Okay...I know I am a nomad, but this is ridiculous!!

I moved to the good ole USA about fifteen years ago. Last year, I decided that I was going to move back to the UK. I wanted to be close to family; in addition to that, I was worried about the health system in USA. You know - if you dont have a job, you dont have medical coverage. At least in the UK, you will always be covered (although its not that great). I thought nothing is more important than family, and I should be close to them. I dont have anyone apart from a few close friends in the USA anyway. So, I moved back to England. I gave up alot - good job, lovely house, cute pet and good friends. I have been back in the UK for at least a year now, and am thinking about going back!! :scared: Its not that I dont like England, I do: I love the weather (really, I do!), the quaintness,being close to the Meditteranean, close to family and the excellent transportation system (I dont need a car!). Its just I feel a pull to go back - There is so much more to do where I am from in the US. I miss my friends, and the work (I cant get similar work in the UK)

Has anyone ever returned to the UK, and then wanted to go back?

Yes, been there, done that - and am now heading back to the UK again (I think the Ozzies would call me a ping pong Pom)!

I would advise you to think very carefully. Moving all that way is not cheap, in financial and personal terms. And if you change your mind again (I didn't exactly change my mind; I knew in the back of my mind I'd probably be back again), you could (like me) pay for the rest of your life with a lower standard of living. My many moves have probably cost me over $30,000 in real terms and in all kinds of other incidental terms (poor exchange rate, very litle growth in house price, moving to the bottom of the housing ladder) any thing up to close to $100,000.

I read on here recently that all expats are doomed to compare. Once you've lived in another country, you can't stop comparing where you are to somewhere else (often where you last came from!) Reading between the lines it seems you may have fallen into that trap.

Did you become a U.S. citizen before you left?

Yes, I know someone, It's me! U.K. Calgary, Vancouver,U.K. and ehhh.. Vancouver? I have been warned of some people doing it until they died of old age. Apparently for that last Journey they had no money left to take with them.

Hi

I moved from UK to NZ twice, then to OZ and returned to UK, now desperately wanting to go back to OZ. For us NZ was not the right place and I went to keep OH happy, he did not like it there the second time. OZ was the right place for me, but not OH, but now he wants to try again. We have lost lots of money, could have no mortgate etc by now if we had not started the ping pong effect, our problem is our children now refuse to move with us, have you got family to worry about?

Perhaps see an independent counsellor before moving again. Do you think you could be doing geographicals to escape something other than a country?

The lesson for all of us is that...

t h e r e i s n o p e r f e c t l i f e

Chasing rainbows in an expensive game that we seem to be drawn to.

The trouble with the countries that we tend to emigrate to is that they are too close to what we are moving from, or else their advantages and disadvantages more-or-less cancel each other out, so the scales tend to tip this way then that continually. It's hard to polarise.

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t h e r e i s n o p e r f e c t l i f e

Chasing rainbows in an expensive game that we seem to be drawn to.

I'm moving back and think the secret is to try, as far as possible, to try to do all or most of the great things you did in your adopted country at home.

I realise this may be easier said than done but surely we can find somewhere we like living in the Uk as opposed to moving 12,000 miles,
I'm in Oz.

I'd appreciate anyone's thoughts who've been back.

We think one day we will have to return to the UK for exactly the same reasons you did. We also think we will feel exactly the same as you do now. Scarey isn't it? :scared: :scared: :scared:

I'm moving back this year and i just know i wont want to stay there forever and a day, so why are going, i feel if i dont go back then i can never move forward - hope so

Top advice, What has amazed me most by our move is the fact that before we comitted to moving to Oz, we didn't even think about trying a different area in the UK first. Mainly because there was nothing wrong with where we were. As for chasing rainbows your bang on because I can't think of any sane and rational reason why we left the UK now. We've chased our rainbow and like all rainbows you can never reach the end of one and there was certiainly no pot of gold at the end of ours.

I wonder why people don't try living 6 months in that country of our dreams just to see it the experience would satisfy the erge moving far away, before we up rooting our lives and follow that dream? Some times we have fallen into a rut and simply need to shake things up abit, its easy to confuse that with needing to do something as drastic as leaving our birth nation.

It could certainly answer alot of questions about our perception of a country while preventing future regrets and having to sacrifice jobs,houses and family and friends. I've always dreamt of living in the UK,maybe so much so that the reality could fall quite short of the dream.I've been told by my english co-workers that England will be a shock for many Americans.It is said that even the small things like customer service is far different in the UK. After a great deal of consideration I have made the decision to spend 6 months in the UK and another two months in Ireland.

Hoping my time in both countries will be enough to full fill my life long dream.If after my travel expedition that desire to live abroad is still strong then its time to take the big step.I think alot of times we visit a place for only a short vacation and conclude what it would be like to live there base on that 2-4 week experience.I believe a 3 month stay in normal circumstances is enough time to tell us everything we need to know about a place.

So when I stay in the UK ,plan to live in a short term apartment with out maid or room service, use mass transit just like the locals do. Will split my time up between two areas,Manchester and outer London. Which ever I like the most the plan is to spend the lion share of time in that place. Same with Ireland,Dublin and will see what other areas I fancy.I must say this plan is due in large part because of all the travel information of the members on this site.It is a big help to learn what to do base on what others have already been through.For that reason if you all were near by I'd have to buy the beer.

Wise man.

good idea. you know you'll have lots of people expecting a beer now, dont you! enjoy the experience and keep posting
c

A cunning plan with only one problem, Most people I would think would have to give up their jobs to be able to do a 6 month stint, which personally I think needs to be at least a year to get a decent flavour of the new country. Not many employers would agree to this. But if you don't like your job too much and it would be easy to get re-employment then definately try before you buy.

This is a great idea, but I agree, it would be hard to find an employer that would go along with your plans. I am lucky because I work in education in the US and every 7 years we qualify for a year long leave. I plan to go back to the UK in 2007 and take a leave from work. If something happens and I want to come back, I can walk back into my job at the same pay level as when I left. I think more people should try and consider this kind of option. Maybe not a year, maybe just a few months. Even if you have to quit your job (and rent out your house), it is better than to uproot your whole life and then, when you get there, decide it wasn't for you and have to come all the way back with nothing. Just a thought.