eammon

Our daughter goes to Kolbe Catholic College and have to say we are more than happy with it. She has made lots of lovely friends and the school seems very disciplined and hard working. We have just handed in the registration papers for our youngest who hopefully will get a place when she is due to move up to high school. Den xx

Good luck and fingers crossed it will all get easier for you too It is so difficult and I truly underestimated how I would feel, but right now I am feeling glad that I stuck in there xx

Well we have been here in WA for just over two years and for the first time properly the realisation of what we have here hit me and I felt content. Its been a long time coming and I haven't posted much on here at all because I didn't really want to put any negative slants on what is an exciting time for all of those who are going through the emigration process, although I did post from time to time about how I under estimated how I would feel when we arrived. The first couple of months for me were really really hard, probably made harder when people would tell me how they had settled immediately and it felt like home as soon as they stepped off the plane. I doubted I would ever feel like that. Those first few weeks put our family under an immense amount of stress as we we were split in two halves - Eammon and our youngest loved it while me and our oldest would have stepped on the plane back home at the first opportunity. Eammon was heartbroken that we felt this way and after weeks of discussion, tears, arguments I agreed to give it two years. I had a plan, I was going to save like crazy and as soon as the two years were up at least then we would have recouped some of the money we spent getting here. Our eldest would be starting 6th form and our youngest would have another year left before starting high school, so the timing could be just right!!! Things got a little easier and our eldest began to love the aussie way of life too. I felt better about things too, but still never saw myself being here long term. It worried me a little, because now I was outnumbered - 3 to 1, but we had said if any one of us didn't want to be here once the two years would up, we would go home at least saying we gave it a go, so I still felt kind of safe that I was going to be able to 'escape' So kind of not sure what has happened, but I am looking around me and I am feeling blessed to be here. I still miss certain aspects of my life back in the UK and (most of all) I still miss my bestest friend so much, but as I walked out of the house this morning to blue skies I felt very content. It is hard when you first arrive. It is very tempting to rush in trying to build up loads of friends around you, but after a while I realised I didn't live in my friends or neighbours pockets in the UK so why should I feel that I had to do that here. After all, friendships back home were grown over a number of years. I have made some really good friends over here now who I feel confident enough to be able to say I can't make something this week without worrying I won't get invited next time, but I realise now all that comes with time. I am sure I am not out of the woods yet and there will still be times that I long to be back home, but for now I'm making the most of feeling like this and off to sit in the back garden with a nice cold drink and a book. Den x

We've been here 18 months and if I could turn the clock back I wouldn't have made the move here. I truly underestimated how I would feel and how much I would miss, not only friends and family, but the familarity and way of my life in the UK. I regret taking my girls out of their schools even though they are both doing really well over here, I miss the shops and big supermarkets, having towns, cities and countryside all on the doorstep. I don't think we will ever go back to live in the UK, Eammon and the girls are really settled here. I am beginning to settle. I am back at work, we are about to move into our own house and all these have/are helping and I do look around at some things and find it breathtaking and hard to imagine sometimes that we live here. My drive to work is completely different from the grey, miserable journey I used to make in the UK , I drive past Mandurah foreshore each journey in to work and it really is a beautiful sight, but I still can't shake that feeling of missing home. Denise

Yes you can... but you need to go on to NextDirect rather than the UK site Don't forget M&S and Debenhams deliver too which is fab also. I have just bought a load of clothes for my youngest from the Debenhams sale - Fabaroony :jiggy: Infact I don't know what I would do without Next, M&S, Debenahams and Amazon Denise

We only have one parent between the two of us and that is Eammon's dad... it is really hard, he's in his early 70's and don't think he will ever be able to come and see us... just don't think he's health is up to it. Our girls are the only grandchildren he has and he thinks the world of both of them. There is nothing you can say and do to make it any easier but you just have to think of the reasons why you are doing it. Eammon's dad was an absolute gem and stayed positive all the way, telling us he didn't blame us for going and we had to think of the girls future now. Even so I could tell he was heartbroken the day we left. Even now all he gives us is words of encouragement every time we speak to him. You do have to do what is right for you as a family - that might be biting the bullet and going but it might also be the realisation that you can't leave your parents behind.... such tough decisions xx

We bought absolutely everything with us and so glad we did. We took the view that we would bring it and if we didn't need it when we got here, then we could throw it away - better to take it and not need it than not take it and need it was our motto. I do find most electrical stuff (washing machines, fridges, freezers) is expensive over here, with the exception of tv's maybe. Tools (according to Eammon) are much more expensive over here than in the UK and bedding is too! I would say if it fits in your container, then bring it. We crammed as much stuff as we could in to ours Denise