BUSIMOLL

Just saw your post, and yep, the only constraint for you is the time limit for IELTS... which may be destiny to go forward and have a go. Now that you have nothing to hold you back - as far as ties, then you are a free agent to explore the world. The worst that can happen - new experiences, a breath of fresh air, a new start. & if Aus isnt' your cup of tea, you can move on. I only read page one of replies, so apologies if things have unfolded further. Good luck, maybe this is that 'open window' when you see all other doors shut and feel pretty low. Hope you find your smile again, small steps, one day at a time. x

Oh sweetheart, I hear you! You have your 'home' back 'home', and know how you feel. Im born bred here, but after 16yrs in UK, feel I'm from there, and coming back here was a mistake! I'd love to up and go, and like you, sucked down the plughole with the rat-race of all that is keeping up with cafe society & kids education and extra curricular stuff. even just insurance is crippling - but worse if you don't have it. It's really hard. I think you are doing the right thing clearing your debts, makes that fresh start back home so inviting & you'll not have the past hanging over you with debts to clear and paying exchange rates to send money over, and you don't want to leave the country as a bad debter, it may follow you when you travel later. Also if you can ebay stuff to just get rid of things you don't need, to add to the 'savings piggy bank' for moving home. Car finance...yup we were the same - couldn't get credit so got a dealer car second hand and finance has us stuck in - & a lemon to boot! Lucky tho' the extra warranty has paid for a lot! I hear you on a lot of levels. We are sinking and I miss our house, tho' I don't miss the area it's in, we'd prob live somewhere else. But just glad we have our place there. We're even talking about retirement - that we'd move back to Europe, can't afford to retire here (just had 4th babe - unexpected/unplanned, and already finances are tight) so retirement a long way off, and unattainable like it was in UK. My gorgeous 1st boy misses UK too. We don't talk of missing UK, but he obviously hasn't taken to Aus like we'd hoped. Then neither have I, and hubby is finding it a real struggle emotionally, and financially too. We're travelling to South Africa and UK in June/July, and it's taken all our savings - when we could have just up and gone back - just too hard to relocate with 4 kids right now. An Irish friend whose hubby is FIFO in Perth - so she sees him 1 week in 4, is flying home for good with her kids. Due to the cost of travelling back there for a family anniversary, it's so expensive, she may as well go back permanently, and hubby can 'fly home' while she's got the support of family there, here she's got no one. (ie not family, old friends). I completely understand. Even just the creepy crawlies get me, leeches, ticks, spiders. Got bitten by a spider and had a bad reaction - called the health line, they called an ambulance, travelled 16kms to the hosp and was charged almost $400 for the priviledge... the reaction from opening the 'invoice' was as scary as the reaction to the darn spider bite! sheesh... I'll get over my phobia of frogs and move back in a flash! Good luck and know there are people who are wishing you well, just think every day is one day closer... and smile (fake it till you make it) thru those tears!

I'm the opposite (in a sense) but feel the same: born/bred Aus, escaped at 21 o/seas and didn't come back for 16yrs, been back with husband and 3 kids for 18mths, and while there's so much lovely stuff here, UK is home for me in so many ways listed in the first post. and Brummie39, country air and close to Europe - well, I'd be away every weekend if we moved back - esp Wales camping. The Aussie dream is just too expensive, and maybe being "too close" to my family is just too much. Glad to hear some are going back and enjoying it. I'm just waiting to feel like 'I'm home' ... apart from the passport, it doesn't feel like that yet, for me or the kids, although we are all fully involved in lots of hobbies. Glad to those who have moved to Aus and feel like they are 'home'... have friends moving back to S.Africa (husband's job, wife is devastated!) so losing friends to overseas too... if only for 5 yrs... just feel so "isolated" in a big country here... ps to my Aussie friends and old school mates - I sound like the Brit (and I'm happy to be considered so). x

Hi honey, saw your post and I am so sorry. I lost our cat 9 months after coming out and posted about it, ours was tick-related. (Devastated, cat from UK in Jan 2010, died from tick paralysis Oct 2010 that was me) all the 'what-ifs' - just sending hugs. cry a river of tears. your baby girl was with you at the end. she felt safe that you were there. much love and Kleenex. x

We got it as one way ticket holders (I'm Aussie citizen and hubby on spouse visa) and we just explained at the check in that we were emigrating. Nothing more than that, and they were happy to allow what we had. I think we had 120kg or just over between 5 fam members. say 126kgs if I remember right...