Missus B

Christ, I'm glad I wasn't imagining things. I thought I was just being picky but the gyms and classes are very outdated!!

This has been said by many before. I have visited many cities in Oz since October and it just isn't for me. I have already relocated countries before, so I know how much time it takes to settle. I don't want to give it more time. It is time I am wasting being unhappy. I said before I came over, that I would not endure the isolation longer than I wanted to. I have lots of friends here and a good social life. But it is not where I want to grow old.

Most of you will know, that I have been struggling since I came here in October 2012. I have now 100% decided to go back to the UK and my flight is booked for 30th May. When I booked the flight and informed my old boss that I would be coming back after my career break, I can honestly say, it's the best decision I've made in ages. I sold my house before I came over and spent most of what I had getting set up. But hey, that's ok. I am moving back in with my best friend until I save a decent deposit for a new house. I'm getting my cats back. I'm so happy about seeing my babies again and I want to grow old with them:wubclub: My cousin has been looking after them since I left and she's more than happy that they're coming back to me. I gave my ex my car and he's happy to give it back to me. Everything seems to be falling into place. I like Australia. I like the people, the beaches, the food. I have done a lot of sight seeing in the past few months and it's been great. But it's been lonely. I miss everything about the UK and I took so much for granted when I was there. People might say there's nothing left in the UK to stay for, but the grass isn't always greener for everyone. I'm glad I tried it. I didn't think I had it in me. It's been character building and it's an experience I will never forget. The best thing to come out of it is, I now know what's most important to me. I want to be closer to my family and be there for my Dad. I've felt like I've been drifting away from them since I've been here and my Dad is chuffed that I'm coming back. Everyone has been so supportive of my decision. I am very blessed:notworthy:

I knew after 2 months it wasn't for me. To be honest, I probably knew after 4 weeks. I have decided to go back to the UK. I came in October 2012. I return in May. It has gotten marginally easier, but I still feeling I'm floating around, waiting for life to start again. I get the whole auto-pilot feeling. I have nothing to prove by staying here. Yes I sold my house. Yes I spent every penny getting here. But at least I tried it. I'd rather regret the things I did, than the things I didn't. Do what your heart tells you to do. Your head won't be long in catching up. :wink:

It felt like a massive weight had been lifted when I booked the flight. I'm heading back to Newcastle as I will have my old job there when I get back.

I came over 4 months ago. I know, I know, not a long time but I know I've made the right decision for me:wink:

Leaving! May 30th!! I'm more excited to be going home than I was to be coming here!:jiggy:

Miss-Blue skies, cheap fuel, friends Won't miss- slow traffic light changes, my job, apartment living.

I haven't yet dealt with a vulnerable child, but I have dealt with a vulnerable adult. I went to a Nursing Home the other night and I was shocked at the horrendous standard of care. My patient was lying on a wet sheet. The bed had been changed and newly washed, but not dried, bedding was but on his bed, and him on top of it. I mentioned this to my partner and he just shrugged his shoulders. The room had 2 people in it, not enough room to swing a cat and no privacy for either patient. He shrugged his shoulders and said ''What can you do......I've seen worse places than this!'' There was no sense of moral obligation to this elderly and frail man, who probably helped build Australia in his day. I can only imagine the same level of complacency exists in Child protection as well. I feel your frustration.

This is a Universal problem in my opinion. My ex boss in England is morbidly obese, always has been. Eventually relatives started to complain that he wasn't efficient on the job because of his size related shortness of breath. He came to treat their loved ones and they were concerned he was gonna drop to the ground. So the hierarchy took him off the road and placed him in a management position, without really testing his suitability for the role. He gets no respect, he lacks authority an initiative and he is still obese. He deals with complaints on a local level and he is essentially the face of the ambulance service, at 37 stone. I see a lot of this going on in the training schools as well. Guys go into wind down mode, gearing up for retirement. They go and do a teaching course and then work in training. It is definitely a case of ''Those who can't teach do''. No wonder young students are coming out of the training schools, full of a load of gobshite. Most Paramedics are narcissistic. It is this very trait that gets us into the job in the first place. For most Para's, this disappears with experience, failures, and learning to work as a team. But for some, it never goes away. The ego's get bigger and they never really learn anything. I have seen a lot of ''Chest puffing'' in the QLD ambulance service. More Alpha males than I care for. So I would agree with your statement about their arrogance. Not all....but certainly most.

Have you ever lived in Oz? I have been to lots of places around the world that I could see myself living in. I am not completely loyal to the UK. But if I don't want to be in Oz any longer, then it makes sense to go back there, as I can walk straight back into my job. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but having seen another post by you, you are not coming out here alone. Correct? I have no one to offload to. And that compounds the unsettled feeling.

