BEVS

Oo. That is good going BB. Congrats to you both.

Are you sick of decorating yet?

bourbon-biscuit

I have thrown out all the brushes and rollers cos I couldn't face washing them or doing any more painting. estate agents have been summoned.

bourbon-biscuit

So here we are. Awake early having spent a night in Auckland airport hotel the night before we make the long flight 'home'. I haven't called the UK home for a couple of years now and am consciously making the adjustment.

All our hard slog on the house paid off as we sold in less than two weeks to people who wanted to move in the day before we had optimistically planned to drive to Hawkes Bay for a last week relaxing with friends and saying farewell to the place we started off. We didn't make any money on the house after agent fees and solicitors took their cut (bought it 18mths ago) but we didn't lose either

THe last couple of months have been the most stressful of my life but I think our experience of emigrating has helped us to cope with it. It has been much harder to decide and plan to leave NZ than it was to come here in the first place for various rational and emotional reasons. I am going home to meet a new niece who has kindly timed her arrival with our return to give us something to focus on.

I won't be flaming NZ on my way out the door; I don't need to justify the choices we've made by citing push factors cos they are almost all pull factors. NZ has been our home for six years and we have felt safe here and enjoyed our lives here. We brought over two English girls aged 3 and 9 and we return with one Kiwi aged 9 and one Kiwi-Brit aged 15. They love NZ and I'm sure they'll feel the pull back here, just as we've felt the pull back to England.

Right, best go dig out my flight socks; see you on the other side

Catchafire

Have a great flight (if such a thing is possible) and hope that you have an excellent winter Christmas with all the trimmings!

luvwelly

Safe journey - can't believe you got out so soon. I've only been back 6 months. Had snow already (now melted) and looking forward to Christmas with extended family.
Have a great Christmas and Happy New Year.

shirl

Have a safe trip, been back nearly 6 months too. Have a great Christmas and a prosperous and happy new year x

janeyk

good luck BB we fly on 3rd Feb counting days as we speak

BEVS

Great post BB & it echos what some friends of us have been saying.
THey will leave NZ for UK in a few months time. It;s the pull not the push. Just as it was the pull not the push that brought them here. We'll miss them but family & the next stage of their lives calls.

All the best for the long flights 'home' lovely lady & look forward to hearing from you once you've arrived and settled on the other side..

How is your daughter's hair looking?

bourbon-biscuit

Cheers Bevs! Her hair has grown heaps- having a cut and style early Jan before school starts.

BEVS

I spect whatever style she chooses will suit her.

BTW. You will be pleased to know you are excused from the Christmas avatar competition.

Tom1983

Hope you have an enjoyable safe flight home and enjoy Lyme Regis

I hope the M25, M3 and A303 are ok for an easy journey down.

Good to see you're moving to Dorset. Being from Bournemouth myself, lovely county. Enjoy the cold beach winds that hit on winter and also enjoy the town in the summer. I enjoyed the weekend visits to Lyme Regis once I was able to drive there

You're certainly moving to one of the nicest places in the UK. Enjoy everything that the dorset countryside has to offer and the dorset beaches

BEVS

Think it's Devon actually Tom but I'm with you on Dorset. I loves the place, being a Bournemouth born and bred girl

love30stm

All the best and enjoy a proper Christmas

Tom1983

You might be right there Bevs

I always thought Lyme Regis was on the Dorset side of the Dorset/Devon border

I know Axminster is in Dorset and we used to get the train there if neither wanted to drive when visiting Lyme Regis. Used to add at least 3 hours on the train mind since there's no direct route from Bournemouth to Lyme Regis via Weymouth. Have to go via Southampton and then Salisbury grrr

BEVS

Take no notice of me Tom. Am bonkers. For some reason I'd changed it in my head to that they were going to the midst of Devon but it's Lyme Regis , Dorset as you say.

Am a bit envious TBH.