Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

After practically living on this site before we came to Perth thought it only right i do an update (if anyone remembers us).

We had never visited Perth and knew nobody before we arrived!!!:scared:

After the initial stress of finding a home schools and cars and all the other stuff needed when we got here we began to live the dream Perth is a fantastic place and we really have lived the dream the kids have all settled into school every weekend we are busy exploring this fab place have been down to busselton for a long weekend visited bunbury Margeret River all beautiful places and soooooooo easy to drive to. After xmas went to Monkey Mia again fab and the drive was amazing also made us really appreciate how vast this place is driving for hours and only seeing a few other cars on the road Bazaar.

Robs working for a really good plastering firm with no hassels earns good money excellent.
Bought our house with swimming pool have nice bush views instaed of the fence we found in most property over here!!
Have met a really good group of friends and our social life has never been so busy.
Am part of a great netball team something i havent done since i was at junior school.
See Robbie Williams twice and was front row on the barrier omg he was amazing ..........
All in all we have fitted in well we have done what we set out to do try a new life and i do not regret for one minute what we have done BUT we totally underestimated how home sick we would get and how much we missed our friends and family back home we honestly believed we would be fine BUT although my sister has visited and my parents are due in 2 weeks we have come to the decision that our friends and family are a far more important part of our lives than the swimming pool and beach lifestyle so we are heading back to the UK and we are sooo excited.

For those heading over my advice would be come with a totally open mind dont have too many expectations we came with the view that we would give it a go if we loved it great if we hated it we would just head back , lifes too short for regrets and we are sooooo lucky to have been given the oppurtunity to have given it a go. Listen to everybodys views each one of us is different and will have different views on a place or way of life but one of those views will be similar to yours and its only then you can appreciate what others views are .....


Oh and we have a Holden Viva and Mitsubishi triton and 4x2 with pool in carramar to sell if anyones interested:D

Cheers Kris xx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi Kris,

Sorry about the homesickness, it must be really hard for you. Are you going to get your citizenship before you head back? It seems such a shame not to, after all you may want to return one day as you never know whats around the corner. Either way good luck with it all :)

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi Kris

Yvonne told us your news last night. I don't know whether to commisserate or congratulate as it sounds like you have effectively had a long working holiday but are going back to where you want to be.

Are you going to cut all ties with Australia or hold on to stuff in case you become a ping pong pom?

Was Xmas a decider in your decision? I think it is a time of year where you miss friends & family back in the UK more as we have been having our first pangs for the UK recently too, although nowhere near enough for us to want to go back; even for a visit.

I guess it makes a big difference whether friends and family were close in the UK and yours obviously were. Our parents were 100 / 150 miles away and most of our friends were in different towns so became once per year weekends away so were were less likely to miss them. Via webcams we probably "see" them more than we used to.

Good luck with the future however it unfolds.

PS Should I tell Sam to dig out her netball skirt then?:D

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi Worzel

Christmas definatley played a part in the decision but to be honest we never thought we would go so soon because we have enjoyed almost every minute of our time here but when we actually decided it was as though a huge weight i didnt really know exsisted was lifted and felt so excited about the prospect of going back deep down we know its the right choice only time will tell if we become ping pong pommes but somehow i dont think so never say never just take life and all it has to offer as another adventure life is far to short for what ifs the only thing we have lost is a bit of cash but what we have gained is worth so much more!!!

Cheers
kris xx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi Kris,
sorry to her you are going back but glad that you feel better now you know it is what you want.
Hope to catch up with you sometime. Have you any idea when you will be going back?
Tracey

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Bit of a shock, but you know what is right for you.
And its nice that you are not slagging the place off as many do.
I felt like you the first year, we are 2 years on now and i feel very settled, and this is home, just applied for citizenship[because its our future now].
Good luck for the future.
Denise x

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi Kris.
Thats a great post.

It makes me question my own situation. We should know in the next 4 weeks if we got our visa after starting the process back in April 2005. I only have my Dad and one sister living nearby and we are close, my Mum and other sisters live up north and I see them twice a year if I am lucky. The thing I am concerned about is the friends thing. As lads we went to Portugal for a weekend and so did the wives, the kids all go to school together and we are at something every other weekend wether its a barbie in our short summer or a meal out in the winter. It makes me wonder if its all worth it although I tell myself that other people move on or you can even fall out with them. Yes there are things I dislike about the U.K but I always remember the quote "it's people not places" and there is some truth in that.

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

when i started reading this i thought you had really slotted in to aussie life and you will probably say you have and then the bomb shell at the end .Its a shame beens you seem to have fitted in so well but know one can underestimate the power of homesickness .Good luck with going back .

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Hi kris,

yes i remember you posting prior to your arrival. you seem to have slotted well into Australian life. Could you not delay your decision making until after your parents have visited? Only an observation - because they may look at your life in Oz and say "you'd be mad to return to uk?" they may on the other hand say - "hurry home - we'll help you pack"

I say this because my parents are here at the moment. As much as i have missed them - and they have missed me and their 3 grandchildren - they say - "you'd be mad to give all this up to go back!" - and we live in a rental at present!

Good luck with whatever you decide - only you can make the decision.

Lj xx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Thanks peeps

The decision to return really didnt come lightly and i was really surprised out how relieved i was when we made it!!! The parents coming wont make a difference as its a beautiful place to live and bring up kids but the sacrifice of bringing up kids without there aunties uncles cousins grandparents for us is too big a sacrifice!!!(oh and the trips to europe on the doorstep)

Funky Monkey i would say definatley give it a go there would be nothing worse than what ifs the only regret i have is that we bought rather than rented we arrived at a time when house prices were rising by 10 grand a month so in hindsite fell in the panic buy trap if we had rented it would be a whole lot easier to get back and saved a load of cash too!!!but hey ho!!!

Night nurse we would love to be back in the uk for easter all depends on the house sale!! hopefully c u at the park thursday!!

thanks all and if i can help anyone coming over with anything just shout!!!

Kris xx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

i know what you mean.

My parents here is making me sad knowing that the kids will miss out on their love and company most of the year. I'm thinkin the jury is still out on whether i can settle here - altho OH is adamant he's not returning.

it's such a huge decision - family.......or no family????

I think i'll take on board what you say re houses - and carry on renting....for now

thanks kris, lj xxx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Gosh!! i started reading this post and thought wow these people love it here, how wonderful for them to feel so settled....................but.......then i saw the but...............
Can't believe you are going home to say you really love your lives here. It just goes to show that no matter how happy you are, family will always win hands down.
Doesn't seem to matter how sunny or lovely the place is where you live, it is all materialistic at the end of the day, i think it is a matter of been there, done that, worn the T-shirt and now off to something better.

All the best guys, i really envy you.:) :)

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Kris

Soooo sorry to hear your news.
As someone who as settled and can't see ever going back I just can not imagen what you and your family must be going through.
I wish you all the best for the future and hope to see you on a Thursday before you go.

Sam

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

Thanks Sam

Will be a while yet have the house to sell!!!

Hopefully c u thursday!!!

Kris xx

Re: Perth 9 months in still a rollercaster...............
 

I was going to start this with "I'm so sorry to hear you're coming back" but to be honest, that kinda sounds innappropriate. From what you've said, you've had a GREAT time and no regrets so I'm not sorry:p . I guess the only downside is that you've lost a few £/$'s. But hey, you've had the holiday of a lifetime and it's only money.

Great to hear from you, and great to hear you've got things sorted. All the very best.

Gill