Katie22

Thanks so much for all your comments. Just spent ages writing a reply on my Ipad and it disappeared into cyber space so this reply might thankfully be more concise! Not sure where to go really as have family all over and I have lived in so many different places - London, Canterbury, Salisbury, Northampton, Shrewsbury ......!. We left from Bournemouth but I'm not sure it would be a good idea to go back there as I might be expecting a different place to what it has become. There's no way I could take my daughter away from her Dad until she's reached 18 as he doesn't want to come too but she is desperate to go to uni in the UK to study French. She's also just started Yr 11 at a pretty good senior college after having a achieved a scholarship and is doing well so not sure it would be good to rock that boat. I did talk to her Principal and he said that there are lots of scholarships to attend uni overseas that he reckons she could be successful for so that's a thought. I really don't want to criticize my ex too much as he can't defend himself but he hasn't been much of a support to me and to be honest I've been a single parent for a lot longer than I've been separated. I feel that I've sacrificed a lot over the years so now it's time to do something I want to, if it doesn't work then that is my problem. If I don't go I know for sure that it's not going to stop my kids doing the same as I have always talked to them about travelling and how life changing it can be. This is one of the pitfalls of emigrating that when your kids become adults you really have no idea where they will want to settle. A working holiday, now that sounds interesting. Just going over with the notion that it may only be for a year or two and if I settle then great, if not back to Adelaide I come! Maybe back to Australia, but not to Adelaide I think! It's strange though I have 2 sisters here in Australia and they both emigrated when they were in their 20's. They've both settled down really well and wouldn't dream of returning but I didn't come here till my late 30's and never have settled - I have been told I'm just too English - what does that mean? Both of them, including my brother in the UK say that I should go back.

Hi Everyone, Been looking at comments on this forum over past few years but now I've sort of decided to move back to the UK, I thought I'd join your community for chats! Arrived in Oz 12 years ago now, it was mainly my husband's choice to come though now realize his unhappiness at the time wasn't with the country he was living in but with himself so understandably Oz did not end up being the magic answer. Anyhow 12 years later and we are now separated and what with being single and reached the big 50, I'm seriously starting thinking about going back. I've never been happy here and never had the belief that I want to live here forever so feel I need to do this rather than keep wondering "what if" - worse thing in life is regrets. I don't hate Oz, it just annoys me at times! In a way I feel quite proud of myself that I've stuck it out this long and I've tried and tried to regard it as home but no luck so far. So now both my teenage children say they'd like to go back to live, study, work, see Europe etc so we only have one chance at life so might just as well give it a go. We all have Australian citizenship so a return can always happen. Its strange but I was never excited about moving to Oz, in fact I was terrified and really didn't want to board that plane in Heathrow but now I'm experiencing real excitement about moving to England and building a new life. Maybe that might also have something to do with being single again too! Am thinking though I might consider taking my kids over for a holiday before the big plunge so they can both see how they like it as I know they are both deeply influenced by my beliefs. Biggest problem though is their Dad wants to stay in Oz though not sure why as he's constantly moaned about the place since he arrived 12 years ago but to be honest I don't think he'll be happy anywhere unless he changes his attitude. This is a situation I never dreamed of when we arrived as a family with a 3 and 7 year old. I feel "cruel" taking away his children although one will be nearly 20 and the other 18 if we go next year as we're thinking of but they're adults and it's what they want. Life is never simple!