I know what you mean about the history and familiarity, I have not been in Perth long and I am homesick. I never thought it would be me first as it was sort of my dream. I describe the feeling to friends and I cannot describe it well, I just miss the UK and what you describe. We were lucky my Dad rents our house and we are o.k here so we will do the 2 years as agreed, time has flown so the 2 years should not be a problem and we will go from there.

[QUOTE][/]Y'see, I just don't get that (sorry!). I have a wonderful husband of 13 years and a beautiful little girl whom I adore with all my heart, but just because we are all in Australia together does not make this place feel like home.

Home involves a familiarity and fondness for people and surroundings, a shared history and treasured memories. My OH and daughter are not and have not been the only people in my life to give me this. I truly love my little family, but them alone isn't enough I'm afraid - I want my parents and siblings, my best friends, all the people who have made my life what it is.

I told my husband recently that I love him very much, but he's not enough to fulfill my whole life, he understands that and I believe he feels the same. I don't like being this dependant on his company. Can one other person (plus children) really be enough to make anywhere feel like home?

They are the joy in my life, but not my whole life.[/PHP]


I totally get that too, we are family of 3 and often feel we are too small a family here and I feel lonely for those family connections. We have been here long time so have friends here but for me especially in the last few years thats not enough. My son (11) gets that feeling too, his grandma has made the trip here every year especially for his birthday which has been so good but she told me last time that she cant do this anymore (she just turned 80). She has been fantastic and it would be great if we could just pop in for afternoon tea and those are things I think that make you feel at home.
For us we had plenty of family visits in our earlier years here but now because they are getting older and costs we go there and the saying goodbye gets tougher not easier as the years go by. It maybe a cliche but its so true that 'home is where the heart is'

I don't know any of those who have replied but I have to say that those who have said it wasn't worth it are probably talking out of their backsides. If they felt the desperate need to go through all the hassles and expense of moving to another country, they must have felt it would give them something they didn't already have. The ONLY way they have found that the UK gave them everything was to move away for however long. They would never have found this had they not done the move.

OK those who moved because they fancied a change and then found they didn't want that big a change will be different, but on the whole - it has to be worth it.

Anyway, the saying stands - on your deathbed you are far more likely to regret the things you haven't done rather than the things you have.