My story

Old Jan 16th 2011, 8:15 am
  #1  
nik
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Default My story

Hi all
It is a long time since I've been on this website, I found it hidden in my favourites the other day and was pleasantly surprised how many more people are on the NZ forum compared to my last visit about 5 years ago.

Anyway, I'm Nik, I am currently in the UK with my hubby and 2 boys aged 10 and 8.

Here's our story:
At the beginning of 1997 me and hubby moved to Auckland as I got a secondment with work (I am an accountant). We arrived having looked at a guidebook (not much of the internet then!) and thought it looked ok, having only previously considered Australia. I won't deny that it was hard going - I was so desperate to leave the UK for my big adventure that I didn't stop to think I would miss family and friends and the homesickness hit big time after the first month. But we were lucky in that work was full of expats who knew what we were going through and there were plenty of social events to keep us occupied. We also arrived in the winter which was hard too (although really nothing like a UK winter)!

My hubby got a job within 6 weeks of looking, but he really had to work at it. Many agencies wouldn't put him forward for jobs as he didn't have NZ experience so in the end he wrote to all the companies he would like to work for and got a job that way. In fact he stayed at that job the whole time we were in NZ!

After a couple of years I moved jobs and was suddenly the only Pommie in the building and my circle of friends suddenly widened immensely as previously our friends had all been expats. At this point we felt properly integrated and looking back we had the best time. You do have to get yourself out there and work at it, and it is hard at times!

We made our decision to come back for two reasons - we had got married and moved immediately to NZ and wanted to spend time living in the UK and I found I was pregnant and really wanted to have our kids in the UK and be near family. So we came home at the end of 2000.

Again, we both found work and had our kids and got on with life, but we realised after only about 6 months that we should have stayed in NZ. We had got NZ citizenship before we left so we knew we could go back anytime and to be honest that often made it harder. Things were going well for us in UK so there was never any reason to stop and move as we could always go back.

In Dec 05 we made our first trip back for a month to visit friends and to check if we still wanted to live there - a definite yes from all 4 members of the family. I had a meeting with my old workplace and was offered a job, but meanwhile my hubby was offered a job in Melbourne so we thought we would end up there. However, it wasn't to be - my hubby's work in the UK were so desperate for him to stay they made him an offer he couldn't refuse so yet again, we stayed in the UK. I was gutted.

Five years later and we have still talked about when we will go back and it has seemed like an impossibility as hubby has been so tied to his job here.

And then last week like a bolt from the blue he was offered a redundancy package. We have had a hell of a week - the complete shock and for us the realisation that there are no jobs in the area we live so we would have to move. We then realised that if we don't come back to NZ now, then we will never do it, so rather than have to move down to London for work, we should take the opportunity to go back to NZ and see if we can find work there.

Whilst we have talked for so many years about going back - I thought we would be able to plan it, not have the decision sprung on us from nowhere. Hubby has to confirm on wednesday what he is going to do and we have had a week to decide our future. Suddenly the move back seems scary and I have to admit the whole situation has made me feel unsettled.

Hubby would have more job opportunities in Aus, but I want to go back to NZ and have my friends there already as that does make the whole process much easier when missing home. My son is in year 5 at school so this is perfect timing for him and we think if we don't go now, we will never do it.

I looked on my old website at work to see if there were any jobs and there was one at my level and in my field, so I have applied, rang my friend who works there who has given me the background info and will put in a good word and I am going to keep my fingers crossed! Job or not, we aim to be out there mid April, so in 3 months time.

I am scared about going there without one of us having a job as we have to rent our house in the UK and still need to pay the mortgage, but I am really excited about going back.

We have realised that nowhere is perfect, there are good and bad things about everywhere, but life is too short not to have a go, and if it doesn't work out, well, there are other places to go.

Sorry for the extremely long post, lovely to meet you all

Nik
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Old Jan 16th 2011, 8:26 am
  #2  
 
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Default Re: My story

In cases like this it's hard not to believe in fate

you can get something worked out.
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Old Jan 16th 2011, 11:38 am
  #3  
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Default Re: My story

Hi Nik
A big WELCOME BACK thank you for taking the time to tell us your 'story' and as WP has said it does seem as though fate is playing a big hand in your life!! Good luck with your plans and keep us posted!!
B x
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Old Jan 23rd 2011, 9:10 am
  #4  
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Default Re: My story

Originally Posted by nik
Hi all
It is a long time since I've been on this website, I found it hidden in my favourites the other day and was pleasantly surprised how many more people are on the NZ forum compared to my last visit about 5 years ago.

