Hi guys,
Long story short. I moved to South Oz from Cornwall in 1992 at age 11 with my parents. My parents moved back in 2005 for work. I stayed - had a girlfriend (became my wife)/was @ uni, then I started a career......I had a very traumatic experience @ work in 2014 which destroyed my mental health, career and marriage, all no fault of my own; i've been heavily depressed and anxious for the better part of 2 years. I had a little boy with my wife (currently separated) who is 3. I have 1 Bachelor of Psychology degree, a Masters in Social Work and a Masters in Marketing, so i've got a wide net for employment. Right now i'm self employed, making TV commercials, graphic design - all media stuff.
I live alone now and can't see myself ever being happy again, BUT, when I think about my family (mum/dad/brother/niece/cousins/friends etc etc) and Cornwall I get a strong sense of connection/hope and love; something i've been lacking for a few years now. My choice, which feels like Sophie's choice is this:
1. Stay in Oz for my son. I will have a relationship with my son but everything else will be pretty grim, especially when my wife moves onto the next guy, and i'm around to see my son living with him.
2. Move back to Cornwall and have a big family again, start afresh etc. Try and find a way of keeping my son in my life - Skype, holidays etc.
So the choice is either to remain in Oz completely unhappy with the exception of my son, or move home to Cornwall where I have a sense of identity, family, a sense of community and belonging - something Australia doesn't really have.
I guess i'm putting this down on virtual paper because I want to see what other's think of this - all opinions are fine. Please don't kick me while i'm down. If you knew the traumatic event that started everything you'd understand. I'm not one of those dads who wants to leave his son. I don't at all, but I also don't want to die alone in a country that isn't 'home', and continue being miserable. I've been trying to get better for 2 years now but the only light I can ever see at the end of the tunnel is Cornwall.
Anybody had a similar experience?
