Why are you where you are in the world?

[Rillyrillygoodlooking]

As a follow on from the "where are you?" thread, which is interesting and varied, I was wondering how you ended up where you are at the moment?

In a rather banal fashion, we went to NZ from the UK last year for work reasons. Its been interesting!

And you?

In Luxembourg, came here for my job but DH has also found a job here...

DH was offered an exciting job opportunity, and you don't get many chances to change your life at 50, so we did it. I got a job quite quickly, one I enjoy. DD took a long time to settle, but now speaks of spending her uni years in some hip bit of Melbourne. I'm inwardly "yay!" as she'll be with us that bit longer.

We're here for good now, and don't regret it, especially now we have our own home.

I'm in Sunny Queensland

I am in Greece. Parents retired out here I came to as I was 16. Now married with 3 kids and my eldest has just moved to
Uk.

It feels less exotic than some of you, but I'm in New Jersey, after I moved to NYC for a graduate position on a PhD programme at a uni there. I love Manhattan and lived there for four years, it was dreamy. Then DH moved out here (also dreamy!) and we moved out a bit, so we could afford more space. Then DS came along and we moved out a LOT more... and now I'm in the Burbs of NJ and commute into the city. I do miss Manhattan a lot....

I've been here since 2005 and am starting to want to move home. DS was born here but since having him I have found I want my family around so much more (possibly because so few of our friends here have kids? Not sure why...) and I want him to go to school in the UK. It's currently a source of some contention as DH (Also British) has been here much less time than me and doesn't want to go yet. He also points out we would be significantly poorer in the UK (sadly true) and have a MUCH worse quality of life (sadly true) and have to scrimp and save to pay for childcare (Argh this is the worst part, I am spoilt but a full-time GORGEOUS nursery charging $1,400 a month and think I would faint at UK prices). . . .

All of this is v.sensible and true. But I wanna go hooooome! etc etc.

Perhaps I have hit the six (nearly seven) YEAR wall?

In rural France. We moved towards the end of 2006. DH had 36 years in a pension with a crappy employer, and DD was just 9. We worked out that if we sold up, we would have enough to buy and last until he was 60 and could take out his pension while it was still there. It was either do it then, or wait until DD was 18, b which time, we probably wouldn't have felt like it.

Wouldn't go back for anything - not that we could afford to. Even though we often feel quite lonely, and haven't really made any French friends despite speaking good French.

I'm in Belgium.
We came here with DH's work 3 years ago.
Don't know how long we'll be here, but probably for a couple more years at least.
Don't know where we'll go next, but probably Eastern Europe.

Before this I was in Japan.
I went for 1 year to teach English. I forgot to go home and ended up staying for 9 years, married DH and had DCs!!

I'm in Poland. Came here on a gap year after school, which turned into two. Did go back to university but practically the day after I graduated I came back here, met DH (Polish) and I've now lived here longer than I ever lived in the UK - effectively all my adult life.
Wouldn't mind going back to the UK for a year or two but mostly so the DDs could experience a different kind of schooling and get their English up to scratch and DH could get some international experience. Can't imagine settling there permanently again though.

Have been living in Italy for 17 years. All for love. Though had I known 17 years ago that I would still be living here I might not have been so quick to come over. Been a rocky ride living here and now I've finally convinced my DH to move to UK. Feeling a little bit queasy as to whether we are making the right decision. I've been out of the London loop so long that it'll be like living in a foreign country again .

Hubby is military which is why we are where we are.

I'm in Brussels. Came here from the UK 9 years ago for a 1 year internship after graduating from university and have never wanted to go back. DH (who came out here with me) now has a good job too and we've got a Belgian-born DS qith another DC on the way. Just bought a house and will shortly be moving out of Brussels (gulp) for the suburbs. I wouldn't move back to the UK for all the tea in China, as I have far too good a standard of living here and childcare/kindergarten is fabulous.

DH took a job offer in Singapore. It's our third time living here and we've moved countries 9 times..... no intention of moving back to the UK (ever!!!)

Amyboo
Which suburban direction will you be moving in?

I am where I am as I was born in UK, moved to another (far away) part of the UK and am not brave enough to leave entirely.
My DH. I shall answer for him. He was born in USA, moved to UK when little, back to USA when a teen, moved back to UK as it is what he is familiar with, and is not brave enough to leave again.

ruthchan - I'm moving south of Brussels, to Rixensart (provided we manage to sell our flat!)

Amyboo
Ooh great! I'm in Waterloo, so not far away from there...

We are in Germany, DH is German. We also lived for five years in Singapore for DH's work and loved it :)

I am in Singapore. Lived in Asia for 13 years (Singapore 3 years, Hk 6 years, now Singapore again for 4 years).

I totally loved HK, however agree with a previous poster that Singapore is mind numbingly boring. We are looking to head home within the next 2 years. I am not saying the grass is greener in the UK but after what will be 15 years in Asia I am about to lose my marbles. Yikes!

frutilla that's terrible. Which country? Hope you are all ok. Stay safe.

We moved to Dubai 5 years ago. DH was very unhappy at work and this opportunity came and we all said yes. Ds was sold on the idea of Wild Wadi, Rugby 7's and Terry Wogan playing golf here .

Its been a fairly smooth ride. We love the cheap travel all across the middle and far east. We have some fab holidays and weekend jaunts to places we would probably have never been in a million years. We've danced in the rain, laughed (nicely with them)at the tourists sunbathing when we're all wearing jumpers and boots.

All in all, not bad. We live in local land which makes a difference, I'm glad we moved to expat area first and then to local land.

Lived in Australia for 3 years then moved to SE France 22 years ago.

Am in Brussels; dh British military, so moved here when he got a second tour here.

Blackcurrants - you sound just like me! I, too, am in NJ (waterfront on Hudson River) and work in finance. Currently pregnant with first and really wishing I was back in the UK surrounded by my family and friends. Also been here 7 years. Looking to move back in the next 12-18mths but no set plans as yet - it's pretty difficult, as I agree with you - better quality of life and more disposable income - I would never get a job along the lines of what I do now, for the same salary, back in London.