moving alone!

[stephb]

hi all, i just joined the site today and have only been browsing for a short while. it feels reassuring seeing all these posts from people either planning the move or already there :)
but of the few ive read all seem to be couples and families, so i thought id put a thread out for anyone who may be going it alone like me! obviously the family/couple posts still have quite a lot of relevance but it would be nice to hear from others who are doing this without that companionship (or extra responsibility, depending on how you look at it!);)
My original plan was to get there around September, but various visa issues slowing me down so now aiming for early 2008! (bit more time to save at least...!). I have been planning this for a while, but have ongoing guilt about leaving my family (mum, dad and sister) behind. im not sure my mum can quite get her head round it. but i figured it would still be worse not to try- i wish my parents had!
Steph

[dglamoore]

Hi Steph

Welcome to PIA. Can't help with the single question as I fall into the extra responsibilty catagory :o. I have read of others coming here alone and everyone is so friendly over here I am sure you will have no trouble meeting up with others.

Lisa:cool:

[Django]

Hi Steph,

Welcome. What part of the big smoke are you from? I'm originally from 'The Bush'. Like Lisa I'm not alone when I travel over but had to say hi to a fellow Londoner. ;)

Pete

[Keel]

Hi stephb and a big welcome to the forum.Sadly im going with my other half so cant help with the single thing.Im not sad im going with them obviously but you know what i mean.Nearly everyone one the forums i go on are familys so we do feel kinda alone sometimes.Im full of admiration for you though for taking that step especially alone.you wont fell alone on here though.People are more than willing to help you.
Good Luck

[stephb]

hey all, thank you for your replies- it was very nice to get ressponses so quickly, and even if youre not singles the support is very welcome :D
I am originally from High Barnet, Pete, but currently living down in Tooting. Feeling very keen to get out of london though and out into clean air and open space!
Had great news today too, my state sponsorship has come through! I wasnt sure if it would as i only submitted two months of bank statements, so it is a great bonus!
Thanks all, I feel like i have people to share with now who understand :)
Steph

[RandC]

Hi Steph welcome to the site. Great news about your sponsorship! I really admire you going it alone, I have also like Lisa read about other people going it alone. People on here are really friendly and supportive which is fantastic. Just because you're going it alone doesn't mean you won't get support and make friends through this site I'm sure.

Good luck with the next stage!

Cari :)

[Damms]

Hi Steph

Just wanted to add my congrats :Dand welcome you to the site good luck with everything its a long road but really worth it when you get the visa

Remember you only regret the things you dont do and if you dont like it you can always come back:eek: Its so friendly out there (and on this site).

As for family and friends yes you will miss them but the world is a much smaller place and with the internet and webcams your probably talk to them more than you do already. As we have told a lot of our friends "Your not losing a friend your gaining a holiday destination!!!"

Good luck
Kim x

[happy-jools]

Hi Steph. Welcome to PIA.

Your going it alone. Lucky you Id say. I wanted to do this when I was 19, (a long time ago) and in meantime met my now hubby. Hopefully its all worked out in the end tho, as were hoping to be there early 2008. Just a few years later than planned.

Good luck tho.
:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Aussiebound]

Congratulations on the state sponsorship. Hope the rest of the application goes well for you. Sure you'll settle in fine on your own - better to go, try and make a better life and come back if it doesn;t work than not to try at all and always wonder 'what if?' - thats the way we look at it!

[ails]

Hi Steph
I'm a fellow solo traveller ... i've just started the process and don't plan to go til next summer although i don't know if i can stand the wait. obviously thats if all goes to plan and i get my visa! I'm also a londoner a heart, but live in Kent now.
well done on the sponsorship ... i'm being sponsored by family so don't have that hurdle to jump over.
Ails ..

[sallyclaire]

Hi Steph,
Congrats on getting your sponsorship! I think you're brave to be going alone but in some ways you are lucky as you won't have everyone elses worries etc to deal with!!! Seriously though, from all I've been told, most people are really friendly & put themselves out to make newcomers welcome and as you are brave enough to do this in the first place, you are brace enough to make friends!
Good luck,
Sally:)

[emmylou]

Hi Steph
Just wanted to say that I am single girl doing this alone! When I first joined PIA I posted an exact same thread and although there were no other people going it alone everyone was so friendly and supportive that it really helped! I have made lots of contacts here and although I don't post anything that often it's nice to read about everyone else!!
I'm just waiting for the go ahead and hope to be out there towards the end of the year.
Good luck and if I can help then just PM me!