I discussed some of the differences in my job on the ''Am I Crazy?'' thread but I'll point out a few more factors in my decision to go home. 75% of my workplace have less than 2 years experience and are fresh out of college, therefore 75% of Paramedic graduates have no life experience. I have 13 years on the road experience. I know people over here who have double that. These young graduates, have swallowed several medical books and regurgitate them regularly. They think that there is always something more to the simplest of jobs. They go to the far end of a fart, with their hospital handovers, even for a sore toe. On the other end of the scale, they miss clues and under diagnose. In my book, 90% of the time, if it walks like a Duck, talks like a Duck, it's a Duck. But the other 10% of the time, I draw upon previous experiences and my gut tells me, I am not getting the full picture and I'm normally right. These young workers see the likes of me as a Veteran, with ancient knowledge that belongs in the 90's. But this is the knowledge that will stop them killing a patient and getting their ass getting the sack someday With this lack of knowledge and inexperience, also comes a sense of arrogance and playing God. They are voyeuristic without respect, when it comes to critically ill patients or a patient in cardiac arrest. They want to have a good look, with no intent on learning and just end up getting in the way with their morbid curiosity. I have already been nudged out of the way by a rookie, whilst I was trying to perform CPR. Needless to say, I chewed her up and spat her out, after the job was over. They do not consider patient care and dignity to be a priority. A lot of them are chasing the glory status and don't give a crap how they make a patient feel in their final moments. It is easy to shine here. But you shine for doing the things you are trained to do because ''most wouldn't remember to do that''. You get praised for having common sense and doing your job like you should. But experience and knowledge is not valued here. Some of the people I work with, know it all already and think their education stopped, when they got their degree. This is a recipe for disaster and an open door to arbitration and compensation claims. So yes, I am returning to the UK, mainly because of my job.

Not really Dom. It's a culmination of a few different things. But certainly in my work environment, the resistance to change is overwhelming. I have been sponsored so I have to give them a couple of years before going anywhere else. I don't think the solution is to move somewhere else. The problem is not that I don't like Queensland. The problem is, I don't want to be anywhere else, only back home. So moving to a different city or state, is not going to help with that. It only prolongs the dicomfort of being here.

How little you know.....I may have a job back in the UK but there has been a massive restructure within the organisation last week and I could potentially be stationed miles away from home. My days will be longer than here with the extra travel. I already work 12 hours a day. I don't particularly want to spend another 2-3 hours a day travelling to and from work. I also sold my house at a loss to come out here. So, contrary to what you think, I cannot just pick up life where I left it in the UK. Life as I left it in the UK with a familiar rota and nice house, is gone. I will be starting from scratch and will find it more difficult than here, to get back on the property ladder. I'm quite happy to settle down anywhere but what I won't do is settle for a place that lacks depth for me, just because I spent all of this money getting here. Money isn't everything. Maybe you see it as a ''get out of jail free card''. Well, I say I'm lucky to have one then. Many don't.But if I didn't have one, I'd rather be living on the bread line in the UK. I am doing better financially here than I have done in years. But all the money in the world won't make you happy if you're not where you belong.

I spoke to my sister today and she thinks I'm a bit flighty. She might be right. But at the end of the day, I gave it a go. I'm still giving it a go. I'm still carrying on as if I'm gonna stay here forever. But once I made the decision to go back to the UK, it's the lightest my heart has felt in a long time. I'm more excited about going home, than I was about coming to Oz. I know that some of you say, people will be delighted I'm home for 5 mins and then go about their lives. That's fine. I wouldn't expect anything less. But at least I'll be closer to them and can drop in for a cuppa. I'm not expecting life to be any better when I go back. It'll be the same as when I left it. But I wasn't running away from anything when I left. So I know exactly what it will be like when I return. I know how bad the weather can get. I know how frustrating the job can be. But I felt at home there. And I'm more than happy to spend the rest of my days there. And in answer to Dom's question? If I met a hunk? If he's right for me, he'll still be as hunky in rainy Britain:wink:

It would pass checks but it is not employee friendly. Up until a few years ago, there were no women in the Ambulance Service here. The equipment was designed around taller and stronger employees. I'm letting myself in for a load of stick here but I am vertically challenged. I'm 5ft 2. The stretchers are so high, I can't see where I'm going when I'm pushing them. They can be adjusted while someone's on them but it means pushing down on the trolley at either end and taking the weight of the trolley and the person on it. The carry chairs force you to carry away from your centre of gravity, which is a back injury waiting to happen. To get to any of the cupboards on station for stock, I have to stand on a chair as there are no ladders. It sounds ridiculous but I have spoken to other ''little people'' on station and they struggle also. Accidents have been reported but nothing is being done or it's being done at snails pace. Even down to a simple thing as this. There is no separation from the back of the ambulance and the drivers seat. If the lights are on in the back at night, it makes it difficult to see the road properly. Ever tried driving a car at night with the inside lights on? I might seem pedantic but all these little things add up. I have to use this stuff everyday I'm at work, not just the odd time here and there.

