Told the Oz relatives we are going home- how do we deal with the guilt

[Conniebygaslight]

Hi, we have just told the relatives here that we are going home and while they have tried to understand (although they can't grasp it at all)and be supportive- they are obviously devastated- particularly my MIL & FIL as they are in their mid 70's and not in the best of health to fly.

 

We have only been here 4 months but knew from day one we hated it and it has got worse every day. We've made friends here but we feel like aliens. We had a lovely life in the UK but felt our 3 young children were missing out on all their family here-the trouble is my husband left Oz over 20 years ago and feels like he belongs in the UK.

 

The family here are wonderful, aunts uncles etc-but ours are the youngest grandchildren by far and we feel so terrible to be takng them away but just feel like the walls are closing in. The emotional stress this is putting on my husband is huge- as well as a very stressful job long hours with 4+ hours a day commute and the stress of moving here in the first place and knowing it is wrong.

 

I know that we can't live our lives for other people but hurting people when you've raised there expectations is just horrible-has anyone had a similar situation.:sad:

[pommekate]

You poor things, although I am sure your aussie family are devastated, but at the end of the day, they would much rather you were happy. I reckon it is better to regret something you have done, than regret never giving it a go. At the end of the day home is where the heart is, if your heart is not in australia then niether is your home. Good luck to you and well done for giving it a go.

[Quoll]

I am sure they will be devastated but hopefully, as Pommekate says, they will want you to be happy. None of us like having family on the other side of the world but you have to do what is right for you - in the same way that people heading in this direction are impacting on the lives of their families left behind.

 

I tend to think that you can get quality time with holidays and were I to leave my granddaughter here I could survive that - in the same way that I will have to cope with any English born grandkids I may have.

 

Look after yourselves and all will be OK, we cant live our lives for others no matter how much we may want to.:hug:

[Guest Guest37175]

[QUOTE=CorinaMac;764190]Hi, we have just told the relatives here that we are going home and while they have tried to understand (although they can't grasp it at all)and be supportive- they are obviously devastated- particularly my MIL & FIL as they are in their mid 70's and not in the best of health to fly.

 

We have only been here 4 months but knew from day one we hated it and it has got worse every day. We've made friends here but we feel like aliens. We had a lovely life in the UK but felt our 3 young children were missing out on all their family here-the trouble is my husband left Oz over 20 years ago and feels like he belongs in the UK.

 

The family here are wonderful, aunts uncles etc-but ours are the youngest grandchildren by far and we feel so terrible to be takng them away but just feel like the walls are closing in. The emotional stress this is putting on my husband is huge- as well as a very stressful job long hours with 4+ hours a day commute and the stress of moving here in the first place and knowing it is wrong.

 

 

 

I know that we can't live our lives for other people but hurting people when you've raised there expectations is just horrible-has anyone had a similar situation.:sad:

 

 

 

Going back in September after two years here with my Australian partner. The strain's really beginning to tell now. My partner was unhappy in England towards the end there and I've never been happy or been myself here. I only came here to keep our little family together and to help my partner to have some meaningful time with her parents and for them to spend some proper time with their only grandchild.

 

Managing the hopes and expectations of other people is just impossible. When we came over here in 2008 I stressed that I was here so that I didn't lose my family, nothing more. Moving to a country I've never wanted to live in was hard enough, but coping with the expectations of my partner's family and friends just compounded things. No matter how often I said "Look, I'm an Englishman who loves home, loves London and doesn't like hot weather, never goes to the beach and never plans to learn to surf," no one in our social circle could accept this. They saw me as being obtuse or contrary for not embracing the local lifestyle and for holding on to a past life I had always loved.

 

Now that we're going back it seems to open season regarding the UK. Every social situation isn't complete without some witheringly scornful put-down of the UK and of me for wanting to go home. Even playing the "I'm homesick and I really miss my family" line doesn't work and I grimace now when the topic of us going home gets raised in public in anticipation of having to defend my country and my own feelings.

 

Thankfully my In-Laws have been fairly restrained so far. In the past however they've not been slow in coming forward with criticisms of the UK and myself (being described as a "Little Englander" for wanting to live in the UK!) and I fear that as departure day gets closer the comments will come thick and fast.

 

The thing is though, I do sympathise with them up to a point. We're going back to the UK because of my inability to adapt to life in Oz, my homesickness and my battle with Depression. In effect, I'm taking away from them their daughter and their only grandchild and managing that guilt is getting harder and harder by the day. They say you should never live your life through someone else, and that's true, but none of us live our lives in a bubble, and our choices impact upon them too.

