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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Would you move abroad?

189 replies

stella139 · 31/01/2021 17:54

If you had the chance, would you move away from the UK?
Where to and for what reasons?
Just curious :)

YABU - yes I would move
YANBU - no I like living here

OP posts:
MirandaMarple · 31/01/2021 18:41

YABU

It's our plan to move overseas in the next 12-15 years. It always has been. It's just me and DH.

We have spent the last 15 years travelling, we've got another big chunk of time to travel (hopefully) before we decide where we loved best.

At the moment I would choose south coastal Morocco or a hill station in India.

Costacoffeeplease · 31/01/2021 18:42

@Indecisive12 We have both been self employed, so the language wasn’t so much of an issue. However I had had lessons before we came here, and had been visiting since the late 80s so that helped.

I have now gained Portuguese citizenship, part of which is a language exam!

It is a difficult language, I’m lucky that I have an ear for languages and already speak french, my husband has found it much harder

The job situation is extremely precarious - even more so now, and a lot depends on what part of Portugal you want to move to. We’re in the Algarve

Aahotep · 31/01/2021 18:45

I live abroad and I want to come back. Sadly my DH does not.
I miss friends and family, miss the food and friendly people.
I didn't really want to move and I'm trapped now.

Gwenhwyfar · 31/01/2021 18:49

I moved to the EU before the end of the transition period. Obvious reason.
I've lived here before so it's much easier than being in a totally new place in the middle of a pandemic. Making new friends is impossible at the moment.

bridgetreilly · 31/01/2021 18:50

Lived in the US for a couple of years. Was homesick the entire time, so no, I'm not going anywhere.

Imapotato · 31/01/2021 18:54

I have a bit of a pipe dream of running a small apartment complex in Corfu. I just love it there, the people, the weather, the laid back attitude to life.

But sadly it will likely remain a pipe dream.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 31/01/2021 18:59

I would love to move to Australia. It will never happen though as I don't work in a professional job and I couldn't afford the higher cost of living.

Changi · 31/01/2021 19:00

If I could, I'd split my time 50/50 between the UK and Australia.

ghostyslovesheets · 31/01/2021 19:04

I've lived in Germany before and would do again - but once the kids are all grown up - I love the place.

brilliotic · 31/01/2021 19:07

We did, in December just gone. Got out days before everybody started introducing travel bans for arrivals from the UK.
Where to: We moved back to our home country after 14 years in England.
For what reasons: Combination of Brexit and Covid resulting in much harder travel between what feels like our two countries (we have citizenship in both). In the end we wanted to be based in the country where our families are. That was the trigger for going now rather than at some point in the future.
But most of all, we chose the country that would offer our children the better future prospects (better school system, higher quality of living, better health services - in fact all public services better funded, less self-destructive tendencies, for now also better dealing with the pandemic though we don't know of course how that will look in a few months/years).
It has only been a few weeks but for now we do not regret it, we are relatively to the local population a lot poorer than we were in England, but the kids are at school and life is quite good. We are not seeing family but we could, which is such a different feeling to knowing that there is no way to see your family even in an emergency because borders are closed.

Figgyboa · 31/01/2021 19:10

Yes, several years ago and I don't regret it at all. My quality of life is 100% better!

speakout · 31/01/2021 19:12

I would but it cuts people left behind.
I could not be so selfish.

PineappleCrush10 · 31/01/2021 19:12

I live in Texas right now. Moved from Scotland in January last year. Enjoying the experience despite covid as schools, restaurants etc are still open. I do miss family back home though. Have to pinch myself I’m here sometimes!

oopsiedaisie1 · 31/01/2021 19:14

I'd love to live in Australia but it's never going to happen 🙄

WanderingMilly · 31/01/2021 19:15

Did it, went to Scandinavia. It was wonderful but COVID sent me back again, not sure how it would have been long-term, I think I will never know now.....

unmarkedbythat · 31/01/2021 19:16

Yes, because it has become steadily less of a place I enjoy living in and seems likely to continue to get worse for some time yet.

gwenneh · 31/01/2021 19:17

We did. We've lived in three different countries in the last 15 years.

It was great before DC, now there's just too much to consider and I don't think we'd do it -- it cost a lot, we wound up making financial decisions we came to regret, and the instability just doesn't suit our current life.

But if you're young, willing to travel light, and are good at the whole "bloom where you're planted" thing, it's great.

ComtesseDeSpair · 31/01/2021 19:18

I love living in London but can imagine we’ll make a temporary short-medium term move to the US at some point in the next few years whilst OH (from the US) works on establishing the US office for the company he founded here in the U.K.

It would be a bit of an adventure and not something I ever planned for, but I’m up for it. I can’t imagine leaving London for good, though.

TheWitchwithNoName · 31/01/2021 19:19

We’d like to move to Spain when DS has finished school. Not sure how brexit will effect that as we’ve only just started discussing it and haven’t started researching properly yet...

Mountainheart · 31/01/2021 19:20

I live in Bucharest, Romania. Best decision my family ever made.

Suzi888 · 31/01/2021 19:21

I’d have my bag packed in a second! When I was little my dad was offered a total relocation package in NZ, mum wouldn’t go. Biggest regret ever!

itsgettingweird · 31/01/2021 19:22

Maybe. It would be somewhere warm and near a beach with a relaxed lifestyle.

I've lived and worked in various European countries but I wouldn't go to Europe to live anymore. Getting my Spanish residency was an experience I wouldn't want to repeat when we were in the EU!

Bourbonic · 31/01/2021 19:24

No. I've just got no desire to live abroad. Living somewhere and having to deal with the mundane day to day there is worlds apart from visiting and just enjoying it, so I prefer to keep other places for holidays.

Seriously79 · 31/01/2021 19:26

I'd love to live in New York. New cafes, restaurants, galleries and people every week.

I love the thought of being invisible and blending in.

BBCONEANDTWO · 31/01/2021 19:28

@Catflapkitkat

I moved from London to live in Scandinavia with scandi husband. I would move back to the UK in a heartbeat but have been outpriced in the property market. Also, kids are in the local school system now which is very different (worse) to the where they were in London. One day.
Gosh I thought it would be heaven living in one of the Scandic countries and definitely that the schools were better than here. That's a surprise to me.