Emma

[Alison]

Hi Steph,
I moved to Adelaide 15 months ago on my own so I know what its like!. I always wanted to live in Australia but my ex hubby didnt, so had to wait for the kids to grow up before I could make the move. Kids have been very supportive & 2 of them dont want to live in England but whether they will end up out here I dont know. If anyone has any suggestions on how a more mature lady can meet other singles & get a social life I'd love to know. everyone I know seems to of moved out here with their family.
Thanks Alison

[stephb]

wow alison i do admire you, that must have been such a tough decision. but i do really believe in the importance of doing things for yourself. and your children now have a door more easily open to them if they decide they want to make that move too. Good luck finding people in a similar situation to you. Have you tried evening classes or anything like that? i have joined a couple over the last year and ages tend to be quite mixed but probably different classes will appeal varyingly to different ages? Steph

[muppetbro]

interesting.......

one of my friends lasted 6 months in perth going on his own -
he left his flat to rent out - so that drained his earnings as he got his first tennents 4 weeks before his return!.....
he got fed up with the barriers for registering as an electrician and was doing the full work for a fraction of the going rate......
and his on off relationship started off with weekly calls then the realisation that he wanted her back.........

on his return g told me when it was tough going he missed the emotional support of having someone with him - he had no contacts in perth on arrival and as a 26 year old lad that is one hell of a big step to go it alone - we aint as great as you independent ladies!

hes back in the u k - falling in love all over again had some great trips surfing on the west coast and.......has a few years where he could yet return

hed go back tomorrow if his lover would go......but he has no regrets - life is a cycle and you never know whats around the corner.....

it took me 11 years to convince my soul mate to give it a go - how she stuck by me at times is beyond me but i know i cudnt thrive without her ........indeed 11 years ago the "lucky country" gave me my daughter - her eyes remind me of the blue oceans around ballina......

i have at last got what ive dreamed of tasting - an adventure with my family and finally to be surrounded by a community who care about their environnments

call us up on arrival - open ended offers to all good people - especially rich old single ladies :p

[KerEng]

Hi Steph,

I have just arrived in Adelaide (two days ago) and I have moved alone. I'm a 33 year old female and decided that the UK doesn't hold much appeal for me anymore (other than friends and family) and that I'd give it a go in Adelaide.

It's too early to say what it'll be like long-term (I think getting a job will determine how quickly I settle in), but so far I'm enjoying it - it's a beautiful city.

One thing I am doing is moving into a share-house next weekend. I figured that would do two things; one, keep my costs down since it'll only be a single income when I do get a job and two, give me some locals to chat to, show me around, etc. I haven't shared in a long, long time but I think it'll be worthwhile and I'm doing it for six months then will probably be on my own again. Might be worth considering?

Anyway, don't worry, it's really not as scary as you might think. I made a few contacts through internet forums before I moved here and am actually meeting up with one of them today and another during the week so that I won't be totally alone.

Feel free to PM me if you want any more info.

Kerry

[emmylou]

Hi Everyone!

Just wanted to say that I think we now have an official club (does 3 members make a club?!) We are the 'going it alone girls' (boys can join!)
Hopefully we could all get together in Adelaide for a coffee and a chat (looking forward to catching up in the UK Steph)

Take care
Emma
x

[Alison]

interesting.......

one of my friends lasted 6 months in perth going on his own -
he left his flat to rent out - so that drained his earnings as he got his first tennents 4 weeks before his return!.....
he got fed up with the barriers for registering as an electrician and was doing the full work for a fraction of the going rate......
and his on off relationship started off with weekly calls then the realisation that he wanted her back.........

on his return g told me when it was tough going he missed the emotional support of having someone with him - he had no contacts in perth on arrival and as a 26 year old lad that is one hell of a big step to go it alone - we aint as great as you independent ladies!

hes back in the u k - falling in love all over again had some great trips surfing on the west coast and.......has a few years where he could yet return

hed go back tomorrow if his lover would go......but he has no regrets - life is a cycle and you never know whats around the corner.....

it took me 11 years to convince my soul mate to give it a go - how she stuck by me at times is beyond me but i know i cudnt thrive without her ........indeed 11 years ago the "lucky country" gave me my daughter - her eyes remind me of the blue oceans around ballina......

i have at last got what ive dreamed of tasting - an adventure with my family and finally to be surrounded by a community who care about their environnments

call us up on arrival - open ended offers to all good people - especially rich old single ladies :p
You were lucky, some of us never managed to convince our other halves to come here.Part of the reason why my marriage broke down.Always told him Id go on my own if I had to so I did !!.no regrets.
Alison

[Blue Heeler]

Hi Everyone,

emmylou - I'd like to apply to join the "go it alone club" - Male chapter. I've been here - solo - since November last year. Wanted to come over for many many years but OH would not. So we broke up on a Wednesday and by the Friday I had a meeting with a Migration Agent and it all kicked off from there. It sure did take my mind off things thats for sure. Its been a fantastic roller coaster ride so far and advice for steph would be not to miss it for the world.

