herrchook

I still remember the journey from Melbourne Airport on 1st August last year. Margaret3 was driving us, OH was crapping himself in a hir car behind in case he lost us, and the kids were crashed out on the back seat. As we drove through what I now know is Coburg I was filled with thoughts of "OOOOMMMMGGGGGG what have we done?".

I really wasn't prepared for how unreal and odd it all felt in those first weeks. Having previously spent a year here in Oz I naively thought I would feel right at home from day 1 but that couldn't be further from the truth.

First weeks went well as OH got an offer of a really good job with a salary equal to his UK job, and after visiting what felt like every suburb in Melbourne trying to decide where to live. We eventually settled on somewhere and have found that whilst it's not as pretty as many others, it's a fab little place, with a great community and pretty much is everything we wanted (OK, except a beach).

We have made some amazingly good friends here, I guess some friendships develop faster here than in the UK as there's more riding on them. From that I mean that your good friends here become like your family, you need to be able to trust and depend upon each other for school runs and a shoulder to cry on etc.

My kids are doing really well. My 6yo is really doing great at school and was recently elected onto the Junior School Council and has been accepted onto the Australian Girl's Choir (but we've decided not to proceed with it). She's making great friends at school and elsewhere and she's lost s shed load of weight and is looking cute as a button.

My youngest is loving kinder and really seems to have settled in well, but boy oh boy does she get homesick, and that's really shocked us as she's normally the more outgoing of the 2 girls. She misses her Grandparents dreadfully.

Both girls are in swimming lessons and although my 6yo had been doing them in the UK, their swimming abilities are increased 10 fold at least due to the excellent tuition.

Renting was a pain in the a**e. We eventually got so sick of it, we paid to break out lease and bought a house in March. 3 months in and it feels just like home and it's really made a huge difference to how settled we feel in Melbourne. I truly feel like I come home when I close the door now and it's been worth every cent. We truly believe that we wouldn't have settled as well if we hadn't been in our own home.

Workwise we've been really happy. OH got a great job (on paper) very quickly, but after just 5 months there (Telstra) he was going crazy and started looking for something else. Thankfully, another good job came along in the New Year and he changed jobs the week after we moved house.

Since then, out of the blue, Mike recieved an offor of a job which has resulted in him being flown to London this past weekend for a final interview. A verbal offer has been made and we're currently just waiting on the formal offer to come through. He's going to be setting up the Australian and Asian arm of an company he did some work with back in the UK and it's gonna mean big changes round here. He'll be working from home and travelling around a fair bit. His first clients are in Singapore and HK so he'll be clocking up the airmiles that's for sure.

We see this as one of those chances that just don't come knocking very often and it's hopefully going to be the beginnings of a fabulous new career for my OH. And, despite all our feelings of "have we made a huge mistake coming here?" this opportunity wouldn't have presented itself if we hadn't, so it looks like my Mum was right all along "What's for yi, won't go past yi".

There's been a lot of negativity on the forums recently about life in Oz and yes, I can't deny that it's not the garden of Eden and it's getting really expensive etc etc but then again, so is everywhere else. We were lucky in that we sold our house before the property bubble burst in our home town (an identical house to ours in the same street has been up for sale over 8 months now and ours sold in 1 day!!!!). Also, we got our money over just in time too before the currency market dropped. It must be a scary time financially for immigrants making the move at the moment and my heart goes to them all. If we were doing it this year, I'm not sure we could have afforded it.

Can I see myself here in 5 years??? Who knows, I certainly don't, I still miss my family and friends heaps and I hanker over the Scottish Highlands and the rolling green hills. But, I am growing to love it here to and I'm completely divided as to where my heart lies now. Driving over the Westgate Bridge last Friday, the city looked amazing with the sun twinkling on the buildings, we had to put the air con on in the car as it was so warm (Melbourne in mid winter) and I had one of those "I can't believe this beautiful city is my home now" moments. But come back to me in December when the flies and the mozzies are driving me to distraction and it might be a different story lol.

There's certainly a lot more of life down under I want to experience before I make my mind up, and in the meantime, I'm going to enjoy the journey and try to weather the hard times. (and can someone remind me of this when I'm next online moaning about missing Scotland lol).

goldchoccycoin

Excellent post. Glad to hear you're enjoying it and you've made the most of your opportunities. Good luck with everything to come!

donna

Great post,i know Australia is not for everyone,but everyday i thank my lucky stars.I drive past the Bay on my way home and have this big grin on my face and the kids say "yes mum ,we know,how beautiful it is"cos thats what i say every time.
keep on enjoying
Donna

Hutch

Congratulations missus. And here's to year two ...

mindblower

[).[/QUOTE]

Excellent post, glad things are working out for you.

Dave

ozzieeagle

Very intersting post HC, and nicely written.... first thread I took note of whilst in transit at Changi.

Got to say though, right now my Home town of Coburg is feeling like paradise at present and I cannot wait to get there. I can now understand why people would feel its a bit like certain parts of big Cities they are trying to escape from.

Best of luck with the Future HC.... See you on the boards.

Machiavelli

What a lovely post.

Thank You.

Here's hoping that life will bring you what you want or need most at this time in your life.

Mxxx

Fiona&malc

Hi Gill,

Great post !!

and congrats to hubby on getting the new job, sounds fab
We have been here almost 4 years now, and whilst (like you) i love it here and i do feel at home in my house, i now have a longing to go back to scotland, and we are thinking seriously about going back in 2 years time (when ive finished my degree) i know 2 years is a long time, and a lot can happen in that time, but i still miss my family and friends so much (i now have a niece i have never even met) and the kids still miss the grandparents a lot (yep, even after 4 yrs!!) so who knows!!

but for now, we are happy and plodding along with every day life

so heres to your next happy year in melbourne

Fee

LittleHobo

Brilliant post and nearly made me cry! Well i have been emotional as of late...

I posted one about two weeks ago about our 7 months in.... i must say i am in a slightly different frame of mind now as to when i wrote it - just as i was hitting rock bottom and couldnt tell my boyf whether i could stay or not we went for a weekend road trip down the great ocean road in our Van and had a brilliant weekend that we could never of had back home and when i came back i was offered a perm position in my job. Both contributed to me feeling loads better and a calmness fell over me.

I have been on a high now for two weeks running - which hasnt been acheived since we first arrived as i have been so up and down!!

Stitch

Good on ya Gill x

Cheers

Ginny

busterboy

Nice post Gill.

northernbird

Congratulations, long my it continue.

JenniGee

Me too!!!

Such a beautifully written post herrchook - thank you so much for sharing this little glimpse into your life

Sally Simpson

What a great post, really positive which is lovely to read
Congrats to your husband on his new job opportunity, it sounds fantastic & I hope it works out well.
Karma sent

herrchook

Thanks for all the lovely comments, it was heartwarming to be able to write something positive when for so very long I wondered if my 1yr update would be full of homesickness and longing for home.

Onwards and upwards, wherever that may be