Anyway, I'm Nik, I am currently in the UK with my hubby and 2 boys aged 10 and 8.

Here's our story:
At the beginning of 1997 me and hubby moved to Auckland as I got a secondment with work (I am an accountant). We arrived having looked at a guidebook (not much of the internet then!) and thought it looked ok, having only previously considered Australia. I won't deny that it was hard going - I was so desperate to leave the UK for my big adventure that I didn't stop to think I would miss family and friends and the homesickness hit big time after the first month. But we were lucky in that work was full of expats who knew what we were going through and there were plenty of social events to keep us occupied. We also arrived in the winter which was hard too (although really nothing like a UK winter)!

My hubby got a job within 6 weeks of looking, but he really had to work at it. Many agencies wouldn't put him forward for jobs as he didn't have NZ experience so in the end he wrote to all the companies he would like to work for and got a job that way. In fact he stayed at that job the whole time we were in NZ!

After a couple of years I moved jobs and was suddenly the only Pommie in the building and my circle of friends suddenly widened immensely as previously our friends had all been expats. At this point we felt properly integrated and looking back we had the best time. You do have to get yourself out there and work at it, and it is hard at times!

We made our decision to come back for two reasons - we had got married and moved immediately to NZ and wanted to spend time living in the UK and I found I was pregnant and really wanted to have our kids in the UK and be near family. So we came home at the end of 2000.

Again, we both found work and had our kids and got on with life, but we realised after only about 6 months that we should have stayed in NZ. We had got NZ citizenship before we left so we knew we could go back anytime and to be honest that often made it harder. Things were going well for us in UK so there was never any reason to stop and move as we could always go back.

In Dec 05 we made our first trip back for a month to visit friends and to check if we still wanted to live there - a definite yes from all 4 members of the family. I had a meeting with my old workplace and was offered a job, but meanwhile my hubby was offered a job in Melbourne so we thought we would end up there. However, it wasn't to be - my hubby's work in the UK were so desperate for him to stay they made him an offer he couldn't refuse so yet again, we stayed in the UK. I was gutted.

Five years later and we have still talked about when we will go back and it has seemed like an impossibility as hubby has been so tied to his job here.

And then last week like a bolt from the blue he was offered a redundancy package. We have had a hell of a week - the complete shock and for us the realisation that there are no jobs in the area we live so we would have to move. We then realised that if we don't come back to NZ now, then we will never do it, so rather than have to move down to London for work, we should take the opportunity to go back to NZ and see if we can find work there.

Whilst we have talked for so many years about going back - I thought we would be able to plan it, not have the decision sprung on us from nowhere. Hubby has to confirm on wednesday what he is going to do and we have had a week to decide our future. Suddenly the move back seems scary and I have to admit the whole situation has made me feel unsettled.

Hubby would have more job opportunities in Aus, but I want to go back to NZ and have my friends there already as that does make the whole process much easier when missing home. My son is in year 5 at school so this is perfect timing for him and we think if we don't go now, we will never do it.

I looked on my old website at work to see if there were any jobs and there was one at my level and in my field, so I have applied, rang my friend who works there who has given me the background info and will put in a good word and I am going to keep my fingers crossed! Job or not, we aim to be out there mid April, so in 3 months time.

I am scared about going there without one of us having a job as we have to rent our house in the UK and still need to pay the mortgage, but I am really excited about going back.

We have realised that nowhere is perfect, there are good and bad things about everywhere, but life is too short not to have a go, and if it doesn't work out, well, there are other places to go.

Sorry for the extremely long post, lovely to meet you all

Nik
Great to read your story and it ref;ects a lot of our feelings. We havelived overseas but never in NZ. Also renting our uk property. The NZ ecconomy can only grow and it offers space in the environment. Watch out for those auckland floods............John, Julie, Lucy
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