thinker78 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 a quick update. I've been back 7 weeks and am very happy. I did 10 years in Australia, in that time, I pinged twice kind of, and it has taken this long to finally feel like i'm home and am happy, and i've not given oz a second thought. I think, out of it all i have learned so many valuable lessons. Namely, i actually need to feel like i belong, culturally, spiritually- whatever- connected to the land, to 'my own people' who i get, where it is no hassle to participate in conversation etc. When you have been out your own country for a long time, the very things you leave it for, can turn out to be what you crave and wish to return to. The smallest things delight me now- a walk in the woods, a cup of tea with my dad, interesting and stimulating conversations, soooo much to do on one's doorstep- i cannot do it all and my UK bucket list is just so enormous....., when I lived in oz i always had this nagging feeling, wherever i was, whatever i was doing of 'i'm in Australia'. It NEVER left me, not once. I came to realise that being constantly conscious of one's location was draining, and would never change. Here, i do not live with that any more. Rather, i just LIVE. Sure, it's not a bed of roses, where is? We live in crazy times. I am just so relieved that i feel at peace. Isn't that what we all want? Even the weather has not got me down. It hasn't stopped anything at all- nor will it. It has been very emotional reconnecting with old friends too- i am lucky that i have been welcomed back despite the long absence and i will never let them go again. I absolutely gave it my all in Australia but the feelings i have here, are real. I have closure. It is awesome x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Welcome home Thinker!:cute:Peace is the most important gift you can give yourself.You certainly sound very happy and settled,and I feel very happy for you.Where did you head from and back to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinker78 Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Hi, my last place was 3 years in Adelaide but have lived all over. I've come back to the south east, of course, it's busy, and expensive but you cannot put a price on peace of mind. Anything feels truly achievable when you're happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthwin Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 We've been back roughly the same amount of time. It's been quite easy to set up a new life. Actually much easier than doing things in oz. my husband got a job and started within a week, first application and interview. We bought a car, enrolled kinds in school and got a short term let while looking for something more permanent, we move into a 6 month let next week and in that time we'll decide if the location etc is the tight one for us ( a bit remote, but beautiful) i will admit, I am missing my parents and friends in Australia. We were there 10 years too. Although I have been a citizen fir much longer as my parents took me there as a child. I have always ping ponged back and forth. My husband is German, but feels more comfortable in English speaking countries. Our two children (aged 12 and 11) were both born here but obviously spent most of their lives in Australia. they have settled well, made friends , but my son said he wanted to go back to Oz, which broke my heart. He seems ok,now though. We told him we would stay here because we lost a lot of money in Oz, from a business during the GFC, and just feel really jaded. I know it could of happened here in th UK, but we made a lot here and took it to Oz where it just got eaten up by high commercial rents, tax, utilities etc that are so much more than the UK. I am actually quite bitter and angry as we are virtually starting from scratch again. But ho hum..... Australia us a beautiful country but it us vety isolated, expensive and we just weren't happy. I know I will go back for a holiday but I am happy with our move too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thinker78 Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 My child has mentionned it once, they are bound to, but now school and clubs and life is in full swing, it will alter. i feel she is doing sooooo much better at school here already. I love the little posh uniform (only State, but so much smarter) and the fact there's a lot of help to catch up plus the free school hot dinners are amazing. We have a lot planned now- there's a lot to do for kids, and not enough time. I'm super glad to share things with my child- really simple things like showing her places, nature, meeting a wider variety of folk. We have just got an allotment and love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthwin Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 My kids are in P7 and s2 in Scotland, they don't qualify for free dinners, but 2 pound a day for a 3 course dinner everyday is do much better than thinking of what yo put in their lunch boxes. I used to give my son nearly $50 a week for his tuck shop in Oz, the prices were quite high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 My child has mentionned it once, they are bound to, but now school and clubs and life is in full swing, it will alter. i feel she is doing sooooo much better at school here already. I love the little posh uniform (only State, but so much smarter) and the fact there's a lot of help to catch up plus the free school hot dinners are amazing. We have a lot planned now- there's a lot to do for kids, and not enough time. I'm super glad to share things with my child- really simple things like showing her places, nature, meeting a wider variety of folk. We have just got an allotment and love it Wow Thinker you did well to get an allotment so quick?:cute:I've just returned from mine,and made some Leek & Potato soup for lunch(both grown up the "Lottie"). