We're moving back to Blighty
Dec 23rd 2012, 9:31 pm
#76
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Location: UK Devon
Posts: 914
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Welcome Home, enjoy Christmas and best of luck for the new year. We are living down the road from you in Devon!
Dec 23rd 2012, 9:34 pm
#77
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Joined: Nov 2010
Location: Was Auckland-NZ, Now Wales
Posts: 685
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Good luck back in the old country. Let us know how you get on and if it was the right move for you all.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Dec 24th 2012, 2:42 am
#78
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Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 1,603
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Best of luck to you both
Feb 6th 2013, 11:13 am
#79
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Gosh, it's only been seven weeks since we arrived back in the UK but feels like heaps longer!
We managed the school admissions minefield in the end and found schools we are very happy with and happy enough with for our primary and secondary aged daughters respectively. There were closer schools for them but they were, imo, crap so we have plumped for a massive school run for 4.5 terms to get them the best we could for the end of primary and GCSE years and then it'll be easier. On the upside, at the end of my massive school run I end up next to a patisserie selling lush croissants and coffee
There have been lots of unexpected delights living here- the scenery has surpassed my expectations, for example and the coffee is miles better than it used to be and I'm getting a quite disproportionate thrill out of my NT membership and boring the kids stupid dragging them round places! Primary school is great for the little one as she is in a small rural school and is loving history and science and art. She's studying WW2 and its causes and finds it totally fascinating. Older one has found her private NZ schooling prepared her well enough for GCSE maths, English, French and science but she is having to swot like mad for history but loving the drama. They are both cold a lot! But they are both very happy with the physical freedom living in rural England has afforded them as they just can wander from their front door into the woods etc. They love being near family
We have gone on some totally glorious walks right on our doorstep. It's cold but only been miserable enough to put us off going out when we've wanted to once or twice. They loved getting snowed in and sledging. Me less so cos we were stuck for 4 days and that's too long without coffee for me.
My husband and I are taking it easy and not planning too much or doing too much cos we are in that post-emigration exhaustion phases which people don't get at all unless they've been there, done that. I think it'll take a good few months for everything to settle down and find 'normal' but we have booked two weeks in the south of France in summer to up the likelihood of some sunshine!
Lots we miss about NZ but not as strongly as I thought we would- at least not yet. But I very much miss my home and my life but that is part of the process and we will get there. Right, off to Lyme Regis with my husband to find some lunch and stroll along the cobb before collecting the kids and heading to their Grandparents for supper. This is what we came back for
We managed the school admissions minefield in the end and found schools we are very happy with and happy enough with for our primary and secondary aged daughters respectively. There were closer schools for them but they were, imo, crap so we have plumped for a massive school run for 4.5 terms to get them the best we could for the end of primary and GCSE years and then it'll be easier. On the upside, at the end of my massive school run I end up next to a patisserie selling lush croissants and coffee
There have been lots of unexpected delights living here- the scenery has surpassed my expectations, for example and the coffee is miles better than it used to be and I'm getting a quite disproportionate thrill out of my NT membership and boring the kids stupid dragging them round places! Primary school is great for the little one as she is in a small rural school and is loving history and science and art. She's studying WW2 and its causes and finds it totally fascinating. Older one has found her private NZ schooling prepared her well enough for GCSE maths, English, French and science but she is having to swot like mad for history but loving the drama. They are both cold a lot! But they are both very happy with the physical freedom living in rural England has afforded them as they just can wander from their front door into the woods etc. They love being near family
We have gone on some totally glorious walks right on our doorstep. It's cold but only been miserable enough to put us off going out when we've wanted to once or twice. They loved getting snowed in and sledging. Me less so cos we were stuck for 4 days and that's too long without coffee for me.My husband and I are taking it easy and not planning too much or doing too much cos we are in that post-emigration exhaustion phases which people don't get at all unless they've been there, done that. I think it'll take a good few months for everything to settle down and find 'normal' but we have booked two weeks in the south of France in summer to up the likelihood of some sunshine!
