Hi there.

Not sure if this is the right place for the post,but wanted a UK perspective on my dilemma......

I moved back to UK on my own(had divorced) in 2006 after living in Australia(Melbourne area)for 8 years,mainly to see more of my family,and was fortunate enough to have a job to come to.
It was nice to be back,seeing family(especially at Xmas),good old English food,theme parks,airshows(yes real plane geek),countryside and history,not to mention Europe on my doorstep.
It wasn't all great thou and missed my life and the way of life(weather,space,my house)in Australia,would have very down periods,not so much now,only odd days.
I was always adamant that I would return to Australia one day,and now I have only 12 months left on my RRV to allow me to return to Australia.
I have a big dilemma,as for the first time since I left Iam questioning weather to return,I wouldn't be guaranteed work straight away or job to go to,I sold my home in Aus a year ago for a number of reasons,so would have to rent(and probably have to find 6 months upfront),don't really have any support over there as no real friends,so would be a gamble to basically start again(was 41 in feb).
Over hear in the UK I have secure job(cabin crew,not amazing pay but average for UK),family,friends,theme parks and airshows lol,all the stuff I mentioned why I came back for really,not to mention the fact that i met a lovely lady,(who is willing to return to Aus with me if I decide)there is also the chance to buy a property together at the end of this year,something I would have to sacrifice if I returned to Australia,but after all this,why is it I feel that I would be loosing something very special if I gave up my residency of Aus?

Any thoughts greatly appreciated,(have sleepless nites pondering this,hence the post at 5 am!)

My first reaction is that you don't want to go back to Australia.

Answer this question -- if they gave you a few more years on your residency, would you go back now? I suspect not, so it's only the anxiety about losing it. That's valid, but grabbing for it just beacuse it'll disappear doesn't seem logical.

Bev

Hi Bevan,

I do love Australia,but concerned ill be giving allot up I have built up over hear,if I was gauranteed a job to go to then it may change my concern,as finances are always an issue.
If I got another 5 years?,good question,I guess I could save up a bit more that's for sure,but you are correct in that if Iam doubting going back now,then how will I be in 5 years again?

My opinion is that if you are happy with the way your life is going and it does appear to be pretty good from what you have said what are you hoping to achieve by coming back to Australia? actually that was more of a question than an opinion. As has been said numerous times 'if it aint broke dont fix it' :-)

Well that's another fair question,yes it isn't bad really is it,I guess it's just that idea that I may get a better life if I do take that gamble,I have lived there before and it worked out ok then,well despite splitting from my wife(but think that wiuld have happened anyhow to be honest),it has some lovely places to see and enjoy,I guess when I first went to Aus,I was allot younger,was working long hours,doing 2 jobs in UK,didn't have the quality of life I have now,didn't appreciate history,travel and culture like I do now,so I have changed,even from returning in 06 to UK,I have changed allot,I did go back for a holiday in 2009,and really enjoyed it,and it was great to see places again,but life has even changed for me since then in UK,and feel more settled than I have ever before,just wish I didn't feel a sense of loss at not going back.

The sense of loss is natural, i have no doubt i will feel the same very soon when we return to England BUT the positives we will have there will outweigh what we will miss. Its human nature to think the grass is greener, for some it is for others it isnt. It just seems me that you appear to have pretty decent life thats all.

Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans! And it looks like your life has taken you in a different direction from the one you thought it would - it is only natural to grieve for something you think you may have lost but, looking on the bright side, it seems that the life you have is pretty OK. Why screw it up?

I would say think very carefully about what you've got. I moved to Oz and back twice. Both times giving up good jobs and homes in the UK. I'm now back in the UK and starting from scratch. The second move to Oz was due to fear of Visa running out. Biggest mistake ever.

I'm curious what you mean when you say you'd have a better life there. I say that because you have family, friends and a woman who loves you right there in England. What could be better than that?

More sunshine and a bigger house can't make up for the love of family and friends - and I think you know it, which is why you haven't already gone

Gosh, I think you should go for it! Surely your girlfriend wants to experience some adventure and travel in life, before settling down. You could take her to Aus and show her around, and enjoy life doing something different.

Or you can curl up in your easy chair, smoke your pipe, and watch the world go by. It's not like you couldn't come back after a few years of travel and adventure. Good luck.

Ive never understood this whole better life idea, i grew up in this country and i cant see that it gives us a 'better' life just a different one. Sunshine certainly doesnt make your life better nor does a bigger house. If you want some adventure you are well placed right in Europe to get that. Im not really saying do it or dont do it, rather dont assume it will magically give you something you dont have already.

But why is it a choice between adventure or the easy chair? He doesn't sound as if he's living a boring life in the UK.

You can have adventures anywhere, just as you can sit in an easy chair anywhere.

His GF, according to him, is quite young. You yourself gladly flew off to Canada and US is search of adventure. I left the UK to go to Germany, and then ended up in the US as a young woman. It sounds like she is excited to see some of the world, from his previous posts. Why not? Take a few years out and let her see some of the world - it is the perfect opportunity.

They are both Brits. There is no Aussie/Brit problem to snarl things up. If I were the GF, I would be jumping at the chance for a bit of travel.

It's difficult for Brits to work in Europe, because of the language barrier. When I went to Germany I worked at an American military hospital, but there isn't much opportunity for that these days.

Just "my" opinion.

But the gf can't just "move" to Australia can she?

There is all that visa stuff of which I know next to nothing, have you looked into that OP?

My friend here in England is an Australian citizen (she's English) and she is looking to move back later this year, she owns a house there and can easily get a job as a nurse where she worked before.

Her man who she lives with is wanting to move back with her and they are going through the application process now, they have had to provide all kinds of paperwork including statements from family and friends that they are a genuine couple and pay $2000 in application fees.

I don't know what an RRV is, I am a permanent citizen of Australia myself, though I do believe my visa runs out in August this year but as I won't ever be returning to live it doesn't bother me............my ping pong days are over, I am all pinged out.

I hadn't read his earlier posts and there was no indication in this one that the GF was eager to move, just that she'd be willing. Perhaps I was missing that piece of information.

Still, I really do think you learn something when you emigrate - in my case it's that adventure has nothing to do with where you are, and everything to do with what you make of where you are. I know now that I didn't need to travel everywhere looking for adventure because there was plenty to be had back home. So yes, while I traveled looking for "adventure" at 24, I'm not sure how that makes me wrong when I - now older and wiser - advise someone else to stick with a good thing.