trottytrue

Its not what have you done its what are you going to do. Forget the past get on with the future. If you are not happy make plans to move back home. Those on here who were brave enough to reconize the fact that they had made the wrong move I give them a tip of my hat. Those like me who stayed because they were afraid to make the move or upset others live with it for the rest of their lives.
Better to do it sooner than later because sometimes later never comes especially when you have children. They get settled and don't want to move the older they get the worse it gets. Then you end up like me a 60's person making the move back but leaving behind loved ones no matter were I live.

gotoronto

The decision of whether to go back or not is always a tough one - especially since it is not easy to identify WHY someone wants to go back. Obviously most people will run into initial struggles when emigrating. For some, it is teething problems. For others, it is just truly a matter of having been the wrong decision.

Every situation is different - but I think for many people emigrating seems to be a solution to getting away from the day-to-day problems that they have back home... once they start working and living in the new place, they realise that life is not really that different.

It's hard to make a decision to move back home - it's not just the whole issue of having spent so much time and money on emigrating (not to mention effort and energy). Most people had a dream of emigrating... and going back home is like a dream dying. So I can fully understand why people would try longer. And in some cases, that ends up being the right thing because the initial struggles are just teething problems.

penny farthing

I would calm down a bit and do what we did - get 6 months under your belt and see how you feel.
Right now you are acutely homesick like everyone else who does this and it will pass.
At least give yourselves a chance ,you owe it to yourselves after all the effort you have put in to get there. I forced us through one year and then we were fine.
However I dont look at anything as permanent-
remember back home, no sun, rain, damp and dull, but that apart home is home , but do give yourselves a bit more time.

Sammy T

Thanks, wise words

Sam

Oliveoil

I would give yourself a least a year to be honest. I know at least 2 couples that dragged themselves through the first year and now love living in Australia.

islandergirl

With all due respect Oliveoil OP lives in Aus - you do not.

The first year is tough but many people never love it, and most people would fall between the two extremes of loving and hating it.

People get stuck here due to family obligations, financial pressures or whatever and regret not going when they had the chance.

Sam try and see as much of it as you can, get out and about on the weekends and if you still feel unhappy in the New Year then don't feel bad about going home.

hippy chick

Just to let you know that its not just Australia that makes you feel this way. I have been in Canada for 3 1/2 months and there isn't a day goes by that I dont think about going back to UK. We have also cried together and asked ourselves "What have we done" but we are still here, we said we should give it a year. I'm finding it difficult to get a job, and i never had any problems finding work in UK. My kids love it here and it upsets us to think we may take them back next yr... Still, its early days and unsettling times...
Good luck with whatever you decide... At least you had the guts to try it....

Oliveoil

well, clearly yes, but I was just trying to stress that to only be there 3 months you are bound to still be finding your feet and finding things stressful. I personally would give it a lot longer otherwise you may come back and then think oh god, why didn't I stick it out a bit

Mr Anderson

Hi

Get on the spirit of tasmania in hyour car and get over to melbourne and see what you can have.

If you moved back to the uk and had to move to a different city for a job, would you feel you "belonged" there.

Im homesick at the moment.

Im doing all i can to save up to go back once a year. I eat sushi for lunch every day at work. Im starting to take last nights tea in to work instead, thatll save me 2,500 buck a year to take me home. Ill get my slice of reality, a welcome from my mates and a see you next year maybe.

Home is where you make it i feel. We looked at
Brisbane, Syd and melbourne, and ended up in a little place called nelson bay

Fantastic beaches, lovely people, lovely weather, what more could you ask for.

Hated every minute of it, boring as hell and didnt once think about moving back to the UK. We just looked at other cities, did our research on areas right for uys and flew out and looked at them.

Melbourne had the best climate and loads of things to do, far too many to keep mre occupied. It is so mixed race here you feel as though you do belong as it feels like england.

Try other places, i didnt feel like i belonged in nelson bay. I feel as though i do belong in melbourne.

Great city, you can get a land and house package in lovely areas for 300-400k not far from the city.

Good luck in what you decide but cosider moving sideways before you go backwards

Alan

iaink

Deserately unhappy, or just desperately homesick? Three months is a pretty typical time frame for Culture shock to kick in big time, the initial adrenaline rush is long gone, you havent had a chance to make new friends and pseudo family to replace those left behind, the differences in lifestyle are starting to gnaw at you.

Its natural. Make sure you give it time and dont throw the baby out with the bathwater. Google "Culture Shock" and see if it checks any boxes with you before making any rash decisions.

alecmaclaren

Hi dont worry about the kids to much , we lived in Cyprus from 1998 to 2003 and moved back to the UK. In 2007 we moved back to Cyprus although the kids where very well settled in the UK. We have now just had to go back to the UK again, employment and financial reasons to blame. It was very stressful I was really concerned for the kids, but we have been back two months and it is as if we have never left. It will be the same for you, if your not happy there then get back to the UK, on the bright side you may be able to choose where you want to live? Pick somewhere nice, rent for a while the property market here is not going anywhere but down. Your kids will be find after first month. Kids are much more flexible and sociable than us adults they fit in anywhere. If you decide to stay over in Aus, you need to get out and meet people get active that will help. best of luck.

Londonuck

I agree with what they said. We came back to London and i was completely gutted to be back after being away for 6.5 years in Vancouver. Its taken me 4 years to get out again and now happy in Ireland. I really would give it more time. Its all ups and downs when you move away, we've all gone through it.

picklepie

Hi, you took the words out of my mouth. I've been in Australia since August 2007 and am desperate to get back to the UK. We had major wobbles at around the 3 month mark and if we'd had return flights would probably have fled back then. We got through that and even bought a house in March this year (not to mention buying a dog!) but are now planning on returning early next year. I know its gonna be tough financially going back but sometimes theres more to life than money, we may have the sort of house we could only dream of having in the UK, but happiness, friends and family are more important.

Baby75

what it called when you knew it wasnt right from day one! I was on the plane flying in to Brisbane and I though OH NO WHAT HAVE WE DONE!!! and I had this sinking feeling and it hasnt gone. I know we are here only 4 months just but I know as much as Australia is great its not were I want to spend the rest of my life either.

Baby75

I agree I think it makes you see what you had or what important to you and your family, your gut feeling of going home at 3 months werent to far off then

good luck with going home are your taking the dog