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shak Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Aww love these posituve threads.gives me reassurance. Its the little things i really miss about uk too,and so many things i were running from that i long for now.happy for u.good luck with everything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Aww love these posituve threads.gives me reassurance. Its the little things i really miss about uk too,and so many things i were running from that i long for now.happy for u.good luck with everything It's interesting, some posts I read have me wondering what country people are talking about. You could be forgiven for thinking the UK is permanently gridlocked, a radical Muslim preacher on every corner, people waiting 3 weeks to get a doctor's appointment, horrible food and miserable people. It's very refreshing to arrive and see that actually none of those things are accurate. We found a lovely welcoming friendly country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JockinTas Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 It's interesting, some posts I read have me wondering what country people are talking about. You could be forgiven for thinking the UK is permanently gridlocked, a radical Muslim preacher on every corner, people waiting 3 weeks to get a doctor's appointment, horrible food and miserable people. It's very refreshing to arrive and see that actually none of those things are accurate. We found a lovely welcoming friendly country. Some of the large cities have areas I wouldn't go near but the vast majority of the UK is just lovely and I have never thought of the people as being miserable - quite the contrary. I'm hoping to go back again next year. This time I will be staying with my sister in Edinburgh and visiting friends in Cumbria and Northumberland. Also catch up with my son in Ireland. He left for Ireland yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Some of the large cities have areas I wouldn't go near but the vast majority of the UK is just lovely and I have never thought of the people as being miserable - quite the contrary. I'm hoping to go back again next year. This time I will be staying with my sister in Edinburgh and visiting friends in Cumbria and Northumberland. Also catch up with my son in Ireland. He left for Ireland yesterday. Absolutely, the big cities are like big cities everywhere but thankfully they equal about 1% of the country. I have never been to Cumbria or Northumberland I am embarrassed to say but it looks lovely up there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoenix16 Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 You have to be joking surely!! $50 a week for the 'tuck shop'? Mt. daughter 's school is allowed visits to the 'canteen' (aka tuck shop) 2 times a week and maximum kitty in purse is $2 for a jelly or a cookie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 You have to be joking surely!! $50 a week for the 'tuck shop'? Mt. daughter 's school is allowed visits to the 'canteen' (aka tuck shop) 2 times a week and maximum kitty in purse is $2 for a jelly or a cookie. I'm not sure what country you are in but in my son's Australian school 'tuck shop' was where lunch was bought not what I would have thought of as a tuck shop in the UK ie selling treats - $10 a day still sounds a lot at my son's school a two course meal was a flat $5 but that was cooked by parent volunteers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Hear hear! There is no feeling like it in the world, without my time in Australia I doubt I would ever have the sense of peace and happiness I have now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthwin Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 You have to be joking surely!! $50 a week for the 'tuck shop'? Mt. daughter 's school is allowed visits to the 'canteen' (aka tuck shop) 2 times a week and maximum kitty in purse is $2 for a jelly or a cookie. Q why would I joke? I didn't make that figure up. My son was in year 7 and I gave him between $7 and $10 a day to buy his morning tea and lunch everyday. I did not want to, but I was sick of throwing his sandwiches and things away everyday because he wouldn't eat it. He bought a wrap, a drink and a muffin or sausage roll. He us 12 and a jelly and a cookie wouldn't fill him up. I agree there were cheap snacks, but I wasn't giving him snacks as a treat I was trying to fill him up. He went 7 years at primary school with tuck shop once a term as a treat because I hated tuck shop food but he would never eat lunch box stuff went he started high school. i just made a comment that now I am giving him 2 pound a day and for that he gets a 3 course cooked meal at his school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthwin Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 I initially gave him $5 a day and said if it wasn't enough he had to do without but the tuckshop prices went up. They had $5 meal deals but he didn't eat those all the time. Plus he would get a snack or drink at morning tea. I hated the whole idea of the tuckshop but as I said before I was so sick of throwing food away. When I didn't give him money he would use his own. He's a good boy, not spoiled and he pretty much had no tuckshop during primary school as he was a lot easier to please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Spent some time living in Cumbria,and loved it up there.So much gorgeous countryside! