1 year in.......

[Prema]

I can’t believe it but a year has just flown by so quickly. We arrived here in April 2010. Everything was just so exciting. OH had 4 weeks before he started work, so we found a rental, got the container delivered and it was just full on. After the first 4 weeks had passed, that’s when it hit home a huge smack in my face, OH went to work. I had to stay home and take care of the kids and get on with home life. To say that this easy was an understatement!!

I really struggled I was alone all day no friends, OH would come home late this was just not the life that I was expecting. OH and kids were doing really well and settling in. So I decided to help out at the school and would spend many days covering new books in the library. It was better, but I started getting panic attacks it had become overwhelming for me. I decided that being a stay at home mum was not for me, and so I began to look for a job, this was no easy task. I got knocked down on every opportunity. It just made me feel worse. I decided to give an agency a go and they lined me up with some temping work for 6 weeks in Dec / Jan this year. I loved it so much the people were great and I loved going to work. After the time had passed there the manager offered me a part time roll permanently. I’m still working there now and I love it.

Moving abroad is such a hard ordeal and you really have to work hard to make it work. Honestly people coming here without family is hard and especially when you’re here on temp visa and not entitled to any assistance with the kids. It makes it that much harder. You have to find the strength within. We as a family have really found ourselves. We spend so much time together here than we ever did in the UK. Less telly and much more fun. I am always asked would I return back to London, the truth is I feel as a family we have outgrown the UK. Our home is here in Adelaide and I would never change that. We love it here. I love everything about South Australia. The food is of much better quality, the weather is much better. Our lifestyle is unbelievable. I earn more money here and work much less than I did in the UK. I have leant so many valuable lessons, I realise that you don’t need so much materialistic items around you when you are truly happy. We spend far less money now, as I have leant to ask myself do I really need to buy all those things. As a family I know we made the right decision to come here, the kids are doing great and excelling at school. They do so many extra activities after school. My son is going to meet the whole crows team at aami stadium and play footie with them, things like that you would never have in the UK. In his Auskick session a few weeks ago 3 of the crows players came and taught the kids. He was over the moon. It’s something that I know he will look back on and think wow.

Life here, I have to say is not easy, most things are more expensive, you have to enjoy the lifestyle to truly stay here, and learn new ways to live. We as a family have done so and we have no plans to ever go back to the UK. This is our home. I’ve always felt that there is more to my life and really I have found myself, I’ve decided to write a few books, one is ways to save money believe or not but the last 2 weeks I have only spent max $60 in the supermarket, it’s very inexpensive to live here if you know how to!!! My blogs are always so long so I do apologise, but I must say a HUGE THANK YOU TO PIA. Without your support and help I would have been so lost.

Ttfn – Prema x

[Guest helene73]

Wow thanks for sharing your journey with such honesty, best look and wishes

 

 

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[Guest moonraker1959]

Prema your post was so nice to read!:cute:It takes alot of guts to admit to panic attacks and so on and I am glad you have found happiness.I'm also happy your employer offered you a permanant job.Looks like everything is working in your favour.Best of luck for a happy and fun future!xx

[Guest TH82]

What a lovely story, you should be proud of how well you and your family have done. Re the books - I may need that money saving one when we come over, I'm hopeless at shopping and always seem to spend double what everyone else does and then half of it ends up wasted x

[Guest leemina]

Thanks fo sharing you experience so far. I think i'll definately need your book. Take care. x

[waynecaz]

What a wonderful post . Thank you so much for sharing your story .x

[JimandBarbinAus]

Hi prema, amazing story, refreshing and inspiring, I would love to read the book on saving money, sounds brill, if let me know when you've finished it. I can relate to what you say 'in finding yourself and belonging' as when we were on hols in adelaide we felt we had found that missing link something that is always missing from our life here in the u.k.

[Guest lnother]

Prema, what a lovely account of your first year. You describe (apart from the panic attacks ) just what I anticipate my life being like. I've found both the +ve and -ves on this site, both of which are important to read and digest, it all helps to keep a sense of realism. Your story shows me, what I know in life, that if something if worth working for, it will work out in the end. I wish you the best for year 2 and beyond, and like others, I too would read your money saving tips with interest .. not wasting money is one of my resolutions for the move.

[Guest Opportunities]

Great post, enjoyed reading it aloud to our whole family. I am a true believer in spending quality time with your family, although one tends to think that you need to spend money in order to have a good time. There are so many outings in Adelaide that won't cost you a send.

 

We are moving over in December 2011,can't wait!

 

Meanwhile... live your life to the fullest! Have no regrets!

 

Karen

x

[Guest shella_n]

Hi prema!

 

I'm sooo glad things have worked out for you now. It doest seem that long ago that we were sitting in your kitchen with a cuppa crying cause we wanted to go home.

 

I think you've written a brilliant honest post and people in uk should learn a lot from it.

 

We will have been here a year next week and I will be posting on our experience ( aghhh *shakes with nerves*. Are you still on the457 or have you managed to move off it ?

 

Well done Hun

 

Michelle

[Guest Ric & Paula]

I was thinking of you the other day,hadn't seen you on here.Well done,I'm glad things are going so well,you're right,work hard at it and you reap some rewards,take care and continue enjoying your new life.

[Diane]

Prema,

 

Thanks so much for posting, it's so good to hear how you're going, and I know things haven't been easy for you and your family. What a great, positive outcome! I am absolutely thrilled that things have worked out so well for you all now.

 

Your book sounds great - Mandy, who lives in Athelstone, recently published a book about migrating and I know did loads of research into publishing options here in Adelaide, which I'm sure she'd be happy to share. She posts on here as Whatnow? or you can drop her an email at mandy@h2h.com.au

 

Fantastic to read your post, you have made my day!

 

Diane

[Prema]

Hi prema!

 

I'm sooo glad things have worked out for you now. It doest seem that long ago that we were sitting in your kitchen with a cuppa crying cause we wanted to go home.

 

I think you've written a brilliant honest post and people in uk should learn a lot from it.

 

We will have been here a year next week and I will be posting on our experience ( aghhh *shakes with nerves*. Are you still on the457 or have you managed to move off it ?

 

Well done Hun

 

Michelle

 

Hey Mich, I know time really does fly by and life does get better, were still on 457 at least for another year, hope this year goes just as quick!! Can't wait to become PR, and then I will truly feel like we can really stick our roots down!

Send my love to hubbie and kids xx Prems x