HBG

Has anyone else noticed that the Spanish expat forums now seem to be full of threads asking for advice on returning home? Or people writing that they have returned home?

What I find strange is that those people have not necessarily faced problems with the abysmal exchange rate, or anything else that is obvious, is it just that they got fed up with Spain? For other reasons?

And why am I reading those threads with great interest? I'm happily settled in Spain, with no major traumas - what's it all about?

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

I blame the UK media, every now and again they have a "mission" to tell everyone how hard life is for expats in Spain and how they're all "having" to come home. I think this starts people over here thinking (wrongly IMO) that "oh gosh, we'd better go back"!!!

I'm happy here, altho I do have the issue of school fees for my two kids, they go to international school and at their ages (12 and 14) I'm not putting them into state. The cost is horrendous, in the UK we wouldnt have to pay and I'd stand a better chance of getting a job there.....!! But if it werent for the school fees, financially, we'd be much better off here and thats including the cost of my OH commuting 4 times a month and even the exchange rate (so far lol)!!!! definately!


Jo xx

CBANDY

We have been debating a return for the last 3 years!!! We have 2 very young children and the biggest pull for us is family. We had a trip back last week and it broke my heart to see my 3 year old bawling her eyes out when she had to leave her grandparents & cousins. The big worry for me (here & there) is job security.

jojojojojojojojojojojojo

The emotional side is difficult, I think mine would bawl their eyes out at the thought of leaving Spain, but then kids are mercenary, the promise of a PC game, new bike, TV in their room... and the tears would soon dry up! So if we had to go back I think they'd soon settle!!!???

When mine go back to the UK to visit they love it there, but they always seem happy to return to Spain, but then we dont have grandparents to miss. At least Spain isnt that far away and flights are fairly cheap (well gatwick-malaga) so visits can be fairly regular and often.

Jo xxx

CBANDY

Our flights to Scotland recently have proved rather expensive. I would love to live somewhere semi rural in England. I also find that with the current crisis a lot of Spainish (not all) have a bit of a negative atitude towards foreign workers. But if we were to move back, and we have been here 11 years, we would have to sell the house so I dont think we will be going anywhere soon. Lol.

jackytoo

I know quite a few people who have returned over the past two years. Most for financial reasons, no work etc. Some just don't like the place anymore.

CBANDY

Most of our long term friends of 10 years have gone back mainly for financial reasons. We sat down one night and started talking about it. We could not believe the amount of people we knew who just were not here any more. Spain is a very hard place to make a living at the moment. Even for the spanish.

HBG

That's exactly what I've found over the past two to three years, but what I can't understand is why suddenly people don't like the place anymore. What has changed about Spain over the past few years, leaving aside financial and personal reasons?

I understand the negative media influences, from the UK, but it has to be more than that, some deeper reason that escapes me. Zapatero? surely not, he hasn't done anything specific aimed at expats, the recession and high unemployment here, probably a factor, a growing disgust with the ridiculous levels of corruption all around?

Could it be a growing level of disrespect from the locals towards us Guiris? Are there simply too many of us in Spain?

I sometimes think that most Spaniards would be glad to see the back of us, even if they don't say so.

Dick Dasterdly

Its a strange thing but I have over the years known quite a few mainly older ppl.who seemed to be extremely happy with the easy life, and at that time the very low cost of living, suddenly announce, having been in the Canaries for approx 10 year or so,that they were off back to blighty.

I'm pretty certain that it was not down to financial problems at that time, but IMHO for what its worth,after a certain time scale, there is a tendancy for ppl.to be drawn back to their roots,to see old friends and family and how things are in their home towns and stamping grounds,maybe go back to their old local for a pint or two and also possibly believe its better to spend their last days in the place they know so well.
That was just the impression I got from them at the time.

Also as happened with me after ten very happy years, thinking I would never ever want to leave the island,I suddenly decided it was time for a change and a new challenge.
I think there are many reasons why people get itchy feet and the urge to move on after a certain time scale, even when they have no financial pressures and have generally previously appeared to be very content,although I do accept that finance has had a major effect regarding the more recent departures.

HBG

Having thought about it some more, and after two emails from friends who have returned home, I’m no further forward. The ones I’m particularly talking about spent more than ten years in Spain, like myself, and kept their houses on, in Spain, intending to visit as holidaymakers.

Maybe Dastardly hit the nail on the head, at some stage we want to return to our roots, no matter how long we’ve been away. In that case it’s got nothing to do with Spain, nothing at all, It’s just that we haven’t forgotten that Scottish hillside, the flatlands of Essex, the greenery of the West Country, or that dodgy pub in the East End.

It reminds of the words I’ve uttered most in my life (I think). ‘A pint of lager and a packet of crisps’. But I can do that here, can’t I? (I never have, I don’t like Spanish crisps).

bassista

I've been considering it recently. I'm a musician and music teacher and obviously in the current climate, the arts are the first thing to suffer. Also my daughter had a bad experience with bullying and the teacher's racist attitude towards it last year. We have moved so we'll see how this school pans out but if it doesn't go well, and if my teaching doesn\t pick up in September, I'll be very tempted to go back. I don't want to per se, but it's very very tough here right now for the arts.

mikelincs

Not sure that the last holds true, in many areas of the costas, then the whole economy depends on tourists and expats. In the UK shops etc are trying to do their best by reducing prices, haven't really seen that in Spain apart from a few bars etc offering 'credit crunch' meals, they just tend to be less of the normal meal.

michaleen oge

having spent over eight years in spain, i am selling up and hoping to move to ireland(the home of my birth). whilst i have some very happy memories of my time in spain, i think the time has come for me to move. i am a pensioner so i don't have to find work here,although some more money would be appreciated.
i think over the years i have gotten to know the spanish mentality quite well and i agree with the comments above, they would like to see the back of us. over the years they have had to pander to tourists and watch them spend money that they never had. now i find the majority of diners in the fancy cafes etc are spanish, they have money of their own to spend. they don't have to rely on us any more. the dislike they have harboured towards us was hidden but no more. they are not all like that,but a sizeable majority are.
and as for the corruption in town halls, not all town halls are corrupt, but all town halls that have been investigated are!! ole.

spainrico

I know quite a few to have returned to the UK mainly through lack of funds/work as against any other problems with Spain or a real desire to return to the UK.

I wrote this a few months ago:

Has the Exodus Begun?
http://www.timspain.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=196

Fred James

It might be worth noting that British Expats has a forum dedicated to those returning to the UK - for whatever reason and from whatever location.

So far there have been 142000 posts on it.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=61