wherever you are - expat support thread, new or otherwise, sign in here for support/advice/comparing stories etc

[ExpatAgain]

Well, a few of us seem to think this is a good idea, so here goes!

I'm 39, got 2 dc both at school (youngest just half-day though) am "trailing" my husband whose job moved him to Africa 6 months ago..

I love many things about it but am struggling right now as back to being SAHM something I'm not a natural for...Looking forward to developing closer friends here. we've also had lots of security issues which we need to do something about or move house again and dc have been much more homesick than I'd reckoned for.

On the good side, it's great to have ventured out of the UK, it's a fantastic outdoor life in summer, when everything works, i've got time to keep fit, see the kids more.

Hope some of you want to join me on here

Thats the one thing i'll miss when i'm back in england.. our house is rented out so am living out of a suitcase and camping at various (lovely) friends.
I don't have parents or inlaws to stay with, and dh is back for 3 weeks out of the eight i'll be away.
Mind you I have three holidays (devon/wales and france) shoehorned into the time away so i'll certainly be busy.
I've been away nearly a year and am pretty settled but must admit to counting the days till I see my friends back home , I have made friends here but they're all the same as me and going back .. dubai will be deserted
Am wondering how the dcs will take it (they're 7 and 9) the youngest still misses her cousins and friends back in England (there were a few tears when we left from our Easter visit) The fact we'll be there a lot longer ...eek

Wow! You will be busy :o I'm sure the kids will have a ball, tears are understandable at that age.

I tend to stay at mum's for a while, then escape to my tiny bolthole in Devon. Our house is rented out too. This time, however, I will have to travel around a lot to catch up with friends.

Will have to see the out-laws too :( I've managed to avoid them for 5 years as they also moved o/s. But they're back in the UK now cue Twilight Zone music

My DD still misses her friends in the UK and I've promised we will visit her "boyfriend" - someone she knows from nursery! I barely know the mother, so it could be interesting!

We're going back in July too and will be away for 6 weeks. Doing the trip home on my own with my 4 and 2 yr old so absolutley dreading it. DH will juloin us 3 weeks later. The temp gets well into the 40's here at that time of year and I don't fancy being stuck here on that heat! Also everyone bar the Aussies and NZers leave to go home so the place will be like a ghost town.

In a way I don't want to go back either. We had a last minute trip back at Easter which was the first time we'd gone back since arriving and I couldn't wait but now I feel much more settled and don't really want the wrench of going back. However we've got a weeks hol in France booked and it's DDs 3rd birthday snd my grandma's 90th who we're having a party for and 2 friends have just had babies so got lots of things planned to keep us busy!! Fortunately our house is empty so we have a base.

Really looking forward to all the shopping I can do and stocking up etc and can't wait to have some M&S and Waitrose food!!

I'm going back for the summer (6wks) and am looking forward to it- it's rained all week here and I have serious "island fever" at the moment.

I'll be staying at my mum's mainly and then we're renting a house for a couple of weeks near Dh's mum's whilst he's over in the UK.

Dreading the flight with fidgety 9mo DS but looking forward to everything else about it. Hope the weather improves though.

Hi all,

A bit of a late joiner here! We are in Cyprus only been here a couple of months but my parents came out here 10 years ago and have been nagging us for a while to join them so we finally have. We ( me, DH, and 2.9 year old DS) ate staying with mum and dad for now until we get some money together for a place of our own. Work is getting there slowly (DH is a builder and working for my dad) and I am still looking for some bar work or something. DS is due to go to the local nursery in september if there is a place.

Anyway that's my story - not very exciting compared to some but hey ho!!

Hi All,

I must admit I am not really an expat! However, there seem to be so many nice people here (I haven't had time to read the whole thread yet) and I thought somebody might be able to help me.

I have two small children (1 and 3) and we are going to move to the other side of the UK for a year. It seems we might start in a serviced apartment and then move to a rented house. How does one pack for this situation?? I know how to pack for a two-week holiday, also how to pack for a total house move, but I have no idea how to handle this situation. I don't know what size the apartment and the house will be or to what extent they will be furnished. Also, we are hoping to have some work done in our own house so that should be semi-emptied or reorganised or something...

Any thoughts would be much appreciated!

Best
Adri28

What a cool thread! So fascinating to see so many people living abroad. I'm in Shanghai (hence the name!) We've been in China for 4 years and we have a 2 year old DS who was born here (well there.... I'm in Europe at the moment). I've been an expat since I was 5 and my Mum was an expat growing up too - my husband likes to say our son is a fourth generation expat!

I love China and being an expat (in no other world would I have a cleaner/nanny and a driver!!!) but I do worry about the pollution. I'm a trailing spouse but keep myself busy with volunteer stuff.

I know someone asked earlier on in the thread why people are on MN rather than local websites. I do use websites in Shanghai too (hey I help run one of them!) but I really like to keep in touch with the UK and MN is great for the more controversial topics - the expat community is so small that everyone is so damn nice to one another!!

Nice to meet you all!

Shangers

Oh I just read this thread - almost all of it!!
We're moving to Hong Kong next month (hello TheBride and Eastendmummy!). Been overseas before, NYC - so I fear that doesn't count much in the expat stakes!
Very excited, looking forward to having someone to help with the kids, being 'different', having someone to help with the kids, getting to know ourselves as a family again when everything around us is stripped away, oh and did I mention having someone to help with the kids!?
Feel pretty thrilled to be in a position to move abroad, say goodbye to dear family and friends here, without having to make a permanent move, so best of both worlds.
BRING IT ON!

Hello to all,
My first post on mn :-) I've enjoyed this thread and am sorry to have arrived so late. I'm 43 and mum to 2 little girls aged 7 and 8. I've lived in France for nearly 20 years, met DS in Lyon back then. We are very likely to relocate soon from Normandy to the Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean . Just wondered if there were any other Brits about. I feel at home in France but do treasure my English friends in Normandy and would like my daughters to keep up their English.
frakyouveryverymuch are you anywhere near?