KerEng - I'm a Manufacturing Eng also, must be something in the training. Good luck with the job hunting.

Steve

[Heather]

I am also going alone, hopefully this July. Im glad that i am not the only one doing this! Some days i think i must need my head read! It really good reading messages of other people in the same situation.

[emmylou]

Hi Steve
You are the first official male member of the club! I'm glad you are so happy in Adelaide. I must admit it's so good to hear from all the 'solos' that have emigrated and made a huge success of it!
And, Heather good to hear from you too! I am going for a another trip in July for a month so I'm sure at some point we can all meet up

[stufi1997]

Hi Steph , well done on the sponsorship. we're running the same sort of schedule. don't worry about doing it yourself i did it myself the first time ( 17 years ago) and it's a doddle, just get involved in things and you'l find that it's a lot easier to make mates out there than here. This time i'll be married :D but i'm pretty sure Fiona would be glad to be rid of me once she see's all those hunks out there ! lol...:mad: i see your learning guitar ,stick in at it , I, can play it too... really crap so if we can't find work we can go busking ...they pay to stop us ... ha ha..! good luck stu and fiona.:p

[Denise 42]

Hi Steph
I'm not going alone, but thought would give you some support
Denise (42)
Graham (48)
Clive (21)
Carlene (18)

[Heather]

Well keep in touch & hopefully we can meet up!

[daude]

Hi, just seen your thread and thought id send a quick one ....new to it here too. We'll be moving there in the next year although we live in Perth at the moment. Me and my husband are from London and we used to live in Tooting too! So maybe start a South London meet up.
This is a real quick message as the last one i typed didnt go through and it was a long one too:mad::wacko:. So we'll be staying on this forum now as we cant wait for the move to Adelaide. Audes and Darryl xx

[jetskitony]

Hi,
welcome to the site,
if you dont mind me asking why are you moving from perth?also have you been to adelaide before?
Myrtle,Tony,Callum

[daude]

Oh good it worked this time.....i forgot to say that my family are all from High Barnet ....i know it well. We used to live in Tooting Broadway...the only thing my hubby misses is the pie and mash shop there and Chelsea football days out.
I used to drink in the Spirit bar as i lived around the corner in Garratt Terrace. Been in Oz for 2 yrs now. Perth just became too expensive, and for where it is feels very isolated at times. I only say this as we have extensively travelled around the world and theres not many choices this end.Cant say we miss the London traffic, pollution.....but do miss decent shops and of course good ol' Primark!
Im a hairdresser (20yrs in the industry, Southampton ,London,worldwide) and a good socialiser and listener and a very good hairdresser of course!. I'll be setting up from home once our house is built and will also be new to Adelaide.
Starting from scratch is always abit scarey but an adventure too good luck with your plans ahead. xxx Audes

[daude]

hi myrtle,
Just read your thread.......... Now i know this is working ok im going to have to write a very long one explaining about the pros and cons of living in WA or Perth more so. Some may not like it but we've had along time here to know it wasnt for us. Yes we have been to Adelaide and actually loved it for many different reasons ,i'll explain. We're going to enjoy the rest of our time here and cant wait for the summer to roll on....its been freezing the past few months....at night that is and ive had a cold for the past 8 days!?

Im just about ot have my dinner so sometime this week will explain all.
Take care Audes xxxx

[nikkiandlee]

Hi,

i'm moving with family and thats going to be hard enough!!! I only have admiration for those of you who are going alone! If I had the courage I have now when I was younger I would have done it alone, however they say thay youth is wasted on the young :wacko:.
We are just starting the process however hope to be in Adelaide by Nov 08 Fingers crossed!

daude- I am also a hairdresser (only in the UK so not as travelled as you) 18 yrs! Ive worked for a named salon. why have you decided to work from home?

Anyway good luck to all you "going it alone" you can still chat to us that are going with others but it must be reasurring to know others are in the same boat as you.

Nikki

[daude]

Hi nikki,

Oh dear i cant seem to get off this sight tonight...me dinners getting cold.
You asked why im going to be doing it from home???? For a starters ive been in the industry for years and years and years. Having moved to Australia i have seen many atrocious things not just in the hairdressing but more so the work ethics here, the way things are delt with has been shocking (not every salon I know) but it is my experience and what i think. I have been very fortunate to have had many good years..managing salons, running my own business and at the moment enjoying my work as working with another English gal whos been in the industry as long as me so we understand why it has been so frustrating. I now dont wont the bother, hassle and abit more freedom for me.
I will be writing a different thread on the hairdressing here so keep your eyes out for it and if you need any help with questions i'll answer what i know.

So im def. off for tonight over and out. Take care xxxx