Anyone migrated long term?

[NotAllThere]

And which country is ahead of the UK in those aspects ? Or is it all about the weather ?

Switzerland. Though today it's grey and cold. I think I should go home on the excellent, regular, frequent public transport, and warm up with the wife.

[aussielong]

Some interesting posts - thanks for that.

I too have met some poms here that are still unsettled after 20+ years of being here in Oz. I think to be a successful solo migrant you have to be a bit selfish maybe. You have to put your family in the UK behind you and look to the future. That is easier said than done. And a bit shallow maybe? Being a lifestyle migrant is just about you. What about those you left behind. Were they really that bad? That is what most parents would want for their kids though - look forward and have a better life - forgot about them.

I don't like the UK weather either, but to give up your family for that..! Special laughs shared with your grand father over a pint, or a cup of tea beats any huge house right on the beach.

On a more spiritual level, I don't feel connected to the earth in Oz. When i'm in the UK I feel like i'm part of the place. I feel like a tourist in Oz. That was a nice feeling for a few years. Now it just feels fake.

If I bailed, I would upset a lot of people. I have ties here now. Funnily enough, my career has boomed in Oz. There is not as much competition here as in London!

This is the constant mental to/fro of a analyst programmer migrant. No conclusions reached.

[threaded]

Relax! I thought it was an amusing place to put a quote but have to admit it was a little obscure.

I can remember the song, but I doubt the name of the band would get through the tulip filter, and even the URLs I've found are NSFW.

"Daddy?"
"Yes son?"
"What does regret mean?"
"Well son, a funny thing about regret is, that it's better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't done. And by the way, if you see your mom this weekend, would you be sure to tell her...SATAN, SATAN, SATAN!

[Gonzo]

again ,what is it English people don't like England for ? Weather ? Sure, if that is the issue. Political system ? It is the same everywhere , in the UK it is actually fairly good. Salaries in the UK are higher than Australia ( I assume ) so what are you whining for ? Immigrants ? Need for change ?

Britain was once great but is on the decline and the population know it. This is why they find it impossible to get all jingoistic about it like Americans and Australians can about their own countries.

Nowhere is perfect. I have left the UK and miss the British media.

[expat]

Britain was once great but is on the decline and the population know it. This is why they find it impossible to get all jingoistic about it like Americans and Australians can about their own countries.

Maybe that's because they're more mature.

[sasguru]

Britain was once great but is on the decline and the population know it.

Not strictly true. Britain is richer than it ever was (financial crisis notwithstanding) but it is in relative decline i.e. there are other countries that are better/getting better.
When Britain was the richest country in the world, many(most?) of its citizens were abjectly poor - just look at any photos of the early part of the 20th century or talk to any old working-class person. Its just other countries were even worse.

So it seems it is how you percieve yourself (both as a person and a country) relative to others that influences your sense of prosperity.

[Gonzo]

I can remember the song, but I doubt the name of the band would get through the tulip filter, and even the URLs I've found are NSFW.

That's the one.

[lilelvis2000]

I've been out of England, in OZ for best part of 10 years.

I've never felt settled. Always to-ing and fro-ing inside my head about whether to stay here, or come back to England, despite finding a long term partner here in OZ.

Family is better than a sun tan right?

Anyone migrated long term then gone ditched it all and gone back?

My dad says that when you migrate you should always have the intention that it is permenent. If you look at some of the ethnic groups in the UK, so many come with the whole "make a few bucks then go back" atitude. They end up staying for a long time and are like you, never settled always talking of home.
I moved here with the intention of staying two years, as my partner was living here at the time. I only wanted to stay until she could wind things up, sell the house and move back to Canada. I've now been here more than six years, have had a child and it looks like my wife's business is becoming a success. So I may have to give up the hope of returning and make it permanent. Eventhough part of me wants to go back.
I'd certainly find better work and better paying too. I keep telling myself "next year", but it never happens.

looks like you and I are in pretty similar situations.

[Gonzo]

On a more spiritual level, I don't feel connected to the earth in Oz.

That is because you drive everywhere.

[Croatian]

Ignore the username, I'm originally a Scot from Edinburgh, brought up in Brum.

I lived in Queensland for 6 years, then Croatia for 9 years, I'm now on the Costa Blanca. I know what homesickness is like, particularly while I was in Oz. The yearning for home and all things familiar is pernicious, it's with you 24/7. It's a horrible feeling.

I gave in and made the decision to return home. I left Cairns in sub-tropical Queensland on the thursday, on saturday I was walking through the rain in Brum, on my way to Villa Park. Already I was thinking "WTF am I doing in this place?"

If you have a wanderlust, like I did, I reckon finding the place for you is like buying a new house: you'll instinctively know when you've found it. Which is why I'll be returning to Croatia once they join the EU.

Britain isn't the place it was, it's rapidly turning into an open air prison.