Jump to content

1 year on.....


thinker78

Recommended Posts

Just a quick post. I have now been back almost 14 months.

Australia seems like another life, another planet even. Do I miss it? Nope. Occasionally miss the few friends I had there. Do not miss any other aspects. Even the coffee is good here, so there's nowt to miss :)

Some ramblings;

1. I've been to the beach more this UK summer than the last 3 years in Australia. I put this down to; so much to enjoy at British sea sides, absolutely 100% enjoy sunny days more and make the effort, don't worry so much about UV, nasties in the ocean and snakes in the dunes. Beach for me also only a 15 min drive in the UK. Very accessible, and safe for kids.

2. Education- Child (7) now fully adjusted to UK schooling and loving all the opportunities. Has had wonderful support to catch up from Oz system. Education more intense here, but LOVE what she's covering- Romans, Stone and Iron Age, French, etc etc. Lots of school trips, extra curricular stuff. Goes to a wonderful theatre school, loves the cooler days! Moaned when it got really hot here, and found it annoying haha.

3. Society- see all sorts, but much prefer the general day to day with Brits. Found I have a very active social life and plenty of invites, and have made lots of new friends- this was hard going in Australia quite often- mostly ex pats etc. Feel I can be myself here, common cultural ground, sense of humour, etc.

4. Housing- South East hard going and that's tricky. Other parts of the country affordable.

5. Stuff to do- too much! and never enough time!!!!

6. Eating out- Too much! And not enough waist line!

7. Brexit- no one expected that, but take it from me, it's all going on as normal and we're not seeing too much change- yet.

8. Biggest bonuses- Family, old friends, simple pleasures, the rhythm of seasons here I love, the culture, walking everywhere, cycling, opportunities- mental health so much better.

9. Would I go back? No- not to live. Asked my child- she says 'no, maybe for a holiday'.

 

It has definitely taken a year to find our feet and establish a life, so don't hop on the first plane back!

 

xxx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick post. I have now been back almost 14 months.

Australia seems like another life, another planet even. Do I miss it? Nope. Occasionally miss the few friends I had there. Do not miss any other aspects. Even the coffee is good here, so there's nowt to miss :)

Some ramblings;

1. I've been to the beach more this UK summer than the last 3 years in Australia. I put this down to; so much to enjoy at British sea sides, absolutely 100% enjoy sunny days more and make the effort, don't worry so much about UV, nasties in the ocean and snakes in the dunes. Beach for me also only a 15 min drive in the UK. Very accessible, and safe for kids.

2. Education- Child (7) now fully adjusted to UK schooling and loving all the opportunities. Has had wonderful support to catch up from Oz system. Education more intense here, but LOVE what she's covering- Romans, Stone and Iron Age, French, etc etc. Lots of school trips, extra curricular stuff. Goes to a wonderful theatre school, loves the cooler days! Moaned when it got really hot here, and found it annoying haha.

3. Society- see all sorts, but much prefer the general day to day with Brits. Found I have a very active social life and plenty of invites, and have made lots of new friends- this was hard going in Australia quite often- mostly ex pats etc. Feel I can be myself here, common cultural ground, sense of humour, etc.

4. Housing- South East hard going and that's tricky. Other parts of the country affordable.

5. Stuff to do- too much! and never enough time!!!!

6. Eating out- Too much! And not enough waist line!

7. Brexit- no one expected that, but take it from me, it's all going on as normal and we're not seeing too much change- yet.

8. Biggest bonuses- Family, old friends, simple pleasures, the rhythm of seasons here I love, the culture, walking everywhere, cycling, opportunities- mental health so much better.

9. Would I go back? No- not to live. Asked my child- she says 'no, maybe for a holiday'.

 

It has definitely taken a year to find our feet and establish a life, so don't hop on the first plane back!

 

xxx

 

Good on ya Thinker! Out of interest, did you move back to the area you were originally from in the UK or try somewhere completely different?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick post. I have now been back almost 14 months.

Australia seems like another life, another planet even. Do I miss it? Nope. Occasionally miss the few friends I had there. Do not miss any other aspects. Even the coffee is good here, so there's nowt to miss :)

Some ramblings..........

 

......It has definitely taken a year to find our feet and establish a life, so don't hop on the first plane back!

 

xxx

 

Good for you. I'm a firm believer in if it ain't working out where you are it's time to change it up / go home.

 

It's constant inertia-moaners that get up my wick. Moaning long term but making no moves.

 

B

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a quick post. I have now been back almost 14 months.

Australia seems like another life, another planet even. Do I miss it? Nope. Occasionally miss the few friends I had there. Do not miss any other aspects. Even the coffee is good here, so there's nowt to miss :)

Some ramblings;

1. I've been to the beach more this UK summer than the last 3 years in Australia. I put this down to; so much to enjoy at British sea sides, absolutely 100% enjoy sunny days more and make the effort, don't worry so much about UV, nasties in the ocean and snakes in the dunes. Beach for me also only a 15 min drive in the UK. Very accessible, and safe for kids.