 

Then there's my poor partner, who's been happy being back in Oz and is dreading returning to the UK in the same way I was dreading coming out here in 2008. She ping-ponged as a child as her parents (one Aussie, one Brit) could never decide where they wanted to be. She's desperate to avoid that for our daughter (now aged 4) but realistically one of her parents is always going to be unhappy with where we live as a family.

 

Nearly all of my partner's friends have exasperatedly said "Oh, but he hasn't tried to fit in here," and maybe I haven't in truth. But, if you're in a situation where you can't function without 20 mils of Lexapro every day, where CBT doesn't work and where you can never shake the overwhelming emptiness of not belonging, then trying to embrace AFL, Surf-Lifesaving and Bush-Walking isn't going to change much.

 

I wish there was some way to make it right but I just can't see it no matter how hard I try.

[Kabroom]

Going back in September after two years here with my Australian partner. The strain's really beginning to tell now. My partner was unhappy in England towards the end there and I've never been happy or been myself here. I only came here to keep our little family together and to help my partner to have some meaningful time with her parents and for them to spend some proper time with their only grandchild.

 

Managing the hopes and expectations of other people is just impossible. When we came over here in 2008 I stressed that I was here so that I didn't lose my family, nothing more. Moving to a country I've never wanted to live in was hard enough, but coping with the expectations of my partner's family and friends just compounded things. No matter how often I said "Look, I'm an Englishman who loves home, loves London and doesn't like hot weather, never goes to the beach and never plans to learn to surf," no one in our social circle could accept this. They saw me as being obtuse or contrary for not embracing the local lifestyle and for holding on to a past life I had always loved.

 

Now that we're going back it seems to open season regarding the UK. Every social situation isn't complete without some witheringly scornful put-down of the UK and of me for wanting to go home. Even playing the "I'm homesick and I really miss my family" line doesn't work and I grimace now when the topic of us going home gets raised in public in anticipation of having to defend my country and my own feelings.

 

Thankfully my In-Laws have been fairly restrained so far. In the past however they've not been slow in coming forward with criticisms of the UK and myself (being described as a "Little Englander" for wanting to live in the UK!) and I fear that as departure day gets closer the comments will come thick and fast.

 

The thing is though, I do sympathise with them up to a point. We're going back to the UK because of my inability to adapt to life in Oz, my homesickness and my battle with Depression. In effect, I'm taking away from them their daughter and their only grandchild and managing that guilt is getting harder and harder by the day. They say you should never live your life through someone else, and that's true, but none of us live our lives in a bubble, and our choices impact upon them too.

 

Then there's my poor partner, who's been happy being back in Oz and is dreading returning to the UK in the same way I was dreading coming out here in 2008. She ping-ponged as a child as her parents (one Aussie, one Brit) could never decide where they wanted to be. She's desperate to avoid that for our daughter (now aged 4) but realistically one of her parents is always going to be unhappy with where we live as a family.

 

Nearly all of my partner's friends have exasperatedly said "Oh, but he hasn't tried to fit in here," and maybe I haven't in truth. But, if you're in a situation where you can't function without 20 mils of Lexapro every day, where CBT doesn't work and where you can never shake the overwhelming emptiness of not belonging, then trying to embrace AFL, Surf-Lifesaving and Bush-Walking isn't going to change much.

 

I wish there was some way to make it right but I just can't see it no matter how hard I try.

 

Wow Ozsceptic this is a very sad post to read it must be very hard on your little family. Do you think your partner will settle in the UK? What will happen if she doesn't?

 

I am married to an aussie aswell and fortunately I get homesick but not to the extreme and do not wish to move back to the UK, but you never know what the future holds.

 

Wendy

[Quoll]

Oh dear Ozsceptic I hope that you can weather the storm and that things do go better for you.

 

I think it is deadly for a mixed marriage to be anywhere within cooee of the inlaws of whichever side actually. It is always going to skew a relationship and far better that you have your little family unit against the world than you against her and all hers (insert appropriate gender in here). My inlaws live 10 hours away - neither of us wanted to live in their pockets especially not since very early on there was pressure put on the DH to move in NEXT DOOR to them (my MIL always lived in hopes!). Similarly we wouldnt have lived in that close a proximity to my folk - about 4 hours was enough I reckoned.

 

I often say on here that it is a bad move to move close to where one party has all their family and friends because it doesnt take much for resentment to inch its way into an otherwise good relationship when one has it all and the other has nothing.

