Been away from UK for 22 years, in Aust for 7

[Guest megapixel]

Hi everyone, Wow what a journey - and I thought Australia would be where we finally settled. Not so. I have lived in several countries since leaving the UK in '89. We emigrated to Australia in 2004, but my husband's job did not work out after a year. He then took a job offshore and I commuted between the two countries with the intention of us both settling in Australia after 5 yrs. We have decided at this stage of our lives that his job is more important so I am selling our house and packing up. When we decided to do this, the job was going to be in Asia, but now it has changed and the company wants to post us to the UK. I had never even considered this as an option, so it was a bit of a shock. But this is preferable to living together part-time for any longer and I am now trying to look for the positives in moving back to a country I used to hate so much and wanted to escape from.

 

Of course after so many years I realise that nothing is going to be the same there and I have changed too. I am also ready for some reverse culture shock. Every time I have visited the UK since leaving, (last time was for 3 months in 2004) I have felt like a foreigner. I guess this is a reverse culture shock feeling. Anyone with experience in this, how long before you started to feel like you belonged or were comfortable again?

 

I am going with an open heart and open mind and really hope it works out. Final destination unknown. We are not sure if we will return to Australia even though it has felt like home to me since the day I first visited.

 

This forum has really helped me to see the positive side of going back to the UK (and the negatives). Thanks to everyone for posting their experiences. Any advice is very welcome.

[Petals]

I returned to live in UK when I married and it was a culture shock for me, took me quite a while to get used to it but I did get used to it and was ok. Then we left again and traveled around and ended up back in Australia and again another culture shock but after a while settled back into it.

 

Its a state of mind, for me being with my oh was the main incentive to live anywhere rather than be apart. He also had a job that took him everywhere and we could really live anywhere whilst he was at sea.

 

Now I am in Aus and have been for a long while and of course its home for us now.

 

I was used to moving as we lived in Africa and New Zealand as well so one is more accepting of change I believe.

 

Liking and accepting are different things :laugh:

[Guest megapixel]

From experience I think that you can find the best in any place you live. Happiness is inside you and you carry it with you. I know that sounds like a cliche, but if you are unhappy in one place, moving to another place won't necessarily make life instantly wonderful. Everywhere has its pros and cons and everywhere takes effort to fit into. Well, that's just my take on life, having moved around alot. Life is not fun if you focus on hating the place you are in and wishing you were somewhere else.

 

I really recommend a book by Isabel Huggan called Belonging - for anyone struggling with the problem of where they "should" be living. It is a great, thought-provoking book.

 

I also find it useful to think about the people who have no choice in where they live and

count myself lucky that I do have options.

 

Thanks for replying Petals, sounds like we have had some similar experiences, and you're right, it is about being adaptable and flexible to change, especially when geographical moves are part of your life.