Kerry Pollard

It will go so fast, can't believe I've been back a month already. Xxx

i was very excited and nervous, looking forward to the whole adventure but when we got their I knew I should have never got on that plane, only because I realised it was my OH's dream and not mine, I left my life, my job, my home, my family, I left me behind too. It was very hard for me to come to terms with the fact I had made a mistake and I do regret going but glad I did in a small way, as at least I tried it. i found it very hard, as I couldn't get a job and I tried everything, it's not what u do, it's who u know. I felt isolated, even though I tried the mother and toddler groups, their was just nothing where we lived, my hubby was busy enjoying his new life, so he didn't see how depressed I was getting. He didn't want to see it, he is still their and I'm not sure when he'll return or if he will at all but I'm not worrying about that, me and my son are happy and I will never go back to Australia again. Xx

Thank you. I intend to enjoy every minute of it. X

I only had 2 suitcases so not much moving to be honest, my OH has that to sort out as he's still in the house back in OZ. it will go so fast and it was the best feeling ever to land in Manchester and have my brothers waiting for me. Xx hope your move goes as quick, you'll be home before u know it.

I know I shouldn't see it as wasted time but I do, it wasn't a life I was leading it was an existence but that is in the past and u are right by saying I will never say "what if "

I can't believe I am actually home, its strange to think a week ago I was still living in Oz? even though its only been 5 and half days since I landed, I can't tell u how happier I feel, even noticed a difference in my son. I think u know what is right for u and what isn't, I know I will never go back to Oz, it wasn't just family I missed, it was everything. Even though the hubby is still in Oz, its not as hard as I thought it would be and I'm still not sure when he'll be back but that's up to him. I have done what was right for me and my son and I am so glad I did. I can't believe I wasted 11 months of my life, I was so unhappy and miserable and can't believe I stayed that long, it doesn't matter how long u give it, I think u know if its not right for u and I am so glad I listened to my heart and not what everybody was saying. I don't think any amount of research and planning u do, can actually prepare u for how u are going to feel. it affects people differently and for some people it works and for some people it doesn't. I was one of those ones that it didn't work for and I'm sure i wont be the last. kerry. Xx:biggrin::biggrin:

I will, I think the pubs were all still open when I left and Robinsons brewery was still open too. I've only been gone 11 months so hopefully not a lot has changed. 2 more days to go and I'll let u know. X

People can tell u so many different things but at the end of the day u have to do what is right for you, I came on my hubby's 457 visa, long story short we said we'd do 2 yrs no matter what but I can't stay that long, I knew when I stepped off that plane I'd made a mistake so I leave on Friday, i would have been here 11 months by then, my hubby loves it here so is staying till I don't know when. I am following my heart as i am so unhappy here, unable to get a job etc...but I am glad I have come as I at least can say i tried it and realised its just not for me. Good luck on your move back xx

7 days today and me and my son will be out of here. Xx

I leave in 7 days and it can't come soon enough. Xx

Awww, I too made a mistake but it took coming here to realise it. At least you've done it. I don't care what anybody thinks, I am going home and as long as i am happy with my decision that's all that matters. I have amazing family and I can't wait to see them. My brothers and their girlfriends are picking me up from the airport. hopefully my hubby will come back eventually but that's a bridge we'll cross when it happens. good luck on your return. Xxx

Wow, thank you very much. That's what got to me and everything else thrown in too but u can only do what is right for you, it's gonna hurt like hell to leave my OH here but it's something I have to do for myself, I know that may sound selfish and especially as I'm taking my son away from his dad but I have to think of me and my son and this is the best thing for us both. I hope u decide what to do and hopefully when u do book those tickets to go home, it's the best feeling in the world. Xx hope everything works out for u. Xxx

Thank you, I'm staying with my mum for a week and then heading to Stockport. Xx

Thank you, I do hope love does win in my case. Xxx

Hello, it's 2 weeks on Friday now. Lol i'm counting down the days to be honest, it's been a hard 10 months. I'm not sure what will happen with me and my OH, I'm just concentrating on me and my son at the minute, it's gonna be hard leaving him behind but we're both adults and have both made our choices. I do wish I could see what my hubby sees but I just can't, I wish I could stay for him but I can't. X

