EMA02

Thanks all for your posts. This has all come around so quickly that most folks who have a dream/vision have plenty of time to consider every aspect. We have had 3 months and my reason for not going immediately is that I guess I'm the more practical/grounded one in our partnership It's not that I don't share the dream, I have all the other things to deal with like, putting the house on market, arranging shipment of cat/dog all of which take time and whilst planning a wedding I could do without the stress of the rest of it. I still have a job here and if things don't work out, he has to return with nothing (not that I'm being negative here, just being realistic) so I have to keep up the mortgage repayments, bills etc. Hence why I feel he has to establish himself there in his new role and then we can progress from there. I wish I could be more of a risk taker..you only live once..right??

Hi AJ, thanks for your response. What i meant was, rather than renting a property, he'll be looking at rooms available for FIFO workers which works out a bit cheaper. I'm not sure how feesible it is for him to return home to UK on his 6 days off so we will have to make the best of the situation. Hopefully I'll get over before Christmas at least which will break the time up a bit.

Thank you for your reply. My OH is also a Gers fan Reasons are financial initially, wedding to pay for etc but once he is established out there, I will have to face the prospect of coming out there too. I understand the cost of living being much higher and I would also intend to work too but it's getting by the first 6 months of him being away which I feel will be the most difficult. Initially he will be cutting cost of renting property by booking into FIFO accommodation whilst based in Perth. We've done the sums as best we can and feel that it is financially viable.

Hi all - I'm new to forum discussions but I'm looking for advice on how best to cope with and be supportive of my fiance who will be leaving the UK in 2 weeks time. He has been offered an amazing opportunity and whilst I am behind him 100%, I am under no illusions that this is going to be tough. He leaves for Perth in 2 weeks time to start an 8 on 6 off swing (days). I've read a lot of the threads on here about how it affects mental health and I'm concerned not only for him but for myself. We are getting married in February 2015 hence I'm staying in the UK to plan our wedding, after that who knows. I'll also be responsible for caring for his 12 year old daughter whilst he is away. Obviously, 8 on 6 off does not allow sufficient time for him to travel back to the UK so we are having to face the daunting task of trying to continue our relationship with 9000 miles between us. I realise it's not for the faint hearted and we have come through a lot together. How do I stay sane and supportive of him through this? It breaks my heart knowing that he's leaving but I'm hopeful that we can succeed. I know it would be a no brainer to tell me to pack up and go with but that is not an option currently. Any advice would be appreciated Thanks