Expat's - A little advice please
Discussion
I moved to Sydney in July 2011 (26 at the time)on a 4 year visa after being offered a role in the head office for the Australian company I worked for in London.
Skip 3 and a bit years and I love my life here, fairly settled down with a lovely aussie, I enjoy my work, I love the lifestyle (not to mention the 9 month summers).
I now have the opportunity to either get permanent residency or renew my visa so I have the option rto stay here for the rest of my days.
BUT in the back of my head I never feel fully settled and can't quite imagine being 10,000 miles away from friends and family for the rest of my life.
My question is does this feeling ever go? or do you always yearn to one day go back 'home' and feel torn between two lives?
Here's a photo that pretty much sums up my spare time now
Skip 3 and a bit years and I love my life here, fairly settled down with a lovely aussie, I enjoy my work, I love the lifestyle (not to mention the 9 month summers).
I now have the opportunity to either get permanent residency or renew my visa so I have the option rto stay here for the rest of my days.
BUT in the back of my head I never feel fully settled and can't quite imagine being 10,000 miles away from friends and family for the rest of my life.
My question is does this feeling ever go? or do you always yearn to one day go back 'home' and feel torn between two lives?
Here's a photo that pretty much sums up my spare time now
oilslick said:
I'd be going for PR, then if you ever did come home and realised you wanted to go back to Oz it'd make things an awful lot easier.
But wouldn't that then constitute abandonment of PR status? It most certainly would here in the US.In answer to the original question, it's probably quite dependent on the individuals sense of attachment. My work moved me from UK to the US and until that point I'd never lived anywhere other than England, but I don't think I ever felt any strong sense of commitment to the UK and I was not particularly patriotic. My work travel exposed me to a lot of other cultures and on reflection, I think I probably was starting to become a little disillusioned - this was in 2001.
When the opportunity arose to petition for permanent residence, I took it. I used to travel back and forth quite regularly with work and took my wife with me whenever practical - her sense of "Britishness" being a lot stronger than mine. Each time I went back to UK it felt less and less like home - I think I'd completely emotionally detached myself within a couple of years. It took my wife about 10 years.
I still visit UK to see family and friends, as a stepping-off point for Le Mans each year - and occasionally for work. However, I do feel it's quite 'foreign' to me now, other than that I'm fluent in the language.
Something would have to go horrendously wrong in my life to force me to return to the UK and reside there.
Munka01 said:
I will be getting PR (then citizenship after two years of PR) It would be silly not to.
Just wanted to know whether the feeling of not feeling fully settled in a country other than the UK ever goes away.
Matt's post above is most helpful. Would appreciate any other views.
I have been in Sydney for 5 1/2 years now and have my PR and am waiting for the Citizenship to come through. Yes it does get easier, went for a holiday in the UK recently and nothing had changed. You adapt and meet new people. i think your beach shot summed it up nicely!Just wanted to know whether the feeling of not feeling fully settled in a country other than the UK ever goes away.
Matt's post above is most helpful. Would appreciate any other views.
Munka01 said:
I will be getting PR (then citizenship after two years of PR) It would be silly not to.
Just wanted to know whether the feeling of not feeling fully settled in a country other than the UK ever goes away.
Matt's post above is most helpful. Would appreciate any other views.
It is, of course, just my own personal perspective. I'm sure there are many expats who feel very differently to me.Just wanted to know whether the feeling of not feeling fully settled in a country other than the UK ever goes away.
Matt's post above is most helpful. Would appreciate any other views.
I was (am) lucky. Moving gave me opportunities to improve my life and those of the people I'm responsible for, that would not have been attainable had I stayed put - I think.
But who knows - maybe I could have - I don't have a crystal ball. I do not have one millisecond of regret in emigrating though. It's not everyone's cup of tea and the grass isn't necessarily greener. But it was for me.
Good luck to you, whichever path you take.
If the place that you've emigrated to suits you and you enjoy the lifestyle, get residency and make the most of it! You'll still be a Brit, just one that's not living under the grey skies and rain of the UK.
When I left it was for France, where I spent 14 happy years. The visits back to the UK led me to the conclusion that all I really missed were family, good curry and proper beer. My friends had largely flown the coop too and weren't back in Blighty anyway, so that was certainly no reason to be wistful. Have since moved again and am now in Miami, where unfortunately I'm finding it hard to enjoy the place. Heat, humidity and mozzies are not my idea of fun, so will be looking to move again as this school year progresses, hopefully to somewhere that's not as flat as a witch's tit!
Despite how I feel about Florida, getting the green card was the logical step, as it (or the Ozzie equivalent) should be for you. It gives you options and it's not irrevocable.
Probably the hardest part is ageing parents back in the UK far from their grandchildren - to that I have no answer other than internet comms and occasional Christmases back there with them.
When I left it was for France, where I spent 14 happy years. The visits back to the UK led me to the conclusion that all I really missed were family, good curry and proper beer. My friends had largely flown the coop too and weren't back in Blighty anyway, so that was certainly no reason to be wistful. Have since moved again and am now in Miami, where unfortunately I'm finding it hard to enjoy the place. Heat, humidity and mozzies are not my idea of fun, so will be looking to move again as this school year progresses, hopefully to somewhere that's not as flat as a witch's tit!
Despite how I feel about Florida, getting the green card was the logical step, as it (or the Ozzie equivalent) should be for you. It gives you options and it's not irrevocable.
Probably the hardest part is ageing parents back in the UK far from their grandchildren - to that I have no answer other than internet comms and occasional Christmases back there with them.
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