Awww, I so feel for you, some of what u said I could have written. myself and my hubby came out last year in may, so we haven't been here for years and years but I knew I'd made a mistake when I got of that plane, we came cause my hubby got offered a job and we thought why not. The reality of it is, I hate it, husband loves it, he loves everything about it, the sun, the lifestyle it offers for him, the beach, his job, everything. we have been on the verge of splitting up, him keeping me here cause he wouldn't let me take our son with me if I left, it's been the worst 10 months of my life, I've basically lost myself here, it feels like I've left part of myself back home. I haven't been able to get work, it's too expensive to get Charlie into a nursery, so he's suffering and he is missing out on so much regarding his family. He's only 3 so hopefully he'll not remember much. my hubby is choosing to stay here though for how long I don't know so I'll be going home on my own. Not sure if we'll still be together but what will be will be I suppose, I just can't stay for him. I've been at rock bottom and I'm not going their again. I go home on the 5th April, so not long. Also regarding work, my hubby is an engineer and theirs been so many redundancies and now their dropping the hours down to 3 days and he's not once said about returning home with us, he'd rather struggle here and stay. But we have both made our choices and that's something we will both have to deal with. I hope u work it out and decide what u need to do. Xxx

My heart is their and I want it back also my son needs his mum back. Xx

U can only do what u think is right, I thought bringing my son here was right but I was so wrong but at least I've realised it and not wasted any more time being here, it's took me this long to convince the hubby to let me go home. What is right for one person isn't right for another, hopefully it will work for u both. i have to go home as I'm just existing here and my son needs his mum back and to see his family and go to a nursery I can afford to send him to. Xx

I don't understand how people get this idea that Australia is better for kids, we have a 3 yr old and he spends more time indoors here than he did back home. Me and his dad were selfish in bringing him here, it was his dads dream to come and I just followed him, so our son came too, we took him away from everything and everybody he knew but he's young enough to hopefully forget. I truly didn't understand how I would feel when i got here, my son needs a happy mum, I am so miserable being here but this is just my feelings so me and my son have 3 weeks and we are going home, the only thing I'll be leaving behind is my hubby but he's made the choice to stay and I've made the choice to go home, I'm gonna miss him so much but this is something we have to do. I hope u make the right choice for yourself too, I have spent the last 10 months being miserable, unhappy, feeling like part of me isn't here, like I've left something back home. Good luck, I hope it works out for you both. X

When I go back home in 3 weeks the only thing I'll miss is my husband as he's staying here.

Hi, my hubby is on a 457 visa, we've been here since May last year and theirs been 3 lots of redundancies, my hubby was very lucky not to have been one of the unlucky ones, I think they've let 70 people go, he's in engineering, so this can happen a lot according to my hubby but also their dropping the guys hours down to 3 days a week, which isn't good as I haven't been able to find work and childcare is so expensive, so on one wage we have struggled and now it would be a disaster but lucky for me, me and my son go home in 3 weeks so my hubby should be ok on his own money wise. what I'm trying to say is u get no help what so ever on this visa and if you lose your job u have 28 days to leave the country or find a new sponsor, it has been very hard on me regarding jobs, I have tried everything from cleaning to working in supermarkets to what I'm trained to do which is support people who have a learning disability and challenging behaviour but nothing, a lot of them want people who have PR or Citizenship. I looked at volunteering but that doesn't pay the bills and I can't even think of retraining in anything as we wouldn't be able to afford it. If u can go permanent than I would try and get that and use the 457 as the last resort. Sorry this doesn't help much.

Awww, it must be awful to feel that way, I am over the moon I am going home, I leave on the 5th April but without the hubby, he is staying till god knows when but I am unhappy here and just can not stay any longer, u have to decide what u want to do for yourself, its very hard knowing I'm leaving my hubby behind but he made his choice to stay and I've made my choice to leave. I wish I could stay for him but I can't. You only live once and everybody deserves to be happy. Xx

Hi, my hubby's mates parents moved over 3 yrs ago and I think it cost them £35,000 each and then their son had to pay £14,000 each for them but they get that back in 10 yrs I think. I think it took them nearly 2 yrs to get in though but they were being sponsored by their son and daughter-in-law as they came on a PR visa. i know they don't get help with anything and I don't think they can claim for anything either, it's to do with the visa their on, not sure if this changes when they get citizenship. Can I ask, does your mum actually want to go with you? I don't think my mum would, she's been here for 4 weeks and got 4 weeks left and she loves the heat but she says it's too hot for her here and everything is very expensive.

To be honest I would say I hate it, I've had so many problems since being here, i actually blame Australia for nearly breaking my marriage up but i know deep down being here has just showed us we want different things, most of u will know my story but if my hubby stays here then I would probably come back to see him but never to live. I can't wait to see the back of it really. 6 weeks on Friday and I'm out of here. X

i would take that over being here any day but that's only my opinion. everyone has their own experiences and opinions and what works for one might not work out for somebody else. And the OP, I've booked mine and my sons one way ticket home and it's the best feeling ever. X