British Expats - 5 years on.....

Well! It is 5 years now (almost, 29th March) since we left the UK for Australia. :)
Leaving all family behind on both sides, we took this adventure with open eyes. Having extended family here in Aus I believe it gave us an advantage on making this successful, even though a very small one.
My Husband and I came over with our 3 children, 6, 10 and 12 at the time, heading over here away from the daily grind of the London commute and a few other things. We were fortunate to have a sponsored 457 visa which was quickly changed to a sponsored Perm visa after arrival, allowing us to feel a little more secure if things went wrong.

It took 6 months to sell the house and finally it went through 2 weeks after the global financial crisis started in 2008, so over that 2 weeks saw the exchange rate plummet and our house money decreasing in value, meaning it was time to re-evaluate the house we would be buying...:thumbdown:

Our move over here was not a smooth one....My family were against it:frown: and positive communications are only just beginning. On the in law side, visited every year for past 4 years, sometimes a little too long, however, last year Hubby's dad was diagnosed with Mesothelioma:( and given 9-15 mths, unfortunately we had that call last August which resulted in a mercy dash to the UK for last goodbyes, it was a very close, but my hubby was able to speak to his dad until passed away 9 hours after he arrived there.

Australia Day we became citizens, placing the final piece in the puzzle.:D
Our intentions, well we don't really discuss it, we are staying, the children are settled well into school and have thrived in the schooling system (past 2 years in Private), I have a job which I love, even if it it does mean I work in one of the lowest socio-economic areas of brisbane, hubby still works long hours 60% of the time, thats just his job, life is still busy, chaotic, ups and downs, squeezing in holidays amongst work, school trips, sports and all the other things that seem to get in the way, but we know we are in a much more settle, content and happier situation that we would be back in the UK.

I still have moments now where I will want to get something for the house or arrange something and I am not sure how this happens, so it may take a little more investigation and research, but thats okay. Shopping, well Australian Ladies clothes are shocking:ohmy: and I search for the European brands, which are few and far between, especially here in Brisbane, so I now shop from the UK and have them shipped here, which solves my problems and they are cheaper.:thumbsup: Food, well that has taken alt of try and move on...Supermarkets in my area....Brisbane, very basic, even though the area is hugely diverse in culture, food diversity is limited. I can shop very cheaply using the local veggie shop and butcher and local Aldi, only visiting Woollies or Coles for a few items. I will say that all processed foods, products are very expensive, much more so than the UK, but as I cook most my dinners, foods from scratch, we eat well on a small budget...I have a teenage boy to feed so keeping him full requires adaptation and imagination.:nod:

I suppose what I want to say is... you need to give it a good 2 years or more for you to really adjust to the move.
If you are needing advice, by all means ask, however, keep a very open mind as everyone has different views and different opinions on the topic, but you are the only one who can make the decision and remember life has no certainty, other than death and taxes.....:rofl:

Hopefully this gives a little insight into how things have worked for us emigrating.....I know when we were in the processes I was always in search of info.