OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
May 23rd 2012, 6:52 am
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Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Congrats on the house sale lf1 - that's fab news!!
Hope everyone else is well.
Just a quick update from me. We're finally moving into our long-term rental today after nearly 5 weeks in this holiday let. The stuff we brought with us arrived last week but we still had to assemble beds and replace the stuff we didn't bother shipping. (plus place our order with the milkman who popped round while we were moving the furniture in - yes, there are still milkmen in England!) But we're finally ready. I'm worried about moving the cats again, but at least this time it's a 10-minute drive not a 12-hour ordeal.
The weather has been absolutely glorious and we're still loving being back. Things are working out just as I'd hoped in that we're both spending a lot of time with friends and family. Next week, I'm able to help my mum with a difficult chore she's dreading - it feels so nice to be able to offer help that way when we've been unable to for so long. And we can take my brother out for his birthday - he's had a hard year and it will be nice to be able to make his birthday special for him.
We were joking yesterday that we need to start synchronizing our calendars - we have so much going on that we can't keep track of all our commitments. That's the exact opposite of our life in New York. It feels great
Hope everyone else is well.
Just a quick update from me. We're finally moving into our long-term rental today after nearly 5 weeks in this holiday let. The stuff we brought with us arrived last week but we still had to assemble beds and replace the stuff we didn't bother shipping. (plus place our order with the milkman who popped round while we were moving the furniture in - yes, there are still milkmen in England!) But we're finally ready. I'm worried about moving the cats again, but at least this time it's a 10-minute drive not a 12-hour ordeal.
The weather has been absolutely glorious and we're still loving being back. Things are working out just as I'd hoped in that we're both spending a lot of time with friends and family. Next week, I'm able to help my mum with a difficult chore she's dreading - it feels so nice to be able to offer help that way when we've been unable to for so long. And we can take my brother out for his birthday - he's had a hard year and it will be nice to be able to make his birthday special for him.
We were joking yesterday that we need to start synchronizing our calendars - we have so much going on that we can't keep track of all our commitments. That's the exact opposite of our life in New York. It feels great
May 26th 2012, 7:11 am
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Great update, Sally!
You and many others here will be interested to see that in the fifth annual NatWest Personal Quality of Life Index, whereas in 2008 40%or British expats missed the countryside, and 32% missed the British cultural heritage, now both these figures are 0%!!!!!
references:
I got this first from Annabel Kantaria's blog on the Telegraph expat site:
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/anna...iss-from-home/
and she links to an article on another expat forum (sorry BritishExpats.com Powers-That-Be, but I don't see anything about it on ours!)
http://www.expatforum.com/general-co...vey-finds.html
I guess one can find the original survey somewhere online.)
This is extraordinary! Who are these people they are asking? Not one of them missing the British countryside or culture? ?????
They do still miss the British pub and the British sense of humour, though.
Very puzzling; and as many many people on this forum (especially among the over-50s????? it would be interesting to find out) DO miss the countryside and culture, I think we should put NatWest right! Their survey is skewed....
..perhaps the people they are polling are those still at the beginning or in the middle of careers, and for them work and earning capacity are more important factors than anything else....
Tina
You and many others here will be interested to see that in the fifth annual NatWest Personal Quality of Life Index, whereas in 2008 40%or British expats missed the countryside, and 32% missed the British cultural heritage, now both these figures are 0%!!!!!
references:
I got this first from Annabel Kantaria's blog on the Telegraph expat site:
http://my.telegraph.co.uk/expat/anna...iss-from-home/
and she links to an article on another expat forum (sorry BritishExpats.com Powers-That-Be, but I don't see anything about it on ours!)
http://www.expatforum.com/general-co...vey-finds.html
I guess one can find the original survey somewhere online.)
This is extraordinary! Who are these people they are asking? Not one of them missing the British countryside or culture? ?????
They do still miss the British pub and the British sense of humour, though.
Very puzzling; and as many many people on this forum (especially among the over-50s????? it would be interesting to find out) DO miss the countryside and culture, I think we should put NatWest right! Their survey is skewed....
..perhaps the people they are polling are those still at the beginning or in the middle of careers, and for them work and earning capacity are more important factors than anything else....