Lots we miss about NZ but not as strongly as I thought we would- at least not yet. But I very much miss my home and my life but that is part of the process and we will get there. Right, off to Lyme Regis with my husband to find some lunch and stroll along the cobb before collecting the kids and heading to their Grandparents for supper. This is what we came back for
Feb 6th 2013, 7:26 pm
#80
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 613
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Glad for you. You seem to have settled back really well. I do envy your coming holiday in the south of France. Every time you get nostalgic for NZ just remember Pac 'n Save!
Feb 6th 2013, 7:45 pm
#81
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Joined: May 2008
Location: UK Devon
Posts: 914
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Geat update BB. I too joined the NT when we got back. Funny how we miss all that culture and history in NZ and then yearn for it when we come back, I too love the scenery and the greenness everywhere, I am very cold too but will soon get used to that, at least we can put layers on. I have been to Lyme many a time. I don't like that big hill though! A little flatter over in East Devon where we are but not much. Glad you are all settling well.
Shirl x
Shirl x
Feb 6th 2013, 8:06 pm
#82
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Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Torbay, North Shore
Posts: 744
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
we returned on Monday and have spent the last 3 days driving around looking at areas and cars I am stunned at the Oxfordshire scenery we are seeing it at its worst in the cold damp days although I did bring back the sun. Setting up a bank account has been a challenge but seem to have got there now. (BTW the Passport account at HSBC does not seem to be all it advertises) The amount of times I have gone ooh look at the view is like a broken record. Have yet to do the school thing but start work tomorrow fingers crossed it goes ok
Feb 7th 2013, 11:51 pm
#83
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 38,613
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Hey BB
Lovely to hear from you & that all is going well. I'm a wee bit envious of the South of France holiday plans.
Ooo. It's making think back to crab sandwiches & half a shandy after fossil hunting on the beach.
Lovely to hear from you & that all is going well. I'm a wee bit envious of the South of France holiday plans.
Ooo. It's making think back to crab sandwiches & half a shandy after fossil hunting on the beach.
Feb 8th 2013, 9:00 pm
#84
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Hi BB
Great to hear from you. We've been back 7 months already, you only 7 weeks.
There is so much to love...and really glad you sorted the schools. The countryside gets even better further north lol. Have had much more sunshine than I expected even during the snow. Autumn was better than the summer though.
Costa Flat White is the best chain coffee I have found - the indies can be excellent or crap but a bit few and far between. Supermarkets, M&S and Radio 4 to die for.
Just need to change the Government in due course and all will be even better...
Glad JaneyK and Shirl also feeling content.
Great to hear from you. We've been back 7 months already, you only 7 weeks.
There is so much to love...and really glad you sorted the schools. The countryside gets even better further north lol. Have had much more sunshine than I expected even during the snow. Autumn was better than the summer though.
Costa Flat White is the best chain coffee I have found - the indies can be excellent or crap but a bit few and far between. Supermarkets, M&S and Radio 4 to die for.
Just need to change the Government in due course and all will be even better...
Glad JaneyK and Shirl also feeling content.
Feb 8th 2013, 9:08 pm
#85
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,787
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
Hi BB
Great to hear from you. We've been back 7 months already, you only 7 weeks.
There is so much to love...and really glad you sorted the schools. The countryside gets even better further north lol. Have had much more sunshine than I expected even during the snow. Autumn was better than the summer though.
Costa Flat White is the best chain coffee I have found - the indies can be excellent or crap but a bit few and far between. Supermarkets, M&S and Radio 4 to die for.
Just need to change the Government in due course and all will be even better...
Glad JaneyK and Shirl also feeling content.
Great to hear from you. We've been back 7 months already, you only 7 weeks.
There is so much to love...and really glad you sorted the schools. The countryside gets even better further north lol. Have had much more sunshine than I expected even during the snow. Autumn was better than the summer though.
Costa Flat White is the best chain coffee I have found - the indies can be excellent or crap but a bit few and far between. Supermarkets, M&S and Radio 4 to die for.
