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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To want to emigrate to somewhere that gets sunshine?

131 replies

lovedimsum · 28/03/2013 15:47

Very fed up of this weather.... Waiting for the spring to arrive but not holding my breathe. AIBU? All I want is to not wear a coat for 8 months of the year!!!

OP posts:
digerd · 30/03/2013 21:48

San Diego here I come < in my dreams, unfortunately>.

maleview70 · 30/03/2013 21:59

I believe LA is decent from what a friend says.

digerd · 31/03/2013 08:51

When I researched the climate of USA, LA was discounted by me as for 3 months in the summer - think it was June to August- there was no rainfall at all and I would have to be watering the garden night and morning for 3 months on the trot. The humidity and smog was not nice either, and too hot.

San Diego was the best, for me.

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 09:10

It is 28c here, sunny with a breeze. Just been for a swim in the sea and now having coffee in the garden. I couldn't cope with the gloom and drizzle again I don't think. I also bought a coffee, a paper, a packet of Hula Hoops (from UK) a cheese croissant and 2 bottles of water it cost about £1. last time I stopped at the motorway services in the UK, a bottle of Highland Spring (same make I bought here) was £3.59.
For me it isn't just the weather but the effect the sun has on people, I rarely meet sour faced jobsworths or misery guts. Last time I landed at Heathrow I was asked about why I lived in various ME and African countries as if I were suspicious, the fact I work in oil (not literally, that would be disgusting), have a British passport and like living abroad were, according to the weasel faced old cow, not valid reasons for living abroad.
If I am ill, I go see a doctor, not a poorly trained nurse and don't have to carry the burden of a poorly run health system meaning I would get substandard and rationed care.

I actually like the summer months, the sea is a warm bath and everyone sleeps from midday onwards and then come out to play at night.

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 09:12

I don't mean to sound smug but just extolling the virtues of taking the plunge. (exception was Kenya, I hated it)

Slinkysista · 31/03/2013 09:26

Theo where are you? It sounds heavenly!
Have been thinking recently about emigrating due to various family issues, the economic downturn and the weather. Have no idea where I'd go though, France, Italy, San Francisco maybe...... I can dream. I often wonder would I be a different person if I lived somewhere sunny, would I be jolly and upbeat full time! Probably not, I don't really like the sun hence my love for San Francisco.

MidnightMasquerader · 31/03/2013 09:44

DH and the DC and I moved to sunnier climes; my home country.

The nice weather is lovely. So enjoyable. Wonderful.

However, it doesn't make up for ...............

Friends and family, kindred spirits, having the craic, not always being the new person, not having to put on a rictus grin and your best foot forward every time you venture into a new environment... People who know, love and 'get' you, people you have a history with and a massive laugh with. Free healthcare at point of entry (massively expensive when it's not like this). Free dental care. Sense of humour, banter, celebrities who are actually and genuinely funny. History. Online shopping for whatever you want at the best price, day or night. Waitrose. Ocado. Selfridges. Friends, the craic, the banter, the humour.

Nice weather is all well and good... Sitting outside to drink your coffee is magic. Your cheeky sav in the evening...

But... Wink

MidnightMasquerader · 31/03/2013 09:48

Basically, since I wasn't very explicit... Grin

What it comes down to is ... what you're leaving behind. If there isn't a great deal to leave behind, then the lovely weather and the lifestyle will be intoxicating.

If you have wonderful family and friends, then you may not find the nice weather and alfresco lifestyle enough of a pro.

Slinkysista · 31/03/2013 10:17

Goodness on the whole I have good friends and family. Very very close to my sisters, I speak with all of them several times a day and they drop in to ours and vice versa. It wod be too hard to leave them even though we have our ups and downs.
Where are you midnight if you don't mind me asking?

MarshaBrady · 31/03/2013 10:19

My sister just sent photos from Perth. 33 degrees all at the beach. But I still wouldn't leave London.

At least the sun is shining today.

