shirl

Yes you may well be mad but if you don't spread your wings you won't know how far you can fly! I never dreamed of living here but was encouraged to come after our 2 daughters moved here within 6 months of each other. We came in 1999 and I thought it was way too remote and couldn't wait to get back to the UK. I had been visiting my sister here who has lived here all her married life 40 odd years now!!

Then when the kids announced they were coming I was filled with all sorts of emotions - then our Son announced he was going to live in the USA and we were the only ones left in Blighty so we thought why not give it a go. Life is too short to have regrets and if it doesn't work out there is no shame in saying I want to go home. So far so good. One daughter is going home after 5 years here but for us we are settled at the moment and looking forward to our future - OH is in process of starting a business which we hope will be the guarantee for our retirement. He would not have been able to do this in the Uk with too much fierce competition.

A saying I came across recently which for me is true is the following:

For everything you missed you have gained something else, and for everything you gain you lose something else, It is about your outlook toward life, you can either regret or rejoice.

Hope you make the right decision whatever that may be for you personally.

Margaret Parkinson

You may be mad but you could also go through life saying "what if". Never in a million years did I think my daughter would go to the other side of the world. I thought after a few weeks she would be back. How wrong could I be and I am glad I was wrong. After seeing the life style they have there and also quality time they can spend with family & friends I do not blame them in the least. Going back to when I was young there was no keeping up with the Jones (who were they anyway "no disrespect") everyone was in the same both and had nothing. In NZ what I noticed was all the expats I met were in the same boat trying to do what's best for their family.

You may leave family & friends behind but you have to look at your family and what's best for them. Go for it and if it does not work out there is no shame in going back at least you have given it a try.

If I was younger I would be with you all the way.

garryhg

What a lovely post Margaret,and good on you for giving your daughter all the support....Jacky

BEVS

I agree . She is an all round wonderful sausage and makes a really lovely Mum.

Batty

Hiya. I never visited either and even if I had I don't think I'd have learned much more than I could from the forums - actually, I'd probably have experienced more, learned less The question about WHY NZ when you're thinking about emigrating is a good one. I was lucky because I met and married a Kiwi so got here quite easily but I don't know if I'd have been quite so keen to up sticks if he was from the US, say. It's never been somewhere I've thought about living and I got the chance years ago to go to Sydney but turned it down. My only criteria for thinking about moving to NZ was that it had to have seasons - he never told me they were all in one day sometimes! Once I started investigating it I knew I'd live here very easily and that's what's happened.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do - and you don't have to be mad .. but it does help

nickychris67

Thanks for all the replies, it makes very interesting reading. Although we can't afford a recce, we won't be coming out without one of us having a job. I am now getting my cv with specialist recruitment companies as I am a mech design engineer by trade and seeing what they can do for me. We can't afford to give up my job without having something else to go to. Mind you that said I might not have a say in the matter soon as there are redundancies coming at work shortly.

This is something we have thought long and hard about and as a lot of you have said, I don't want to look back in 20 years time and think what if.... We have said we will give it 2 years minimum in NZ and then decided if it is right for us.

nukiwi

Good on ya