 

I do totally see where you are coming from although I have managed to avoid the meds and CBT works for me (it has to, otherwise I would be reaching for a very sharp knife) and I have the luxury of annual visits home (he has to work to support my habit LOL)

 

I hope your wife is able to cope with the displacement better and that your little family thrives as a unit!

[Conniebygaslight]

[QUOTE=CorinaMac;764190]Hi, we have just told the relatives here that we are going home and while they have tried to understand (although they can't grasp it at all)and be supportive- they are obviously devastated- particularly my MIL & FIL as they are in their mid 70's and not in the best of health to fly.

 

We have only been here 4 months but knew from day one we hated it and it has got worse every day. We've made friends here but we feel like aliens. We had a lovely life in the UK but felt our 3 young children were missing out on all their family here-the trouble is my husband left Oz over 20 years ago and feels like he belongs in the UK.

 

The family here are wonderful, aunts uncles etc-but ours are the youngest grandchildren by far and we feel so terrible to be takng them away but just feel like the walls are closing in. The emotional stress this is putting on my husband is huge- as well as a very stressful job long hours with 4+ hours a day commute and the stress of moving here in the first place and knowing it is wrong.

 

 

 

I know that we can't live our lives for other people but hurting people when you've raised there expectations is just horrible-has anyone had a similar situation.:sad:

 

 

 

 

Going back in September after two years here with my Australian partner. The strain's really beginning to tell now. My partner was unhappy in England towards the end there and I've never been happy or been myself here. I only came here to keep our little family together and to help my partner to have some meaningful time with her parents and for them to spend some proper time with their only grandchild.

 

Managing the hopes and expectations of other people is just impossible. When we came over here in 2008 I stressed that I was here so that I didn't lose my family, nothing more. Moving to a country I've never wanted to live in was hard enough, but coping with the expectations of my partner's family and friends just compounded things. No matter how often I said "Look, I'm an Englishman who loves home, loves London and doesn't like hot weather, never goes to the beach and never plans to learn to surf," no one in our social circle could accept this. They saw me as being obtuse or contrary for not embracing the local lifestyle and for holding on to a past life I had always loved.

 

Now that we're going back it seems to open season regarding the UK. Every social situation isn't complete without some witheringly scornful put-down of the UK and of me for wanting to go home. Even playing the "I'm homesick and I really miss my family" line doesn't work and I grimace now when the topic of us going home gets raised in public in anticipation of having to defend my country and my own feelings.

 

Thankfully my In-Laws have been fairly restrained so far. In the past however they've not been slow in coming forward with criticisms of the UK and myself (being described as a "Little Englander" for wanting to live in the UK!) and I fear that as departure day gets closer the comments will come thick and fast.

 

The thing is though, I do sympathise with them up to a point. We're going back to the UK because of my inability to adapt to life in Oz, my homesickness and my battle with Depression. In effect, I'm taking away from them their daughter and their only grandchild and managing that guilt is getting harder and harder by the day. They say you should never live your life through someone else, and that's true, but none of us live our lives in a bubble, and our choices impact upon them too.

 

Then there's my poor partner, who's been happy being back in Oz and is dreading returning to the UK in the same way I was dreading coming out here in 2008. She ping-ponged as a child as her parents (one Aussie, one Brit) could never decide where they wanted to be. She's desperate to avoid that for our daughter (now aged 4) but realistically one of her parents is always going to be unhappy with where we live as a family.

 

Nearly all of my partner's friends have exasperatedly said "Oh, but he hasn't tried to fit in here," and maybe I haven't in truth. But, if you're in a situation where you can't function without 20 mils of Lexapro every day, where CBT doesn't work and where you can never shake the overwhelming emptiness of not belonging, then trying to embrace AFL, Surf-Lifesaving and Bush-Walking isn't going to change much.

 

I wish there was some way to make it right but I just can't see it no matter how hard I try.

 

Ozsceptic -this is just a horrible story and I feel so sorry for you all-hurting other people is dreadful and hurting oneself is equal to this. I'm so lucky in the fact that my Husband agrees with me (I don't know what I would do otherwise). I can't offer you any words of comfort to you -but hope that your inlaws understand given that they have been through the same thing (although people who love Oz just can't seem to understand those of us who don't- but we can understand people not liking the UK)

 

Really hope things work out for you and your family:hug:

[Guest JulieW]

Oh OzSceptic, how I feel for you! As I say to my Australian OH, what is so wrong with wanting to live in my own country? After all, most people do! After 5 years, I just cant get past this feeling of not belonging.

