killerhales

I've posted a couple of times about our plans to return in early 2012, which have been triggered by my daughter's plan to attend uni in the UK. My wife and I are in any case both ready to spend some time back in the old country (we left in 1995).

There are a few of us on here that would love to return but can't, or are not sure when, and there are others that are in the process of moving right now, plus a few who have made the move and are reporting back on how they are going.

So maybe we can have a thread for the "inbetweenies", who have a definite plan, but it is still a way off. In my own case I have posted before about how to stay motivated and avoid a state of mind where we are just ticking off the months (18 months is a long time with hopefully a lot of positive life experiences to enjoy!).

Are you in similar circumstances? What has been the trigger for you, or has it been more of a gradual realisation? Or do you have a general desire to return that you need to firm up on and turn into a concrete plan?

We have taken a big step in getting a UK mortgage to go alongside our Aussie one, and we have bought a house in the UK. Next week our first tenant will move in. We have never been landlords before so this in itself is a new experience.

What steps, however small, have you taken to turn your desire to return into reality?

Mummy in the foothills

We have to wait till Ds#2 graduates from High school in 2012, so any time after that for us, he wants to return and become a policeman.
So far all we are doing in clearing out closets and getting the house fixed up. Outside is all painted, kids bathroom is re done, ours will be done in August, (new basins, mirrors medicine cabs etc)
But thats all we have really done.

reeni

I am hoping for summer 2011. But hubby is scared he has ping ponged enough and he never was a risk taker (i am still paying off the sexual favours i promised him from the last pong over...lololol).

I am decluttering and sorting at the moment. I think that when I go back to work it will be better ...less time on my hands. I am also researching all the stuff about schools and where my kids will fit.

I knew it was a mistake to come back to Canada 1 year in to our time here. I kept trying to make it work. And to be honest it is not bad, but I know what I want out of life and I feel I will get it over there.

So now I am trying to make our quality of life better and keeping everyone happy here. Till I can better propose my ideas.

I see my parents and his parents - I look at where they are in their lives and I know if i plan it right and work hard we can have it better when we get to their age. My mom and I had a long talk and she supports my decision (weirdly enough). She realizes if she had been planning in her late 30's like me she would be in a better place now.

It took us 2 years to pong back over to Canada...i am hoping it will be less this time!

Mummy in the foothills

That made me spit tea all over
Sounds like a dealy that my Dh would love to make

Kentish Lass

Would love to return home. I've written many a time on other threads about my OH liking it here. He has a boat and enjoys fishing. We have been here over 6 years and I have hated it here for over 6 years. He said to give it at least 3 years but in that time my kids have grown up as Kiwis.My oldest is doing his NCEAs and my youngest will start hers next year. It's not a good time to change their education. Before my daughter starts her important NCEA years I'm taking her back home to England. She was only 7 when we left. Just booked a flight ...there are some good deals at the moment. OH has now said that he wouldn't mind going back but we need first to get our citizienship. The kids may want to return to NZ or we/they might like to try OZ. After struggling all this time I want something to show for it.
I find life so boring here and life just goes from day to day.I haven't made any real friends here but that is probably my mindset. I miss my old friends and,even if they can be annoying, my family.
I am really looking forward to going back in a couple of months and I hope my daughter enjoys it too. It is just too expensive for all of us to go back for a visit.And my son and OH aren't that bothered.
I last went back 3years ago on my own. It was like putting on an old pair of slippers. I picked up with friends as though I'd only seen them the day before.
It made me even more unsettled. Some people here said that I would return and be able to embrace the life here.No. I can't get excited about anything here even birthdays or especially Christmas. I have missed so many a Christmas. The World Cup has come and gone without any fuss here. I just feel apart from the rest of the World and people.The humour...the light-hearted banter that you can find anywhere.
I feel time is just slipping away. I would rather try Australia than stay here. At least it seems in more contact with the outside world and on the holidays we've had there, it seems livelier and with a better atmosphere of just 'being'
.

sarahl322

We are moving back to the UK in the next 18 months and we are also ping pongers (although my hubby wasn't lucky enough for sexual favours ha ha!!). It kind of feels like I am in limbo and I would go tomorrow if I could. We are in Brisbane and as much as I like it here, I don't like it as much as I like my friends and family even if the UK is cold and wet most of the time!! My husband and daughter love it here although Scarlet (6) will be happy anywhere she has that sort of chilled laid back type of personality which is great. The other thing is I am pregnant, due in January (Australia Day unbelievably!!) and I don't want to wait another 18 months and take home a toddler to introduce to my family! Anyway my whinge over, it good to know I am not the only one in limbo - need to make the most of the rest of our time here and see more of Australia while we have the chance

Bruma

I am living in Mallorca and have been here for 13 years. Met my husband here and we now have a 2 year old daughter and a baby on the way. We are moving back to Wales in Dec. I am so incredibly homesick, miss my family so much. Luckily my husband who´s half French/Spanish is willing to give it a try back in the UK.
After initially loving the lifestyle here in Mallorca I have gradually found myself becoming increasingly disillusioned with the place. I feel that I have outgrown this small island and want to experience life in the UK and let my daughter grow up in enjoying all the things I did. I know its not going to be easy but with the help of friends and family Im hoping we are making the right move. Time will tell.
Im getting the house ready for the move and having a big (long overdue clearout). My friend is renting our house for a year until we decide if we are going to stay in the UK for good.
Im sooo excited, begining to feel alive again! Cant wait.

