Originally Posted by aries

round these parts look as if they've been jack-hammered to become shorter and fatter.

Originally Posted by MissBetty

Oh I totally agree with you, I love Australia, grew up here and have made some really nice friends. I just miss my family SO much, my parents are getting older and I don't want to miss any more anniversaries, birthdays or Xmas'. I miss the freedom of travel as well that you have in Blighty, I miss the people too, especially the sense of humour!

I just don't enjoy my job here as much as the UK, I prefer to work for myself and I get far more interesting and varied work in the UK as I am state registered and can work for whomever I please. There is a lot of well paid private work for paramedics once you have extra qualifications which I'll be taking as soon as I am back, I was self employed before I came here. One day I might be on the set of a soap opera/movie, next day flying an injured skier home from Europe, the next back on a front line ambulance dealing with anything from a cardiac arrest to a drunk.

Its interesting what you wrote re claustrophobia, the first time I went home everything looked so small! I walked into my parents house and I felt like I'd walked into a dolls house - it was so strange. Mum looked at my confused face and said "Oh I bet you're thinking how small everything looks aren't you?!"

I think its going to be weird for me driving over there again, last time, as a passenger, I felt like I wanted to 'duck' when I saw oncoming traffic as the roads look so much narrower

Hope you are feeling better and things are improving for you since your last stint in hospital.

Originally Posted by aries

Thank you, I am beginning to feel stronger, and on Friday played table tennis and felt the best for a long time. I used to play at a high level so breathing well and having stamina is important. Unfortunately my lung doctor has now diagnosed bronchiectasis which is incurable, and allows infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia to build up. It is a blow because I've never smoked. However on Monday week I'm flying to Germany for 8 days, then at Easter will stay with my brother in Warwickshire for a week.

I agree with you about the narrow roads, but just sit on the left on the top deck of a double-decker bus, and you will want to duck away from the trees at the side of the road! And down here in Devon I feel like Gulliver, people are generally so tiny. I'm now only 5' 8" tall which is not unusual in Australia, but I feel like a giant much of of the time. I've read that English women are the shortest in Europe, and that their houses are the smallest in western Europe, but many men floating around these parts look as if they've been jack-hammered to become shorter and fatter. Of course with this being a tourist area, many people are blow-ins from other parts of Britain.

Originally Posted by aries

Thank you, I am beginning to feel stronger, and on Friday played table tennis and felt the best for a long time. I used to play at a high level so breathing well and having stamina is important. Unfortunately my lung doctor has now diagnosed bronchiectasis which is incurable, and allows infections such as bronchitis and pneumonia to build up. It is a blow because I've never smoked. However on Monday week I'm flying to Germany for 8 days, then at Easter will stay with my brother in Warwickshire for a week.

I agree with you about the narrow roads, but just sit on the left on the top deck of a double-decker bus, and you will want to duck away from the trees at the side of the road! And down here in Devon I feel like Gulliver, people are generally so tiny. I'm now only 5' 8" tall which is not unusual in Australia, but I feel like a giant much of of the time. I've read that English women are the shortest in Europe, and that their houses are the smallest in western Europe, but many men floating around these parts look as if they've been jack-hammered to become shorter and fatter. Of course with this being a tourist area, many people are blow-ins from other parts of Britain.

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool

Ooooh, maybe you'll get to fly wiv 'im: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...n_2783708.html

Originally Posted by curleytops

Ok. I nearly didn't make it to the loo after reading this and its all your fault!!! I hope to god you are keeping a diary; it'll make for brilliant reading a year from now, not to mention a great source of reference material for the book. Sod the book, this stuff is comedy series worthy...and the award for best comedy series is...Troppo Paramedics - Behind the Scenes
All kidding aside, you remind me of all I was going through at this same time two years ago. In a desperate attempt to feel pro-active while I was back in Canada banking as much cash as I could, I was also spending it, ordering stuff for the house on Amazon etc. & having it shipped to DH-to-be. We were so lucky he had an understanding upstairs neighbour who would take the parcels in if they arrived when DH was at work. He says it was like Christmas every day opening up all these packages. Like you, I was also surprised at the number of good wishes I got when I let the cat out of the bag. I think every member of the local police force (I lived in a small town) made a point of wishing me well before I left. I worked on the front desk of a local hotel and I remember one morning one of the cooks came out from the kitchen and she said to me, "you know Dorothy, we're really going to miss you." That really meant a lot to me. It was the same with a good number of the hotel guests who stayed with us on a regular basis. I kept a running count-down of days to go and shifts left to work from January 1/11 til the big day as well.