Just need to change the Government in due course and all will be even better...
Glad JaneyK and Shirl also feeling content.
Mar 24th 2013, 9:49 pm
#87
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
It's been about 3 months now!
We left NZ three months ago but it seems much longer ago somehow. We think that is partly being so busy but partly because of the "other world-ness" of life in NZ coupled with it being hard to get used to being without our Kiwi home (literally- I was utterly in love with my house). All four of us are taking it easy together while we recover from the move because we packed up and sold up in such a short space of time that the last couple of months were simply unbelievable stress and heartache.
I haven't been online much recently and that's partly because uni studies continue in earnest and also because there's just so much to sort; every day starts with a bitsy, lengthy and exhausting to-do list, which is nothing to do with Britain and just part of moving overseas but of course this time there isn't the same wave of optimistic holiday-feel excitement to get us through this bit. But we are getting there And we did make it much harder on ourselves by severing ties with the UK a few years and closing all bank accounts etc (stupid, STUPID thing to do- keep everything open and running as long as possible folks!). So this is another brief little update on life as a returned expat from NZ finding her way with her family back in Blighty.
Things I love (summed up in one word):
Diversity- in wildlife, in culture, in architecture, in shopping, in food and so on. This is so massive that it's hard to explain but I have moved to rural south west so the countryside here and its biodiversity blows what we experienced in NZ away and that's before even considering the accessibility factor of everywhere being criss-crossed with footpaths, bridlepaths etc. Culturally I love it here- ballet, theatre, festivals, gigs and well, just everything everywhere. Even the smallest towns seem to have shit going in that would make Auckland blush (see Bridport Arts Centre as a case in point). It may be a bit sad but I love the architecture- everywhere just steeped in history. FOOD- oh lordy, forgive me but I think I've put on weight when I was so sure I wouldn't when leaving behind NZ's too-sweet-too-salty-supersize-portions culture, but seriously after 6 years I just seem incapable of saying no to a ripe bit of camembert, or stilton on granary toast or a warm doughnut or a proper pastry and on and on
Shopping, well, I've never really given a shit about shopping- traipsing round shops is just so not my idea of fun so therefore that fact that everything can be bought online with easy-peasy refund/ exchanges is just my ideal way to shop.
Things I don't love:
Weather; population (though accept this is flip side of most the above); litter & dog mess; ugly people (I doubt they're actually any uglier on average than Kiwis but I guess a good tan covers a multitude of sins); traffic & parking (getting more tolerable though and I do live yonkles away from anywhere major to bother me); doom and gloom British media; nasty cheap houses (a deck does seem to go a long way to making up for crapness of cheap houses in NZ, imo); and class consciousness permeating everything (might be a bit influenced here by living with snobby in-laws).
Things I miss (like actively yearn for rather than think nostalgically about from time to time):
My home; feeling like a bit of a pioneer; the potential inherent in emigrating.
At three months in does it feel like it was the right thing to do? Yes. I'm glad we were brave enough but probably if I knew then what I know now about how hard the actual process would be, I would have been much more afraid so it was probably best we didn't know.
