Repatriation after years away...

[elephantseverywhere]

Wondered if anyone has any tips on how to prepare for moving home after more than a decade away?

I've been planning this for a couple of years, it's a natural end point to my work here, and I want to spend more time with family. I'm single currently, no kids so nothing stopping me and I've been looking forward to it - I love life here (Asia) but always struggled when I went home for holidays and then had to say goodbye yet again and come back, always felt torn. I have been back for long trips in recent years so thought I was relatively realistic about life in UK (and even the fact I'm going back at a ridiculous time politically/economically!!).

But totally out of the blue, now it's only a few months away, I'm suddenly flipping terrified!! I'm welling up just thinking about getting that final flight and giving up my ID card and not being part of this life any more and...arg! Suddenly feel like living overseas is part of who I am now so who will I be when I go back?

I'd heard of reverse culture shock and repatriation depression and all that but I guess I didn't expect so much emotion to hit me already and so hard!!

Anyone else been through this?

I was in Asia for 14 years, and I have been back in the UK for 4 months.

When we moved my DC were 3, 6 and 9. They are now 17, 21 and 24. The oldest two came back to the UK for uni in 2013 and 2016.

The reasons we moved back were mainly family, (two young adult children, my Dad passed away and my mum was now on her own, nephews and nieces were growing up etc)

It was a good time to move back for DD3 to do A-levels.
DH is still in Asia, but working on opportunites to move back.

I love being back, and adore being in my own house (14 years of renting overseas). Even though I have moved back to my home village, I am out of my comfort zone. I have actually been away from this village 30 years, in some ways it hasn't changed at all, but in others I feel it has changed totally!

I think I will get in my stride once I have found a job. I wouldn't say I am depressed, but have to make a real effort to meet people and get out there. My skill set for work is geared towards Asia, I'm 48 so if I am looking at a career change, I fell as though it is my "last chance".

Moving back next year, but from Europe, and will have been away for 14 years. We will be moving back to our house, dh will have retired, so it will be a big change, but it's the next stage, and I am looking forward to job hunting, and getting involved in village life again. I will also be 15 minutes away from Mum as opposed to 12 hours, so that's a plus (I think, but dh soesn't).