 

Be strong. These people getting at you are the petty, small-minded type that make me want to go home. It is just so rude to criticise someone elses home, especially when most of them probably havent even been there. Try to rise above them. Easy to say, I know.

 

Best of luck.

[Guest robbyhooper]

Totally know how you feel , me and my ozzy wife moved from the uk last october after living there for 12 years and had a very comfortable lifestyle but decided to come to oz so her parents could see more of the kids but we are both finding it hard to adjust , but its cost us so much money to get here we know we have to stay a while to claw some money back , but i can understand your situation and hope it works out

[Guest pegasus 90]

[QUOTE=CorinaMac;764190]Hi, we have just told the relatives here that we are going home and while they have tried to understand (although they can't grasp it at all)and be supportive- they are obviously devastated- particularly my MIL & FIL as they are in their mid 70's and not in the best of health to fly.

 

We have only been here 4 months but knew from day one we hated it and it has got worse every day. We've made friends here but we feel like aliens. We had a lovely life in the UK but felt our 3 young children were missing out on all their family here-the trouble is my husband left Oz over 20 years ago and feels like he belongs in the UK.

 

The family here are wonderful, aunts uncles etc-but ours are the youngest grandchildren by far and we feel so terrible to be takng them away but just feel like the walls are closing in. The emotional stress this is putting on my husband is huge- as well as a very stressful job long hours with 4+ hours a day commute and the stress of moving here in the first place and knowing it is wrong.

 

 

 

I know that we can't live our lives for other people but hurting people when you've raised there expectations is just horrible-has anyone had a similar situation.:sad:

 

 

 

Going back in September after two years here with my Australian partner. The strain's really beginning to tell now. My partner was unhappy in England towards the end there and I've never been happy or been myself here. I only came here to keep our little family together and to help my partner to have some meaningful time with her parents and for them to spend some proper time with their only grandchild.

 

Managing the hopes and expectations of other people is just impossible. When we came over here in 2008 I stressed that I was here so that I didn't lose my family, nothing more. Moving to a country I've never wanted to live in was hard enough, but coping with the expectations of my partner's family and friends just compounded things. No matter how often I said "Look, I'm an Englishman who loves home, loves London and doesn't like hot weather, never goes to the beach and never plans to learn to surf," no one in our social circle could accept this. They saw me as being obtuse or contrary for not embracing the local lifestyle and for holding on to a past life I had always loved.

 

Now that we're going back it seems to open season regarding the UK. Every social situation isn't complete without some witheringly scornful put-down of the UK and of me for wanting to go home. Even playing the "I'm homesick and I really miss my family" line doesn't work and I grimace now when the topic of us going home gets raised in public in anticipation of having to defend my country and my own feelings.

 

Thankfully my In-Laws have been fairly restrained so far. In the past however they've not been slow in coming forward with criticisms of the UK and myself (being described as a "Little Englander" for wanting to live in the UK!) and I fear that as departure day gets closer the comments will come thick and fast.

 

The thing is though, I do sympathise with them up to a point. We're going back to the UK because of my inability to adapt to life in Oz, my homesickness and my battle with Depression. In effect, I'm taking away from them their daughter and their only grandchild and managing that guilt is getting harder and harder by the day. They say you should never live your life through someone else, and that's true, but none of us live our lives in a bubble, and our choices impact upon them too.

 

Then there's my poor partner, who's been happy being back in Oz and is dreading returning to the UK in the same way I was dreading coming out here in 2008. She ping-ponged as a child as her parents (one Aussie, one Brit) could never decide where they wanted to be. She's desperate to avoid that for our daughter (now aged 4) but realistically one of her parents is always going to be unhappy with where we live as a family.

 

Nearly all of my partner's friends have exasperatedly said "Oh, but he hasn't tried to fit in here," and maybe I haven't in truth. But, if you're in a situation where you can't function without 20 mils of Lexapro every day, where CBT doesn't work and where you can never shake the overwhelming emptiness of not belonging, then trying to embrace AFL, Surf-Lifesaving and Bush-Walking isn't going to change much.

 

I wish there was some way to make it right but I just can't see it no matter how hard I try.

As nice as Australia is; it aint that good where it's worth making yourself ill !

