SoJohn

If you planned to move to Spain for 6 years and then return to the UK, you succeeded. If you planned to move there good and returned, for whatever reason, then you failed. Moving to Spain is not like moving to a new house and can't even be compared.

But yes, I am arguing about the definition because you chose to mold it to your circumstance and felt the need to defend yourself.

I do have an opinion on the rest of your post You gave it a go and overcame the obstacles and then decided it wasn't for you. You failed, all be it on the best possible terms

Rosemary

If we return to UK from Spain we would not label it as a failure as we very carefully researched the whole issue before moving here and if we returned it would be because of different circumstances or because we had changed our boundaries or wishes.

At the moment we have found that there are a variety of difficulties in relocating to a different country. Most of this is the differing bureaucracy rather than the different lifestyle or the people. Once you have completed all of the ticky boxes where the paperwork is concerned it is down to how you cope with the lifestyle that you have chosen.

Many people think that they will have a lazier life by moving to somewhere like Spain but if they have to work in UK for a set income I cannot understand why they would think that it would be different in Spain so that could be classed a a 'thought failure'. Moving because you have changed your mind about what you want from life is a constant decision for many people so could not be classed as a failure.

Rose tinted glasses are a huge problem for some whilst others examine every aspect and realise that there is no-where in the world that can offer everything that everyone can wish for. Spain like every other country has its share of paperwork and many people do not realise this and complain, however if a Spaniard moves to the UK they face similar difficulties over paperwork so why do people expect it to be so different in Spain.

Living in a place as a retiree is totally different from living as a worker no matter which country you are living in.

Live and let live. Thrive and manage or manage a change by all means but labelling things as a failure or a success is not productive or helpful to anyone.

Rosemary

Rosemary

Life is not black and white, it is a mixture of the two and so are labels such as success and failure. Many people change jobs, relationships and countries throughout their lives and this adds to the diversity of life and makes life more interesting.

Rosemary

SoJohn

Not saying it is black and white. I PLAN to move to Spain and live there. I don't have any set plans to make it my permanent home but I would consider it. I PLAN to stay there at least a year. If, for some reason, i don't stay there a full year, then i FAILED because it is what i PLANNED to do. If I PLANNED to move there permanently and returned after 3 years, that plan FAILED.

Fail and Failed are just words. I planned to wake up at 8am this morning and failed because I didn't wake up till 9am....it's just a word. Just like failing to settle in Spain after you planned to.

Big Pete

He is right actually , I see exactly what he means

rugbymatt

Oh sorry, I was eating something really nice and thought I would share it with the forum, guess I should have made myself clearer, that way there would not have been a misunderstanding!!

spain

I think all of the above play part in why people return to UK - just seems the last few months there have been so many doing just that - now Ive come to the conclusion that in the end everyone goes back

Be interesting to know what age groups people on the forum are in and how long they have been here - I think (as has been said before) this has a major bearing on settling (or not) as work is such a big issue and can be a lot hardier to find than you would think - so many people say "oh I will do bar work if I cnt find anything"

sjrw

The question was "Why do so many fail?"
The answer given (one of them) was "Maybe because they are British."

Let's try putting this into an English frame for a moment.

Picture the scene - a Pakistani/Croatian/Iraqi/Polish forum in England.
"Why do so many fail?"
"Maybe it's because they are Pakistani/Croatian/Iraqi/Polish"

The british Police would be knocking my door very soon afterwards.

You need to qualify statements like that, which can be so easily misconstrued. Read my original comment - it did NOT say you are a racist. Compare it with what is above here. You will probably say they are totally different circumstances, but you are the only one inside your own mind, so the only one who really knows what the context was.

I for one do not believe that anyone who tries to make a life in another country can be a racist. You have to be prepared to be the foreigner and take what comes. So if you took offence about my post then I can only apologise. But I think I made a fair point.

SoJohn

I disagree. You just quoted 5 words of my initial post to backup your comparison. The context in which it was said greatly decreases the possibility of it being racist.....

jdr

I don`t think you posted the comment in question, it was this one HERE.

trutje

But this is a British forum about British.....
I really don't understand your point

SoJohn

Another example of miscommunication I was aware of the post in question but as I said, the poster used 5 words out of my initial post as a comparison.

jdr

American site, Spanish forum for British expats moving to or living in Spain.

jdr

Well why confuse your post to the one in question ?

rugbymatt

I think what they are trying to say is that the implication was that they fail because they are British, even if that wasn't the intent.

It sounded like a bit of a sarky comment, probably a throw away one but thats how it came across all the same.

The reply you gave saying that it depends on how insecure people are as to how they took the comment didn't help to be honest.