I think this thread's been very therapeutic for a lot of us, both on home and foreign shores in that it's helped perk up those who are getting anxious waiting for their big day to arrive and those of us already here who enjoy a chuckle down memory lane. You guys and BE are the best!

Originally Posted by MissBetty

Ha ha ha! Well I made the papers this week re a job I'd done. Gay Boss said "Oh honey PLEASE, just smile nicely, look sweet and answer their questions politely. No pulling faces, rolling eyes, inappropriate jokes or poking fun at people!" I was good and did as I was told as I love Gay Boss and didn't want to upset Big Boss, I wouldn't let them take my picture though, no way!!! I ended up on the telly here last year and I never heard the last of it, never ever again!!!

Yeah I like doing my online shopping, just helps me to feel like I'm feathing my nest for my return. When I get home to my little palace, I'm going to make a nice cup of tea, have a bubble bath and then take a walk down to the pier via the chippy. I'm going to pick up a nice greasy, salty bag of chips and sit down on the beach, even if its cold,feed the seagulls and just relax

Originally Posted by aries

I tend to believe that when you are back in the UK you will miss Australia more than you think. Claustrophobia for one comes to mind after you've been in the wide open spaces. However time will tell, you might well bounce into something equally as challenging and interesting.

Originally Posted by vikingsail

Oh you can't dangle a carrot like that without at least hinting where we can see the footage

Originally Posted by Almo

OH and I used to drive around Melbourne playing 'what are you most looking forward to about being back in the UK'. Then we'd do 'what will you miss about Australia' - I used to say my friends, Queen Vic market and very little else. Now we're back I miss Australia very much, it's almost like a sense of loss/grief. I really never expected it!

Originally Posted by Almo

OH and I used to drive around Melbourne playing 'what are you most looking forward to about being back in the UK'. Then we'd do 'what will you miss about Australia' - I used to say my friends, Queen Vic market and very little else. Now we're back I miss Australia very much, it's almost like a sense of loss/grief. I really never expected it!

Originally Posted by perthhomeschool

It's always a little worrisome when you hear this, especially if you have the wobbles How long have you been home, and do you plan to stay or will you go back? I've heard 2 years bandied about as a good time frame to adjust to any move.

Originally Posted by Almo

One of the reasons (apart from wondering who would really be interested!) I haven't done an 'I'm back' post is because I recognise I am not in a position to make a fair assessment.

We moved back in early December but had a month in a holiday cottage, interspersed with a wedding and Christmas, then moved to Chester in early Jan. We are in a small rental that is wonderfully convenient for the city (it's within the walls) but is too small for us, is a bit dark and needs a bit of updating. There's a problem with the hot water which means I can't have a bath (I love baths). I haven't yet found work and we don't know anyone in Chester so I am bored and desperately lonely and small things (such as the bath issue) get magnified. It is hard to arrange weekends away with old friends etc as I am applying for some jobs which might mean weekend working, plus I don't want to splash too much cash until I have work. I know, objectively, that this is not 'it' for life in the UK, which is why I haven't done the 'being back' post yet. I also know, objectively, that I am remembering my life in Melbs with rose tinted glasses. There have been many fantastically positive things about being back in the UK and we have not been back here long enough to have a real life here yet.

So, don't let my occasional maudlin posts worry you, please!

Originally Posted by aries

I can relate to your rose tinted glasses about Melbourne (I've lived there), and of course if your life back in the UK isn't going too well yet, your previous life in Oz seems even better. However, perhaps we also have rose tinted glasses about returning to the UK, it works both ways.