Going back

[Guest desolateone]

i thought coming back to England was a good idea at the start after ten years in Adelaide. How wrong could one be, so much so that next year I am going back to what is my home! Dont get me wrong I am very proud of my background but it is not the same England I left behind. Fortunately my wife is Australian and has been a huge support. Just wanted to share and say hello to all.

[keldaz]

Yes England has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years, we could have told you that and saved you a trip. At least this experience has helped you decide where you want to be.

[The Monaghans]

Don't feel too bad, we did exactly the same thing! We only lasted 8 weeks in the UK though before we came "home" again!! It was a pretty expensive learning curve to say the least. Good luck with your move back.

[Guest Opportunities]

Hi Monaghans,

 

See u stay in Woodcroft, we do too! We are from South Africa though, not England.

[Guest desolateone]

Yes England has changed quite a bit in the last 10 years, we could have told you that and saved you a trip. At least this experience has helped you decide where you want to be.

I unfortunately saw England through my holiday eyes' which in hindsight I should have known better. The good thing to come out of this is our baby daughter , so I guess not all was bad.

 

Thanks everyone for your input.

[The Monaghans]

Hi Monaghans,

 

See u stay in Woodcroft, we do too! We are from South Africa though, not England.

 

 

From South Africa to South Australia eh? Sounds more exotic than Birmingham to Adelaide!

[Guest marcandjo]

hy im intrigued to know what you feel has changed, w eleft in 2003, and my hubby pines for it still, but all our relatives tell us we wouldnt like it if we went back... we from boro? whats been the most striking things you have found that you dont like?

compared to SA

[Guest desolateone]

hy im intrigued to know what you feel has changed, w eleft in 2003, and my hubby pines for it still, but all our relatives tell us we wouldnt like it if we went back... we from boro? whats been the most striking things you have found that you dont like?

compared to SA

 

Oh dear where do I start...

 

Before I left England, I was a spark, in Australia I stopped as wanted something different, so ended up in a job that paid decent, but it was not me. On coming back to England I got my old job back with my old boss, but work has been sporadic at best. My trade is buried in England with some now doing 5 week short courses and calling themselves electricians, which in a way makes me laugh out loud a lot lol...But I got to finally do my 2391 Inspection and Testing, updated myself to 17th Edition and renewed my IPAF license, Sparking is all i know. Unfortunately, I have to go through ATRC to get my license, never thought about it to be honest when I first went over, as did not want to go back to sparking. I guess you live and learn... lol...

 

Weather, I got use to the warm sunshine, despite going home every other year for Christmas.

 

I use to pine for English TV, but to be honest it is no better or worse.

 

I was drawn home by a holiday we took in the Peak District a few Christmases ago, so much so, that was one of the deciding factor in coming back. Along with an illness, which did not help my course in any way. Anyways getting home was great, everyone was excited, the usual, then after a few months, it just drifted to normality I guess.

 

 

Don't get me wrong, I am very very proud of my English background, but the country is the England I love, anymore It has changed to what I once loved, and not always for the better. I have in the most part loved being back, but in my heart of hearts it was not a decision I made with any forethought (sp?) to what might lie ahead.

 

 

The friends I had when I left have now moved on to different friends if you know what I mean. I left for Australia in 2000 and I think my biggest mistake was going back and forth not allowing me to settle. This created doubts in my mind. The reason it took 10 years to get back was because my Australian wife and 3 children from Australia. Sorry if it sounds like I am babbling, it just going around in my head...

 

 

Two good things have coming out of coming home, one is that we had a baby daughter which my wife craved for and the other is that I realised that Australia is and will always be in my heart, home!

 

There are a of things I miss.

 

I miss the good friends I made. I miss Bi Lo at Ingle Farm and TTP before it was changed to Harris Scarf. I miss curry nights at BB's at Norwood before I went to watch a movie, miss Gold Class at Greater Union but most of all I just being home. It has been a hard ableit expensive lesson learned, that you make in your lifetime, but hey without those mistakes we would never know the person we are...

 

Tell your hubby to hang in there, honestly, coming back is not always the best option, it was not for me!!

 

Regards

[Guest desolateone]

By the way, I love Golden Grove, myself we used to live in Modbury, so you could say we use to be neighbours lol....

 

Oh, and the best beer in the world is Toohey's extra dry...

 

Regards

[Guest marcandjo]

thank you so much for your detailed reply, its really helps alot to hear from someone who has obviously experienced the same thoughts and feelings, and has actually been brave enough to go back and see for your self. nothing ventured nothing gained, you may feel peace and feel able to lay some strong roots down when you get bcak, and it will ahve been a great experience for the kids. our kids think we're mad having emmigrated from nz last yeat to adelaide, and it still hasnt filled that home sick feeling, you start to wonder. how long have you been back in the uk? where abouts in the uk are you? how have the kids found it in comparison to their life in adelaide? how have you found the schools?

 

shame that your mates have moved on, thats exactly what i think would be the case with ours, i think our mentality has changed a whole lot since we last socialised with our crown in 2003, we're probably all different people now, will you moving back to modbury? did you sell up or just rent ? hope fully you can slot back into your australian lifestyle quickly

 

thanks once again

[Guest desolateone]

thank you so much for your detailed reply, its really helps alot to hear from someone who has obviously experienced the same thoughts and feelings, and has actually been brave enough to go back and see for your self. nothing ventured nothing gained, you may feel peace and feel able to lay some strong roots down when you get bcak, and it will ahve been a great experience for the kids. our kids think we're mad having emmigrated from nz last yeat to adelaide, and it still hasnt filled that home sick feeling, you start to wonder. how long have you been back in the uk? where abouts in the uk are you? how have the kids found it in comparison to their life in adelaide? how have you found the schools?

 

shame that your mates have moved on, thats exactly what i think would be the case with ours, i think our mentality has changed a whole lot since we last socialised with our crown in 2003, we're probably all different people now, will you moving back to modbury? did you sell up or just rent ? hope fully you can slot back into your australian lifestyle quickly

 

thanks once again

 

Have been back in the UK two years next week. It was not so bad in the beginning, people were bending over backwards to see you, but now it is same old same old and I thought it would all be so different. My daughter came back with us but she went back home to Oz over five weeks ago as she hated living in England. She was born and raised in the UK until she was 9, then most of her major schooling in Oz till she was 19, so she is well an Aussie.

 

As for the kids, they fitted in ok, but they miss their grandparents terribly. We have found the schools to be on a par in some areas, but lacking in others. However, our boy who is autistic has made great strides since coming to England, so I guess there has been some consolation in that respect...

 

We are on the outskirts of Nottingham, well border of Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire. Lifestyle I have found is not so outdoorish so to speak compared to Oz and I guess I myself got used to that... My Mrs on the other hand has not settled so well, she is not the same person she was before leaving for England, but then again she is an Aussie so has found the transformation more difficult than myself...

 

We are going to be looking towards maybe Fullarton area, or thereabouts. We sold our home in Oz, but because of the work situation, we basically lived of what we had left and the proceeds from the sale, it has been a very very expensive learning curve but I guess one that I had to do to realise that England was not where I wanted to be.

 

They say the grass is greener, I agree it is not, but you have to put your heart somewhere and to be honest I think I left mine there, even though my head was telling me differently..

 

Regards

[Guest marcandjo]

you were brave to try it and hopefully once u get back you will not yearn so badly for england, and just cherish the memories, at least now you may feel more affirmed in yoir chosen pathway and at peace with it. at least you have been able to make a choice as many do not have a choice to experience life in different countries, as im writing this im thinking god I should listen to this, soemtimes i just feel if soemone would video the town i was from and go around for one day with a hidden camera, it will reaffirm our choice that we made in 2003. but although i ask no one will do it lol they think im mad.

 

glad to hear your son has benefitted from the schooling intervention thats great. its not a cheap exercise is it we emmigrated for the 2nd time last year and is breaks you financially, we are only just started to see the wood for the trees, there 's so many hidden costs, and my hubby was unemployed for 6 months, which was very hard and unexpeceted. exciting times ahead for you and your family,

[Guest skoobzz03]

I lived in the Ingle Farm area for 12 years before I came back to the UK last year... can't wait til I've managed to save enough money to move back to Oz again (what we do for our dogs eh??!).... My Dad thinks I'm completely insane and has been very judgmental about the whole move but unless you experience it, it's impossible to know the heart wrenching feelings of loss and the 'what ifs' that haunt you when you have been away from family and friends for so long.

 

This little magical mystery tour back to the UK has made me unhappier than I've ever been in my life, but I've learned so many amazing lessons that I wouldn't change it for the world.... although a small lottery win would be good to pay for the dog shipping, lol!! The best learning is that my Aussie friends mean the world to me and while I originally thought they would never quite live up to my Pommy friends cos I haven't known them as long.... I've now realised that they are the ones who have supported me through thick and thin over the last 12 years and I was a blooming eeejit to leave them!! So... time to get saving I think!!...

Edited May 22, 2012 by skoobzz03
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