Successful emigration .. 2nd / 3rd attempt?
May 11th 2009, 9:59 am
#1
Hopefully :)
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Chester, UK
Posts: 96
Successful emigration .. 2nd / 3rd attempt?
Excuse the lack of intro detail … it seems daft to repeat what has already been noted in another post about our own (perhaps) unfinished emigration story ‘Thinkin about the Island … again’ http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=603715 but I’m intrigued by the lessons learnt ... particularly in relation to those who emigrated successfully … but perhaps only on their 2nd or even 3rd attempt ... i.e. in respect to what ‘drove’ people from the UK / attracted them to their destination (Canada BC in our case) and then why did they change their mind again and head back home i.e. what were their expectations of emigration vs. the reality and importantly what were the goals they set themselves and what were the lessons learnt … ???
What did those 2nd and or 3rd time emigrants think would be better back in Blighty on their initial return and what was the reality when they got back here for a period of time … what was the turning point when they realised that perhaps the move back to the UK hadn't been the best move …???
What has made their subsequent emigrations successful i.e. was it a change in attitudes, a change in circumstances i.e. having kids etc?
What lessons did the return trip drum into them, how did they revise their expectations or short-term goals in respect to the emigration …
By way of a couple of examples.... everything for me in 2003 to Canada BC was a comparison with the UK ... you can't buy beer from any old off-licence, you can’t get a decent car insurance deal, you can’t bank for free nor get cheap mobile (cell) deals etc. etc. etc. … equally for me 2003 was ‘full-on’ emigration - I quit the job, sold the house, exchanged the money etc. put a huge amount of pressure on myself etc. so maybe this time … do I make it a 'family experience' for 12 - 18 month period and in taking the pressure off myself make it more likely to succeed ...?
You’ll perhaps note that my post #55 on the 'Thinkin of the Island ... again' thread suggests that we're having second thoughts that we made the right move back to the UK …
I'd appreciate your thoughts and perhaps your own stories …
#1 For the record I’m not trying to dissuade those thinking of returning to the UK or otherwise i.e. our opinions in ‘Thinkin of the Island … again’ are just that, our own (and equally if anyone can appreciate what a lot of the people on this forum are going thru’ its us … its just that the people responding to threads on this forum seen to have the best 1st hand experience of coming back to the UK from an attempt at emigration and;
#2, yes I’ve read WIKI etc.
What did those 2nd and or 3rd time emigrants think would be better back in Blighty on their initial return and what was the reality when they got back here for a period of time … what was the turning point when they realised that perhaps the move back to the UK hadn't been the best move …???
What has made their subsequent emigrations successful i.e. was it a change in attitudes, a change in circumstances i.e. having kids etc?
What lessons did the return trip drum into them, how did they revise their expectations or short-term goals in respect to the emigration …
By way of a couple of examples.... everything for me in 2003 to Canada BC was a comparison with the UK ... you can't buy beer from any old off-licence, you can’t get a decent car insurance deal, you can’t bank for free nor get cheap mobile (cell) deals etc. etc. etc. … equally for me 2003 was ‘full-on’ emigration - I quit the job, sold the house, exchanged the money etc. put a huge amount of pressure on myself etc. so maybe this time … do I make it a 'family experience' for 12 - 18 month period and in taking the pressure off myself make it more likely to succeed ...?
You’ll perhaps note that my post #55 on the 'Thinkin of the Island ... again' thread suggests that we're having second thoughts that we made the right move back to the UK …
I'd appreciate your thoughts and perhaps your own stories …
#1 For the record I’m not trying to dissuade those thinking of returning to the UK or otherwise i.e. our opinions in ‘Thinkin of the Island … again’ are just that, our own (and equally if anyone can appreciate what a lot of the people on this forum are going thru’ its us … its just that the people responding to threads on this forum seen to have the best 1st hand experience of coming back to the UK from an attempt at emigration and;
#2, yes I’ve read WIKI etc.
May 11th 2009, 1:46 pm
#2
Hopefully :)
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Chester, UK
Posts: 96
Re: Successful emigration .. 2nd / 3rd attempt?
I think I need to get the hang of being brief 
Putting the question another way why, if having returned to the UK after a aborted emigration attempt, did any of you decide that Canada was the best option after all?
What changed your mind ... again??
Putting the question another way why, if having returned to the UK after a aborted emigration attempt, did any of you decide that Canada was the best option after all?
What changed your mind ... again??
May 11th 2009, 7:26 pm
#3
Hopefully :)
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Chester, UK
Posts: 96
Re: Successful emigration .. 2nd / 3rd attempt?
Hi everyone, it's Sal here, Andy Campbell's OH. A huge thank you to all of you who have written and advised us on everything, those being Bex, Madhobbs, island boy, Buchan6, monkeypuzzle, Tanah, edna Bucket, Deb and the list goes on so please forgive my if I haven't mentioned your names. Now you will notice that I am not nearly as articulate as my husband, I shall however attempt to keep this brief. Forgive the typos as I have already had a glass of wine having just put the kids down!!
Bex, I am wondering how your reccie went? Did you get everything out of it that you wanted? It would be really great to meet up with you in August. I am still in the process of mapping and organizing the trip out. As I'm sure you all know I am heading out 3 weeks early to spend the time with my family and then Andy is meting me over there. So I'm thinking that a week in Victoria would be good, fairly central to places on the West side ie. Victoria and surrounding outskirts, Sidney, Sooke. I have a couple of places in mind for that week but then need to sort out the other 2 and a bit weeks. Andy wants to do rent a camper van for a week and then maybe somewhere by water for the last week for the kids. My mom and step dad are going to join us for the last week to help out with babysitting. Madhobbs it would be great to meet up with you and have a look at some places. I shall get back to you with a few dates once I am a bit more organized.
Okay I guess that should be it for now, I did say I was going to be brief didn't I!
Thanks guys
Sal
Bex, I am wondering how your reccie went? Did you get everything out of it that you wanted? It would be really great to meet up with you in August. I am still in the process of mapping and organizing the trip out. As I'm sure you all know I am heading out 3 weeks early to spend the time with my family and then Andy is meting me over there. So I'm thinking that a week in Victoria would be good, fairly central to places on the West side ie. Victoria and surrounding outskirts, Sidney, Sooke. I have a couple of places in mind for that week but then need to sort out the other 2 and a bit weeks. Andy wants to do rent a camper van for a week and then maybe somewhere by water for the last week for the kids. My mom and step dad are going to join us for the last week to help out with babysitting. Madhobbs it would be great to meet up with you and have a look at some places. I shall get back to you with a few dates once I am a bit more organized.
Okay I guess that should be it for now, I did say I was going to be brief didn't I!
Thanks guys
Sal