Tina
May 27th 2012, 2:18 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Life seems to change when we get older, we change,
and then I made the decision to come home for good, and in that last two years before leaving I could think of little else but my new life in England, and then I remembered all the things that I just took for granted,
But when I came home and as the months go by you realise how much you really did miss all that the U.K. has,
But in U.S. life was always so busy and you just get caught up in your life, and I didn't think of England really anymore cause now I had a new life in America, and I didn't have a single Brit friend ever in the U.S. they were all American, and I think that makes a lot of difference in the way you live there,
Rodney.
May 27th 2012, 2:59 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Interesting, Rodney; yes, that's what I thought, many younger people are still caught up in careers and so on when they start a new life abroad....But still.
It's strange to me that no-one in this survey said they missed the British countryside and culture. It's true that when you're young you're more focussed on the future, on adventure...
Tina
It's strange to me that no-one in this survey said they missed the British countryside and culture. It's true that when you're young you're more focussed on the future, on adventure...
Tina
May 27th 2012, 3:23 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
When I moved, over 30 years ago, the three things I missed immediately were the landscape, architecture and sense of humour. The list grew as I became more familiar with the place. Then I got caught up in making a living etc , but deep down the feelings never really went away, I just made the best of what Canada had to offer. In those days, we had M & S here so I could get my food fix from there. Missing the radio and TV was huge for me, but less so nowadays, thanks to the Internet.
Years ago we didn't have as much access to the UK as we do today. I think the increased amount of access and various trips over the years helped me to realize that I am living on the wrong continent.
Years ago we didn't have as much access to the UK as we do today. I think the increased amount of access and various trips over the years helped me to realize that I am living on the wrong continent.
May 27th 2012, 8:23 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Hi all, I`ve posted elsewhere, as life is very difficult at the moment. I`m back in the UK because I`ve had the bombshell news that my sister is terminally ill with a rare liver cancer so I braved my flying phobia and got back here. She is going downhill fast, I see changes every day. It`s so sad to be coming back with the prospect that my lovely sister who`s always been my best friend wont be here.
May 27th 2012, 8:31 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
So sorry to hear that news, my heart goes out to you!
May 27th 2012, 8:41 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Hi all, I`ve posted elsewhere, as life is very difficult at the moment. I`m back in the UK because I`ve had the bombshell news that my sister is terminally ill with a rare liver cancer so I braved my flying phobia and got back here. She is going downhill fast, I see changes every day. It`s so sad to be coming back with the prospect that my lovely sister who`s always been my best friend wont be here.
May 27th 2012, 8:49 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Yes, so glad I made it! All down to my husband and the doctor giving me the right tablets to cope as I`m very air phobic.
May 27th 2012, 8:54 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Jemima 55 so sorry to hear your news. I wish you and your sister all the best. Take care
May 27th 2012, 9:02 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Thanks If1
May 27th 2012, 9:10 pm
Back home at last!
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
How sad for you, Jemima. I'm glad you made it in time to see your sister. All the best.
May 27th 2012, 11:11 pm
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Hi all, I`ve posted elsewhere, as life is very difficult at the moment. I`m back in the UK because I`ve had the bombshell news that my sister is terminally ill with a rare liver cancer so I braved my flying phobia and got back here. She is going downhill fast, I see changes every day. It`s so sad to be coming back with the prospect that my lovely sister who`s always been my best friend wont be here.
May 28th 2012, 7:09 am
Finally Home!
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Location: Used to be New York, now North Yorkshire
Posts: 3,610
Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Jemima55, I just saw your email and then this message. How awful! I am so, so sorry that you had to return under these circumstances. The only positive is that you are able to be there with her. It meant the world to me that I was able to travel back and be with my dad in his last few weeks, and as I mourned him, I took some comfort from that. I hope you are able to do the same.
Would love to meet up when you're finally back up north. Will email.
Would love to meet up when you're finally back up north. Will email.
May 28th 2012, 7:30 am
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Re: OVER 50's+ MOVING BACK TO THE UK - Part II
Hi all, I`ve posted elsewhere, as life is very difficult at the moment. I`m back in the UK because I`ve had the bombshell news that my sister is terminally ill with a rare liver cancer so I braved my flying phobia and got back here. She is going downhill fast, I see changes every day. It`s so sad to be coming back with the prospect that my lovely sister who`s always been my best friend wont be here.