Lorry1

I am hoping to return in 3 years. I would love to go now to be honest but my daughter is at a crucial stage in school and they finish at 18 here in NS. She would be doing her GCSE's in England next year, and I don't want her to have to struggle through those after being out of the school system so long.

We have been here 3 years, and although there is nothing really that I dislike about Canada, for me it isn't home and my heart just isn't here.

Hubby loves it here and really does NOT want to return to that "cess pit" at all. Although he has said that he will go back if it's what I really want though.
We have tentatively planned that in 2 and a half years we will all sit down and ask what everyone wants to do - stay or return.

We went through years of planning and waiting for this move to Canada, and so all is not lost, we are going to apply for citizenship this year incase we want to return later on.

KerinaK2008

I have been in Canada now 16 months and dream about going back home every day. I wish I could be Dorothy in the Wizard of OZ and just click those shoes. If i had my own way, I would like to think about heading back end of 2011/ 2012 and still aiming for that really. But unfortunately hubby loves it so still causing conflict for our future. On a postive, i had another moment the other day with him and he changed his tune a bit. Well he told me not to put my hopes up. But it was nice to hear something different for a change. He said i would be willing for us to move any in the world even UK if we can have a better life. However he also added the UK is not the place to be right now, the economy is still bad etc and we are doing well here right now. That i do agree with, but what concerns me is when will the UK pick up enough to convince my hubby, lets go! We have no kids in the equation at the moment so think it will be easier to make the move now.I pray now everyday for a miracle. I hope the economy starts to pick up by the end of 2011/2012.

reeni

See the way I look at this is, we won't go back till hubby has a job in hand. He was well thought of in his field over there. He developed and piloted alot of ground breaking IT projects while we were over there. He had a bit of a reputation lol he was the Canadian guy who drove everyone nuts, but got things done! So if he can get a job while all economy down it is the best time to go back. House prices will be low, vacations and day trips over there are already slashing their prices (Alton towers has kids for free all this summer). Companies will be doing all they can to get people to buy stuff.

I am slowly paring away at my hubby's worries.

Kentish Lass

E-mailed a friend in England as soon as I booked for my trip home. She has just phoned me and we have had such a laugh. We are so looking forward to seeing each other again. I stayed for a while, with her and her family, 3 years ago and before that it was 3 years before that when we left. Your friends are your friends are your friends. No-one comes close here. She told me some local gossip and is spreading the word that I'm coming. Can't wait.

killerhales

I can relate to what you say about a small island. We previously lived in Nassau. Of course the lifestyle was good, plenty of visitors (too many actually) but we suffered from "island fever" and just had to get away 2 or 3 times per year. Luckily Ft. Lauderdale was within an hour by plane; we used to stay in the local "Sheraton Suites", hire a car, turn on the radio, and drive like hell until we recovered a sense of space and scale!

It sounds like you have the ideal situation, in that you can spend a year in the UK and see how you go without burning any bridges. We will sell our house here, but we are now citizens, so ping-ponging is not out of the question (although the sexual favours mentioned earlier could encourage me to stay put, or move, whatever my OH wants ;-)

the davis family

Hoping to move back next summer, basically holding out for citizenship. Have been here nearly 4 years and have really tried to make it work but just keep getting knocked back. OH has had several lay offs, nearly severed his fingers off in a work related accident and we are stuck in the middle of nowhere in a small prairie town (ok they call it a city), so basically not a lot of opportunities for the kids when they leave school. We couldn't afford for them to go to college or Uni and now with the economy it's even worse.

Perhaps if we moved to another province things would pick up for us, but now that we've made the decision to go home it just feels the right thing to do. I'm really excited to get back and for the kids to see family they've forgotten. It was after OH's last lay off having been working away for the last 6 months that I realised I was fed up with it all and I didn't come here to be apart from him and feeling like a single parent living one day to the next wondering if there was enough money to put food on the table.

To be honest I would go now but acreage has to sell (not that we will come out with anything) I joked to OH that if by the time we get citizenship we still haven't sold we should just stop paying the mortgage and get the bank to take it off us

When we decided to move to Canada it was because we wanted to do something different and an opportunity came up and we thought why not! As we've all heard before much better to try something than regret not doing it later on in life. So the way I look at is we've had an adventure, yes it's cost us money and left us penniless but you can't take it with you and I won't have regrets. Life is about taking risks and if you don't take risks then it's very hard to appreciate life in all it's glory!

What have I learnt, that I'm not that keen on snow especially when it stops you riding for 7 months of the year!

lilybilly101

Your friends, are your friends.....

Love that KentishLass and so, so true. I've kept in close contact with my girlfriends for 7 years of being away and they are a huge part of my return. I realise I could never replace them. They've been with me (trans-Atlantic) through 2 births, a miscarriage, a ruptured achilels, my father dying and countless other moments. I'll trade that for anything I have here......and I am.....as of Nov.....gone.......yipeeeeee......here on the other hand I feel I've been shunned as our leave date gets closer. It's a social punishment and I've seen it happen before to someone else. Bizarre, sad, and mean I think but all the more reason to go!

Have a fantastic time with your friends!

lilybilly101

Good luck in yor return. It's awful when your partner is away all the time working. It makes the whole 'paradise' living pointless. I wish you well in the UK. I'm sure things will fall into place.