[Guest valleylass]

Hi OzSceptic

 

I am really pleased that your return to the UK is nearing and I always enjoy reading your posts as they are honest and well considered. I have never been able to understand why anyone would make light of a situation like yours, yet there you have friends and family doing just that. Your ability to rise above thus far is creditable. Equally as your in-laws ping ponged a little empathy would help; given that they were unable to settle for a while. Well done you for tolerating extreme discomfort and insensitive people, I should imagine this is quite a challenge when you are as low as you were. Hope you begin to feel much better very soon.

 

valleylass

 

PS It's great being home :biggrin:

[Guest Guest37175]

Thanks so much everyone for your kind and supportive words. It does help to know that I'm not alone and that my experiences are not unique. My very best wishes to all going through this situation. Keep your chins up!

[Conniebygaslight]

Thanks so much everyone for your kind and supportive words. It does help to know that I'm not alone and that my experiences are not unique. My very best wishes to all going through this situation. Keep your chins up!

 

You too Ozsceptic-you too x

[Guest NicolaRoss]

I can sympathise with you CorinaMac and Ozsceptic. Heard a great saying the other day 'life is too short to dance with ugly boys', and thats how i feel about my life in australia. And Ozsceptic, it is definately not worth making yourself ill for. If everyone back in the UK thinks we are mad for going back they can bloody well come and try living here. It is isolating and lonely. We are living in a small counrty town in nsw (Bathurst) and life is so different to our life in sheffield, I honestly feel like I am in an episode of life on mars. I love my aussie hubby very much and we are very happy together but also think being married to someone from another country is so hard. We have a 4 yr old boy, and after just 9 months in australia we are planning our move home, and just told my husbands family last week. They are gutted and I cant believe we are having to go through the same guilt we went through 9 months ago. Even our tennant who is renting our house out is upset with us (against my husbands better judgement I rented our house to a friend, and without a bond.) She now feels like 'she has been used to finance our extended holiday' - her words, if only she knew! I am in the process of pricing up removals (again!) I would not like to add up how much this move has cost us, as well as the upset we have put our families through, but I still dont regret it, we had to know, we would always be wondering 'what if' if we hadnt tried it.

[Conniebygaslight]

I can sympathise with you CorinaMac and Ozsceptic. Heard a great saying the other day 'life is too short to dance with ugly boys', and thats how i feel about my life in australia. And Ozsceptic, it is definately not worth making yourself ill for. If everyone back in the UK thinks we are mad for going back they can bloody well come and try living here. It is isolating and lonely. We are living in a small counrty town in nsw (Bathurst) and life is so different to our life in sheffield, I honestly feel like I am in an episode of life on mars. I love my aussie hubby very much and we are very happy together but also think being married to someone from another country is so hard. We have a 4 yr old boy, and after just 9 months in australia we are planning our move home, and just told my husbands family last week. They are gutted and I cant believe we are having to go through the same guilt we went through 9 months ago. Even our tennant who is renting our house out is upset with us (against my husbands better judgement I rented our house to a friend, and without a bond.) She now feels like 'she has been used to finance our extended holiday' - her words, if only she knew! I am in the process of pricing up removals (again!) I would not like to add up how much this move has cost us, as well as the upset we have put our families through, but I still dont regret it, we had to know, we would always be wondering 'what if' if we hadnt tried it.

 

 

Life on Mars is a term I use regularly. I wish you well- when are you returning will your little boy be starting school in Sept I have a 4 year old too.

 

Good luck

[Guest marriedtoanaussie]

Keep your chin up....We moved back from Brisbane last July after only 5 months (3 young children, me a Brit and Aussie husband. I met my husband in 99 in Oz and then we made our life in UK for the past 10 yrs.

 

On returning back to the UK........

 

We have never looked back-no regrets. We quickly realised we didnt want to be there 10 yrs down the line...felt that our children had a better life in UK, village schools, Country lanes,Europe to explore, opportunities etc. they are free to travel/work/live over in Oz when they are older if they chose.

My husband's relatives were a little sore(more through not understanding how we can leave their golden shores) but they have got over it.

 

We are so settled now back in the UK as Australia was always a temptation for us. This is where we want to be. Husband is looking forward to World Cup and holiday to France, I love the long summer evenings. Children are thrilled to be home.

Enjoying not having to worry about hats/sun screen all the year round (though today is an exception !

I actually value the UK so much more now and realise how lucky we are to have made such a difficult decision-together. It was all worth it just for that !

Be happy and follow your heart-I did and I love being home

[Conniebygaslight]

Keep your chin up....We moved back from Brisbane last July after only 5 months (3 young children, me a Brit and Aussie husband. I met my husband in 99 in Oz and then we made our life in UK for the past 10 yrs.