Not at all. That ship has sailed. It's taken a lifetime for me to feel happy with what I've achieved. And I am not happy with my life here. Not yet anyways. I would like to meet someone and I feel ready for a new relationship but I'm not settled and I would like to feel comfortable in my environment before I meet my new partner, if that makes sense.

I have pretty much decided to set the date for July 2013. That is the latest possible that I can leave it. I had a major wobble after 3 weeks here but put it down to jetlag. I've been keeping pretty busy but I'm feeling the same ''nah this isn't for me''. I'm not in a position financially to go back yet. The plan now is to make as much money as I can in preparation for going back. I'll still enjoy life and try and get into the mind frame that I'm gonna stay here. But ultimately I want to be back where I belong. And if by April/May, I still feel the same, I'm gonna book shippers and flights and get back there by July. Life is too short to be unnecessarily miserable.

I know I've give advice on here to people in the same boat and I have advised them to stick it out. That was until I found myself in the same position. I never I would end up in this situation. I arrived 2 months ago. I set myself up in a lovely apartment, got a nicer car than I've ever previously owned and I started work as a Paramedic. I have steadily been making friends and I am out every weekend, having a pretty decent social life. The weather is great most of the time and Brisbane is a beautiful city. Things are more expensive but not so bad if you shop around. The people are lovely and keen to help me settle in. What's wrong with this picture?:eek: I'm 35 years old. I assumed I knew what I was doing, as I had moved from Ireland to the UK many years ago and struggled to settle down. I had a plan for when I landed in Oz, based on what I had experienced before. The 2 experiences are miles apart from each other. Looking back on what I had in the UK, I had it all. I had great friends and family. I had a beautiful house and 2 gorgeous cats. I was frustrated in my job but everyone I worked with felt the same. My life was full and I was happy. But I have always been someone who likes a challenge. And coming to Oz was my challenge. The grass isn't always greener.....:no: I miss the things I never thought I would. I miss the weather. Working as a Paramedic in the humidity is a killer. I have constant headaches no matter how much water I drink. I don't sleep as well because of it. I miss my old job and my work mates. The job here has reverted back 10 years and my experience that they wanted, isn't valued at all. I've gone from working autonomously in the UK, to working under constant supervision from the medical director, who doesn't trust anyone to do a good job. Even the work equipment wouldn't pass H&S tests in the UK. I'm setting myself up for another work related injury. And I'm not long recovered from back surgery. I miss UK supermarkets and the variety of food. I miss the clothes shops. I miss UK festivals. I miss Christmas in the UK. I miss my solid group of friends. I miss UK tv. I'm at a crossroads now. I have taken a career break but I need to return before August 2013, in order to keep my rota position. My cousin is taking care of my cats so I could get my babies back if I returned. I can eventually buy another house. Most of you that know me on here, will know that I'm a fairly level headed, outgoing, happy type of person. I have no trouble making friends and fitting it. And I have friends here. I'm not being especially over emotional about the whole thing. I'm quite happy in my own skin and I enjoy my own company, so it's not a case of feeling isolated here. But I feel empty most of the time, these days. And it's not depression or the usual emotional upheaval involved in emigrating. It's taken for me to come here, to realize what's important to me. I want my old life back. So I have a decision to make and not long to make it......:eek:

Throw the book at them! They can injure eachother all they like but when people, trying to get on with their job get injured in the crossfire, it is just not acceptable.

Whereabouts in South Brissie are you?

Hi Amanda and Darren, I've been here 2 weeks and I have friends who have been here longer. It depends where you want to live and where you are working. In the city, Morningside, Hawthorne, Balmoral are all lovely family friendly places to live and close to the city. Cars aren't all that expensive once you start shopping around. They are in much better condition than a car of the same age at home. New houses in the city tend to be tiny, compared to the older houses. Queenslanders are great for one reason. They are large and airey. Honestly, you will not be prepared for the heat. It is in the 30's now and it's not even summer yet. I am staying in a friend's at the minute but move into an apartment next week. Anyway, if you have any questions or need any tips, give me a shout. :smile:

I've been in Brisbane for 2 weeks and am loving it and making friends already. Give me a shout if you need anything! Best of luck!:jiggy: