How to say goodbye?

[etch123]

We board our flight to begin our new lives in Australia in 5 days time, and as the day draws near the reality of not being with the people who have been part of our whole lives is hitting home.... how do you say goodbye? our parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins want to hire a coach and accompany us to the airport! I dont think that's a good idea as it would be very emotional, id rather say goodbye at our home before we leave.....

 

How did you handle your goodbyes? i'm sure all of us went through the same thing....

 

Etch123

[Tamara (Homes Down Under)]

OMG it's difficult!

 

Friends and family had a "do" a few days before and then just parents on the day. Parents came to the airport but it would have been easier to have said goodbye at home. It was a little easier for us to leave because everyone agreed that it was the right thing to do and they all wanted to do the same. My parents were here for 3 months just a short time after us and they are here every year!

Have a safe flight...

Edited April 2, 2015 by Tamara (Homes Down Under)

[snifter]

I never do airport goodbyes. Everyone gets too emotional and I hate getting on a plane having had the upset.

 

We threw a big BBQ for all our friends, 70 or so adults and their kids. Included a number of son's school friends and extended the invite to their parents and siblings too. Did that a couple of weeks before we left. Had a meal out and spent the day with close family the weekend before we flew. Then flew out midweek without seeing them again. Kept it low key, worked for us. More of a see you later than this is goodbye.

[Karen S-D]

Great thread! I'd better go and dig out the Kleenex though as I'll be blubbing by the time I've finished reading about people's farewells...

[victoriasquare]

When I left England at the age of 22 and sailed to Adelaide, I went by train from Devon to Paddington by myself, took a tube to Waterloo, and caught a boat train from there to Tilbury, and no family or friends saw me off. I had no tears about leaving, and when the ship left Naples, I couldn't understand why so many people cried. Then 51 years later when I returned to England, I said goodbye to my eldest sister at Gawler, a friend took me to Adelaide Airport, and away I went. Again no tears. I had travelled between Australia and England so many times, for me it was just another trip, yet it is now probably permanent even though I would prefer to be in Adelaide.

 

I've seen many "Wanted Down Under" programmes, and don't understand why the producers feel the need to include a video segment of family and friends sobbing. If you leave to-day, you can be in Europe tomorrow, so why is it depicted that Australia and New Zealand might well be on another planet, and those who go, might never be seen again? It is comparatively cheap to fly to Australia and visit family and friends, and we now don't travel on sailing ships taking 6 months or more.

 

So how to say goodbye? Look upon it as a big adventure, and that sooner rather than later you will all see each other again.

[samandcraig]

We could definetly not have said our goodbyes at the airport! We said goodbye to my mam and my auntie and uncle at home and then headed off in a mini bus to the airport....we wanted it to be a happy time for the children not sat sobbing on the plane, we wanted them to be excited to begin a new adventure. So this was the best way for us, I'm sure you will find a way that's good for you too....

[Lazy Cow]

.

So how to say goodbye? Look upon it as a big adventure, and that sooner rather than later you will all see each other again.

 

We did that.

 

None of our going-away parties were about saying goodbye, they were simply a celebration of our excitement.

 

We always knew that we'd keep in touch with those who meant the most to us, and that's what's happened (thanks to social media!).

 

We had a rushed, very late, last night dinner with a few f&f - I was still packing / sorting the house out lol - then left at 6am, in a limousine (kids' request), just the four of us.

 

It was like our whole focus at that point was our adventure, and we wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

LC

[DougM]

Tell them you're going on ahead and they'd better follow, even if it's just for a holiday.

[Nikianx73]

We had to hire a caravan for 10 days before we left as the sale of our house went through quicker than expected, which actually made it easier. Hubby managed one last night down the pub with his friends, the kids had their friends over to the van for a day and went swimming etc, Hannah even managed a sleepover. As for me, my lovely friends threw me a surprise leaving bash at one of their houses which got very emotional once the wine kicked in lol! Didn't have anyone at the airport though as after all that we were completely wrung out emotionally and I don't think the kids could've taken and more.

 

The way I look at it is you're only a day away. OK, it's quite an expensive day, but it is just a day.

 

you'll get through it the way we all did. Just focus on the adventure ahead x

[Guest wen66]

Ooh, that would have been way to emotional for us. We said our goodbyes to friends the day before.......got a taxi to Heathrow Airport, (the neighbours all popped out and waved us off) stayed in a hotel for the night and flew out the next day. (Our family live in N Ireland, I flew back to see them a few weeks previous, that departure was really hard, none of my family where in any shape to take me to the local airport. My best friend did and she cried her heart out too)

 

It's very hard on the heart strings all round. Family will always be family, no matter where you are in the world. And they can have an awesome holiday when they come for a visit!

 

Good luck, have a safe and awesome trip.

[The Monaghans]

Noooooo! Not a big airport goodbye - I can think of nothing worse! We got married a month before we left so a lot of our goodbyes were said then. We expressly forbade any family members to come to the airport - my poor mum was in no fit state to say goodbye in public. We visited family during our last two days in the UK, leaving immediate family until the day we left. Whichever way you do it it's horrible, but you just have to grit your teeth and remember why you're doing what you're doing...