Hope everyone is well and settling and enjoying wherever they are
I haven't been online much recently and that's partly because uni studies continue in earnest and also because there's just so much to sort; every day starts with a bitsy, lengthy and exhausting to-do list, which is nothing to do with Britain and just part of moving overseas but of course this time there isn't the same wave of optimistic holiday-feel excitement to get us through this bit. But we are getting there
And we did make it much harder on ourselves by severing ties with the UK a few years and closing all bank accounts etc (stupid, STUPID thing to do- keep everything open and running as long as possible folks!). So this is another brief little update on life as a returned expat from NZ finding her way with her family back in Blighty.Things I love (summed up in one word):
Diversity- in wildlife, in culture, in architecture, in shopping, in food and so on. This is so massive that it's hard to explain but I have moved to rural south west so the countryside here and its biodiversity blows what we experienced in NZ away and that's before even considering the accessibility factor of everywhere being criss-crossed with footpaths, bridlepaths etc. Culturally I love it here- ballet, theatre, festivals, gigs and well, just everything everywhere. Even the smallest towns seem to have shit going in that would make Auckland blush (see Bridport Arts Centre as a case in point). It may be a bit sad but I love the architecture- everywhere just steeped in history. FOOD- oh lordy, forgive me but I think I've put on weight when I was so sure I wouldn't when leaving behind NZ's too-sweet-too-salty-supersize-portions culture, but seriously after 6 years I just seem incapable of saying no to a ripe bit of camembert, or stilton on granary toast or a warm doughnut or a proper pastry and on and on
Shopping, well, I've never really given a shit about shopping- traipsing round shops is just so not my idea of fun so therefore that fact that everything can be bought online with easy-peasy refund/ exchanges is just my ideal way to shop.Things I don't love:
Weather; population (though accept this is flip side of most the above); litter & dog mess; ugly people (I doubt they're actually any uglier on average than Kiwis but I guess a good tan covers a multitude of sins); traffic & parking (getting more tolerable though and I do live yonkles away from anywhere major to bother me); doom and gloom British media; nasty cheap houses (a deck does seem to go a long way to making up for crapness of cheap houses in NZ, imo); and class consciousness permeating everything (might be a bit influenced here by living with snobby in-laws).
Things I miss (like actively yearn for rather than think nostalgically about from time to time):
My home; feeling like a bit of a pioneer; the potential inherent in emigrating.
At three months in does it feel like it was the right thing to do? Yes. I'm glad we were brave enough but probably if I knew then what I know now about how hard the actual process would be, I would have been much more afraid so it was probably best we didn't know.
Hope everyone is well and settling and enjoying wherever they are
Mar 24th 2013, 9:54 pm
#88
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Thread Starter
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
9278 views on this thread 
I suddenly feel a) very shy b) worried about internet weirdos, so I may never post again.
I suddenly feel a) very shy b) worried about internet weirdos, so I may never post again.
Mar 24th 2013, 9:58 pm
#89
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Pakaraka
Posts: 3,264
Re: It's been about 3 months now!
We left NZ three months ago but it seems much longer ago somehow. We think that is partly being so busy but partly because of the "other world-ness" of life in NZ coupled with it being hard to get used to being without our Kiwi home (literally- I was utterly in love with my house). All four of us are taking it easy together while we recover from the move because we packed up and sold up in such a short space of time that the last couple of months were simply unbelievable stress and heartache.
I haven't been online much recently and that's partly because uni studies continue in earnest and also because there's just so much to sort; every day starts with a bitsy, lengthy and exhausting to-do list, which is nothing to do with Britain and just part of moving overseas but of course this time there isn't the same wave of optimistic holiday-feel excitement to get us through this bit. But we are getting there And we did make it much harder on ourselves by severing ties with the UK a few years and closing all bank accounts etc (stupid, STUPID thing to do- keep everything open and running as long as possible folks!). So this is another brief little update on life as a returned expat from NZ finding her way with her family back in Blighty.
Things I love (summed up in one word):
Diversity- in wildlife, in culture, in architecture, in shopping, in food and so on. This is so massive that it's hard to explain but I have moved to rural south west so the countryside here and its biodiversity blows what we experienced in NZ away and that's before even considering the accessibility factor of everywhere being criss-crossed with footpaths, bridlepaths etc. Culturally I love it here- ballet, theatre, festivals, gigs and well, just everything everywhere. Even the smallest towns seem to have shit going in that would make Auckland blush (see Bridport Arts Centre as a case in point). It may be a bit sad but I love the architecture- everywhere just steeped in history. FOOD- oh lordy, forgive me but I think I've put on weight when I was so sure I wouldn't when leaving behind NZ's too-sweet-too-salty-supersize-portions culture, but seriously after 6 years I just seem incapable of saying no to a ripe bit of camembert, or stilton on granary toast or a warm doughnut or a proper pastry and on and on Shopping, well, I've never really given a shit about shopping- traipsing round shops is just so not my idea of fun so therefore that fact that everything can be bought online with easy-peasy refund/ exchanges is just my ideal way to shop.
