't watch any british programs on the internet so I never knew these people, and most of them had not even started there careers by the early 70's when I left, and lots were not even born yet

Originally Posted by feelbritish

Tell me about it! It was stressful and now it is like the eye of the hurricane, calm before the next storm! Luckily we have quite a bit to do when we get back plus go visit with family and friends, then early Dec we leave for Cape Town for 3 months so that will be exciting and something to look forward to. Then back in March which may be difficult with the winter upon us, but then we will be looking for a caravan to buy so that may take up our time then lol. Then we need to settle into routines. I therefore see us taking quite a while to settle. No doubt in the summer someone we know will be coming over to stay as well! But you are right, there will be something that will irritate us and we are hoping it is not our neighborhood with parking issues or noise!

Originally Posted by between two worlds

Thanks, Jasper! "Both settled in" may be overstating it slightly….but anyway yes, time has flown by…

we do visit the US quite often so are sort of straddling the two countries still....it will always be the way I think.

The weather today is awful but I find I quite enjoy the changeability and we have had some really lovely days this summer.

Originally Posted by jasper123

I think its interesting that some expats when they come home from America and settle, still find themselves returning quite often to U.S. and some like myself are quite happy and contented to stay within the British Isles, I don't plan to take my first visit back to US until 2018 so that will make it 8 years since I left!!!
I think the people that come home for good and still feel the need to want to take trips often back to the US are mostly the ones who are torn between the two countries and also have family back there, so I think for these people its not as easy for them to settle properly back home, ---- but for people like me who have no family members back in the U.S. find it quite easy to make that permanent break!!! me thinks

Originally Posted by between two worlds

For the not-smooth-sailing part, I was thinking more about the emotional settling in of both parties…especially if there was hesitation to make the move.

But--never mind--let's accentuate the positive!

Originally Posted by between two worlds

Not just no family members but no US spouse! I have both, an adult still there and US spouse feeling unsettled….

Luckily two other children have chosen to live in Europe, independently of the fact we are here, so that is excellent.

Originally Posted by feelbritish

You are right, OH was not happy to move but now he seems to have accepted it and is getting excited. We will have emotional problems with his family but he will have to deal with that. I vowed to never get involved again and to take a back seat with his kids. Luckily we are far enough away from them so that we actually have to make a plan to visit. There will be the odd moment for sure, we are retiring, moving countries and have sold up a house we lived in for 14 years so that is at least 3 of the big stresses in life all at once.

Originally Posted by feelbritish

That must be really hard for you! You can never really cut ties then! We have no ties to Canada family wise but my OH is already talking to people to do a house swop in future because he wants to come back fishing! If not for him, I would have no reason to return ever!

Originally Posted by michali

It's funny you should mention doing three big stressors in life! I took it all for granted really. Getting visa (the worst part!), retiring and relocating were major. My daughter remarked on how well we have adjusted, not so much to a 'new' country, but being together full time in a small flat and getting on well! Mind you, we do go out separately sometimes which is healthy and I go shopping to give him a break from me. At least, that is my excuse!