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosiehome Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 @thinker78 and @ruthwin. Thanks for such re-assuring posts. I am heading home in a couple of months after 19 years in Australia and have had my fair share of "why the hell would you do that?" remarks. I went back for two years ten years ago and loved it, but my Aussie husband wanted to come back here. Now I'm on my own and can't wait for all the things you describe..family, places to visit, history, culture and just that peaceful feeling of being home and it just feeling 'right'. I've had some great times in Australia and made some lovely friends but i always felt 'on the outside' somehow. It's not about the weather or food prices or any of the other things that people seem to bicker about on here, it's just about where you feel you belong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ali Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 So could to hear that you're feeling content and happy with the move. Lovely to hear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shak Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 It's interesting, some posts I read have me wondering what country people are talking about. You could be forgiven for thinking the UK is permanently gridlocked, a radical Muslim preacher on every corner, people waiting 3 weeks to get a doctor's appointment, horrible food and miserable people. It's very refreshing to arrive and see that actually none of those things are accurate. We found a lovely welcoming friendly country. So true and i agree with you...british people are far from miserable.im going back in February hopefully if everything goes to plan, cant wait to get back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 Good to hear things are falling into place for you and you "belong" again! Isn't that a great feeling! After 4 years I am still like a kid in the candy shop with so much to do and see! Good to hear that school is going well for the munchkin too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jacaranda Posted September 19, 2015 Share Posted September 19, 2015 Rosiehome,you're right!The price of groceries,eating out or whatever is pretty insignificant compared to your own personal happiness and peace.Best wishes and here's to a new happy and peaceful life!:cute: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bora Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 Hear hear! There is no feeling like it in the world, without my time in Australia I doubt I would ever have the sense of peace and happiness I have now. If I've read a one liner that ever hit the nail on the head during my time on this forum that sums up how I feel, then this is it. The pleasure in being home is somedays something I cannot even articulate. There's a scene from Shawshank Redemption when (Andy?) sits on the roof having got beers out of the guard for his workers and he just sits there in the sun, resting, with a wry smile on his face. That's how I FEEL most of the time. A wonderful feeling, something that just would not exist had I not had my time in Australia. I am glad I went, but it's an incredible feeling to be home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bristolman Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 If I've read a one liner that ever hit the nail on the head during my time on this forum that sums up how I feel, then this is it. The pleasure in being home is somedays something I cannot even articulate. There's a scene from Shawshank Redemption when (Andy?) sits on the roof having got beers out of the guard for his workers and he just sits there in the sun, resting, with a wry smile on his face. That's how I FEEL most of the time. A wonderful feeling, something that just would not exist had I not had my time in Australia. I am glad I went, but it's an incredible feeling to be home. This ^^^. I wouldn't change our time in Australia for anything, it's a wonderful country with much to offer. It's just that England is a more wonderful country with more to offer lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bora Posted September 20, 2015 Share Posted September 20, 2015 This ^^^. I wouldn't change our time in Australia for anything, it's a wonderful country with much to offer. It's just that England is a more wonderful country with more to offer lol I suppose this could be the case, however as more time goes by I am becoming better (and less emotive) at (over) analysing the experience. My delight at being home has now overtaken my bitterness as to why it did not work out for me and by accepting that not everything can be understood. I think this is where real peace and contentment lies thus creating this natural euphoric state of mind. This where I am now. I would still feel this way if home wasn't a more wonderful country with more to offer than Australia. The point is, it's just about being home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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