7 months in melbourne

[ashmalog]

Hi all

Thought it was about time for an update. Where is the time going? I cannot believe we have been here 7 months already and experiencing our 3rd season - winter - not bad but too much rain!!!
Well where do i start - we love it!! The boys are settled in school and kindergarten, youngest had about 6 weeks of crying when we dropped him off at kinder but since then we have smiles constantly and he always says 'do i have school today (in his aussie twang that he has developed!!) The eldest is in high school and enjoying it and making friends but has developed such an attitude (hormones galore!)
The kids have started to have a better social life than us now!!
We have just signed another lease and are staying put for the next 12mths.
We, as a family, don't seem to have experienced any lows yet but i am sure they will come. I find having my friends so far away very difficult and it is good to talk but when it is you calling the uk all the time you start to think if they have the 'out of sight out of mind' attitude. not just friends but family also!! We have made some fantastic friends during the time we have been here, old poms and new poms, we are like 1 big family!! I have even made a couple of aussie friends who find my sense of humour strange to say the least!!
work is going well and i have finally managed to find the right place to nurse after being in 2 other clinics. It is very different to the UK and the whole medicare billing thing is bizarre, so much to get ur head around, still i think i am there now. My nursing skills are having a big impact on the clinics and the role of the practice nurse (for the better) but it took them time too and australian's don't do change very well.
I have been to brisbane to visit my friend and her family and although it is nice and green i really felt i was 'home' when i landed in melbourne, that was such a nice feeling. Melbourne has its ups and downs like the irratic weather but it feels great and certainly a place where i think the boys can grow up learning a bit of everything, although sport is the only thing they care about at the moment so they are in the right place.
my uk friend asked me the other day if our aussie life would be short term, all i could answer was 'it was the right thing for us to do and we love our new life, i cant see me living back in the uk but i will holiday there', but to be honest i don't feel i want to spend $5000 on a trip back just to see family and friends - does that sound harsh? I would rather experience more of this fabulous country and spend my hard earned money on beautiful holidays here.
We took a massive loss on the house to come here and our money is still tied up in the uk earning no interest so i cant wait for the exchange rate to improve and then we can look at bringing that over for a house deposit. If we hadn't took the loss we could still have been there - our next door neighbour has just sold and they were on at the same time as us.
I am grateful for the chance we have been given and the opportunity to give our family a new lease of life, things are so much better for us as a family now.
I know it is not the life for some and people struggle with leaving family and friends but we love our new life.
good luck to everyone on the rollercoaster ride - it is fun once the dust settles!
regards

Bonnie

[Ratchet]

Hey Bonnie, thanks for the update. Good to hear things are still going good for you and your family.

Weve just made the 8 months mark over here and despite the lows and down right ridiculous, we're still seeing this as a long term thing - made even better by the arrival of our PR visa. im not sure i want to go back yet. aside from family and friends, we havent got a life to go back to. Im not sure i could bare restarting again - esp in the uk. We're hoping to move soon, when we can finally agree on where we want to go! lol

I totally agree with you about the nursing. where i am at the moment, i feel so deskilled its making me frustrated and im not able to work to my full capacity as its not my place in my current position. As you say, we can bring so much to this country with our clinical skills and knowledge base. Im hoping to move forward into something i enjoy in the near future.

Have you made it to any footy games yet? We often go to the footy with adam (5 yrs old) and now rugby, if you every want to meet up give us a shout.

[ashmalog]

Hi Kelly

What area of nursing are you in? ru div 1 over here? I am in practice nursing and i am now able to use all my skills effectively but it has taken me 6months to make the docs realise i do know what i am talking about!!
we go to the footy regular, im a carlton fan, hubby a bulldogs, eldest is collingwood and the other 2 are hawthorn!! a mixed mag but makes it fun in the house. would love to go to a game, i love the atmosphere and the fact you can sit next to the opposing team supporters without being abused!
where are you looking to settle? glad to hear about ur PR and the long term vision you have. would love to meet up, i'll pm you.
bonnie

[siamsusie]

Bonnie, thank god for some positivity this afternoon! A good intelligent post... you really are an inspiration.. you are not a positive troll by any chance (joke ) love Susie x

[TheArmChairDetective]

Nice post Bonnie.
Ever so glad you are loving it.

[mr luvpants]

Nice post Bonnie.
Ever so glad you are loving it.

Bloody hell! Where have you been?????

[TheArmChairDetective]

Bloody hell! Where have you been?????

Hi mr luvpants, you still in the UK? I've been everywhere including a spell in Melbourne and Adelaide.
Now saving up AGAIN!!!

[olly]

Hi all

Thought it was about time for an update. Where is the time going? I cannot believe we have been here 7 months already and experiencing our 3rd season - winter - not bad but too much rain!!!
Well where do i start - we love it!! The boys are settled in school and kindergarten, youngest had about 6 weeks of crying when we dropped him off at kinder but since then we have smiles constantly and he always says 'do i have school today (in his aussie twang that he has developed!!) The eldest is in high school and enjoying it and making friends but has developed such an attitude (hormones galore!)
The kids have started to have a better social life than us now!!
We have just signed another lease and are staying put for the next 12mths.
We, as a family, don't seem to have experienced any lows yet but i am sure they will come. I find having my friends so far away very difficult and it is good to talk but when it is you calling the uk all the time you start to think if they have the 'out of sight out of mind' attitude. not just friends but family also!! We have made some fantastic friends during the time we have been here, old poms and new poms, we are like 1 big family!! I have even made a couple of aussie friends who find my sense of humour strange to say the least!!
work is going well and i have finally managed to find the right place to nurse after being in 2 other clinics. It is very different to the UK and the whole medicare billing thing is bizarre, so much to get ur head around, still i think i am there now. My nursing skills are having a big impact on the clinics and the role of the practice nurse (for the better) but it took them time too and australian's don't do change very well.
I have been to brisbane to visit my friend and her family and although it is nice and green i really felt i was 'home' when i landed in melbourne, that was such a nice feeling. Melbourne has its ups and downs like the irratic weather but it feels great and certainly a place where i think the boys can grow up learning a bit of everything, although sport is the only thing they care about at the moment so they are in the right place.
my uk friend asked me the other day if our aussie life would be short term, all i could answer was 'it was the right thing for us to do and we love our new life, i cant see me living back in the uk but i will holiday there', but to be honest i don't feel i want to spend $5000 on a trip back just to see family and friends - does that sound harsh? I would rather experience more of this fabulous country and spend my hard earned money on beautiful holidays here.
We took a massive loss on the house to come here and our money is still tied up in the uk earning no interest so i cant wait for the exchange rate to improve and then we can look at bringing that over for a house deposit. If we hadn't took the loss we could still have been there - our next door neighbour has just sold and they were on at the same time as us.
I am grateful for the chance we have been given and the opportunity to give our family a new lease of life, things are so much better for us as a family now.
I know it is not the life for some and people struggle with leaving family and friends but we love our new life.
good luck to everyone on the rollercoaster ride - it is fun once the dust settles!
regards



Bonnie

Glad you're going well Bonnie and family. Hopefully you have picked the right football team....oh just saw some Hawthorn supporters, that's okay then !

[siamsusie]

I am off to see Hawthorn Sat Olly coming?

[olly]

I am off to see Hawthorn Sat Olly coming?

I will definitely come over one weekend when they are playing in Tasmania, it is on my 'do do' list for sure.