dadpad

For some reason I couldn't log back into expats under my old user name etc and despite numerous requests for a new password I never received one hence I am now registered as dadpad not paddad.

I recently returned from a week stay in the U.K. to finalize the purchase of our new home. I travelled solo leaving hubby and the boys back in Aus. I very much want to return to the U.K. but I was really nervous about how I'd feel once I was there in case I thought that we'd made a mistake.

My plane touched down mid morning. It was bloody freezing but the blue sky and sunshine was glorious. Some very good friends collected me from the airport and I felt a wonderful sense of being 'home'.

Our first stop enroute to their home was to a restuarant for lunch. The thing that really struck me was that the waitress was very polite and 'genuinely' friendly and this was not my last experience of eating out here.

Not a lot has changed in the 2 years and 8 months that I have been away and 4 out of the 8 days that I was there it was grey and it even snowed (in April). I met up with a lot of old friends and it was as if I had never been away.

Despite having some friends in Australia my social life felt like it had been through a drought and being with all my friends and family again was like 'manna from heaven'. I felt a deep sense of belonging and I was able to be 'me' again. It's been a while since I felt this 'happy' and as the week in the U.K. came to an end I felt a real sense of peace and the prospect of finally returning to the U.K. for good felt so right.

I have been back in Aus for a week now making preparations to return to the U.K. permanently in early June. I can't wait to be back home for good.

I had to remind myself why we left the U.K. in the first place and my main reasons were

a) the weather b) the space c) the lifestyle d) a better life for the kids and quite frankly my reality of living in Australia is different because

a) while it's too cold for 4 months of the year in the U.K. it's too hot for 4 months of the year in Australia b) It's become very overcrowded in Brisbane too what with all the 1000's of homes going up and built on 600 sq blocks and traffic congestion is no different c) lifestyle - I looked this word up in the dictionary and the definition was 'individuals way of life'. On the whole I don't like my way of life in Australia and a nice house and garden doesn't cut it.

We needed to come to Australia to experience it for ourselves and now that we have at least 'I know' what it is like to live here. I have English friends who've been here for the same period of time and some who've been here longer who feel very content here and that's fine too. Everybody is different.

It's been a wonderful if expensive adventure and I wouldn't change it. I don't see it as a failing returning to the U.K. - what we've done is 'open doors' since we achieved our citizenship and we've become dare I say 'a little wiser' and a bit more objective. I think for us Australia is a spectacular place to spend a holiday but I wouldn't want to live here.

Now back to logistical nightmare of 'organising' our return to the U.K. :scared:

ps I flew with Emirates and it was brilliant - great 5 course meals, friendly service, fantastic inflight entertainment - so we booked our one way flights to the U.K. in June thru Emirates online and for 3 adults (one of which is a 14 year old) and 1 child we paid $6,652.00 including taxes. Unfortunately when I mentioned this to flightcentre they said they would have matched it and reduced it by $100.00. This is worth bearing in mind when shopping around.

TraceyW

Really pleased for you....you lucky so & so!

I'm worried too that I will feel like we've made a terrible mistake when we go home.

I just wish I knew what the right thing to do was.

Good luck back home.

Irish Guinness

thanks dadpad, that was a great post, all the very best on your return to your homeland !!!!!friends of ours flew Emirates and said they where fantastic,so next time I return home for a holiday I shall book with them,I also found Malaysian airlines to be very good. bye and all the very best

kt.2006

Hi, I'm glad things are working out for you. How did you find getting your children back into schools in the UK? The LEA's are not very helpful until you have a proper resident address and yet we do not want to move back until we have sorted out the schools the children will be going to! It is so much easier here where you just have to turn up at the school and the children can start on that day!

If your child is going back into Year 10 has the school you enrolled him in given you any idea how that will affect his GCSE's. I have a boy who will be going back into Year 10 or Year 11 if we do not make it back by September and the schools have been very unsure how they will handle this. One school said that he would have to go back to do Year 10 again (which he would hate).