 

On returning back to the UK........

 

We have never looked back-no regrets. We quickly realised we didnt want to be there 10 yrs down the line...felt that our children had a better life in UK, village schools, Country lanes,Europe to explore, opportunities etc. they are free to travel/work/live over in Oz when they are older if they chose.

My husband's relatives were a little sore(more through not understanding how we can leave their golden shores) but they have got over it.

 

We are so settled now back in the UK as Australia was always a temptation for us. This is where we want to be. Husband is looking forward to World Cup and holiday to France, I love the long summer evenings. Children are thrilled to be home.

Enjoying not having to worry about hats/sun screen all the year round (though today is an exception !

I actually value the UK so much more now and realise how lucky we are to have made such a difficult decision-together. It was all worth it just for that !

Be happy and follow your heart-I did and I love being home

 

Thanks so much My Aussie husband can't wait to get back to UK either warts and all. He feels no more Australain than I do- a fact that none of his family can understand (which I suppose is understandable) roll on Sept....

[Guest NicolaRoss]

Marriedtoanaussie and corinaMac you have both cheered me up no end as its so nice to hear someone else feels the same way as us, and its not us who are just odd for wanting to return to the UK.

I started valuing the UK and everything about it once we made the decision to come to australia (if that makes sense.) And CorinaMac, my husband also has said that he doesn't feel ozzy any more either. Since he has been home, he has actually been quite disowned by his friends who call him a 'pommy', and think he's a 'pommy snob' because I suppose he cant stop making comparrisons between the uk and oz. But marriedtoanaussie, wanted to ask, what was peoples reactions when you got home? did you feel quite embarrassed? That is something that concerns me a bit, although my husband has said that doesn't worry him at all. I am really fortunate that we kept the house (rented it) and my old employers are having me back, which is great. But I am a little apprehensive about facing people.

[Guest NicolaRoss]

And yes CorinaMac my little boy is starting his school in September which has brought our move home forward. I wish you lots of luck too. I found your removals infor very helpful too thank you x

[Guest marriedtoanaussie]

We too rented out our house and our tenants were a little upset with us when we returned (we didnt force them to move out but they felt they wanted to)

As for being embarrassed...

I cringe slightly when i think about all the sad farewells when we left the UK-grown men crying etc..it was very emotional.

Some people have been so confused by us returning (normally people that have never even visited Oz) and demanded to know why. Some people have understood. The important people in our life have been great and that's all that matters to us. I have learnt to be quite thick-skinned over the years-being married to an aussie has taught me not to worry about what others think !

We are back in our lovely home in a lovely village and settled.

We lost my son's village school place(he is on waiting list) so i have to do two school runs (not easy) so our returning home has not come without cost BUT we never regret coming back !

Some people choose the rollercoaster while others ride the roundabout-we are the former

[Conniebygaslight]

We too rented out our house and our tenants were a little upset with us when we returned (we didnt force them to move out but they felt they wanted to)

As for being embarrassed...

I cringe slightly when i think about all the sad farewells when we left the UK-grown men crying etc..it was very emotional.

Some people have been so confused by us returning (normally people that have never even visited Oz) and demanded to know why. Some people have understood. The important people in our life have been great and that's all that matters to us. I have learnt to be quite thick-skinned over the years-being married to an aussie has taught me not to worry about what others think !

We are back in our lovely home in a lovely village and settled.

We lost my son's village school place(he is on waiting list) so i have to do two school runs (not easy) so our returning home has not come without cost BUT we never regret coming back !

Some people choose the rollercoaster while others ride the roundabout-we are the former

 

I know what you mean about the cringe factor- we never had a big leaving party but we were humbled by the amount of people that came unanounced to see us off in our taxi when we left and the emotion they showed.

 

As I type this I can hear ' The Antiques Roadshow' playing in the background and they are at Bolton Abbey-somehow it doesn't seem real on Oz TV.

 

Safe Home to all going xx

[mrsindecision]

Life on Mars is a term I use regularly. I wish you well- when are you returning will your little boy be starting school in Sept I have a 4 year old too.

 

Good luck

 

I have just finished reading The Time Travellers Wife and found myself almost hysterical at the end - cried for an hour solid - realised the reason why is that I feel like a time traveller completely displaced and needing the comfort of home.

 

Have just spent a great weekend in Sydney - really think it's a great city but I really loved it because it was busy, cold and reminded me of London on an autumn day.

 

Regional Australia is something else.

 

Good luck to everyone in coping with their emotions, families and decisions.