gobbyjock

I think your right - I also believe that you never know what is round the corner for you and I would hate to be self righteous and telling people that they were talking rubbish only to find a few months down the line I was in the same boat, feeling the same way. Never undervalue someone else`s experiences. As someone who has moved house a lot over the years and who hasn`t been "home " to Scotland in 5 years (haven`t missed it so haven`t felt the need) I`m hoping that if we do manage to get to Oz I will adapt as I always have done. I f I don`t, then that in itself will call for another form of adaption - guess I`ll just have to try it and see

Shanbo5150

[QUOTE=Bob]
But a lot of problems people have are because they ended up moving to a crap area for whatever reason, most experiences would be massively different depending on where you set yourself up, things here would be massively different if I'd end up in california or texas...QUOTE]

It's funny having lived in the US (always in the Los Angeles area) since 82 when I was 18 with a 3 1/2 year interlude back home at 25, I've come to realise that asking the opinion on an adopted country of an immigrant often depends on the moment. People's marital, employment, health and social sitiations change for a variety of reasons...If you'd asked me when I got on that plane to England 7 years after I came here without ever having gone back, I'd be adamant that LA was little better than a viper pit while England was just about as close as you could come to a terminal orgazm as life would allow. The truth lays somewhere in between, and since I returned to LA in 92 I have been back to the UK twice... I admit I felt a certain something that is hard to explain that I never feel here... maybe it's just nostalgia...but I doubt it... I just felt more happy, content and relaxed than I usually do there...but then again I was on holiday those two times. That said my 3 1/2 years back in the UK coincided with my then American wife leaving me, a job loss 9 weeks after buying a house and the Poll tax riots (as well as the worst winter on record for 30 years). It's a jumble of emotions being away so long and yet still having this nagging feeling that I should not allow life to overtake me too much before going back to the UK permanently before old age takes it's toll. My daughter is 11....can't leave her here just yet as I am divorced from her mum, but my 17 y/o son who grew up in California left to play pro soccer in Scotland July 2004...He tells me he loves it there...if I ask him next month who knows? What I will say is I am enternally grateful to prividence that he has the opportunity to experience the UK on a long term basis. I'm also gratefull that I left England and came to the USA when I did...so many fond memories (that become less frequent as time passes). Call it what you will, but I think he will become a better character as a result of the time he spends there. As the saying goes...wherever you go, there you are.

jensteve

I have never posted on this part of the forum before but think today I will.
I personally have no intention of returning to the UK but that is a personal thing. I reckon there are 2 sorts of people the travelling sorts and the homebased ones. I am a travelling sort, I openly admitted to my hubby he could put me anywhere in the world and I would be happy, my cousins on the other hand are the stable stay in UK close to family sorts. I don't think they know this yet but I know if they ever moved here or anywhere else it wouldn't be long before home sickness enveloped them and back home they would go.
My point being that if they don't know, but they gave it a go they would be exactly in the position of many on here wishing and hopeing to return. I understand this completely, I have no problems with some people finding the yearning of the UK just too much. But I would say that without you realising, you are the stay in the UK sort of person, I am useless with words and usually cock it up and offend somebody.
I have another relly over here at the moment, now I know she will go back to the UK and want to come back, her family don't think this way but I bet I am right. She likes being away from the UK, it doesn't faze her and I am sure after being in OZ for 12 months she will be settled here, she will go back the UK and find she misses something.
So what I am saying is that people cannot moan about who stays or goes back to the UK as it was already programmed into them. Its the sort of person, its not that they made a bad choice they did not realise that they where not the travelling sorts, but 10/10 for giving it a go.

Jenny (previously the banished one)

Lizzi

I cannot agree with this. I love travelling so I suppose that must make me 'the travelling sort'; I left my job and travelled round the world for a year, lived in France for 2 years, I'm forever planning the next vacation and so on. However, I don't want to live in the US anymore, I've tried it and, well, it's not really my kind of place and I'm ready to move on.
It doesn't come down to neat analysis, it's the individual experience and their particular circumstances and requirements that will determine the outcome of any move abroad.

Shanbo5150

I've "seen" more of the US than most Americans. LA to Seatle by train. LA to NY by Greyhound bus and back on the train. Chicago to LA, LA to Chicago, twice by car, LA to Texas and New Mexico...been to Carlsbad Caverns, Roswell, El Paso, the OK Corral...Grand Canyon...North and South rims....Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Montana and numerous other states, driven inumerable times to san Francisco. Flown to many many states too. It's an amazing country, it's people are diverse and often facinating and lovely.
But, In the not too distant future I hope to step onto the platform of the train station of the modest village I will live in and walk back in the cold to my unassuming, tiny but expensive house under my umberella that itself is under skies that get dark at 3.45. I wanna go inside sit in the armchair and know I'm finally home.

