erin0259

Hi,
I have read alot of posts on moving back to the UK but alot of people are single are younger families, there does not seem like alot of people 50 and older like me, i am currently planning on moving back next spring depending on how much i can save by then, but i am quite nervous about it all, all my family live there younger brother and now even my only daughter moved there almost 2yrs ago, i have been in a very bad marriage and am now single and decided it is time for me to go home as i have nothing to keep me here anymore, and as much as i am very excited about moving back i am also scared to death, i have lived in the US for almost 30yrs but have always gone home every year to visit my family, every time i had to leave it would break my heart.

I have never felt like the US has been my home, but stayed because of my daughter, i never thought she would move over there even though she loved it, but after a study abroad at Uni and then a year there for her masters, she could not wait to move there she loves it,she is in a serious relationship and does not want to return, she is now a UK Citizen.

The thing is, she is young and i am not anymore, not saying 50 is old lol, but you get my meaning, i just afraid if i can make it there, i am not well off by all means, we lost our home in forclosure so what i have will be my savings from my job, i am a assistant manager at a clothing store, but am saving everything i have to come back, my goal is to save enough money to live on for six months till i find a job, and that is what scares me at my age, plus finding a affordable place to live.

My daughter lives in Wimbledon works in London, i would like to be at least under 2 yrs commute to where she lives, but honestly not even sure where to look, i was in Surrey for a month at Xmas loved it , bit places there are very expensive to rent, i only need a small one bed, so am very confused where to move too and am i nuts for doing this, i cannot stay here, and i love the UK and miss it so much, sorry for the long rant but really need advice.

Sally Redux

There is a thread in the 'Rovers Return' section aimed at older returnees: 'Over 40s moving back and catching up'.

Good luck with your plans.

Editha

I'm 61 and about to move back. There are a number of regular contributors to the forum who are your age or older, moving back or already done so.

To be in reach of Wimbledon, I'd be looking at towns in Surrey, West Sussex and Wiltshire. Finding affordable accommodation in those counties is going to be your biggest challenge, but someone else on this forum, in a not dissimilar position to you, found accommodation in Hampshire recently, so it can be done.

That was "English Maple" and I suggest you have a look at her thread:http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=821982 .

ElizabethK

Another 'regular' on here called Whofan63 moved back to UK just about a year ago. She was almost 50 when she came back. Try looking for her posts and read through them, she will fill you with courage and show you that the move can be done. Good Luck !

the1mag

I'm well into my sixties and will be moving back in the fall after living in Canada for 44 years. My husband died just about a year ago, I have no kids and feel the need to be close to my sister in London, her kids, and what's left of the rest of the family.

I've been lurking here for a few months, reading avidly about the experiences of everyone who's moved back or is about to.

I'm really not having any second thoughts about my decision, especially after the winter that's just ending here in the Maritimes, but the idea of living in England again after so much time away is a bit scary.

My sister lives in Ealing, not far from Heathrow, so I'm looking at places a couple of hours west of there. Bath would be wonderful but a bit pricey I think.

Maggie

r0briley

Hi Erin,
I am in a similar situation to you. 52 and now a single parent to a 12 year old. My American husband passed away last month. All my family are still in England and we have no-one here. We are planning on moving back in August. Yes it is scary but exciting. One thing I appreciate about England is the fact that they tend to hire based on experience not qualifications (which seems to be the thing here in the USA.) As I sit here in my small New England town huddled next to the woodstove in April! I look forward to endless rainy days and above freezing temperatures-I have had enough snow to last a lifetime. Remain hopeful and keep moving forward with your plans-Good luck.

NiHao

I think there are lots of us in the same age range as you on here so you def are not alone.

We have been looking at Lincolnshire because the housing is much more affordable there than many parts of England but there is a high speed train from Grantham and also Newark that gets you to Kings Cross London in about 70 mins. Swindon in Wiltshire has a fast train too and house prices aren't too crazy round there.

Take a look at locrating.com you can click on the top tab "Commuting Map and then type in towns you are interested in and it will show you the train commute times to London (or any where else you want).

It is very scary going back at our age but I think its more scary thinking about how it will feel to be 70 or 80+ and still here. Its so lucky that your daughter lives in the UK we have several people on here who have found themselves torn between a strong desire to return to the UK and having to leave grown children who are now firmly settled in the US.

You sound like you have been through a lot in your life the strength that got you through the tough times will get you through the turmoil of the move

Sally Redux

Ain't that the truth.

erin0259

Thanks everyone
I feel so much better after reading your posts, it is so nice to come to a place where other people understand what you are going through, i was feeling very much alone, and rOBRILEY, i am so very sorry for your lost how awful, you have a big support system here anytime you need to talk.

I had been in a verbally and mentally abusive marriage for way too long, but got the courage to get out after 26yrs, so i am excited about the new chapter in my life and being close to my family especially my beautiful daughter, but i am scared, also finding a place that accepts pets will be a challenge as i am taking my beloved yorkie with me, i have been looking on Zoopla and right move, problem is i just don't know area to move too, i have been pretty much all over UK so familiar with places, i love Surrey but what i have seen is expensive, as long it is somewhere safe and near a train station that is all i need.

Again "THANK YOU' you have all been so nice.

michali

SO true! This is one of the main reasons we have applied for a spouse visa for my husband so we can go back to the UK where we have children and other family members. I love living here in the Bahamas but our friends are either leaving or dying! The thought of being here alone in a couple of years (we are already 68 and 75) is very scary. So we are presently waiting to find out if we will be given the visa. If not, we will have to go to plan B....trouble is, we don't have a plan B!!

fulwood

Erin, one thing is for certain you will get older. can't change that. But you can change how you spend the rest of your remaining years. If you procrastinate your window of years spent in UK will diminish. If you move and it doesn't work out you move back. Of course you have concerns but you daughter and family are over there. You can grab life and run with it or stagnate. Do it girl.

Pollyana

Here's the link
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=701116

lf1

Hi Erin and welcome to BE. I am another 50+ who made the move from Canada back to the UK after 30 ish years in Canada. When I first started thinking about moving I found BE a great place to get practical and emotional support, with a few laughs along the way. I have now been back in the UK for a little over 18 months and don't regret my decision at all.

You are definitely not alone in being over 50 and wanting to return to the UK. I was amazed how many people felt the same as I did when I first started planning my move. I couldn't understand how I could have lived in Canada for so long, without being homesick, only to experience this strong urge to return. For quite sometime, BE was one of the few places I could talk about it.

Best of luck with your journey. Keep us posted.

dunroving

I think us codgers and borderline codgers are at least a significant minority. Maybe we just seem young to new people reading the threads!

lf1

Hi Maggie, welcome to BE. Sorry to hear about your husband. My friend, in her early sixties, moved back to the UK last year on her own and has slipped back into life here. Her social life has improved greatly and she travels far more than she did before. I wish you all the best for your move.