spain

to even things up and give an objective view of those who have been and gone

what are the reasons (in brief) to leave Spain ?

mikelincs

I suspect most are either financial, such as failing to get sufficient work, or homesickness. Then there are those where the plans for house etc just didn't work out and it all becomes too much.

TheArmChairDetective

My half brother returned because of illness.

Kyla

Or indeed, why leave Spain and return to Scotland? Met a woman on a flight to Malaga a few weeks ago. She was 79 years old, had moved to Benalmadena on her own 9 years ago and only returned to the UK last year because she wanted to spend more time with her grandchildren.

Mitzyboy

Well one things for sure, those that have returned should not feel as if they have failed. Its a huge huge step to do what we have (or about) to do and by the law of averages there are going to be some people it doesn't suit. They should console themselves with the fact that at least they had the guts to give it a try

I'm guessing most of the reasons will be either ill health or family matters, although we know from here that glad 2 b back had another story to tell

onlineamiga

Having not moved to spain yet I have considered what might make me come back to the UK:

1. Suddenly missing friends and family too much (even though i dont think i will).
2. Not getting a job
3. Not being able to find any friends.
4. Being lonely as a result.
5. Running out of money
6. Being a victim of crmie spoiling my impression of the place.
7. Suddenly falling seriously ill.


The chances of the above happening are obviously very slim, but if any of them happened then i would be craving the resource I have in England and it makes you come back. Once youre settled with a job, friends etc, understand the location then things like being ill or being a victim of crime wouldnt make you return.

Im telling people that Im emmergrating, but i say "Im going to spain to give it a try" because, yes it might not work and i could come back. My first 3 months or so is "trying it" i perhaps wont feel like im going to be there permanently but will be working on achieving that.

tim hortons man

funny you would ask, we just had two sets of friends announce they are moving back. In the one case the children didn't adjsut as well as they hoped one was dyslectic and they didn't feel that inspite of being in an English school he isn't getting the help he needs (they've been here bit under a year) the other have been here 3 years and have ailing parents and are thinking of moving home to be with them. As well I suspect they are tired of having to deal in Spanish all the time.

I'll told them we'll host a party in our basement called "good bye sunshine"

rugbymatt

I had no choice, and as I have already said I regret doing it every day since, and I'm not a regretful person at all.

For the most part those who left were, as already said, economic returnees, they tended to be people who thought that it would be one big holiday, that since their mates or family had done it, they could.
I have said many times that Spain is a country that requires real work to make it happen for you, living in a foreign land does, and sometimes people go over and expect things, when they dont get them they go down hill fast.

Then there are those who never wanted to go anyway! They think they did, but the reality is that something or someone pushed them into it. The amount of people I met out there who had followed partners was truly shocking.
There were also some who genuinely thought they could handle being away from family and friends, but its hard to live away from what you know. (I'm told anyway, since I live as far away from my family as I can!)

I really think that people are overcomplicating the situation, take our lovely Miss N, before she went she had run herself into a whirlwind of panic about the why's and wherefore's, and it didnt make an already stressful situation any less panic ridden did it?

I love this country, its a beautiful one, and we have a very fair government, regardless of who is in, we enjoy an amazing economic boom, have an amazing amount of freedom and are lucky to live there (if you do still)
If you want to go to another country it should be because you want to live in another country, if you go expecting some utopia then forget it, you will be bitterly disappointed, and thats the point, those who remain and thrive in Spain are generally those who expect no great miracles from their time out there, simply an experience and some fun.

derbyflan

I agree with all that.

All I ever missed when living overseas in the past was a decent curry. I loved everything else and infact, my only regret was not integrating enough - which I intend to do fully next time. All I ever learnt to say in both Gibraltar/Spain and Germany was "Cerveza por favor" or "Bier bitte". Total waste of two very good opportunities there and I'll never make that mistake again.

People must realise the differences between actually living there and going on holiday. It's not all sunshine and sangria (but most of it can be ).