Things I don't love:
Weather; population (though accept this is flip side of most the above); litter & dog mess; ugly people (I doubt they're actually any uglier on average than Kiwis but I guess a good tan covers a multitude of sins); traffic & parking (getting more tolerable though and I do live yonkles away from anywhere major to bother me); doom and gloom British media; nasty cheap houses (a deck does seem to go a long way to making up for crapness of cheap houses in NZ, imo); and class consciousness permeating everything (might be a bit influenced here by living with snobby in-laws).
Things I miss (like actively yearn for rather than think nostalgically about from time to time):
My home; feeling like a bit of a pioneer; the potential inherent in emigrating.
At three months in does it feel like it was the right thing to do? Yes. I'm glad we were brave enough but probably if I knew then what I know now about how hard the actual process would be, I would have been much more afraid so it was probably best we didn't know.
Hope everyone is well and settling and enjoying wherever they are
I haven't been online much recently and that's partly because uni studies continue in earnest and also because there's just so much to sort; every day starts with a bitsy, lengthy and exhausting to-do list, which is nothing to do with Britain and just part of moving overseas but of course this time there isn't the same wave of optimistic holiday-feel excitement to get us through this bit. But we are getting there
And we did make it much harder on ourselves by severing ties with the UK a few years and closing all bank accounts etc (stupid, STUPID thing to do- keep everything open and running as long as possible folks!). So this is another brief little update on life as a returned expat from NZ finding her way with her family back in Blighty.Things I love (summed up in one word):
Diversity- in wildlife, in culture, in architecture, in shopping, in food and so on. This is so massive that it's hard to explain but I have moved to rural south west so the countryside here and its biodiversity blows what we experienced in NZ away and that's before even considering the accessibility factor of everywhere being criss-crossed with footpaths, bridlepaths etc. Culturally I love it here- ballet, theatre, festivals, gigs and well, just everything everywhere. Even the smallest towns seem to have shit going in that would make Auckland blush (see Bridport Arts Centre as a case in point). It may be a bit sad but I love the architecture- everywhere just steeped in history. FOOD- oh lordy, forgive me but I think I've put on weight when I was so sure I wouldn't when leaving behind NZ's too-sweet-too-salty-supersize-portions culture, but seriously after 6 years I just seem incapable of saying no to a ripe bit of camembert, or stilton on granary toast or a warm doughnut or a proper pastry and on and on
Shopping, well, I've never really given a shit about shopping- traipsing round shops is just so not my idea of fun so therefore that fact that everything can be bought online with easy-peasy refund/ exchanges is just my ideal way to shop.Things I don't love:
Weather; population (though accept this is flip side of most the above); litter & dog mess; ugly people (I doubt they're actually any uglier on average than Kiwis but I guess a good tan covers a multitude of sins); traffic & parking (getting more tolerable though and I do live yonkles away from anywhere major to bother me); doom and gloom British media; nasty cheap houses (a deck does seem to go a long way to making up for crapness of cheap houses in NZ, imo); and class consciousness permeating everything (might be a bit influenced here by living with snobby in-laws).
Things I miss (like actively yearn for rather than think nostalgically about from time to time):
My home; feeling like a bit of a pioneer; the potential inherent in emigrating.
At three months in does it feel like it was the right thing to do? Yes. I'm glad we were brave enough but probably if I knew then what I know now about how hard the actual process would be, I would have been much more afraid so it was probably best we didn't know.
Hope everyone is well and settling and enjoying wherever they are
Mar 24th 2013, 10:08 pm
#90
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Joined: May 2008
Location: UK Devon
Posts: 914
Re: We're moving back to Blighty
OMG BB I have put on loads of weight since returning, definitely that granary bread and pasties and clotted cream teas lol !!!! Too many nice things to buy in the supermarket. Glad you are settling, we were lucky enough to keep 10 quid in a bank account here but I know what you mean.