Who is posting here not in the UK?

[HoraceCope]

out yourselves

where are you?

DH got a job here, intended to do it for a couple of years for the experience, UK is too scary to return to now :(

But we do like it here, so I don't feel stuck. But it would take a lot (and a well paid, secure job) for us to move back.

DH was headhunted for a job here too. He's an EU civil servant ( without being specific think CERN/UN/International RedCross) so on contract renewed yearly but he could be doing that for 20 years. Some here have!

Isle of Man!

South of France, dual nationality (born and grew up in England, but have spent my whole adult life in France). Moved here because I was bilingual and thought the lifestyle (and weather) was better. No regrets, don't miss anything I can't now get here except bacon for a reasonable price.

DH was head hunted. I had just been made redundant.

For sure we are expats - as soon as this job finishes, we are out of here. Couldn't retire in KSA even if we wanted to!

Born and bred in Australia but have also had a strong affinity with all things British since childhood.

Bahrain 🇧🇭
Hi @GinaCarbonara ! And the Saudi / uae contingent!

I'm a Brit though - expat. Also NC'd!

Haha @PollyFlinderz - yeah I wouldn't risk it!

Left in 2008 when DH sector in the UK was about to hit the skids (engineering) and it was the best thing we did. I work too so I feel as if I'm contributing. We've been lucky but have sacrificed family/friend things over the years by not being down the road from everyone. We may not pay tax, but the flights back and being back is what I call an expat tax - there was a thread a while back about spending £10k to go home and basically babysit and those who weren't expats couldn't fathom how it could cost so much.

needsleepzzz I married a foreigner but actually that's not the whole story, as we met, married, bought a house and had a first baby in the UK. Financially a dc2 was going to be a stretch with our Surrey mortgage etc plus I really wanted bilingual children and DH wasn't speaking German to dc1 despite me asking I'm to because he felt silly . He was coincidentally offered a transfer to the Munich office when I was pregnant with dc2 and I said let's do it, we could afford to live in one income if we moved to the countryside rather than the city and that was also better for full immersion in the language... So we sold up and moved.

I've always had itchy feet though and had lived and worked abroad for shorter periods before meeting DH. Its very different when you're actually emigrating, and when you have children, than short term expat adventures as a single in your early 20s of course.

Ironically I've lived in my rented house in Bavaria longer than in any other house in my entire life, now.

I married an American. He was desperate to move to Britain and I think still is. Fuck. That.

Hi those here living in Germany

I haven't done my citizenship although my children have. I've been living and working here nearly 40 years now and have paid fully into pension and Krankenkasse all that time so I'm hoping that any 'benefits' I get have been fully contributed towards and that they can't take them away. I also have an 'unbegrenzte Aufenthaltserlaubnis so I hope I'm covered.

pusspuss9 it's fairly uncomplicated and not unfairly expensive to get citizenship, I'd just do it in your place to avoid uncertainty. Who knows what might change in the future. If you don't do it you'll have uncertainty hanging over your head about pension etc forever.

@needsleepzzz My husband and I met when we were both doing graduate degrees at the same university. When his visa ran out, he had to go home and I wasn't eligible to sponsor him to stay in the UK, but he could sponsor me to come to the US.

Also NEW YORK CITY! My home town is so boring it's a living death, so there was no way I was going to turn down the opportunity to make a life here.

@loolooskip same here! My american husband has a real thing about East London for some reason he's even been looking at jobs with companies with London offices with an eye to a transfer.

No thanks.

Blueskies, thanks for your reply. I think it's time to do it. My children here have done it.

Ireland here too.

@allfurcoatnoknickers ha! I lived in East London for 12 years. Albeit a long time ago when it was still a shithole.

DH really wants to move to the middle of nowhere in Wales.

Prince Edward Island, Canada

Hello to all my fellow Canadians!

Hellloooooo Australia!!!

So many of us

Me Harare (Zimbabwean) to British to Australian (Glenelg, SA)

Thanks for this thread HoraceCope

We moved away from the UK in 2002 and have lived in 6 countries since then. We’re moved around by the company my H works for and get no say in where/when we go. I’m a ‘trailing spouse’ so mainly not allowed to work.

Those that left the UK, what made you leave? I'd love to but i guess too scared

We were really unhappy with the school system in the UK - the only good schools available to us were in areas with catchments we couldn't afford to live in. Also it was so expensive generally and DH was absolutely hating working as a teacher. We'd both lived in various other countries before.

He was offered a job in the US that involved going back to his previous career. It was really scary making the decision and we agonised over it for quite a while. It was definitely the right one.

Those that left the UK, what made you leave? I'd love to but i guess too scared

Went travelling to Australia and never came back to the UK, not to live anyway. I love coming back to visit and see family but there isn’t really anything I miss about living in Britain. Had a job offer a few years ago and the choice to be based in London or New York. I chose New York. Can’t see myself going back really.

Don’t be scared to try and live somewhere else, it may seem hugely daunting but it isn’t really. I’ve moved to countries where I have known no one and didn’t have a job to go to and it was fun and exciting and I wouldn’t change my experiences for the world.