Ghastly goodbyes

[Guest guest8040]

Most done just my mam and dad tomorrow - totally and utterly dreading it. This must be one of the worst parts of emigrating

[noworriesmate]

Most done just my mam and dad tomorrow - totally and utterly dreading it. This must be one of the worst parts of emigrating

 

I don't remember it being too bad - it was just all one big emotional blur mixed with the excitement of emigrating. I have to say though that we see more of my dad on Skype then we ever used to when we living in Scotland (he lives in Kent) - plus I am fortunate to go back at least once a year.

 

I hope it goes well for you!

 

NWM

[erobertson]

Most done just my mam and dad tomorrow - totally and utterly dreading it. This must be one of the worst parts of emigrating

 

I agree it's probably the worst part, but one of my Aussie friends living in London gave me the best advice, that it's not goodbye, it's just see you later.

 

My parents have since been over here and loved every second of it. They can now understand why I made the move and I think that helped them. They're already planning to come back next year!

 

Best of luck with your move

Em

[Guest guest8040]

Thanks Em - we've been taking the approach 'not goodbye just see you soon' but it's still nerve wracking! However hope I have a similar experience to you with my parents visiting <fingers crossed>

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

Oh Yuc! Poor You:sad: We tried to keep them breif when it came to the last goodbyes, try not to be there for ages hanging on to each other, if you can do really fast hugs and get into the car and go and we tried to hold it together for those last few minutes (you can always stop the car round the corner and have a big howl but we didn't want that to be the last thing people saw of us!)

[AussieRob]

I remember all the goodbyes being fun and exciting. Centre of attention and all that. Then even after all the goodbyes, my mom and dad took us to Heathrow, we had a chat and a cuppa at the airport, then when it was time to go to departures, OMG, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My mum was crying, and I think for the first time since watching "cool runnings" I shed a tear. I phoned a mate up after and asked him to talk to me about football or anything to cheer me up.

 

I don't remember being upset for the rest of the trip, but the first couple of days in Oz I could have easily have gone straight back.

 

Good Luck.

[Guest Claire-n-tel]

I remember all the goodbyes being fun and exciting. Centre of attention and all that. Then even after all the goodbyes, my mom and dad took us to Heathrow, we had a chat and a cuppa at the airport, then when it was time to go to departures, OMG, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My mum was crying, and I think for the first time since watching "cool runnings" I shed a tear. I phoned a mate up after and asked him to talk to me about football or anything to cheer me up.

 

I don't remember being upset for the rest of the trip, but the first couple of days in Oz I could have easily have gone straight back.

 

Good Luck.

 

OMG! i couldn't have done the whole airport thing! We had so many offers to take us but opted to get a taxi to pick us up from mum and dads......once the taxi was there we had to just say quick goodbyes and get in!

[Guest stewie1]

I remember the day very well. My advice is not to have too much hanging around before you go. Say goodbye at home and not the airport. Once you get going it's ok. Been back several times since to see family and friends. Gets easier each time. Best approach to this is "see you later".

[DAVID.CHRISTINE]

Totally agree ITS SEE YOU LATER and best in a private place ,couldn't ever let them take us to the airport ,just don't forget your best jacket and have to go Back LIKE WE DID The worst time ever .Good luck

[erobertson]

OMG! i couldn't have done the whole airport thing! We had so many offers to take us but opted to get a taxi to pick us up from mum and dads......once the taxi was there we had to just say quick goodbyes and get in!

 

Agreed!! I couldn't have dealt with any goodbyes at the airport. For some reason my parents decided they wanted to drop us at Heathrow (they live near Leeds and we stayed with them for our last week in the uk) I just couldn't handle the thought of it, my sister gave me grief and told me they wanted to etc but I put my foot down and we drove back down to London ourselves. I did have a good sob, probably as far as Sheffield but after that it became exciting and more about my husband and me, rather than everyone else!

[Guest guest8040]

No one coming to the airport thankfully (we don't go there until tomorrow night and they're popping in this morning) and they've said they want it to be quick so I should be alright....watch this space!

[huggesy]

Well good luck I hope the farewell goes well, some good bits of advice. We are going through the same thing Wednesday and my mum has started to break down a few times already :sad:I have organised a farewell lunch with a few treats to try and create a distraction seeing as it involves both sets of parents and then we will leave in a taxi not sure I could have done the airport farewell

[aliogilvie]

I can totally empathise having just been through it all - been in Australia 3 weeks now - the last two weeks in the UK were far more traumatic and tearful than I was prepared for and utterly draining. I was mentally exhausted before we even took off.

 

I agree with all the other comments saying that the best idea is to think of it as 'see you later' instead of a big, final sounding goodbye. We still found it so very hard though, I bawled my eyes out on the train down to London (we were also adamant not to have goodbyes at the airport - which was definitely the right thing). I am very close to my Mom and actually physically letting go of her and walking off down that platform was without doubt the hardest thing I have ever done by miles.

 

We then spent two nights in London trying to catch our breath - and once we were in departures at Heathrow and I started getting texts from close family saying how much they loved us I cried again. And as the plane took off I sobbed too.

 

It started to get easier once we were on the ground in Australia and simply had to focus on sorting ourselves out and to be fair it has been ok now we are here - just try and ride it out and keep telling yourself that it is entirely normal to have these feelings and let it flow. Much better than bottling it up. I was doing fab right up to last night when I stumbled on a blog my mum had written a few days after we left which upset me all over again - the point is this is a huge, life changing thing and it is going to be emotional - but it is worth it and it gets easier and it is only because people love you so much and want the best for you that it hurts so much.

 

Skype has been fantastic for us and I have actually spoken more to my in-laws in the last few weeks than I have in the last couple of years! It feels like they are with us all the way and makes the world seem much smaller.

 

Stick with it, have a safe journey and just ride out the emotions - it's all part of the journey to a better life xx

[DAVID.CHRISTINE]

Both times we have said SEE YOU LATER we have sent flowers and asked them to be delivered a couple of hours after we have left .We think it gives mum and dad something to smile about good luck

[Guest gemwalker82]

We did goodbyes with my parents at home and my husbands parents and sister at the airport. Mine was the worst, all of us were crying, and my mother-in-law just drove off really quickly to get it over with! Even my husbands dad shed a tear and he's a tough farmer! Not happy times, but once you are in the airplane, the excitement comes back and it does get easier. But "The Goodbyes" were the most tearful, heart wrenching thing I've ever had to do!

[debbie lawrence]

This makes me cry just reading it, we had a lunch with my parents and in-laws then the in-laws drove us to heathrow and a quick goodbye later we were on our way (just a few tears), then on the plane halfway over I got all the good luck cards out (which I didn't open previously) and had a good old sob, then it was really exciting and 100miles an hour, now I speak regularly on Skype to them and its great, BUT I have really down days when I can't stop missing everyone and these come on for no reason and i'm finding this harder to cope with than the goodbyes I have our kids coming out in a months time for the 3 months of the uni break and i'm trying to forget about the goodbyes that will come after that. I know this isn't very encouraging but I have so many good rather than bad days, so remember they are only a Skype away and all the positive reasons your coming here. Good luck with it all xx