JRB

Hi there,hope this won't be too boring but would love to hear some stories of other expats who have gone back after a while in Oz. We have been in Perth for 5 years. It was just me and OH (an Aussie) when we came. We initially struggled on the job front and seemed to get ripped off abit, OH unemplyed for 6 months, me working as a cleaner despite being qualified nurse and podiatrist!!!We ended up getting sorted though, husband has great IT contract, I now have 2 toddlers and work part time (any hours I want), we have our own place for 3 years now. so all in all life is fine. We did have a good gang of friends and busier social life a few years back but they have all moved on (oil industry off to KL etc),also having 2 little ones makes life social life kind of quiet anyway. So now things are abit quieter and we only really have a few friends here. I also used to have a sister who lived in sydney which was great but she is now back in UK. Well for about the last 2 years I have been really homesick. It's mainly realising how much my children are missing out on having grandparents, cousins, Aunties etc. i am really close to my sisters and really miss them and I just think my 2 girls would love all the family social get togethers. I do miss certain aspects of the UK too. however when we went back for a 2 week trip in March this year I wasn't too keen on it. So OH and I have been agonising for about 2 years about what to do. I just can't get really settled here and I definately wake up with the knot in my stomach and we feel like we are living in limbo, not getting braodband, decent car etc because we have always potentially been moving back to UK. Anyway after all this pain, stress on relationship etc , my husband said it's now or never as he can't live in limbo anymore we have now decided to go and try living in the UK, house is on the market and husband quit job today so we will be off at end of Dec. We have no job or home in UK and are hoping to live in Suffolk. So this should make us happy as we are giving it a go, yet despite feeling excited I am also terrified of it. I am so worried that because of my homesickness I may have just ruined our lives. when I think positively about it it all seems ok, but when feeling scared I think we must be mad. However the positive things we have here seem more material orientated or environmental (e'g parks, beach etc)and the UK is about people and when I remember the best moments of my life it's about people not possessions. I've got a feeling we may end up being ping pongers. Help.

chance to be

hi i have PM'd you

ANA123

just wanted to say good luck!
Its taken me a good 2 years to make the decision, and have done so on similar reasons to yours. I guess its the same as when you come here you'll never know unless you try it. Hope it works out for you,
michaela

whisky

And heres another, going back after 3 years.
I too feel the same, positive one minute, scared as hell the next, but I felt like that when I was coming out here, and at least this time I am going back to whatI know.
I'm sure you will be fine.
Good Luck
Whisky

joh117

Hi

We moved back from nr Melbourne for the same reasons had a little one had no social life or family in Oz.

We moved back in July and have settled back in very well. My sister has just been round to ours with her boys and my little girl loves seeing them her face lights up and that never happened in Oz. She was in bed when her dad got home from work she only saw me monday to friday.

OH has a job and I start back at work next week with the company I used to work for. I managed to get part time which is great.

We have been in our house nearly 2 months so life is back to a routine and yes the weather is getting colder but I love being close to my family again.

We made the right decision but I guess you will never know until you do it

Jo

whisky

So pleased to read that things are going well for you, and that you are happy and settling into UK life again.
Good luck with the job.

Whisky

Budowsky

dont worry about it - you can always move back. Give the UK 6 months and if you don't like it move back.

TheVickers

good luck!!!! you only live once! I know how your husband feels though regards the living in limbo!

best of luck!
Jo x

Always21

Yes, because we all have endless supplies of money and nerves of steel.

Budowsky

OK dont do it then. Noone is putting a gun to your head.

shan

Hi,

Just wondering which part of Suffolk you are moving back to, as I'm moving back with my family in December to Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

Shan

JAJ

Have you obtained your Australian citizenship, out of interest?

JRB

Thanks for replies, I am still in a panic about it. We have all got citizenship so that's cool. We are looking to live in Woodbridge and fingers crossed husband will get job within commutable distance e.g Ipswich or something. If he does end up working in London (but we really hope not) then we'd have to look at moving nearer to there e.g Colchester, Chelmsford area. It's abit crazy going back in middle of winter but it really was a case of now or never so we gotta try.
I spoke to my mum last night to break the news and instead of being really happy about it all she was going on about was , you're giving up your nice house, husband giving up good job and kept on reminding me about how I hated the UK weather etc etc. So that made me feel great about it..........not!!!I then spoke to brother in law who had moved back to UK from Sydney after 10 years there and they have been back 2 years and they are loving it, they are really happy that we're coming back and also he was saying how the seasons are really great here and now we're abit older in life about how the things in life you like change. He said when in his 20's in Sydney life was about surfing, beach, sun etc but now heading to 40s and lots of the things in UK are more appealing now, even historic buildings!!!.
I am not entirely sure we are doing the right thing - that's why it's taken 2 years to get to this stage. Little kids are aged 3 and 1 so we want to try now as when they start school we want to be settled. Even last night I said to my husband, can you withdraw your work notice and keep your contract? He probably could but he said it wouldn't be the same there and we really have to go. Poor guy, I think it must drive him mad. I guess if we do go and end up coming back at least we will be settled next time and at least the kids would know their extended family and have those memories for life. Good luck to all of you doing the same thing. For those heading to suffolk we should keep in touch.

LouiseD

Hi there - I really feel for you. I've only been away since January and am petrified of going back so you must be out of your mind! If you can afford to come back at a later stage at least like you say you will be more sure and it will be an experience and a chance to spend time with family again. It's just so hard isn't it because it's so far away and such a different lifestyle. I'm more nervous about going home than I was about leaving it as I'm sure many people are. But you only get one life as far as we know and you can only make decisions based on how you feel at the time. If you've been homesick for so long I would guess you need to at least try it. Wish you loads of luck.

sandrainaus

Hi J

Sandra here, I know as per our conversations how hard this is for you, but I do think you are making the right decision, you have been undecided since I have been here and that is all we ever talk about, the need to go back home. I am so envious of you and like I have said before you know that if after a few years it does not work the option to come back is always there.

so from me to you go home enjoy being with your family, and having the girls grow up with all the love and family support that you crave for them.

just keep in touch, and when it is my turn to come home we will have to catch up.

speak in week

Sandra x