Hope you don't mind me asking.

Betty Boot

Thanks for a great post, makes me feel a little more confident about our return after 6 years here, hopefully once the house is sold and notice given at my husbands work we are ready to go. Would definately fly emirates as have been with them in the past and are brill

dadpad

Unfortunately we have to be resident before we can even put an application in and have to show proof of our address so we will only be able to apply to schools when we arrive in the U.K. from the 8th June 2006.

My 14 year old is quite keen to repeat year 10 and he made the suggestion without any prompting which came as a complete surprise to me. He would have only completed 6 months of year 10 by the time we got to the U.K. so I don't think he has much choice anyway. His grades average between b's and c's and he is a year younger than most of his classmates which I think helps if he is repeating.

It is difficult I think if they don't want to repeat a year. I think if your child's grades are good and you yourself think he'll cope then maybe he could get away with not repeating the year. I've emailed the schools that we are keen on to let them know that we are coming over and downloaded application forms but alas our hands are tied until we actually arrive on U.K. soil.

Good luck with this - I'll keep you posted once we get them into a school.

Tass

Thank you for the great post !( For those of us that feel the same way but can't word it so well ) Well done to you for sticking it outand living the experience.How long did it take to sort out your citizinship stuff ? Did you apply on-line ? .....and how come your partner /husband feels the same ?!?!? (am just jealous)
Good luck to you all now and on your return.
All the best,
Tass.

jad n rich

What a great post, to know where your going, when and that you are so sure about it. If only my life was so organised It wont be for a while now, aussie MIL is now ill so partner will not leave, despite me having the same situation in UK.

Besides that, you said to finalise your house purchase, did you buy off the net, or did you go over and look around?

dadpad

Once we reached the 2 year mark we decided to apply online at http://www.immi.gov.au/allforms/ and then posted the forms off and 3 months after that i.e. Australia Day we had our citizenship ceremony.

As far as my husband is concerned it took a bit longer to get him to come round to the idea. It really helped that he wasn't enjoy his job and of course he does miss his family, friends and squash club in the U.K. I think he was also concerned that I would change my mind about the U.K. when I went over
two weeks ago but I didn't. So it wasn't easy and after months of turmoil he has finally come round and incidentally appears to be much happier generally.

dadpad

We found our house on the net. Fortunately we know the area well and it helps when the U.K. estate agents publish pictures and dimensions. Also a number of friends and family viewed the property on our behalf and gave it the thumbs up. However I did go over just to make sure that it was what we wanted and I am very pleased to say that it was almost exactly what I had expected.

MrsB

Great to hear it!

I get sick of reading all the "slate the UK" threads about chavs and stabbed grannies and the like!

Keep us updated on how it goes.

How I wish it was my turn!

whisky

A really nice to read post.
Sounds as though things are going well for you.
Good luck and be happy.

Whisky

goldcoastblue

Maybe the cynasism of living in the UK and overexeggarating matters, drives a internal desire to experience another country and climate, to really understand what we have at the time, of what we didnt realise we had.

I believe travel broadens the mind, and windens the narrow minded views one may have.

From your post certainly portrays that, I mean I read alot of up and coming expats- boast about chavs, granny stabbing and crime etc etc, immigration etc,

Is it that bad, or is it an excuse for a underlying reason of moving abroad.. mine was the experience of doing it, I wanted to do for a long time, seen a few others doing it, visited them and though i wouldnt mind a crack of that see what all the fuss is about....

15 months on... still not sure what the fuss is about

janeyray

[QUOTE=dadpad] Some very good friends collected me from the airport and I felt a wonderful sense of being 'home'.

QUOTE]


I'm sure you wont regret coming back. You've done what you wanted and given Australia a good go.

Good luck with your plans.

mand8002

Glad you are happy with your decision to return. Migrating isn't for everyone but no one knows if it is right for them till they have tried it. At least you have citizenship so that door is always open for you. I wish you well and hope you settle back into life in the UK.