British Expats - Three years

Our 18 month update is here.

What's new? We've been in our house for almost a year and a half now. No regrets there really, except that we made a conscious decision to build within our budget and to keep the mortgage very manageable. Smaller block, modest house. Thus, our oldest child will remark once in a while, "You know, I wish we had a pool."

Oh well, someday.

Hubby has switched companies. He was with his original one--the one whose job offer brought us over--this whole time until six weeks ago. The o/t and out of town jobs started to dry up, so he went to another outfit that had more to offer (along with a pay raise and better benefits). Irony of all ironies, he got a call from his former bosses two weeks ago asking him to come back. He told him, laughing, that they couldn't afford him any more. Then he found out that on the rota for next week, he's being subcontracted out to his old bosses, who went to his new company and asked for him specifically to work on a job that his replacement apparently messed up big time ("He blew the equipment up, so they don't want him back"). So for him, life is good.

I know there's a lot of talk of the mining boom being over, but for us specifically, in his line of work, that doesn't seem to be the case. For that, we're grateful.

My mother and aunt were over here visiting last November. It was the first time my 70 year-old mother, in a wheelchair no less, had travelled overseas. We did the whole touristy bit and they seemed to enjoy all the things they saw. My mother loved spending time with her grandchildren (and they, in turn, relished being the centre of attention). She also felt compelled, in true opinionated, bad tourist fashion, to tell every retail worker that their prices were unreasonably high. :lol: It was definitely too quiet when they left. Every school special event where grandparents show up, you look over and realize that, despite differences, despite your telling yourself that because you didn't spend every weekend at the grandparents' houses when you lived in the same city anyway, it won't matter and the kids won't miss out not having them around. Sure, most times they don't give it a second thought. But you might, especially as the time goes by.

We haven't had any other family visit since we've been here. I know most of the family have the means to visit, but just don't want to make the trip. Fair enough, I suppose.

Currently, we're saving up so I can complete a course here that will give me some relevant Aussie credentials in my field. Trouble is, as we're PR and not citizens (yet), I cannot get a student loan and we have to pay full domestic fees up front. It will be worth it once I'm done, but it's just that extra work to get to that point.

The kids have settled in really well. The youngest now has lived more of his life in Australia than he ever did in Canada and has no memory of his old country. The eldest still recalls quite a bit, but those memories are fading with time. I recall a post once, put on the front page, written by a member about the mixed feelings that sometimes occur when you realize that by moving abroad, your kids will grow up with a completely different cultural background than what you had. It is one thing to intellectually accept it--"Well, no kidding, duh, they'll be raised in a different country"--but it's another when your child looks blankly at you when she doesn't understand some common point of Canadiana, a reference you're making, and the theoretical becomes a home truth. They're happy with their lives here. We're content with what's available to them...their school, the whole outdoor focus of their lives, their activities. We wouldn't change it.

So, what's down the road? Who knows. As I said in the previous update, we don't know if we're here "for good," but it looks to be a good while. We will apply for citizenship when we're eligible. It's amusing though because when I first moved here, I thought, "I'll give it five years and see about moving back at that point." Now five years is just two years from now and it feels in many ways like we're finally putting down some roots, making a real home. I also know that there isn't much of a draw for us right now to return back to Canada. That might change much farther down the track. For now, things are still going well, we like it enough to stay, and this is where we'll be.