plantpot

This is my first update....

We arrived 2 years ago and are still loving Sydney. At first I was a bit shellshocked tbh and wondered what the hell I had done, no idea why as I wanted to come and had been away from the Uk already nearly 4 years!

Initially I found it pretty easy to make friends, my neighbours are great and there is a great community where we live. We have been to lots of places in NSW (not anywhere else yet...Australia is HUUUUGE).

I had been feeling very ill for a few years and when I arrived I met up with a forumite called Seasider (v lovely, intelligent and funny).....she suggested I might see if I had intolerances and of course I did pretty bad....my life changed after that, I felt energetic, happy and didnt get pains in my stomach every single night...helps you sleep hellova lot better I can tell ya!

Life was ambling along, playgroups, gym visits, hubby working various places and generally we were enjoying it loads....my dd (now nearly 5) sounds more and more Aussie which is pretty cute....and the warm weather (although this year has been a bit odd and rainy hey?!) has cememted the fact that this is more or less permanent for us...mind you it took this long to decide what we really wanted and we are on a 457...that will be changed at the end of the current visa...

DD is about to start school and it seems like a great school, the staff are very attentive and really lovely esp with plantpotmini's anxiety at times....

Roll forward 18 months, and I have another plantpot mini boy....all the way through my pregnancy the healthcare was absolutely fabulous, I saw the same midwife all the way though and afterwards, and the the 6 month reunion was last Friday....people were so generous, people I hardly knew dropped off HUGE bags of maternity clothes, and if you know the ladies who lunch in Roseville it was nice stuff!!!, I got anything and everything ....(i never asked for any of it!)...

Now I am in the UK for 5 weeks for the first time in 2 years and I a enjoying it tonnes...it's frosty outside (bit dark though!)....they have marmite rice cakes (amazing) a HUUUUUUUUGE variety of gluten free food and I mean HUUUUGE....clothes are cheap....I love it......


BUT, my life is in Sydney, it's not that I dislike the UK (Bath) I like it equally to Australia but my daughter is starting school, has developed friendships and so have I. Hubby really loves his job and has been promoted so that really helps with Sydney prices (gulp)...

We are hoping to pay off out UK mortgage within 2 years and see where that takes us in terms of buying a house here.

Family have always said 'go for it, do you think we would hesitate given the chance?', and the inlaws visit once a year and love coming over, they have said we must live our own life which we REALLY appreciate as I know aome people face a lot of emotional blackmail...(actually the great granny does a bit of that but we don't really listen ad her opinion is inconsequential tbh)...
My family are pretty poor (can I say povvo yet? cos I love the word.) but are saving long term to come and visit so I await those visits and hope they will love it too!

I love going down to the harbour , I love crossing the bridge, I love going to Dee WHy with my dd who wants to be a nipper, I love the lifestyle I have and altogether its positive for all of us. I have had the occasional wobble and felt sad I am far away fro family esp for my kids, but that passes pretty quick and without a lot of grounds for moving I don't think it's imminent.

I do sometimes think that what will happen will happen and for that reason although my life is here, I say never say never to living in the UK. I feel that a little flexibility is called for as the word forever scares me a little. But the fact that I say 'forever is not a word I use often' really means I am o with being here for the long term, and I MUST be as I have my kids names down for secondary (yea I know how ridiculous!...spose you might be getting an idea about the North Shore now).

Well it's midnight, mini boy has been awake an hour so I think we might just go back to bed....jetlag is NOT funny with two kids!

Hope this wasn't totally boring and sorry it is a bit disjointed, I have had a fever and the worst sore throat to add to my jetlag!

Plantpot...

Sue

A wonderful update, so pleased that things are slotting into place for you

irishbloo

Lovely update.Long may it continue.

Kooky.

Happy Anniversary, plank

LINZI

Great update and congrats

plantpot

Um yea, changed my mind after visiting a snowy cold and festering UK....I now dislike it and prefer Sydney. Time to lodge a PR application and buy a house methinks....

If anyone is thinking of a break over Xmas my advice is...don't expect it to be fun if you have two kids who like the outdoors and hate the cold.

scottishcelts

Great update, good luck with everything and long may your happiness continue.

Kooky.

Hi darlin, are you in Dubai now? We set off for the UK on 23rd. Brrrrr

Buy the house. You know that wherever I lay my hat is my home but I really do love having our own place after all those years of expat rentals

plantpot

Nope back in SYdney now Seamonster! Dubai was warm....

ENJOY the cold....double brrrr

Wendy

Funnily enough I had exactly the same feelings about the place after my snowed in visit too

Welcome home

tiger222

2 years and all is better then OK - excellent in fact! Nice to hear it's going so well. Hope it continues.