2. Education- Child (7) now fully adjusted to UK schooling and loving all the opportunities. Has had wonderful support to catch up from Oz system. Education more intense here, but LOVE what she's covering- Romans, Stone and Iron Age, French, etc etc. Lots of school trips, extra curricular stuff. Goes to a wonderful theatre school, loves the cooler days! Moaned when it got really hot here, and found it annoying haha.

3. Society- see all sorts, but much prefer the general day to day with Brits. Found I have a very active social life and plenty of invites, and have made lots of new friends- this was hard going in Australia quite often- mostly ex pats etc. Feel I can be myself here, common cultural ground, sense of humour, etc.

4. Housing- South East hard going and that's tricky. Other parts of the country affordable.

5. Stuff to do- too much! and never enough time!!!!

6. Eating out- Too much! And not enough waist line!

7. Brexit- no one expected that, but take it from me, it's all going on as normal and we're not seeing too much change- yet.

8. Biggest bonuses- Family, old friends, simple pleasures, the rhythm of seasons here I love, the culture, walking everywhere, cycling, opportunities- mental health so much better.

9. Would I go back? No- not to live. Asked my child- she says 'no, maybe for a holiday'.

 

It has definitely taken a year to find our feet and establish a life, so don't hop on the first plane back!

 

xxx

 

Well done thinker ...good on ya ..

I envy you ,because although iam in the main happy in England ,mainly because this is where I belong .

Part of me will always miss Australia ....not the weather....not even the so called lifestyle ...no I miss some of the great Aussie friends I had ,some of whom have now ,sadly passed away ....some great memories

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Lovely to read how well you are doing. We're looking at returning and I enjoying reading stories like these. The housing situation in the South doesn't surprise me, I think housing issues and costs are high for most people at the moment. Just seem to be the way it is both in Australia and the UK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You make a very good point about 'being yourself'. I never thought about it until then. I'm in regional Australia at the moment and come to think of it, I do find it hard to be myself since I share so little in common with the folk here. I have to say that if I left today, I really wouldn't miss anything significant (maybe only the winter weather) about Australia!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I very much relate to the "being yourself" thing. We see a lot of people talking about "belonging" or homesickness, but I wonder if it's that sense of self that is really at the root of it?

 

I had the same problem when we moved to the UK for a year. I didn't feel like myself there, and in hindsight I shouldn't have been surprised - because I always felt like a square peg in a round hole growing up in the UK, and migrating to Australia was like escaping to a new life where I could really be me. Now I'm back in Australia I can feel the old "me" coming back.

 

Unfortunately I'm now racked with guilt because my husband has realised he had that feeling of "being himself" when he was in Europe, and says it's the first time in his life he can remember feeling like that (his family migrated from Yugoslavia when he was only 8). So he is not happy about being back in Australia at all and I feel responsible for that. I just have to keep reminding myself he was the architect of his own fate - I told him I'd be willing to stay in the UK or Europe for another few years if we moved somewhere nicer and more affordable, but he was too damn lazy to do anything about it. We are still chewing through money at an unacceptable rate in Melbourne but at least we'll have the Aussie pension to fall back on if he spends it all, unlike in the UK.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Michaela60
Just a quick post. I have now been back almost 14 months.

Australia seems like another life, another planet even. Do I miss it? Nope. Occasionally miss the few friends I had there. Do not miss any other aspects. Even the coffee is good here, so there's nowt to miss :)

Some ramblings;

1. I've been to the beach more this UK summer than the last 3 years in Australia. I put this down to; so much to enjoy at British sea sides, absolutely 100% enjoy sunny days more and make the effort, don't worry so much about UV, nasties in the ocean and snakes in the dunes. Beach for me also only a 15 min drive in the UK. Very accessible, and safe for kids.

2. Education- Child (7) now fully adjusted to UK schooling and loving all the opportunities. Has had wonderful support to catch up from Oz system. Education more intense here, but LOVE what she's covering- Romans, Stone and Iron Age, French, etc etc. Lots of school trips, extra curricular stuff. Goes to a wonderful theatre school, loves the cooler days! Moaned when it got really hot here, and found it annoying haha.

3. Society- see all sorts, but much prefer the general day to day with Brits. Found I have a very active social life and plenty of invites, and have made lots of new friends- this was hard going in Australia quite often- mostly ex pats etc. Feel I can be myself here, common cultural ground, sense of humour, etc.

4. Housing- South East hard going and that's tricky. Other parts of the country affordable.

5. Stuff to do- too much! and never enough time!!!!

6. Eating out- Too much! And not enough waist line!

7. Brexit- no one expected that, but take it from me, it's all going on as normal and we're not seeing too much change- yet.

8. Biggest bonuses- Family, old friends, simple pleasures, the rhythm of seasons here I love, the culture, walking everywhere, cycling, opportunities- mental health so much better.

9. Would I go back? No- not to live. Asked my child- she says 'no, maybe for a holiday'.

 

It has definitely taken a year to find our feet and establish a life, so don't hop on the first plane back!

 

xxx

 

Quick one there is no Oz system education, it's completely different in every state or territory and they start a year later so always a year differential from U.K.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...