Merlot

Well said Lizzi, no disrespect to you jensteve either but I agree with Lizzi.

For the last 15 years or so I have moved and travelled all over the world, working and backpacking. Most of the time I never considered the UK, apart from the postcards and calls back. I was in my 20's and had a ball!!!

The last couple of years I got tired and wanted to be back to my roots. I was in Australia as I married over there and circumstances meant saying put in Oz was the only option, at that time.

I have just moved on as a person, I might find in a few years time I was to live on the moon, who is to say.

I used to love new places and faces, now that tires me but that could change. I even hate packing for a long weekend in the UK now!!!!

So I was a travelling person, for the moment I am not.

M

dunroving

Yep, couldn't agree more: Been on the move since 1983, lived in 7 different towns, three different countries, dozens of different houses. Have travelled all over while living in the Bahamas, Switzerland, and US. So, I'd say I am definitely a traveller.

But I am most definitely looking forward to getting to my final port of call in the UK (planning for summer 2006), and can't imagine becoming a permanent resident of the US. Bring on Tesco's, rain, family, country walks with the dog off-leash, and postage stamp-sized gardens!

callé

Yeah, you just know when you get to that point in your life. and you can even chuckle at the 'down' stuff. rain, small houses, crowded, and so on. It's just not that important anymore. theres a feeling inside that is soo much more important.

janeyray

I also love travelling and spent months travelling Oz when I was younger. I moved away from my home town and lived in London for nearly 7 years. So I to would class myself as the travelling type rather than the home based type. I love to travel (but money doesn't allow it always!) and would be away all over if I could, but not on a permanent basis.

I still think it boils down to how much family you leave behind, how true and firm your freindships are (with long term friends). I think it would be easier too if there wern't children involved.

Professional Princess

I agree with you totally.

This forum is for everyone no matter what country they live in, no matter who they are.

We use it for support, information, friendship and good debate which involves free speech.

It takes courage to decide to change your life in any way, courage to make the move, guts to decide it wasnt for you, hard work to try and make it work and everything you have to make the move move back.

With that in mind, a person no matter what their situation is entitled to post their experiences on this site for whatever reason.

Homesickness is a very real thing that can escalate and lead to depression.

And when someone suffering from it posts on here, they can do without being called names and slated for it. My heart goes out to anyone feeling that bad about themselves and is in need of a 'cyber hug'.

I know some people look on those posting 'I miss the UK' threads on here as whingers,

But Im just saying that bearing in mind we all have a right to post on here whether we agree with what is being written or not, tolerance on someone elses situation should be something to keep in mind.

Pulling someone apart because they are not happy in their situation is cruel. It is far better to ignore a post if it bothers someone that much.

Either that or send them a message and offer support.

Because I know from personal experience on this site, an offer of support to someone hurting, goes along way, all four corners of the globe in fact.

Samantha

Merlot

This is key to many of us moving/moved back.

M

Phoenixuk2oz

Ummm I'm not so sure if this is the "majic" ingredient or answer as to why people come back to UK. I don't know if there is any one particular reason as everyone is different.For sure it will probably be the main reason but not the only reason. Not for everyone.

Perhaps for some people the feeling of missing all things UK becomes intolerable and the overwhelming need to re-patriate is the only answer, and of course missing close family plays a great part in all this. But how much family you leave behind is not the only reason otherwise people wouldn'tleave UK in the first place, surely?

Holly

This is it for me.
Holly.

marbles

[QUOTE=HiddenPaw]There's been a fair few posts of late from people who seem to resent the fact that others may enjoy living in the UK, or want to move back to the UK.

You must have read my mind with your comments as this is exactly how i felt a few days ago. I leave NZ in 14 days time and really am excited at the thought of heading home to the uk but all i was reading was sarcastic comments about the topic. I have valued reading about others peoples experiences both good and bad and it has given me lots to think about and the knowledge that my family is not the only one going through such a tremendous move. It has made the whole thing alot easier, so i don't want putting down i want to be listened to, to have advice given yes but not be critised for what i am feeling about the country i am leaving or the people i have met. Let these sites be free for us to say what we think.

kiwichild

They aren't happy with their lives and maybe feel they have to run the UK (and those who return) down so as to justify to themselves their reason for moving and staying put. Sad really.