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 11:27

I live in Qatar, it's not for everyone (although the only time I get slagged off for living here in on MN by people who camp in Devon once a year).
I love it and will stay as long as I can. Nobody has done a shit in my garden, pissed on my car or put fireworks through my letter box since I left the UK.

whosiwhatsit · 31/03/2013 11:57

Nobody has done any of those things to me and I live in the UK! But Qatar does sound amazing. Are there big roaches there (my one and only phobia).

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 13:24

none at all, the only pests are big bugger ants!

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 31/03/2013 15:20

digerd, SD is not for you either then. You have to water your garden here too. However most people have automated sprinklers if that helps and some have very little garden and prefer pools and hardscape instead.

JustinBsMum · 31/03/2013 15:33

Friends and family, kindred spirits, having the craic, not always being the new person, not having to put on a rictus grin and your best foot forward every time you venture into a new environment... People who know, love and 'get' you, people you have a history with and a massive laugh with. Free healthcare at point of entry (massively expensive when it's not like this). Free dental care. Sense of humour, banter, celebrities who are actually and genuinely funny. History. Online shopping for whatever you want at the best price, day or night. Waitrose. Ocado. Selfridges. Friends, the craic, the banter, the humour

I am in central coastal west USA and I would say it has the best weather in the world (better than the med, bit warmer than Perth,Au, in the winter)- but for all the above reasons plus good tv and radio give me the UK any time.

Oh, and plus being able to go to interesting places for a day out ie it doesn't require an expensive air flight to get there.

Nancy66 · 31/03/2013 15:35

I couldn't not have seasons.

I love a cold winter, although I admit this one has dragged on a bit too long.

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 15:50

Justin, use www.thebox.bz, we downloaded Dr Who in HD in 6 minutes last night! We have Waitrose food and an aramex account, an Ebay package made it from the UK to Doha in less than 12 hours last week. Can't comment on medical or dental, we see proper doctors whenever we want to and decent dentists and it's about £1.50 a time. My husband has medication that costs £0.12 a month to buy because that its what it costs.

theodorakisses · 31/03/2013 15:51

And thanks to this thread, it has been dark and cloudy all day, haven't seen the sun since lunchtime.

KLou111 · 31/03/2013 19:47

Justin, download filmon.tv it's live uk tv worldwide (time difference permitting!) we use it on holidays Smile

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 01/04/2013 19:54

Our weather had the massively good sense to rain during the night again last night. I really like that about San Diego. Even when it is rainy it is more likely to happen when I don't have to be out in it.

This was how I spent yesterday afternoon :) in a chair with my family and some friends and a picnic.

sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/734505_10201032269988857_1112365855_n.jpg

KLou111 · 01/04/2013 20:44

Eff off Wink
Looks beautiful.....I am so missing the sun right now!!

JustinBsMum · 01/04/2013 21:53

Thanks, will try those tv downloaders. Have been using tunnelbear but it stops every so often whilst the download catches up.

Wallison · 01/04/2013 22:22

I have lived in lots of places and my favourite in terms of weather was what is classified as "tropical savannah". It was hot, but not blisteringly so - average temperature was 26 degrees and in the evenings it was cooler due to breezes drifting down into the valley so it was warm enough to sleep with just a sheet and a mosquito net but not so hot that you couldn't drop off. There were two rainy seasons, where yes it did rain a fuck of a lot (think not being able to get from one side of town to the other because the drains couldn't cope with it) but that meant there was plenty of lush vegetation and all manner of wonderful fruit. Also there was lots of culture and history and I didn't have to sell my soul to the (oil) devil in order to live there. I do think of it wistfully now and it compares very favourably to all of the hats/coats/scarves/gloves fucking around that you have to do for what seems like most of the year in the UK these days.

CoteDAzur · 01/04/2013 22:29

"Constant sun can get very boring too."

No it doesn't [bugrin]

SelfconfessedSpoonyFucker · 01/04/2013 22:34

Yeah I don't find it boring either.

We do have seasons, very mlld subtle ones compared to other places, but we have them none the less. I actually resent the month of grey we get in june and mumble around the place "I didn't move to a whole new continent to deal with this crap every year".